nocoolname
join:2009-11-02
united state
1 edit | fios price up 25%?
sorry, new here. I did search "verizon price/rate increase" and don't see anything new (nor googling).
I'm in the boston area, have had 5/2 for about 18 months and just got a verizon letter that "fios is great", "the future is exciting", "your service is being upgraded to 10/2" and "btw your price is going from $43 to $53". first they hack off most of usenet then drop it altogether and for this I pay more?
does anyone know where I'd find more info on what's going on? like if they're doing away with the 5/2 service or if I can get something less than the 10/2 they say I'm moving to? I'm in an apartment, no dsl, so it's this or 3rd-party wireless. 5/2 is already much faster than I actually need so 10/2 at 25% more is ridiculous.
thanks.
edit: maybe I should add that I have 0 interest in a verizon bundle because things are fine as they are (directv and verizon local landline). is that what this is about? they jack up rates expecting ppl to switch to one of their packages? |
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oregonmatt
join:2000-08-10
Hillsboro, OR
| I got the same letter today. Very irksome. If you're going to raise rates, just say so. Don't act like you're doing me a favor.
I'm sure they're expecting people to pick up the packages. This may just make me finally drop my landline for good. |
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BG74
join:2005-11-30
Delmar, NY
 ·Verizon VoiceWing
| reply to nocoolname
said by nocoolname  :5/2 is already much faster than I actually need so 10/2 at 25% more is ridiculous. In my area, the 10/2 was actually a free upgrade that all you had to do was ask for. It happened a year ago or so.
So I'm getting the price increase without a service upgrade ;-( |
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Hoagie
join:2005-04-14
Malibu, CA
1 edit | reply to nocoolname
I got the same letter. It will definitely cause me to consider other options – none of which include upgrading to a Verizon package which won't include the two TV stations I watch most often (LinkTV, FreeSpeechTV) via Dish Network.
The letter states, "This rate increase is unrelated to the speed increase."
So then, if it's not for any service upgrade, aren't there FCC (or Calif. PUC) rules that prohibit such a steep one-time increase? Who should a write a letter to, besides Verizon?
- Hoagie |
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Hoagie
join:2005-04-14
Malibu, CA
| reply to nocoolname
I just checked pricing on DSL Extreme, the only possible alternative in my area that I could think of off the top of my head. They want $40 for 10 MB/s, and their system says I'm "qualified." Whereas with Verizon FIOS I'm getting 5 MB/s; even if they double that speed, $53 is not worth it to me. (Amazing – I don't need more speed!)
Does anyone know whether, if I were to Switch to DSL Extreme (or whoever might have a good deal in my area), will Verizon then say something like, "Well, now we'll just have to raise the price of your fiber-optic landline phone since you're not using us as an ISP"? I don't think my phone and internet are considered a Verizon "package", but I don't know. FWIW, I had a copper-wire landline for decades, which Verizon replaced with fiber; I believe that my phone service must be through Verizon. (There's no cell or wireless reception here.)
Does Verizon own me?
- Hoagie |
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birdfeedr
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to nocoolname
5/2 upgrade to 10/2 for new price of 53/mo doesn't make a lot of sense since 15/5 is their current low tier at 54.99. The legacy speed tiers of 5/2, 10/2, 20/5, 20/20 are being "incentivized" onto the new speed tiers 15/5, 25/15 and 50/20. First step was to force bundled customers to upgrade into the new bundles. Dropping the bundle discount at the end of the contract makes the a la carte price way too much. Next step is to increase the price on non-bundled legacy tiers to almost the same as the current offering. That's how they're getting rid of TV Premier.
We are on 5/2 at work, currently paying 39.99/mo, haven't seen the letter yet.
If you want to stay on a low cost internet-only tier, you can do it, but you'd have to endure a service interruption of unknown length. Cancel VZ FiOS, then sign up for DSLExtreme fiber. They are a reseller, and are still offering 10/2 (lowest speed tier) for 39.95/mo
»https://www.dslextreme.com/Services/Inte···ult.aspx |
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birdfeedr
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to Hoagie
said by Hoagie :I don't think my phone and internet are considered a Verizon "package", but I don't know. At work, our phone lines were converted to POTS over fiber when we got the FiOS internet. It was not a bundle, all we ordered was internet. Telephone service continued to be billed as before.
Any bundle that includes telephone as part of it is likely to be called Verizon Freedom Essentials on your bill, although it is possible to subscribe to that package without it being bundled. You'd have to look at your bill to be sure.
