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Verizon: We Should Be Able To Cancel Your Cable Service For You
Two mega-industries debate who loves consumer choice the most.....
by Karl Bode Wednesday 26-Mar-2008 tags: competition · business · cable · VoIP · Verizon FiOS
Recently the cable industry complained that Verizon was using number port requests to recapture phone customers they technically already lost to cable VoIP. Verizon is now complaining to the FCC that the cable industry won't let new providers (read: Verizon) cancel video services on behalf of customers who've already made the decision to switch to FiOSTV. Verizon's PR wizards also redefine the debate with cable over number portability:

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Verizon asked the commission to stop a pattern of cable industry efforts to interfere with customer choice and convenience when customers want to transfer their voice service from a cable company to a new carrier and retain their local number. Verizon stated that cable companies routinely delay the ability of their voice customers to obtain more attractive offers from competitive providers by violating the FCC-approved customer transfer, or "porting," intervals Verizon and others have long met.

It's hard to tell if Verizon is being serious here, or is just playing PR patty cake with the cable industry over their recent VoIP dispute. Have any cable customers who've switched from cable to FiOS found the process troublesome? Do you want your new provider to be able to cancel your previous service for you? Given Verizon's trouble with simple things like accurate billing, giving them additional room for error might make some customers nervous.

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birdfeedr
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
kudos:8

Cancelling service on a phone number port makes sense, but

Canceling video should be the responsibility of the subscriber. I know Verizon likes to take advantage of existing wiring, and VZ is only "thinking of the customer" when it wants to make things easy. So, it does make some sense to argue Verizon should be able to cancel cable, but that's a real stretch.

If it was me, I'd like to opportunity to switch video feed from one source to the other, if I really wanted to compare, and be given the opportunity to cancel the Verizon video service and keep the cable. That's if *I* wanted to.

Of course, I canceled cable back in 1984, and waited for FiOS TV when it was available earlier this year.

Canceling phone service is necessary, however, because of the ported number problem. You can't have two services pointing at the same number.

Linklist
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5

Re: Cancelling service on a phone number port makes sense, but

said by birdfeedr:

Canceling video should be the responsibility of the subscriber.

Canceling phone service is necessary, however, because of the ported number problem. You can't have two services pointing at the same number.
Makes sense.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page

battleop

join:2005-09-28
00000

Re: Cancelling service on a phone number port makes sense, but

Porting a number away will not automatically close an account. The customer should call and cancel the service voice, internet, or video.
Claude M

join:2008-01-22
Oradell, NJ
I would never allow Verizon cancel my service to anything. They can't get simple things like appointments, adding or removing service (forget billing) straight, can you imagine them getting involved in your cable service?
SilverSurfer1

join:2007-08-19

Bad Idea

I personally wouldn't go for it, but if some customers are dumb enough to want to hand over responsibility of the cancellation of services from one provider up to the new provider, and, in the process, run the risk of the new provider not doing so, then as long as that customer is prepared to incur financial repercussions, then I say, let Verizon do it. They'll make a fortune on all the dopes who were too lazy/stupid to take care of their personal business.

93388818
It's cool, I'm takin it back
Premium
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX

Since when

should video service be treated like a phone number port??

The porting rules for winning/losing carrier makes sense, because the LNP databases have to be updated so that the rest of the world can reach the person at their number on the correct network.

There is no like scenario for TV service in the home.
--
Corona "No, make no mistake. It's not revenge he's after; it's a reckoning."

Check out the band 1000 Miles From Home

Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA

No way

If I was a cable operator, I wouldn't trust a competitor to speak for what to the cable operator are still customers.

Cable is right on this one. If the cable customer wants to cancel, let the cable customer call and go through the verification process to do so.
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

Re: No way

If I were a telco operator, I wouldn't trust a competitor to speak for what to the telco operator are still customers.

Any problems with that statement?

Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA

Re: No way

What is why you have 3rd party verification for number porting. When I ported my number from telco to cable I had to go through 3rd party verification.

Pathfinder
Dazed Confused
Premium
join:2000-03-26
Mount Vernon, NY

Re: No way

Then why can't cable do the same thing?

Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA

4 edits

Re: No way

Because it's not necessary (unless you're talking about number porting to cable in which case they already do, I went through it with TWC and Cox from Verizon and then Pacbell)

You have to with number porting because you can't have 2 providers stuck with the same phone number, there has to be a hand off. It's a technical limitation. You can have FiOS TV and Cable TV at the same time or DSL and Cable HSI at the same time.
TheGhost
Premium
join:2003-01-03
Lake Forest, IL

Re: No way

said by Dogfather:

Because it's not necessary.

You have to with number porting because you have have 2 providers stuck with the same phone number. It's a technical limitation. You can have FiOS TV and Cable TV at the same time or DSL and Cable HSI at the same time.
Don't go trying to give a logical and thought out explanation.....
Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
much of the stuff with phones has to work the way it does with number porting because of E911 Databases. this is also why you cant always port a number.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports
rdmiller

join:2005-09-23
Richmond, VA

Accurate billing

My FiOS triple-play-bundle bill is now accurate and easy to read. Well done Verizon!

anon13123

@comcast.net

Re: Accurate billing

With cable there is also the return of the cable boxes when the service is cancelled. Is Verizon willing to come get them from me and return them? If so, let them cancel for me and save the hassel.....But I think they would balk at that!
neufuse

join:2006-12-06
Indiana, PA

uh

what If I wanted comcast and verison's fios tv? they going to force me to choose if there are both available in my area? kinda dumb to me... phone numbers make sense since you want to keep your number, cable does not

Pathfinder
Dazed Confused
Premium
join:2000-03-26
Mount Vernon, NY

Re: uh

You can have both. I have seen it plenty.
tmc8080

join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

interop?

maybe they can pay the bills for you too?

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4

Verizon can. . . . .

Cancel my cable when fios comes here.

BHNtechXpert
BHN Staff
Premium,VIP
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL
kudos:82

Be careful of what you ask for....

Before you make up your mind about this idea Verizon has plopped into the toilet...read this article about them and their awful customer service (in one of their flagship FIOS cities no less).

Printed front page today in the Tampa Bay Tribune (notice all of the kind words about Verizon afterwards).

»www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/26···x/?imw=Y
Claude M

join:2008-01-22
Oradell, NJ

Re: Be careful of what you ask for....

good article, thanks for posting that. it's a shame this wonderful technology had to be rolled out by such a terrible company.
birhat
Premium
join:2005-04-08
Laurel, MD

no problem cancelling

I waited til the FIOS guy was installing before calling comcast.They kept trying to give me rebates and cutting prices until I told them "look it's pointless fios is being installed right now" man did they ever get huffy.Had to take their box down to their office to turn it in. other than that no problems ending service.

The 1 thing I really liked with comcast was hd on demand and also their IMG .Even after the upgrade with fios it's still not as good .Fios needs to make it so you dont have to wait when u click back when viewing program info.Though wonder if comcast is worth it anymore after hearing about the degradation of the video lately.

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