Ordering Verizon FIOS has been the biggest mistake. I've wasted hours of my life on hold with customer service with them and I've only had the service for two months. The last frustrating incident started yesterday. I upgraded my cable box and after 1 hour on the phone with Verizon ordering the new one, I was told it was available to pick up at the Verizon TV Store about 20 minutes from my house. After getting to the store, I was then told that there was no record of me calling to exchange the box, even though I had a confirmation box. I waited at the store for 1 and 1/2 hours while even the Verizon support at the store was hung up on 3 times and put on hold for about 65 minutes of that time. Finally, they were so frustrated, they wrote me out a manual receipt and sent me home with the box and said call to have it installed upon arrival.

I called immediately and three hours later, and 5 different transfers, my new box was STILL not activated, and to top matters off, when I gave them to serial number for the set top box, they told me that the item was still in the warehouse for Verizon! Obviously that couldn't be the case if I just gave them the serial number and have it plugged in. By this time, I guess it was the end of the shift for the representative I was speaking to because they told me Verizon FIOS customer service was now closed and that I would have to call back in the morning.

Today, I called promptly at 9:00 AM and now, at 1:55 PM, almost 5 hours later, and my cable is still not on and I've spoken with about 10 different people, and feel completely helpless. To make matters worse, about half the people I spoke to told me this problem can't be fixed and that I will have to call back on Monday. I guess Verizon doesn't value anyone elses time, money, or patronage. If their customer support can't even activate the cable box they gave me, the company shouldn't even be in business! I'm am extremely saddened by the fact that companies just do not value their customers anymore.

Before I even Signed Up for (approx. 3 months prior) FiOS I had gone on the Verizon website and put a package together for TV, Internet, AND Phone. I never submitted the agreement or was even sent any equipment, just simply looked at what it would cost me and what options I had.

1st Issue Prior to FIOS: 3 Months later I received a PAST DUE letter for over $200 for just FiOS phone charges that I NEVER Signed up for. Never had a single call, never even had a phone!

I originally signed up for Verizon FiOS TV and Internet in September of 2008. At the time I signed up Verizon had a special going for Free DVR for 12 Months. At that time Verizon also had no lines of any kind running from the road to my house.

1st Issue: It took them from September until December to come out and install the lines.

2nd Issue: If I was not home to help the tech find the lines he was prepared to say he couldn't find the line when all it took was me helping the man listen to a conduit, they should have sent 2 men, if it wasn't for my own intuition then I wouldn't have ever had cable.

3rd Issue: I did not receive my first 2 bills and then again received a PAST DUE notice. I called and they told me that all new customers only received Email bills. I went online to get my bill, guess what, you need your account number from the bill to register/sign-up. So where was I supposed to get my account number to begin with. Very poor communication, very bad design.

4th Issue: I went online to pay 1 bill of approx $260 and was charged 3 times on the debit card account. It over drafted my account and cost me fees. It took 16+ hours of lost work to fix the situation over the following weeks and they just barely paid the overdraft fees after fighting with supervisors. They gave us no compensation for our lost time and frustration.

5th Issue: After 6 months of non-stop problems I finally relieved my first bill on time from the company in my mailbox. After reviewing the bill I saw I was being charged for an internet package I never signed up for and DVR at $20 a month! I called to resolve the Issue and they credited the internet package up to that date but did not remove it from the subscription (And this was a supervisor). They have refused to remove the DVR saying that it was not part of the original agreement.

6th Issue: A customer service representative 3 times tried to sent me my orignal agreement which I have NEVER SEEN via E-mail. After sitting on the phone for 2 hours trying to resolve the DVR issue she wanted to get off the phone with me while I waited for the Email and then have me call back, explain the entire issue to someone else, etc. At this point I was very frustrated and explained to this woman that she doesn't know jack about jack because even a child can tell you E-mails take absolutely no time to be received. I still have never received this E-mail.

7th Issue: I have spent hours on a run-around trying to use their phone system only to be told over 10 times that I was in the wrong department.

8th Issue: At one point right before my service was terminated a supervisor gave us 3 free months of HBO for our trouble with the billing. Instead of being free it was charged on my next bill.

This Issue is with the Billing Department that handles FIOS for Delaware. I'm 23 years old and have many years of paying for cable ahead of me that Verizon obviously does not want.

All I want is my DVR at $20 a month credited to me, they are giving 3 months free + $150 cash back atm, a value of $210, I'm asking for a value of $240, which was promised to me when I signed up. They should also compensate me for my massive amount of time and frustration which would be accepted in any amount of free HBO which was also already promised to me. Until then I'm not JACK that I owe to Verizon and when I get some extra money I will be taking legal action with the Public Utility Commission and all 3 Credit Bureaus.

Someone with a brain at Verizon please HELP!!!

