Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
airjay81
Enthusiast - Level 3

Well, I just want to share with everyone else how much I detest Verizon's FIOS customer service.  I don't know about their wireless customer service as I have never had them for my cellular provider, but their FIOS customer service is just terrible.  I switched back to Comcast a little over two months ago, and I have to say that Comcast is so much better, primarily because you don't have to go through 30 minutes of automated hoops just to talk to someone.  Comcast  may not be great, but it sure beats Verizon. 

I am moving from Pennsylania to Virginia next month and I was thinking about switching to FIOS when I move, primarily because I am not that familiar with the cable competitor in Virginia - Cox.  However, I was reminded yesterday of just how much I detest Verizon's customer service, I have decided I have to go with Cox.  Here is what happened yesterday.

So, I cancelled my FIOS TV and Internet services in mid-May.  I have a $95 credit balance and I have yet to receive a refund.  Being that over 2 months have passed, I decided to break down and call Verizon.  After going through their whole automated system and being on hold for about 15 minutes to speak to someone, I finally got someone.  She tells me that it will be 6-8 weeks from when I got my July 4th billing statement before I receive a refund.  I said, but I cancelled back in mid-May.  Response - I'm sorry, it takes 6-8 weeks for them to process the refund.   I said, ok, well, I always paid with auto-pay, will it be a check or a credit back to my credit card, I am moving next month and I don't want a check to get lost in the mail.  She didn't know and gave me another 800 number to call and speak to someone in their finance department.  Ok, so I hung up the phone and called the 800 number - guess what, the exact same automoated message as the number I called to reach her.  I decided to give up at that point and just say screw it.  Will I ever get my $95 back?  Let's just say I'm not counting on it.

In my experience, this experience is all too typical of Verizon's customer service. Very difficult to actually speak to a human being and once you speak to them, they don't really know much.  I remember numerous times having to call tech support and after going through about 30 minutes of automated hoops, I would finally reach someone, and then they would try all sorts of things with me for about another 30 minutes and then they would finally say, well we gotta send someone out. 

I was also always frustrated with these "all day" weekend appointments they would give me.  I mean, seriously, you expect me to be home all day on Statruday just to wait for a Verizon tech?  Comcast doesn't even have any such thing as an "all day" appointment - you get a 2 hour window and they actually show up for it.

Verizon's internet may be faster, but their customer service is from hell.  If Cox is at least half as good as Comcast's customer service, I'll be happy with my decision to go with Cox.

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Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
airjay81
Enthusiast - Level 3

I just have to add that, in my frustration, I decided to send an e-mail to customer service using their secure messaging on verizon.net.  I typed up my message, and then it said it couldn't send it because I had symbols like a dollar sign, parentheses, and hyphens.  I couldn't help but laugh at this.  I mean, isn't Verizon FIOS supposed to be so much more technologically advanced with their internet service, but their e-mail submission form can't even handle a dollar sign or a parenthesis?  Really, what a joke.  

I took out all of the unacceptable "symbols" and finally got the message to go through.  Got a nice automated response e-mail telling me they'll get back to me in two days . . . I don't know why I even bother.

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Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
airjay81
Enthusiast - Level 3

In case anyone is interested in follow up to my past two posts, I did receive an e-mail response telling me the refund check should be sent out 2 weeks after my final bill.  I responded saying that a month has passed since my final bill and I still haven't received anything.  She referred me to the financial services deparment and gave me an 800 number.  I called and waited on hold for approximately 20 minutes to talk to someone.  This person tells me I can expect to receive my refund in the next 6-8 weeks, not just 6-8 weeks from my final bill.  I asked whether it would be credited back to the credit card I used for auto-pay since I am moving out of state next week and I don't completely trust mail forwarding.  She said she can't do anything and that I can expect to receive my check in 6-8 weeks.  

I finally decided I have to file a complaint with the BBB and just did so.  This is one of the worst customer service departments I have ever dealt with.  To have to wait 3-4 months for a refund after you cancel service and for them to refuse to simply credit the credit card you gave them to pay promtly every month is just so ridiculous.  I can only conclude that they have designed the process this way because they know if they do it this way, there is a very high likelihood that the check they eventually send you will never be cashed.  

FIOS may have faster internet than the cable companies, but I cannot tell you how much worse their customer service is.  They make Comcast customer service seem like a dream.  I remember cancelling Comcast services several times in the past and I never had this sort of issue getting a refund of any amounts due to me.  Moreover, I don't ever recall having to wait on hold so many times with Comcast.  

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Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
airjay81
Enthusiast - Level 3

Well, finally figured out a way to go around Verizon.  I filed a dispute with my credit card company for the amount of credit that I am due a refund.  Capital One issued me a credit to my credit card instantly.  No waiting on hold for a useless Verizon rep.  Instant credit to my credit card. 

Verizon customer service - what a joke.  I hope my posts on here help someone else realize to take their business elsewhere.  

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Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@airjay81 wrote:

 ... I hope my posts on here help someone else realize to take their business elsewhere ...  


