Verizon DSL → Re: [billing] Outrageous bill and hidden fees; switch to DSL Ext

trp2525,

With your $54.99 Plan, how much is your monthly bill with all of the add-ons?

Just wondering.

The monthly bill for my Verizon 3Mbps plan (had it since 2009) + basic POTS (no LD) w/Caller ID comes to ~$72/mo.

O'course, I would hestitate (a LOT) to make any changes with Verizon because of the excellent chance, apparently, that they will use the opportunity to hose the DSL service that I already enjoy (2.89 down)

Thanks.

That is kinda interesting to me.. I'm guessing I might still be grandfathered in under old pricing schemes atm.

I pay $21.94 for a landline counting all the fees. This is an old account though. Flat Line Unlimited Service.

My DSL runs me $34.63 counting the small fee. It is listed as Internet Extra on my bill. It is a month by month subscription at this point. 3Mbps speed, as that is the best I can get if I recall correctly.

These accounts are not bundled together, which seems to be the place where Verizon is getting people.

Youngblood,

My $54.99 Double Play Bundle costs me about $68/month total when you add in the approximately $13/month for taxes and fees in my area. Keep in mind that those taxes and fees vary from area to area so YMMV.

I still feel that I am getting a good value at $68/month for non-capped 7.1 Mbps DSL service and Verizon Freedom Essentials which includes unlimited long distance and 6 calling features as detailed in my previous post. I also like the reliability of the POTS line especially for emergencies and during power outages.

I think you would be better off switching to the same Double Play Bundle (Verizon Freedom Essentials and High Speed Internet Enhanced) that I am on even if your maximum DSL speed available at your home is 3 Mbps. You would probably be paying the same that you are paying now (or even a little less depending on your taxes and fees) but you would gain the unlimited long distance and 6 included calling features. Also, there is no contract required with any of the Double Play Bundles.

Verizon's Double Play and Triple Play Bundles can be seen here for full information and pricing: »www22.verizon.com/home/b ··· tandard/ If you can't get them to give you those prices as a current Verizon customer, tell them that you are going to switch your phone and internet to your local cable provider. That usually does the trick and gets you the best pricing available (at least it has for me).

EDIT: For those not wanting/needing the unlimited long distance service, you could go with the Double Play Bundle of Verizon Regional Essentials (in place of Freedom Essentials) and High Speed Internet Enhanced for $44.99/month (plus taxes and fees). That plan would probably save some money for those currently with standard POTS service and DSL internet service that are not bundled together.

Some very interesting information, trp2525. Thank you for taking the time to share it!

I will now investigate the possibilities in my area.

My investigation is over ... I will not be changing my Plan.

Although the $44.99 Plan would be perfect for me, I can find no person to guarantee (in writing) that once I signup for the Plan, my download speed will not suddenly suffer a reduction.

I 'splained the situation via both CHAT and phonecall and neither of the nice folks with whom I communicated could help me with obtaining such a guarantee.

Well, the CHAT Guy assured me that a downgrade/cap would not happen and told me that the CHAT ID/Transcript should suffice as a written guarantee, but, like I "told" him, I feel sure that HE is honest ...

I just cannot take the chance that Verizon will do the right thing ... or, more accurately, to not do the wrong thing. {sigh}

I can understand your apprehension in changing to a new package with Verizon and having your DSL speed downgraded as a result. The information from the Verizon Double Play webpage does little to instill any confidence that they will do the right thing for the customer:

"Speeds and service availability vary. High Speed Internet Enhanced service will be provisioned based on customer location and Verizon line qualification requirements. Most will qualify at 1.1–3 Mbps speed tier. The 3.1–7 Mbps and 7.1–15 Mbps service tiers ranges are available in select locations only. Availability subject to final confirmation by Verizon."

While speaking to the lady on the phone, as she was perusing my account information on her screen, she told me that my plan was High Speed Internet Extra, not High Speed Internet Enhanced as it is now listed.

As soon as she said "extra", I realized that it sounded like what they were calling it when I changed to that plan in 2009 ... and the plan I signed on for in 2009 featured no RANGE of possible speeds; it was described as up to 3Mbps, only limited by your line conditions.

The "Extra" listing in my account only serves to increase my hesitation.

I must confess that this is nagging at me, though, because the $44.99 represents a rather large annual savings for me.

I feel sorta like I am looking down the bore of Dirty Harry's .44 and he is posing the fateful question to me ...

I think Smith6612 still reads/posts here if so he should be able to tell you if you can get better speeds based on your transtats.

I'm also using that "extra" plan, but I'm fairly certain I am restricted to 3Mbps anyway.

If the current speeds are fine for you though, why risk them jacking up the price on you.

Since your latter two lines appear to address things I wrote:My Remote is also provisioned at a max of 3Mbps. As late as 2009 they offered a 7Mbps package that was only provisioned at 5Mbps (Go Figure). I tried it on a 6 month trial so I now know that my line can reliably handle up to 5Mbps. About a year ago I contacted Verizon about their 7Mbps/5Mbps package and found that they had withdrawn that offering.My current speed is fine. My concern is with Verizon using a Plan Change on my part as an opportunity to artificially halve my thruput.

The Plan that interests me would probably save me over $150/yr ... but I cannot talk myself into trusting Verizon to leave my current DSL setup untouched.

This is precisely my own concern.

I have "High Speed Internet Extra". With it, my speed is and has always reliably been 3.0/768. I measure it regularly.

However because the current product offering is called "Enhanced" and is described as a speed range of "1.1 to 3.0", I am very reluctant to consider the bundle. Verizon provides no information clarifying whether "1.1 to 3.0" means:

a) "3.0 is the goal but 1.1 is the minimum guarantee if line conditions foil that goal"

or

b) "we'll give you anything between 1.1 and 3.0 we please, regardless of your line conditions, and perhaps we'll even slow you down to shoehorn you toward FIOS"

Is there no one here with experience switching from the 3.0/768 Extra to the 1.1-3.0/768 Enhanced product, who always received reliable 3.0/768 service, and who still receives reliable 3.0/768 service following the switch?

Incidentally, with "Regional Essentials," are you allowed to pick the long distance carrier of your choice (e.g. AT&T), as is the case with traditional "flat rate" service on copper? Or does "Regional Essentials" mean that you have no long distance dialing ability whatsoever?

I was previously on the Verizon 7.1/768 Internet Advanced DSL product. That was the name of the 7.1/768 DSL product prior to Verizon changing the name and adding speed ranges to their product description.

In July 2011 I was switched to a new bundle of Verizon Freedom Essentials and High Speed Internet Enhanced. The speed range quoted on my new bundle was 3.1 to 7 Mbps but I never lost my 7.1/768 speed after the change to the new bundle. I remain on the same bundle today over a year later and my speed remains at 7.1/768. YMMV

That is good to know ... Thanks!

Welp, I decided to make the leap ... I just finished changing my old Internet Extra Plan to their Double Play w/Regional Essentials.

The catalyst was opening my Verizon bill and finding that they had quietly increased my monthly Internet charge from 31.99 to 34.99.

So, for what it is worth (yeah, I know) now I have transcripts from 2 different Chat Agents assuring me that my speeds will not change ... that and the fact I have logged my speeds daily for over a year. {fingers crossed}

I will keep you apprised of any Issues that may arise.