Yesterday we received a letter from a Mr. Dustin Kroger Verizon Customer relationship Marketing, thanking us for using the "great Verizon FIOS" service and informing us of a 20/5 mbps upgrade so that our enjoyment becomes many folds!. In the middle of the letter we noticed a sentance " We also want to let you know that the rate on your Verizon FIOS Internet service will be increased to $59.99 ( from $49.99) effective December 1 2009. The rate increase is unrelated to the Speed increase we are implementing for your FIOS plan" So I called the now famous Customer service and after spending 30 minutes trying to figure out phone #, A/C, I was gven the usual runaround, till I got fed up and asked to be connected to his supervisor. So I was put on hold, no call back number was asked by him and after 10 minutes on hold, the call was disconnected. I called again and this time I remindedthe supervisor that I was put on hold for 10 minuets and that i didn't want to go through the same BS again. So I proposed: see if you are interested in keeping me as a customer by continuing to charge me $49.99 or else I will look for another ISP. So after a while the supervisor came back with the following offer: Well I have two options 1) sign up for one more year and we will give you a $ 5 discount on 59.99 or 2) go with a higher plan still sign up for a one year contract!
My reaction: WHAT?
Thanks verizon for looking after your loyal customers.

Found out that Charter Communications is in bankruptcy so investigated switching to Verizon FIOS.

Went to the local retail outlet and asked a lot of detailed questions about charges, service and installation. Then followed up with the regional Verizon representative to verify the details. Everything was verified accept the installation date. Installation not available until the FIRST QUARTER OF 2010. Now the advertising I was given in the store indicated an expiration date of Dec. 19, 2009. However I get advertising every week with the bulk mail at home and that ad, with the same terms says the expiration date is Nov. 7, 2009. My local weekly newspaper has an insert every week for FIOS and it has no expiration date just says for a limited time only.

A classic bait and switch. Get you in the office to start the ball rolling and switch offers on you at the time of installation.

Then there's the channel line up. At the advertised price you get what Verizon call Fios TV Local and Fios TV Essentials & Fios TV Extreme HD (see photos). Just one problem. There are no HD channels in Extreme HD.

If this all sounds like classic snake oil to you then we're in agreement. One last thing - since Verizon does a credit check on you they could quite easily place a negative rating on your credit report should there be a billing dispute in which case all the interest rates on all your various cards could jump through the roof.

IF YOUR HOUSE/UNIT BURNS DOWN OR YOUR LEASE EXPIRES, OR FOR ANY REASON, YOU PAY THE EARLY TERMINATION FEE, REGARDLESS! BEFORE MOVING IN LAST YEAR - OCT 18, THE BUILDING MGT SAID THE UNIT WAS FOIS READY AND ON THE DAY OF ORDERING THE FULL FIOS PACKAGE, THE INSTALLATION FOR TV & PHONE WASN'T. SO, THE ORDER WENT IN FOR INTERNET AND THE REST WOULD BE COMPLETED TWO WEEKS LATER - INTO NOVEMBER. WELL, I EVENTUALLY LOVED THE SEVICE, BUT HATED MY LIVING SITUATION AND DIDN'T RENEW MY LEASE THE NEXT YEAR. I CALLED VERIZON TO DISCONNECT ON THE 18TH AND THEY SAID - OH, YOU'LL PAY THE $100+ TERMINATION FEE ON YOUR FINAL BILL FOR NOT ABIDING THE CONTRACT THRU NOV AGREEMENT... WHAT!?!? I TOLD VERIZON THAT MY SERVICE COULD NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, BUT THEY SAID MY CONTRACT TERM STARTED WHEN THE INSTALLATION WAS COMPLETED.. WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM WITH THIS, IF I ALREADY HAD INTERNET IN OCTOBER???? WHERE IS THE FINE PRINT THAT CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT A TERMINATION FEE WAIVER?? - NONE!

FINALLY, I JUMPED ON AN ESCALATED CALL TO A BILLING SUPERVISOR AND EXPLAINED MY RIGHT NOT TO RECEIVE THE FINE. THE SUPERVISOR SAID VERIZON CHARGES EARLY TERMINATION, UNLESS YOU MOVE INTO A NEW HOME - FIOS READY OR YOU CARRY THE LAND LINE SERVICE TO YOUR NEW LOCATION FOR 90 DAYS. WHAT IF I'M MOVING TO ALASKA!!!? ALSO, WHY AM I CHARGED IF THE BUILDING MGT DIDNT HAVE THE COMPLETED INSTALLATION WHEN I ORDERED ON MY MOVE IN DATE A YEAR AGO?? AFTER QUARRELING 20 MINUTES WITH THE SUPERVISOR, HE FINALLY WAIVED THE FEE!

MY POINT IS THIS: 1. CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT ENTITLE YOU TO PAY THIS REDICULOUS CHARGE - FIGHT IT WITH STRESS, EVEN IF THE LOUSY DISCLAIMER STATES THE PENALTY. 2. THE VERIZON POLICY IS CLEARLY UNFAIR AND LACKS REFINEMENT OR FLEXIBILITY.

DON'T GET SCREWED!