Bye Bye DSL
Centcoast
Enthusiast - Level 2

After 11 years I just canceled my Verizon DSL service.  Cable is significantly faster and I sense the reliability may be much better.

As a parting gesture, I wanted to list the details that led to my decision:

1.  The system went down fairly frequently (or slowed, or stalled, etc).

2.  Each time, Verizon help (when I could get past the automated voice) assumed it was me.

3.  Each time, it was something in the Verizon system, not me.

4.  Each time, I was put through the same elementary script given to off-shore service teams.

5.  In the past 3 months I experienced Actiontec router difficulties.  Verizon replaced the first failed router under warranty.  The second router failed and I didn't have the desire to move on to a 3rd.

6.  My DSL service was down 48 hours after my service call before anyone got back to me.

7.  After 72 hours the problem still persisted and I had a message that the problem was likely with my home wiring.  Why now?  Fairly new house, DSL consistent for over 8 years…

8.  I tested the system outside the house at the junction box.  No Internet there either.  I do not think the problem was with the inside wiring,.

9.  5 days on, still no response.

10.  One week:  Bye, bye DSL.  When I canceled after 11 years, the agent wasn't phased.  Cold as ice.  

Some suggestions:

1.  Please lose the the auto-voice call attendant.  I know it saves you money, but it's extremely infuriating, since invariably my option is not one of those being spewed by the automated voice.  A menu with push-button options is far better.  (Pressing "0" incessantly helps, but it's still annoying.)

2.  Yes, I realize the majority of customers are techno-bumpkins, but some are not, and it's annoying to be patronized by elementary scripts when the basics are known.  For example, I know how to power down a modem, yes there are filters on the telephones, etc.  Can we skip to the next level up?

3.  Stop assuming the problem is always with the customer and their equipment.

4.  I do not believe a call center 8,000 miles away really has an accurate picture of the local networks.  Better local resources should be made available so that customers can get quicker resolution to their problems.  In my case, I strongly suspect there was an incursion to some physical connection between my house and the network at-large.    Who knows when that might have been fixed, and meanwhile I was paying for the service.  There is no way this problem could have been detected from distant call centers.

5.  Also note that some accents are very difficult to understand.  On one call (India, I believe), I had to have most things repeated as the technician was talking so fast he was nearly unintelligible.  

6.  I live in an outlying area.  I wonder if the "service" in areas such as these are marginal?  If so, it might be better to market them appropriately.

Re: Bye Bye DSL
hey_moe1
Enthusiast - Level 3

I really feel for you. Verizon could really careless if you leave. I don't think any customer out there has a problem paying for FIOS when it works like they promised. I have had Cox ( which is just as bad) and also Direct TV. Direct TV has the BEST customer support out there. Even when you search on line they are rated higher than any other TV service out there. I changed to FIOS because I wanted the fiber set up.If Verizon would correct their customer service and STOP lieing to their customers to get a sale they would be number one. In this day and time customer service is more important than the product itself. Verizon should give the employees more training on that subject. When you are paying over a hundred dollars a month for a plan you expect great service. When you do have a problem and call in and try to correct it this is where the problem starts. I found out in the long run it is better to file a formal complaint with the BBB because Verizon is a member and they hate it when someone goes in that direction. It should never ever have to go that far.What Verizon should have done was a manager should have contacted you and offered a refund from the time this started or even yet offer a months free service. This is a drop in the bucket compared to what they have lost now due to the " Who cares if you leave or not" Internet, land line phones and Fios TV is a luxury and something that you don't really have to have. If you lost your job right now that would be the first thing that would go. If Verizon would take the time and start looking at it that way things would change for the better for them. Verizon already knows for a fact that for every customer you lose you also lose ten more from word of mouth. Look at Sprint. They kept cutting service and their customer service sucks. They were flying high at one time and now look at them. Hanging on by a thread. All of this was due to customer treatment.

Re: Bye Bye DSL
andylui8
Enthusiast - Level 3

Haha, everything u said here is freakin true!!!

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Re: Bye Bye DSL
1billb1
Newbie

How true that is I am going trough this same thing right now their support will not even talk to me or come out to fix the problem just the support out of India not the one at the central office here in the USA .

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Re: Bye Bye DSL
ECUnited
Enthusiast - Level 2

As others have said, everything you said rings true.  Unfortunately, I have no other option than Verizon (I, too, live in one of those 'outlying' areas).   I've had constant struggles ever since I activate my current service in 2008. 

First major issue was constant DSL dropping or not connecting (especially Saturday mornings). They finally came out and split my phone/DSL lines coming into the house, which cleared up 95% of my DSL dropping for no apparent reason.

Second issue was download speed. I was paying for upto 3Mbps (the max I can get in my area), but was only getting just over 1.5Mbps. Spent over an hour with a support rep trying to walk me through the whole power off the modem, etc. The whole time I'm telling him, it's not my equipment, you have throttled back my speed.  I offered to send him the screen shot of the modem/router connection summary to prove it. Finally told him the call was over and hung up on him. I got a call from executive appeals, and found out that the central office had indeed throttled my speed back because I submitted the first complaint above!  Are you kidding me?  I register a complaint and so they reduce my speed?!?!?  Had a wonderful technician who checked the signal all the way to the trunk and said there was no reason I couldn't be running at full speed. He called the CO and had me bumped back up. Now, I have a direct number to executive appeals whenever they throttle me back. I've only had to use it one time and was back up to normal speed in less than 15 minutes.

