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Fairpoint Told To Hold Off On Debt Collection
Until they can figure out how to properly bill customers...
by Karl Bode Tuesday 02-Jun-2009 tags: dsl · business · Fairpoint Communications
Fairpoint Communications, which has been struggling to manage the New England DSL & landline networks acquired from Verizon -- suspended collection of past due DSL and landline bills last January as they sorted out management of the new networks. The company had planned to resume debt collection last week, but New Hampshire regulators are telling them to hold off until they fix some of the problems plaguing customers. Fairpoint's had particular problems with their billing systems -- in many cases overcharging users, or continuing to charge users after they terminated service with Fairpoint.

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BabyBear
Keep wise ...with Nite-Owl

join:2007-01-11

Flash from the past.

Almost reminds me of Flashcom's billing trouble. Except their trouble was even worse as quite a few people before they went under were NEVER billed.

n2jtx

join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

Re: Flash from the past.

Wow, Flashcom... That brings back memories. They were the first broadband provider that I had. My firm paid the bill and I got a whopping 608Kbits down/128KBits up. The static IP address was nice. It was my researching their financial problems and alternatives that led me to this site and to joining. I still have their new member kit somewhere.

Kind of funny now that I think about 608Kbits/128Kbits compared to OOL at 15Mbits/2Mbits.
--
I support the right to keep and arm bears.

S_engineer
Premium
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL

Stupid

The regulators that are telling them to hold off....Are these the same regulators that OKed this deal in the first place?
It sounds like a real mess that Verizon left. I hope this is being monitored by the people that are considering letting Frontier take some of verizons "non-desired" areas!
--
BF69~~~Please stop suffocating gerbils!
hottboiinnc
ME

join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

Re: Stupid

Only one state is telling them to hold off. Which means they can still move forward and collect in other states until they step in. And if they were start it's what they would do.

mrkevin
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.
Premium
join:2007-08-07
Aurora, ME

sad

Imagine not knowing who your customers were...
I know someone who had their phone shut off when it was Verizon and started getting billed when 'un'-FairPoint took over. Every call to FairPoint promises no more bills, but they still roll in every month.
Bad data from Verizon during the cut-over, coupled with FairPoint not knowing what the heck their doing = recipe for disaster.

get out the cans of paint cause we're going to have to paint these trucks again.
Telephone companies that managed this network since I was a kid:

New England Telephone (old Ma Bell) 18??-1984
Nynex 1984-1997
Bell Atlantic 1997-2000
then Bell Atlantic changed it's name to Verizon in 2000
FairPoint 2008-

Who's next?
patcat88

join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1

Re: sad

said by mrkevin:

Who's next?
Frontier or Windstream pick up FairPoint at bankruptcy auction.

NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
kudos:9
Reviews:
·SONIC.NET
·Pacific Bell - SBC
said by mrkevin:

then Bell Atlantic changed it's name to Verizon in 2000
That was more than just a name-change; it was a merger with General Telephone and Electronics (GTE). Followed by a selloff.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum

mrkevin
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.
Premium
join:2007-08-07
Aurora, ME

Re: sad

Around here it was just a name change.

The CO's around here are the same CO's used by NewEngland Telephone since the 1930's? So call it what you want, it's just a name change unless you move your point of presence. (IMO)

Same employees
Same buildings
Same ole crappy switching equip
Same vehicles (painted and with new stickers)

NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
kudos:9
Reviews:
·SONIC.NET
·Pacific Bell - SBC

Re: sad

said by mrkevin:

Around here it was just a name change.
If you lived in GTE territory, you probably still had the same everything, too; but the top level management could have changed; similar to what happened to people who had AT&T Worldnet Service after SBC bought AT&T. David Dornan, the CEO of AT&T left for other employment. Ed Whitacre, the CEO of SBC took over running the company.

Who took over Verizon after the merger? Bell Atlantic management, or GTE management?
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
kudos:2
Reviews:
·Frontier FiOS

the typos, they hurt my brain ;-)

Fairpoint Communications, which has been struggling to manage the New England DSL & landline networks acquired by from Verizon [...]
I hadn't heard that Vz bought this back from Fairpoint

mouseferatu
Too many cats, Too many mice
Premium,MVM
join:2004-03-16
Im not sure
kudos:3

NH should have told FP to refund overcharges as well

FairPoint still owes direct pay customers in New Hampshire (and perhaps ME and VT also) large sums that they were overcharged. The New Hampshire regulators should have made them actually refund that money, rather than allow them to float paper "credits".

I stopped direct debit after FairPoint withdrew my April payment three times, on top of nailing me twice in March. I have been unable to get my money back from them. They blame unavoidable discrepancies in their various databases- HSI, fiber phones, and POTS lines did not/do not cross-reference appropriately.

If they do not file for bankruptcy in the meantime, I will be about even with them around the end of August.
--
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crispy and good with catsup."

battleop

join:2005-09-28
00000

Heh this won't be abused.

I am sure both sites will abuse the hell out of this.

sica

@unh.edu

Fairpoint

Fairpoint makes Comcast a no brainer in NH for Internet. Maybe once Fairpoint files Chapter 7 in a year or two we'll get a company with some capital willing to expand the fiber network in NH and possibly offer a TV solution.

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