Need to File a DIRECT complaint with Verizon and have already sent a formal Complaint to BBB

[Mitzi09]

On March 30, 2017, I placed a call with Verizon FiOS to set-up new service in my name at the address I currently reside in. At the beginning of the call, I explained to the sales rep that the current service was in my housemates name and she was due to move out and cancel service at this address April, 1st and I work from home full time, therefore, a secure network was important for me to maintain at the residence. She began the sales process and determined that the residence could have internet at a max speed of 100 MBPS, I advised the rep that the house had been completely rewired inside and outside to support that speed. She provided me with the new telephone number for the home line, Triple Play Package, HBO free for a yr., and cable service, with 2-3 boxes. She gave me the estimated price of the package, similar to the price of the service I had for the last year under the housemate’s acct. Once email confirmation was received, she advised that the earliest installation date was 04/05/2017. I expressed that I needed an earlier availability, I work from home full time and l would not be able to take off Mon 4/3, Tue 4/4, and Wed 4/5 from work, that goes without mentioning an entire weekend without to or internet since acct was canceling 4/1. She said that was the earliest she could do on her end, and that I could qualify for self-installation, that was an exhilarating statement and I asked what the ship times would be for the devices. She said they would arrive UPS on Monday 04/03, I expressed that if there was any way I could not miss a single day of work that would be the most preferred scenario, I asked if the devices could be shipped overnight to my address (I offered to pay upfront or in next bill the additional cost of shipping) and she stated that she needed to transfer me to the “Exceptions Department” to confirm if the address “qualified” for self-installation and overnight shipping. I ended the call with her by finalizing the email she had sent me confirming an installation date of 04/05/2017 with technician due here between 11am and 3pm. I was placed on hold, while transfer occurred., she came back on the line to inform me that my address did not qualify for self-installation (no reason for the disqualification given) Exceptions Department Rep, who was also on the line confirmed that and that overnight ship would also be disqualified. I requested any other assistance acquiring a sooner installation date or self-install, they stated that they would place me on an “Expedite” list and if any cancellations occurred, a technician would contact me immediately. This call ended here with Triple Play Package sold, and installation date that did not meet any of my needs or expectations of good service, thinking Verizon would want their clients to be gainfully employed in order to receive payment for their services, I believed that a tech call would come sooner to relieve the conundrum. The next day, Friday March 31st, 2017, I called Verizon again, spoke with a rep and provided my Order number, given the day previous, and told the rep I was calling for updates regarding the ability to self-install, shipping of devices, and potential or existing cancellations and openings for tech install sooner than 04/05/2017, she stated the devices would arrive Monday and not to open the box until tech arrived, and no earlier date or self-installation ability. At this point, I contacted my previous housemate and advised that service was delaying for reinstallation and requested that she push the cancellation date from 04/01 to 04/04 in hopes that I would have 1 or 2 days of work and not miss three entire days; she called that day and arranged it. On 04/03/2017, I called early Monday, to again receive any updates from a live representative and express the dire necessity, due to my employment requiring internet service, for a sooner installation date of 04/05/2017. She stated that while she looked into that for me, if I would allow her the ability to review my package to ensure I was receiving the best deal, of course I said yes that was fine, since she said she would check for earlier install dates as well, and sold me something else, 8 or 9 bucks cheaper, I was confused during her breakdown of all the products and concerned about the amount of work I would be risking due to an installation that was still set for Wednesday. I once again obliged her and opened the confirmation email followed the steps only to find out that the install date was still the same and I had saved money on my package. I asked again if I could self-install since the device box had arrived early day and informed that the house had already been newly wired for the speed package last year, she said I did not qualify, I asked if I was on the expedite list due to working from home she confirmed and that a call could be received from a tech with an opening. She confirmed that with services, being cancelled 04/04; at midnight on 04/04, I would no longer have internet service and would lose that day of work and part of the day on Wednesday awaiting installation. It was bittersweet since I had been able to retain Monday employment, it was not an ideal situation but I remained hopeful that Verizon was really doing everything they could to fulfill my request considering the extraneous situation. This is now the third call placed and fourth representative spoken to that have stated I do not qualify for self-install, with no explanation of how that determination is made. Tuesday 04/04/2017, received no calls from a Verizon tech expediting my situation and I did not place a call to customer service since in the previous 3 calls, I had been told the exact same thing and pacified with a sense of helplessness and hope that the company would strive to ensure that my situation would be prioritized, with employment at risk. In every single call I stated over and over and over again, the importance of having internet for my employment and my concern that the services would not overlap and that is still what occurred, I was able to somewhat work using my phone as a mobile hot spot, consuming data and hoping that the tech call would come sooner than later. I took the morning of Wednesday 04/05/2017 off from work, 5 total hours, due to the immense lag with hotspot, important pages were timing out and creating more backlog, and to await the SCHEDULED technician from 11am to 3pm. Around 12:30 I received a call from technician Jeff, left him with number to contact him, I returned his call confirming that I knew he was on his way and where to reach me directly. He arrived within minutes, and when I greeted him at the door, I showed him the box of devices unopened, he said he needed to check the wiring of the house to ensure it would support the speed package I chose, I explained to him as well that the house had been newly rewired last year, he asked me if they drilled through the side of the house, I said yes, and installed new system outside the physical house and updated the hardware in the basement, at this point the technician stated that I could have opted for Self – Installation. I told him that I asked on three different calls to four representatives if I was eligible and everyone said I was disqualified. When he arrived at my location he also stated that he did not have any notes or information regarding the complete rewire from the previous year.

9. How can a Technician come to my home, rewire an entire fiber optic cable, install a new box on an electrical pole outside, drill through the side of my house to connect to a faster internet and not notate anything regarding the update? I told multiple reps on the phone about the rewire last year and the speed package has not changed, 100 MPBS is still the highest available for this home. None of the representatives listened to me actively and furthermore, the year prior an entire update was conducted that Verizon has no information regarding. That information could have prevented a technician from coming to my residence to load batteries into a remote and plug an adapter into the wall for $90.00. Its plausible to believe that notes did exist in the system for customer service reps and knowing the how was properly wired, sending a technician for batteries and adapter plug ins, was worth $90.00 – better profit margin than the acct that requires a new rewire and is also only getting charged $90.00. Its hard to believe anything other than some thing happened that did not have integrity and moral standards, this experience has left me wondering if Verizon will act this immoral and deceitful to me in a future endeavor.

He went outside confirmed the box was correct and ACTIVE, came inside I showed him where the tech drilled and installed port, I also expressed that it was not a very sturdy port or cable and if he could reinforce it, since a few months prior it had fallen in and I had to retrieve it and problem solve the situation so that I could return to work. He said that all he needed next was to check the basement unit, I showed him where to find it and he confirmed that was ACTIVE. Stated again that self-install was eligible for my residence and that all he had to do was plug the devices in and activate my service. I was appalled, frustrated, exasperated, and shocked that the self-installation I had been recommended to by the first sales rep and then disqualified was available to me because all the wiring that the Technician would have had to do to update my internet had already been completed. Prior to his arrival, I had unplugged and packed the previous devices leaving the hdmi cords, cable connectors, and phone wires out in the open to put the new devices. Everything the technician “installed” I could have done myself and the device box sat in my living room unopened, per sticker on box, until tech arrived. Had I opened that box Monday, I would have found inside the box a guide, provided by FiOS that includes Digital Voice Terms, Privacy Policy, FiOS TV Terms of Service, and a WIFI, voicemail, and remote quick-start guide to install the devices yourself.

1. Why would a self-install guide be provided in the device box if my address did not qualify? Does that come standard in every box?

2. What determines if an address qualifies for self install? Is it knowledge of the wiring of the home? If so, notes would have to be in a system and available for reps in your service department to see.

3. And why was my address disqualified for self-install and overnight shipment of devices?

The technician who came to my address was fantastic despite the fact that I was incredibly frustrated and upset that all of my pleads, calls, waits, holds, department transfers, had led to nothing but this moment of realization that I missed work, worked from a mobile hotspot and asked my previous housemate to change her cancellation date, adding 3 more days to her bill, for Verizon to gain $90.00 from me for an installation that I could have done myself and would have with overnight delivery of my devices on 03/31/2017. I had a lapse of service for a $90.00 installation fee that did not include any of the features shown in the “Watch a Quick Video about your upcoming Fios installation” email I received on March 31, after two calls to your customer service department expressing the wire update the previous year and need to earlier install for work. The technician really listened to all of my concerns and questions regarding everything that had transpired over the last 5 days with Verizon and did fix and reinforce the subpar port and line the technician had created the year before to avoid any mishaps in the future. I really appreciated Jeff attempting to make the most and provide the exceptional customer service that I had not received from Verizon in that moment, by ensuring that all the devices did connect, remotes functioned, internet up and running, and providing me with cable wire to arrange my room in a better way once painting was finished. That representative cares and actively listens to the customer. He apologized profusely on behalf of Verizon and the representatives that I had spoken with over the course of three days, and I advised him that I would be formally placing a complaint for the unnecessary financial and emotional hardship that this situation placed me if for no good reason other than the $90.00 Verizon was due to gain for making my service lapse and await a technician.

1. Where is the “Expedite” list for clients who have situations that require special attention? How are the technicians able to locate/view/contact the clients on this list? I was informed that no such list has been seen before, that he was the expedited tech because the tech that had my address on his roster was running behind. That is not an expedite of installation to avoid financial crisis, that is management of Techs on the field and SCHEDULED installations to ensure that everyone is addressed in the time frames they have been provided.Thank you Verizon for doing your job and ensuring the tech was there on 04/05/2017 between 11-3pm, which was the time slow I was given on the very first call I made to have an account set up.

2. Once the initial sale of products is made and an installation date is in place – or if you are lucky to “qualify for self-install” – why are representatives more concerned with reviewing products than answering installation dates or device shipment questions? In hindsight, it felt like a deviating proposition, where I am asked what shows I watch and haggled for a better price when ALL I wanted to know in the third call placed was if I was going to be able to have services reinstated sooner to avoid losing my job and straining my finances.

This entire ordeal has been over the top, unnecessary, distasteful, deceitful, conniving, and frankly infuriating. My concerns were not heard, and the steps that I thought Verizon was taking to ensure that, as a new client signing up to a 2 year service with them, my internet would not lapse and financially I would be well off to continue paying for the products and services, were a complete fabrication and appeasement set by the representatives I spoke with to obtain $90.00 for installation that was not needed since the install had happened a year ago and completely at my cost as the client and customer. Business build rapport with customers, Verizon built a web of lies and smoke screens to keep me on the path of getting the services turned on when they had stated and leading me to believe that they were in fact doing all they could to accommodate me, since customer service is their top priority,. The technician who was sent to my home today is the only Verizon representative that showed any real care for the customer and pride in his work and the information he provided. He listened and problem solved everything he could to make the situation better for me, versus attempting to review my products, creating useless and meaningless conversation, and flooding my mind with information overload. He realized that I was incredibly upset by everything that I had to do and overcome to still have internet service lapse and realize that it was all for not. On the 30th when I called, devices could have been shipped overnight to my address arriving 03/31. At which time, on 04/01 when the previous acct was due to cancel, I could have plugged the devices and called Verizon to activate my account, preventing any lapse of internet during work days, and avoiding a $90.00 installation fee that I didn’t need to pay, and furthermore, canceling the previous account on the 1st and not the 4th, incurring her an additional 3 days of service thinking it would buy Verizon enough time to accommodate, and in reality, you were just gaining financially from all angles. My disappointment is incredible and working from home is the only reason I have even considered maintaining service with a company that lies/misinforms their customers, leads them on, pacifies, schedules unnecessary Technician visits ($90.00), excessive wait times for service installation and creates emotional/financial burdens purely for their own gain.