Verizon DSL → Feedback wanted

I have Charter cable at the moment, but pay $49.99 for 1.5/128. As a Verizon phone customer, I can now sign up for local, long distance and DSL for $89.99 (the DSL is just $20 in this package). As you can see, that is a much better deal.

However, I am reluctant for a couple of reasons. My current connection is very solid, never goes down, and I get the speeds I pay for. Customer service is awful, but I rarely need it. However, I was a Verizon (GTE) DSL customer when it first came out, and had it for two years. DSL seemed to go down often, for as much as a day or so. And Verizon/GTE had the most appalling customer service I have ever experienced anywhere, at any time. It took me 13 phone calls to get my service reconnected, when some internal department mysteriously generated a disconnect order (yes, I had paid my bill!).

Has it gotten any better? