The last I checked, FiOS is a paid monthly service. Marketing your customers to advertisers is a violation of customer trust and indicates the arrogant disregard and contempt you have for customers that PAY for your service. FiOS is a product. An arguably good product that I invest considerable funds in. To SELL me to advertisers is disgraceful.
When a service is FREE, that service commonly finances itself via advertising revenue (think Google, Facebook etc.). When you don't pay for a product or service, YOU are the product. However I PAY for FiOS. It is completely unacceptable for Verizon to even entertain further monetizing a service that I ALREADY PAY FOR, by sharing demographical data so that I can be exploited by voracious advertisers. Disgraceful. Here are some excerpts of the email I received today:
"
Verizon won't share any information that identifies you personally with advertisers as part of this program.
What information are we talking about?
The program will use:
Postal address is not personally identifiable? Plus gender and age range?
"You will receive ads whether you choose to participate or not"
Actually, no I won't, because I know how to avoid your schemes. But's it's sad because most people do not. Being subjected to advertising and sharing of customer data for a paid service is petty and insulting.
"Your privacy is important."
Laughable.
I'm guessing there was no copy editing on this email as it is filled with contradictions. This program has no merit and only succeeds in violating customer trust and loyalty. You all should be ashamed. Deeply, deeply ashamed.
Dan
Full email text below:
Dear Valued Verizon Customer,
Verizon participates in a program that helps advertisers provide you with online ads that may be more interesting to you.
What is Verizon's Digital Direct Marketing Program?
The program will use information about the area where you live, your Verizon products and services, and your interests and demographics to determine whether you fit into an audience an advertiser is trying to reach.
Verizon won't share any information that identifies you personally with advertisers as part of this program.
What information are we talking about?
The program will use:
What does this mean for you?
Certain ads you'll see while browsing the Internet may be sent to you based on this information so that these ads may be of more interest. National brands and local businesses will be able to tailor their online offers, coupons, and other incentives to specific audiences.
What are my choices?
You will receive ads whether you choose to participate or not. But, under this program, the ads you see may be more relevant to you. If you do not want to participate in this program, please let us know by clicking here. Please note that you will need your User ID and Password to access the opt-out page.
How does Verizon protect my privacy?
Your privacy is important. Verizon's privacy policy describes how we collect and use data and how we protect your personal information. You can learn about Verizon's ad practiceshere.
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, click here.
Thank you for choosing Verizon. We look forward to serving you.
Sincerely,
Your Verizon Team
Verizon's set top boxes are to big and bulky. They take up too much space. Ugly to look at. Get over heated and need to constantly reboot even if you don't reboot it!!! I had to buy a small table to place the cable boxes in my living room which is sad.
Like the TV's the CRT's tube are out and the LCD/LEDs flat screen are in. BIG and BULKY is out. Verizon needs to invest in better equipment for this day and age. A smaller set top box and one that could be mounted on the wall would be better. How about that.
For now thanks Verizon for your costly BIG and BULKY cable boxes.
JustBe
I was noticing that Comcast gives 2 free digital adapters and after that $1.99 - $2.99 per adapter... is there a way you can consider this as well because $5.99 per digital adapter is too much.
Wireless set top boxes might be nice like UVerse and DirecTV have. No idea if that would even be feasible for Verizon to do, but it gets my vote.
Provide a means of blocking calls based on caller ID and community votes.
For example, suppose I get a call from one of the lower-your-credit-card-interest-rate scams. I should be able to flag that call after hanging up.
Flagging could be done in one of two ways:
1. For those who get e-mail notification of caller ID, provide a link in the message for "Report this call as fraud or scam."
2. Provide a "star code" (e.g. *61, *92, etc.) to flag the last call as fraud/scam.
After enough users flag that number, calls from that number should be blocked for anyone who has enabled community-based blocking. The fraud/scam caller should be dumped to a voice message that informs them that the Verizon subscriber has elected to block calls based on community feedback.
Provide a means of requesting removal whereby the caller has to provide actual identifiation, contact information, etc. That way, only legitimate callers, such as political campaigns, would request removal.
Details about how many votes, the time frame for the votes, how long the number stays on the phone-spam list, how to weight votes (e.g. Bob Smith, who continually flags numbers no one else does), etc. can be adjusted.
If you provided this feature, you would find a lot of very happy customers and probable no small amount of new business.
THIS IS A MUST ADD..... THIS SHOULD BE STANDARD. ITS 2013. Digital Life is In Vogue. Possibly a touchscreen. on it. if you guys dont have contacts solid enough on buying several cheap but seriously reliable remotes. make me an email and ill do the homework. just cut me in on this. like maybe free fios full pack for 10 years/ or lifetime. and a kickback on say .01-.02 cents on a dollar .RT-MWK06 Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard Universal Remote Control [Bluetooth] ( but buy them @100k units or more i canfns several more or have one made for verizon... but i want in!
The latest router for Verizon Fios is the Actiontec MI424WR 3rd Generation Rev. I,
according to the specs, it has only Moca 1.0/1.1 capabilities with "theoretical" 175 Mbps, when actual at home tests have been at 80 mbps. You cannot get GigE (Gigabit) speeds through Rev. I Moca interface, only through "normal" cabling it can be achieved. Moca 2.0 has been released since June 15th, 2010. Right now Verizon is almost 3 years behind in Moca technology. So please make the next Actiontec router have Moca 2.0 capabilities that will more than quadruple our current Moca speeds to 400 Mbit/s and 800 Mbit/s net throughputs throughout our home network, so that you will have more loyal/satisfied customers who like to manage and enhance their own home network.
For those who have no idea what Moca is, it is the ability to set up an additional actiontec router where you havea coaxial wall outlet to pl...
Thank you.
When selecting a single TV show to record from the Guide, why not have "Record Episode with Options" as a choice? If you want to record a "Series", you can choose "Record Series with Options" but you can't do the same for a single episode of a show.
During the baseball season, virtually every game runs over the 3 hours alloted to the game, which means the DVR either misses recording the end of the game or the viewer must individually extend the recording. This is currently done by exiting the guide, selecting " DVR", selecting "Scheduled Recordings", selecting the programmed ballgame from the list, selecting "Modify Start and End Time", extending the end time by 60 minutes, selecting "Save" and going through that process EVERY TIME a ballgame is programmed to be recorded. If "Record Episode with Options" was a choice, that recording can be easily extended in two easy steps.
C'mon Verizon, this one is a easy one to add. Pleeeeeease.
We recently switched to Fios from Xfinity and I have to say that I'm quite disappointed with the offerings for kids. While you have the same offerings in terms of number channels available your "depth" of episodes that are offered in each channel is dismal in comparison to Xfinity.
The biggest uproar in our household is that FIOS does NOT support the free Watch Disney app that allows you (with your own cable subscription credentials) to watch a variety of full episodes on Disney Junior, Disney XD and Disney Live shows. There are 5 or 6 other cable providers that support this app- Xfinity included. It seems like an easy way to suppliment what you lack in on demand offerings (in the Disney area anyway.
PLEASE add this ASAP!
Verizon, please bring the FIOS services to Charlotte, NC. The benefit for the city as well as your company is undeniable! Charlotte is one of the nation's fastest growing cities and 2nd largest banking hub, as well as home to 3 universities, one of which specializing in cutting edge mechanical and electrical research innovations. Not to mention the over 750,000 people in the city alone that would be greatly appreciative of the added option for tv and internet services. The only real competition in the area is Time Warner Cable who makes no effort to improve lackluster customer service and monopolizes the vast market in the area. Please consider expansion to North Carolina Verizon!!!
I want Verizon FiOS Quantum bumper stickers? You know a good one, that is not made of paper. Something that will not fade. I believe Verizon should send out promptional products that are useful, and not bill stuffers that waist paper for things customers already have, but for things you have, and like? Perhaps a small yard sign like the alarm companies have. Alarm companies only charge about $4 for extras, I think they would be better given out at the stores, than the free bags, or if customers want promotional products provide them for free upon request. Made out of recycled products of course.
My idea would be some kind of software that would allow the customer to attach there home computer to the cable box and use there home computer as a drv. If we could hook the cable box and the router together by network cable then install software to allow our home computers to work, it would be great. Verizon then could make it from the user end even more an better interactive. Ok we'll have to pay for the software but make it a fair one time price. But then this may already exist - Verizon just has not let the customer in yet!!!
Time Warner and Comcast now have an Ipad app that allows their customers to watch any television program in real time on their Ipad. Verizon Fios which is far superior to both of these cable subscribers should add this service to Verizon Fios ASAP.
CenturyLink offers their residential customers a FREE option to have all calls intercepted with a message saying that the number they called does not accept telemarketing calls, and to remove the number from their call list. All other callers are asked to press 1, which then connects the call.
If CenturyLink can offer this service, why can't Verizon??? This simple tool would stop all those automated, and very annoying, telemarketing calls.
Dear Verizon Customer Service,
When I receive a voice mail on my Fios digital phone service, I would like to receive an email that not only includes an audio file of the voice mail, but also a transcription of the voice mail so that I can read it. Vonage has been doing this for years and it us a huge time saver.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comment. We feel this program is a valuable addition for our customers. This program provides Verizon customers with added relevancy in the ads they currently see without sharing any private information with advertisers. In fact, this program does not increase the amount of ads customers will see while browsing the Internet.
If you do not wish to participate in this program, you can click the link below or type the address into your web browser. You will need your Verizon Username and Password to update your preferences. https://www22.verizon.com/foryourhome/myaccount/pr otected/account/MyAccountGeography.aspx
For more details about this program you can access our FAQ page by clicking on the link below. http://www22.verizon.com/Support/Residential/Inter net/fiosinternet/general+support/top+questions/que ...
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