Telephone rates are regulated separately from internet and TV, so if you change over to DSLExtreme, it should not affect your phone rates. |
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mrschwarz
join:2001-12-01
Flower Mound, TX | reply to birdfeedr
Why do you have to cancel Verizon first? Couldn't I just order DSLExtreme and cancel Verizon after it's installed? |
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JohnA
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA |
They're just reselling you FIOS, and the order system won't accept an order for a service you already have. |
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Prairie Dog
Here's Looking At You Kid
Premium
join:2000-08-09
Langhorne, PA
| reply to nocoolname
I got the letter last week as well. I had 5/2 for about 3 years for $39.99 a month. Will now increase to 49.99 a month, with 10/2. So about a 25% price increase. I will call Verizon and tell them Comcast is offering a much better deal, $19.99 for six months, plus a $100 rebate. So, I will not hesitate to swtich. I cannot see paying that, or doing the bundle thing. |
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Prairie Dog
Here's Looking At You Kid
Premium
join:2000-08-09
Langhorne, PA | Updated, just talked to Verizon, and apparently the price increase is not negotiable. So I guess I am going back to Comcast. |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Verizon FIOS
| said by Prairie Dog :Updated, just talked to Verizon, and apparently the price increase is not negotiable. So I guess I am going back to Comcast. Yeah, it would appear that you can only get a "discounted" price if you're bundling and/or have the TV service and get some of the equipment and/or movie channels discounted/free. |
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Prairie Dog
Here's Looking At You Kid
Premium
join:2000-08-09
Langhorne, PA | Correct, the customer service agent kept trying to sell me a bundle service. I currently have Comcast TV, which I am happy with, and in the long run is cheaper for me. Hopefully Comcast internet works out for me. |
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oregonmatt
join:2000-08-10
Hillsboro, OR
| reply to birdfeedr
said by birdfeedr :If you want to stay on a low cost internet-only tier, you can do it, but you'd have to endure a service interruption of unknown length. Cancel VZ FiOS, then sign up for DSLExtreme fiber. They are a reseller, and are still offering 10/2 (lowest speed tier) for 39.95/mo » https:// www.dslextreme.com/Services/Inte···ult.aspx Thanks for the tip, birdfeedr! I just chatted online with a DSLExtreme sales rep and he said not to cancel FiOS before ordering. He did mention there would be a downtime of 1 day or more, but that may be a small price to pay to save some $$ for me. |
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grydlok
join:2004-01-06
Richmond, VA | nice link I might switch over my fios to DSLextreme and save some money. |
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batsona
Maryland
join:2004-04-17
Ellicott City, MD
·Verizon FIOS
·Vonage
| reply to nocoolname
I was shocked to see that VZ is leasing their Fiber infra to CLECs, just like they do with copper. The tech I chatted with said that this agreement just recently began. --It's just like Copper, where any CLEC can have access to it, if they pay Verizon..?
This sounds too good to be true. -I'm sticking with VZ because of their fiber interface & low latency. If *another* company can offer me service over this same infra, then I'm bowled over. |
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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR | It's actually not all that new. There's a company in Florida that's been doing it for over a year (I want to say two+ years but brain is a bit foggy at the moment) and DSLExtreme has been doing for more than a year, I think... |
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batsona
Maryland
join:2004-04-17
Ellicott City, MD
·Verizon FIOS
·Vonage
| reply to nocoolname
OK, here's a script from a chat I just had with DslXtreme...
Rosa:
Thank you for contacting the DSL Extreme sales department my name is Rosa. How may I help you?
alex:
Hi there - I was reading your FAQ, and it says I cannot provide my own router, it must be the one that Verizon (or DSLxTreme) provides? Why is this? is it something proprietary?
Rosa:
yes, you can actually. We do not provide routers at all.
alex:
I see. What is the process for ordering, if I"m a current FiOS customer?
Rosa:
are you looking into getting our fiber/
alex:
Verizon's price is going up and up - I wasn't aware that VZ was licensing their fiber infrastructure to CLECS...
Rosa:
If you're in a FIOS location, unfortunately, it is not compatible with our service.
alex:
if I'm a current FiOS customer, I can't obtain your service? I thought I'd heard to the contrary from other people who have inquired...
Rosa:
that is correct. Our service is not yet compatible with FIOS.
Heh???? |
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More Fiber
Premium,MVM
join:2005-09-26
West Chester, PA
 ·Bay Area Internet ..
| reply to darcilicious
said by darcilicious :There's a company in Florida that's been doing it for over a year and DSLExtreme has been doing for more than a year I'm not sure about the company in Florida, however I believe that DSLExtreme is purely a reseller and not a CLEC.
If I understand their service correctly, they do not install equipment in the CO as a CLEC would and do not backhaul connections onto their own network. It is VZ FIOS, simply a different sales channel. Installation is handled by VZ. Billing, Email and support is provided by DSLExtreme, however. |
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batsona
Maryland
join:2004-04-17
Ellicott City, MD
·Verizon FIOS
·Vonage
| I see what you mean - However I thought I saw to the contrary above - a sales-chat person said that switching from FiOS to DSLxtreme was as easy as a phonecall, but "Rosa" says that you'll never see DSLXtreme service, if you're already a FiOS customer? This seems amazingly inconsistant (and really dissapointing..) |
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