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Review by aztr0 See Profile

  • Location: Brooklyn, Kings, NY, USA
  • Cost: $96 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 7 days
Internet is reliable, TV is speedy and filled with features.
Expensive
Service is good, until you have to renew. Horror.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

Let me preface this by saying that I have been a Verizon hater. I still am not fond of them. What they have done to my family few years back when they pretty much made me pay for crappy DSL that disconnected every 5 seconds (tech service calls did not help) and a land line that didn't work, but they wanted me to pay $100 for a tech to come out to fix it. They won't even come look at it unless my family paid that tech fee up front. So now you may ask. Why am I doing business with them now? Honestly, I have no other reason other than to try something different. I have been a loyal Optimum customer for many many years. I have no problem with them, but I felt that it has been many years, and that I was moving. I'll give Verizon a shot one more time.

Onto the ordering process. It was easy. I had a question and needed an answer from a representative. I decided to use Live Chat and the representative stayed with me and held my hand through the ordering process, even though I didn't need it. But she did give me a $5 discount off my bill for the duration of my 2 year contract for my 25/25 double play.

When the install day came, Verizon was pretty much on schedule. I had a request for the tech to not drill any holes in my house and use the pre-existing coxial wiring. The FiOS box was installed at my garage level and kept out of sight. No one would even know it exists, its so well hidden and neatly placed. No holes were drilled and the tech had everything set up nicely. He even helped me zip tie some of the loose coxial wires I had outside my house. He set me up with one of those Actiontec modem/routers. It probably isn't the latest hardware they got, but it works fine.

When I finally got a chance to test the internet, the speed was as advertised. The TV was the service where I felt I seriously upgraded. If anyone knows Optimum, they have been using these horrible Samsung boxes that are slow and laggy. Not to mention, the Optimum guide isn't necessarily pleasing to look at as well. It looks old, and as much as they have tried to update their software, it just didn't work. But one positive about Optimum is their app. I can watch all the channels I paid for on their app. With the Verizon app, it is limited to only a selection. That is where Verizon falls short. Another issue I have with Verizon is the router page. When I try to log in and key in the login information, it never registers the keys I hit. I have to type my password in Notepad, copy paste and then delete a couple extra letters the router page decide to automatically tack on in the end. It is weird, I've tried different browsers (IE, Chrome, Firefox) and they all yielded the same results.

So to sum it up:

Good: Ordering was smooth, install was great, the TV service is an upgrade from what Optimum was.

Bad: Expensive. Even with my Verizon Connections discount and the other discounts. It still is pretty expensive. Also, I have had this service since October 2014 and there has been two instances where I have experienced downtime of 5-10 minutes. I had to disconnect the power a couple times and finally it picked up signal again.

At this point, I'm not sure if I will stay with Verizon. There are some factors that will contribute to that decision. How Optimum is doing. How the tech service of Verizon will be like. And how they will try to keep me in two years. We shall see.

Update: 10/2/2016

My 2 years agreement has ended. I just got off the phone and canceled the services. Here is what has transpired within the last two weeks. At first, I wanted to see what Verizon had to offer for current customers. You know? Since companies should take care of the people that are already using the services? But after live chatting and with the representative telling me that I have a "credit restriction" on my account and that she cannot do anything for me other than call. I told her, my FIOS service is autopay every month. How is it possible that I have any "credit restriction" on my account? So I called Verizon. I was on the phone for an HOUR. It was an hour of incompetence, transfers and more incompetence. The first rep that I spoke with it was from the number I was given by the live chat. I called and the lady on the other line had no idea. She told me her job does not consist of handling this issue. So she transferred me to regular customer service number. After that I was connected with another rep. I told him the situation. He tells me he sees the restriction, but has no idea what it was! He then transfers me to another department. This time around, the person on the phone wanted to help me and she said she doesn't handle the issue but she will find the right department for me. And then she does and she stayed on the line while I let the other rep tell me what was going on with my account. She proceeds to tell me that my credit restriction was due to unpaid bill for Verizon Wireless services. I told her, you have got to be kidding me. I have NOT had Verizon Wireless service since I was a high school student over at least 15 years ago! And obviously, it would NOT have been under my name anyways as I was a minor.

She asks me the last 4 digits of my SSN, I told her. After a while she comes back and tells me that she has removed the credit restriction. I asked her why did this happen in the first place? This debacle reminded me of the credit bureaus horror that I experienced. Companies just look at names, and do not match anything else, such as, my SSN? If anybody took the damn time to look at it, they would know, it was a different person. After this? She proceeds to tell me that she does not know. And to call another number to make sure it does not happen again. Okay, so before I ended the call with her, I let her know, I don't want to be dealing with another representative that tells me they cannot connect different departments, such as, Fios to Wireless services. Anyways, that is exactly what happens. The number she gave me was to Verizon Wireless customer services. I told the rep the situation again. She asks for my SSN. She looks and say she cannot find anything associated with it. I told her, I know, because I don't have Verizon Wireless. Then I told her that the other representative told me to tell you guys to look into why my account was getting credit restricted. She tells me she cannot, as she has no cross access to Fios from Wireless side. Which I also told her, I know, because I had prior experience within this hour of calls that a rep told me she cannot look into other departments. I pretty much ended the call and just prayed that these people removed my so called credit restriction and corrected my account.

Another week past, and I see the promotions that Verizon was offering to new customers. 100/100 TV and Phone for $69.99. And heck even double play was cheaper $64.99. I looked at Optimum and saw for the money I was paying for 25/25 and preferred TV at $96 a month (tax/fees), I can pay $3 more and get Optimum Ultra 60 with value TV (fees), which had all the channels I needed. So I made the call to Verizon and I confirmed with them that my contract has expired. I told them the trouble that they had made me go through and that I want to cancel. The rep asks what can Verizon do to retain me. I told him that I don't want to have to close the account if I do not have to, because it is a hassle to deal with installers. He took his sweet time, at least 20-30 minutes to come back and tell me that he regrets telling me that Verizon is unable to offer me any speed upgrade that would match the price I'm paying or any other promotions. And he also proceeds to tell me that Verizon can... wait for it... give me the SAME 25/25 with TV plan at a low price of $85 (+~$21 tax/fees that is $106)!!! OMG, what a value!!! I had to laugh. Get out of here. How can a company offer new customers 100/100 and TV $64.99 and turn around and give a current customer 25/25 with TV only at $84.99. Do you really take me for a fool? Cancel the junk, I'm going to Optimum.



member for 16.4 years, 795 visits, last login: 275 days ago
updated 7.4 years ago

Light Guy
join:2006-05-12
Somerville, NJ

1 recommendation

Light Guy

Member

Router Password

As far as the password entry in the router, it is a security feature designed to hide the # of characters in your password from anyone who might be watching.
Just ignore the extra dots and type in your full password and it will work fine.