Here's the 'answer' that ticked me off.... as long as you are achieving at least half of your maximum speed, you are in Verizon's acceptable range.  I told them in no uncertain terms, that I understand to them that's 'acceptable', but not to the customers who rely on their service for their livelihood.

I totally agree, that there needs to be another tree that we go down when we know what the heck we're talking about. I shudder to even think about having to call, because I know the first half hour is a total waste of time.  By the time I call them, I've already done the 'stupid' troubleshooting stuff like turning off my modem. And they ALWAYS assume it's something on my end. Yesterday I kept dropping DSL again, and called, went through the power off..., put on hold. While on hold, looked at my modem/router settings, and someone (I have to assume VZN, because I did NOT change it, and they are notorious for wanting you to reset your modem/router), changed my connection protocol from PPPoE to RFC....no wonder I could never reconnect!  Changed that and had connectivity back before the support guy got back on the phone.

Unfortunately I'm stuck with VZN until I move out of the boonies..... can't come soon enough!

Re: Bye Bye DSL
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

ECUnited: Need some help with the DSL? I might be able to point you in the right direction if you don't have a thread around here already for support. I've got a few cards to play with once we have some information.

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Re: Bye Bye DSL
Just_tired
Newbie

Ahh, so true verizon needs to not just update their equipment, but their very approach to service.

I know my line is being throttled, due to using peer to peer software for Legal reason, like umm software updates, paid legal delivery of content paid for so on.  If so concerned trace my line to the other ISP and find out if I'm violating copyright they may be surprised to find out their own equipment gave a false positive.  I pay for 15 Mps and in October my line speed dropped to 5 to 7 Mps.  After verizion repairs my speed went to 2 to 3 Mps.  Now I am down to about 1.7 Mps if it works at all.

Adding insult to injury verizon tried telling me my line never supported the 15 Mps, which I find strange given until October it was running fine at about 9 to 12 Mps ( which is acceptable for a line rated 15 Mps).  Again in December my line speed went back to normal running at about 9 to 12 or 13 Mps.

In January it crashed out and now stuck with line speed at 1.7 or lower speed.  Meanwhile I am paying for 15 Mps.

Maybe only way to resolve this is when customers file "Informal Complaints" with the FCC, then maybe verizon will get off its duff and do what it should instead of blaming customers and fibbing about facts. 

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Re: Bye Bye DSL
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

@Just_tired wrote:

Ahh, so true verizon needs to not just update their equipment, but their very approach to service.

I know my line is being throttled, due to using peer to peer software for Legal reason, like umm software updates, paid legal delivery of content paid for so on.  If so concerned trace my line to the other ISP and find out if I'm violating copyright they may be surprised to find out their own equipment gave a false positive.  I pay for 15 Mps and in October my line speed dropped to 5 to 7 Mps.  After verizion repairs my speed went to 2 to 3 Mps.  Now I am down to about 1.7 Mps if it works at all.

Adding insult to injury verizon tried telling me my line never supported the 15 Mps, which I find strange given until October it was running fine at about 9 to 12 Mps ( which is acceptable for a line rated 15 Mps).  Again in December my line speed went back to normal running at about 9 to 12 or 13 Mps.

In January it crashed out and now stuck with line speed at 1.7 or lower speed.  Meanwhile I am paying for 15 Mps.

Maybe only way to resolve this is when customers file "Informal Complaints" with the FCC, then maybe verizon will get off its duff and do what it should instead of blaming customers and fibbing about facts. 


Are you sure the problem is throttling, or is it because they're not being aggressive with pushing high speeds or they've placed your area under a "lower all the speed" range because of capacity issues they won't resolve? In most cases Verizon's solution is to reduce the speed of the DSL, which is in most cases not my cup of tea to accept and I'll light some fires under Verizon until they get it to a definied speed I ask for. I see those as workarounds rather than full-blown fixes. Acceptable for some, but a poor taste for others.

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Re: Bye Bye DSL
Just_tired
Newbie

Well as far as throttling goes only verizon can answer that and we know they will never own up to it.  As far as their doing a "lower all all speeds in this area"  then they would be in big time violation to reduce my speed from 15 Mps to 1 Mps without my consent remember I'm the one footing the bill their equipment problems is not my concern and besides if done would need to be ALL lines in this area including Fios which is not the case.

Remember also my line was fine until October, then again Ok in December so what happen they lowered speeds then up again by mistake in December, I don't think so.

They may have equipment trouble, or may be throttling who knows, but one thing is sure my speed was fine until October then again ok in December, so whatever their trouble is, is not my concern.  What is my concern is I am paying for, and I want and need the speed contracted for so if they cannot fix my line, or run a new line at their cost not mine.  Let the FCC look into it and do as they will which can end up costing verizon very big fines in this area if found to be in violation of FCC req.

Me I don't care, I can and will file "Informal Complaint" with FCC and let verizon worry about weather or not they are in line in this area with the FCC.  Do you think they really want FCC looking over their shoulder.  Be easier to just correct my line and return me back to normal.  Besides how can they even justify knowing my DSL and Phone were dead by restoring my DSL at 1.x Mps and not fixing Phone, I have been without Phone service now for over a week.

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Re: Bye Bye DSL
ElizabethS
Moderator Emeritus

Hello Just_Tired

Your issue has been escalated to a Verizon agent. Please go to your profile page for the forum, and look down the middle towards the bottom where you will find an area titled "My Private Support Cases".
There you will find a link to the private board where you and the agent may exchange information. This should be checked on a frequent basis as the agent may be waiting for information from you before they can proceed with any actions.

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