Review by fixrman 
UPDATED: 232 days ago
member for 6.7 years, 806 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Hatboro,Montgomery,PA
 $38 per month (month by month)
 about 9 days
 Verizon
 "Speed, assuming PC is optimized. Reliability dependent upon several factors, generally good."
 "Tech support abyssmal unless escalated to management levels or higher."
 "Good value for the money vs cable or dedicated line dialup"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
|
Original price was 39.95 with bundled discount of 5.00, since has been lowered to 29.95 - 768 / 128 service. Westtel WireSpeed modem and filters included in kit which was sent out prior to service activation. IP is dynamic. WinPoET software.
Without optimizations from DSLR, it would be a bit disappointing, but still much faster than dialup. Still waiting for the 1.5Mbps service - am about 8800ft or so from CO. Verizon slow to verify distance(they say over 12,000).
It is a shame that they outsource tech support. I believe an in - house support center would be better.
4/04 - I am still waiting for the upgrade to 1.5Mbps promised back in May 2003. I have called a half dozen times for a loop test... They keep telling me different distance numbers every time I call.
5/04 Good thing I was not holding my breath. Verizon's customer handling is abysmal. I know they have increased distance limits, and I have spent countless hours trying to get the upgrade they know I qualify for. I do not understand why they are holding out on me. They told me they would perform an override for the request, but then denied it right away, two days before they were supposed to get back to me. I have had so many loop tests, I am loopy. Verizon employees must get paid by the lie. An MLT turned up excellent, 25ms. I do not know what they think they have to gain by jerking me around. I also do not know why I keep giving them additional opportunities to redeem themselves. I know that people locally have been given the upgrade, and the limit for provisioning has been raised, so I am going to call one more time, and then the FCC will receive my paperwork.
Funny, Verizon mailed me twice for this upgrade, and followed it up with two phone calls. How ironic.
6/2/04 Received an Email from Verizon announcing my Service Order is in. I had noticed a speed increase, then came here to confirm it: 1329/138. Not bad for an upgrade that would actually make my connection worse, as per the VOL reps. Persistence finally pays off, a little over a year later.
12/6/04 -** Update** Called to upgrade to the 384Kbps upload. Verizon facilitated it, surprisingly enough, in one day. Have been using it since about 11/22. Smooth, no problems.
6/7/05 **Update** Called in Late April/Early May to upgrade to the 3.0M service. As usual, the runaround. I was told I was 13,100 feet from the CO, although I have always had a house that moved, sometimes within twenty minutes while on hold with Verizon. I began the incessant ladder climb and the shuffle between billing, sales and tech support to no avail. Finally was given a number for Customer Service in Ohio?! ( Supposedly a NY#, I am PA! ) and spoke to a Rep who agreed to find out my true distance. They came back with 9600 feet (BBR lists 8800+, so acceptable variation) and it took about 10 days more to get the upgrade through. In all about a 20-day or so wait.
I lose synch often, sometimes four times a day or more. Speed is probably 75% of rated Down, about 82% of rated up. Usually 2200/600 or therabouts. I am not using Verizon's WinPoET, so they would likely blame that. I can live with it, and the speed is fine for now, no complaints - I would prefer not to power down the modem as often though.
Verizon would do well to stop advertising these speed upgrades so aggressively, then the balking when customers ask for them. They need to stop fudging CO distances as well. I always knew my distance was under their guestimate, having traced the lines approximately myself. Folks need to be persistent with Verizon in verifying distances. At least this time it did not take a year to procure the upgrade.
7/29/05 Verizon shoots themselves in the foot once more. I changed my phone plan with several assurances that it would NOT affect DSL, something I have done successfully before. DSL was canceled anyway. Tech support from the 800 number is a joke, but one that is unfunny. The first "tech" that I spoke to tried to help, making me repeat all of the checks I had made on my end. Since there was no sync and my phone line worked, it was obvious that the problem was on their end. I spoke to several other "Support Agents" - one who identified himself as "Edgar Esperanza". I assume he thought that was a clever trick to use the Spanish word for "wait" in his name as he places folks with trouble on Intergalactic Hold.
Verizon needs to revamp their "tech support" as soon as possible. It is insulting to be presented with the suggestion of logging onto a Website that a lack of Internet access prevents. It is a shame that the only true help that is available comes either by trial and error in finding a responsible person via the 800 DSL help line, or by escalation to Complaint Resolution personnel, the latter being the usual necessary route. As it is, restoring an erroneously-disconnected service takes way too long, despite the assurances that "we never are able to restore a service as fast as yours was". Verizon is WAY too compartmentalized and departmentalized.
I do thank the folks in Customer Relations who helped correct the buffoonery. Even so, I have downgraded the review in some categories. Frankly I am surprised that Verizon retains their Bronze level because their support is so bad.
**5/11/07 Nothing really new to report, but DSLR keeps asking for an update. I received an invite to FiOS, but unless the price is equal to the 3.0/768 I have now, it is a non-starter. My friend has it and says he has yet to see a difference. It is great to have 15/5, but apparently servers/backbones/page loading are the bottlenecks. My system is 80 times faster than his, but I'll need more evidence that there is a noticeable speed increase over what I have now.
**5/28/07 I ordered FiOS because the price is a bit better now. I will be going to the 5M/2M service because it is only 2 dollars more than what I have now. I also will be able to dump Verizon phone services, so that will put me ahead a few bucks.
**3/23/08 Still with FiOS, great change from DSL.
Followup comments:  BushRules08
join:2007-05-08
Buffalo, NY
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| Reply First of all I agree, I cannot stand calling up tech support, and getting a non-American, I am not prejudice, or racist but when you are a paying customer and you have to deal with people that can hardly speak Englsih it is a problem. Now on to the DSL, I had dsl 3 years ago, and it sucked got rid of it after first day, but luckly I didnt cancel the RoadRunner, I have had RoadRunner for Several years now and let me tell you they are the best, and Verizon Fios will never catch the RoadRunner NEVER! And as for you Verizon tech support supervisor get better tech support, and TIME WARNER CABLE WILL PUT VERIZON OUT OF BUSINESS!!! | |
| 
bobblebum
@myvzw.com
| Truth I have been a Verizon DSL customer since it first rolled out in Philadelphia over 10 years ago. I have had my issues with them over the years, mainly when things go wrong having to deal with tech support who always walks me through trouble shooting steps only to come to the answer I told them when I first called, it is a problem on their end usually with the wiring outside somewhere or at the CO.
I'm currently sitting now without DSL, waiting for the people at Verizon tech support to fix my DSL which has been down 7 days now. I have talked to managers, I have called NY executive office and still no internet.
I have had issues all week dealing with my ebay transactions and lost 10-15 ebay auctions I was watching because I have internet access ready at my hands.
I will probably be an ex Verizon customer as soon as I research other options, preferrably non DSL because it's all Verizon underneath. I might have to move to Comcast although I dislike them. But Verizon is leaving me with no choice. | |
| | | |
| Forums » comments on review of Verizon Online DSL |
|
(86)
·
·