Verizon FiOS → [Billing] [Resolved]Renewed Verizon FIOS contract: Verizon won't honor price

long time lurker...

My contracted recently expired and I renewed (triple play). I have screenshots of my contract because of Verizon's notorious billing practices.

I haven't been billed yet for the renewed contract, but I saw that my new price would be about $40 more expensive per month than the "price guarantee agreement." I spoke to a few CSRs- they said it it too low. One said that they'd have to do a ROC ticket. The most recent one said that they had a widespread computer problem that gave people inaccurate prices (although they never tried to contact me).

Due to this supposed computer problem, I was offered a $20 discount on the more expensive contract (the one that I didn't know existed until recently) for 12 months locked in ($20 more than what I agreed too, before tax). I was told I can accept that offer (pay $20 more than what I agreed to) or cancel. I never got an apology- clearly they think that I'm the problem.

I haven't accepted that offer yet. I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions.

Here are my options that come to mind
-leave fios (probably makes the most sense, but I'm somewhat happy with their service)
-stay and take their offer (pay $20 more per month than my "price guarantee agreement," before tax)
-stay but don't take their offer (pay $40 more before tax) and then try to fight will billing because I didn't agree to that contract (that is, if they don't disconnect my service before that or force me to accept the new terms, which is probably very likely).
-Fill complaint my state's public utilities commission, which I'm guessing will do nothing

Thanks in advance.

I don't know where you live but if you have proof of the offer, try several things but don't wait too long:

- Verizon executive customer service
- Better Business Bureau
- State attorney general
- Depending on alternative providers, leave
- Your local municipality - they might have some sort of resolution requirement within the franchise agreement

It's not your fault they offered you a contract they refuse to honor.

Yes, I have proof in the form of screenshots with the order number and my account name and they have proof too (the email confirmation). Thanks for the feedback, Norm. I'm in PA too. Funny, in this day and age, I feel like it is always the customer's fault (meaning, how they treat you).

The Pa. Public Utilities Commission is pretty toothless. I would go the following routes: complain to your municipality, as its franchise agreement likely does have some options for recourse.

Better still, try to get your local media interested (should you happen to live in Chester County, I can promise you at least one local publication would be interested — IM me if so) — especially as you have clear documentation.

A little publicity, and the resulting Internet/Facebook spread will rapidly assist your efforts. Even Verizon is not foolish enough to suffer tens of thousands of dollars worth of negative publicity to save $240 a year over a two-year deal.

Thanks, MagScribe. I appreciate your comments. These are all great ideas. I'm in Dauphin County, but I do appreciate your offer to make a connect.

Yesterday, I was told that I had to make a decision right away (quit or accept). I was amazed that they thought that I would cancel that quickly without a backup plan. I told the CSR that her ultimatum was unreasonable. It was only after I said that I'd connect with the local news companies and FCC that she gave me more time to decide.

I'll be persistent and report back.

Company's can always use the there was a price error to legally back out, online retailers do it all the time.

If you feel your time is worth the possible savings, then pursue as you wish and you may very well get them to honor the wrong price, but they have no legal obligation and there is no guarantees that your time invested to get the price will be successful.

That's true, I wouldn't call this a bait and switch; however, I would say that it doesn't sound like Verizon made it clear to him that his price would increase by $40 regardless of what his new contract stated. Verizon did not cancel the order, he had to raise his hands. I'm sure they were hoping he wouldn't notice until it's too late and just pay the $40 extra.

OP, thank you for taking the principled approach, not enough people do so anymore. I still think you should at least file a complaint with the PA attorney general. Kathleen Kane is a very pro-consumer AG and the steps you would have to take are minimal as they provide an online form that you can use to fill out.

It could honestly be a mistake on Verizon's part. It could also be a systematic abuse towards their customers. It could even be something done by a local office to meet numbers. Without knowing how they treat every renewal, or at least a certain sub-set of renewals, you honestly wouldn't be able to say. So, even if the AG cannot do anything right now with your case, the information you provide could be compiled into a greater repository of information for use at a later date.

You always hear complaints about this from other people. It doesn't matter how much they complain if they don't tell the right people and make their complaints official.

I received a mailer to renew my triple play plan. The website gave me a price of $115 and I signed up. I got a email saying the price was $130. Some digging on the verizon central said the price was $130-$10 discount. Still not what I signed up for. I called and within minutes they cancelled the one and gave me the $115 price.

I was surprised. I expected a long fight. Got an email from them quoting the $115 price.

This is Chester County PA

Edit: web site - verizon.com/fios/2ic

only gave me 5 dollar off for 24 months which is the standard offer, how long were you out of contract for?

Guppy_fish, I agree 100%. Sometimes it isn't worth fighting.

Norm, thank you for the helpful advice. I filled several complaints earlier this morning.

I have a positive update. I called executive customer service (thanks Norm) and the agent who answered the phone knew about the problem after I gave him a brief description. He passed my information on to one of the heads of the ecenter. That agent (head of the ecenter) called me back within about 2 hours and fully resolved the billing issue. She upgraded my internet to 50/25 from 35/35, which was something I would have done to take advantage of the $20 bundle deal (vz wireless + fios). At the end of the day, I'm happy with how it was resolved. The agents at executive customer service center were very helpful and I never would have connected with them if it wasn't for Norm's comment.

I am also glad that I had screen shots of my renewed contract, although they didn't ask for them even when I offered.

I was told that around late Jan to early Feb there was a widespread billing issue and that they are getting flooded with calls. However, supposedly, the regular CSRs aren't aware of the issue.

Anyone who renewed or started a new contract during that time (late Jan to early Feb) might have similar billing issues.

Again, thank you all for your help. This is why I've benefited from lurching here in the past. I hope that this experience helps others who find themselves in a similar situation.

this seems like the only way to get anything done. i had the same problem and it wasnt until talking to the excutive customer service that i got a solution.

I once filed a complaint with the NYS PSC and the next day had a call from a VP at TWC who wanted to make me happy and did.

It's way too bad customers have to spend their limited and valuable time to find "Executive Support" people just to get what they have coming. Verizon is BIG, as their signs say yet, they act and function their help departments like a hole in the wall business operated by thieves.

It is amazing a company this giant can hire people who cannot speak good grammar. They use terms such as "You got" and "That ain't what you got" and so on. What has the world come to? Are we really hiring people into big corp jobs with those fat benefits who couldn't pass a grammar class if they tried to? You'd think they would hire folks who are better than that on the phone dealing directly with the customer as Verizon has no idea who will be calling them, a bum or some mayor in New York. Likely, most of Verizon's problems begin with grammar limited employee's who were way too lazy to learn grammar let alone bother to use the tools to help customers who call with big Verizon issues.