Well, I suppose anything is possible these days, but frankly you have only given one view of the situation, and no one has yet replied to your posts or added additional information.  I suspect it would be unwise for any user to base his or her decisions on service and features on a single, one-dimensional report, and I know I would not do so.  Further, I am rather certain that neither would you or any other experienced and rational individual.  In any case, I wish you much luck with this situation. 

BTW I have just received a refund check from VZ for a temporary overcharge, and the check hasn't bounced yet.  All's well, etc. 

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Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
airjay81
Enthusiast - Level 3

I feel compelled to update my posts above in case anyone reads them.  

I moved about one week after disputing the final payment to Verizon with my credit card company and receiving an instant refund.   Of course, when I moved, I had the USPS forward my mail to my new address.  About one week after I moved, I received a forwarded Verizon FiOS "Revised Final Bill" billing me for $95.01.  The bill was dated August 4th and said that my previous payment had been reversed by the bank and that a refund check was issued on August 6th for $95.01.  I do find it a little dumbfounding that a bill can be issued and state that a refund check "was issued" two days after the date of the bill.  At any rate, since the "Revised Final Bill" made it to my new address through mail forwarding, I was optimistic that the alleged refund check would also make its way to my new address and that I could cash the check and repay the $95.01 to Verizon and finally be done with this disaster.  The refund check never came. 

However, someone from Verizon's customer service team did contact me on account of my Better Business Bureau complaint, and they were quite nice - somewhat powerless, but very nice.  At first, he said, let's just see if the refund check comes, then you can cash it and repay it to Verizon.  He thought that would be easier than dealing with the billing department to sort this mess out, and that seemed to make sense given my previous interactions with calling the billing department, so I agreed.  I waited and waited, and no refund check.  I had to call him weekly for the past month and say, no refund check has come, what would you like to do next?  Finally, this past week, after no refund check reaching me, he called the billing department and rather than re-issuing me a refund check, they agreed to simply zero out my account.  

So, to receive my $95.01 that was my money by right (and ensure that a bill did not get forwarded to a collection agency), it has taken me approximately 15 calls to a Verizon representative, filing a dispute with my credit card company, filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and checking my mail who knows how many times to see if the refund check was in the mail.  The amount of time this has taken has been utterly ridiculous.

You would think that I would have learned my lesson, but I actually decided to go with Verizon at my new residence in Virginia - not because I want to, but because the place was pre-wired for Verizon and not the local cable company.  However, I will say this - at least two months before I cancel my Verizon services in the future, I plan to un-enroll from Auto Pay and make sure I do not overpay on my final bill.  I never want to deal with Verizon customer service again, and I will never purchase anything from Verizon unless I absolutely have to - I have considered switching to Verizon for cell phones in the past and, while I realized the wireless division is separate from the FiOS division, I will never switch to Verizon for my cell phone service unless they are the only provider with reception in my home.

I remain dumbfounded at just how bad Verizon's customer service is.  I have dealt with AT&T, Sprint, Comcast, Cox, etc. and I have never confronted such terrible customer service.  I agree this is simply one user's perspective, but, in talking to others in my community, I have found similar sentiments - at least in regard to how difficult it is to reach a human being. 

Perhaps someone will find these posts helpful - maybe not.  I am glad my Verizon billing nightmare is finally over (at least until the next one . . . I suppose).

Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
Verizonsux21
Enthusiast - Level 1

Nothing but trouble since I got FIOS. Every month I have to suck up to Verizon and endure their lousy online customer service to have my password reset. I asked how I can keep this from happening and am to REMEMBER YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD


Since I email it to myself each month when they have to reset it I think I remember it.

Of course trying to reset it online doesn't work unless I know how much I owe. WITHOUT A BILL I CAN NOT KNOW THAT

or

I have to enter my home phone number WHICH I DO NOT HAVE

I rue the day I got this service and can't wait for my contract to end

half my channels go in and out but they swear nothing is wrong and I can not see to pay my bill or even get  a bill

Not surprised my name without the number was taken

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Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
Verizonsux21
Enthusiast - Level 1

based on EVERYONE that I know that has had or currently has FIOS you are a minority. Most think the customer service is the worst every.

Now base your opinions on the over 30 people I have talked to

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Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@Verizonsux2 wrote:

based on EVERYONE that I know that has had or currently has FIOS you are a minority ... Now base your opinions on the over 30 people I have talked to


I am not sure if you are addressing me.  However if you are, please explain why I might want to base my opinion on the unidentified people you have talked to.  Have you and I ever met?  I think not.

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Re: Verizon - Customer Service From Hell
tns
Master - Level 2

@Verizonsux2 wrote:

Nothing but trouble since I got FIOS. Every month I have to suck up to Verizon and endure their lousy online customer service to have my password reset. I asked how I can keep this from happening and am to REMEMBER YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD


Since I email it to myself each month when they have to reset it I think I remember it.

Of course trying to reset it online doesn't work unless I know how much I owe. WITHOUT A BILL I CAN NOT KNOW THAT

or

I have to enter my home phone number WHICH I DO NOT HAVE

I rue the day I got this service and can't wait for my contract to end

half my channels go in and out but they swear nothing is wrong and I can not see to pay my bill or even get  a bill

Not surprised my name without the number was taken


Not sure I understand.

Why do you keep having to have your password reset?

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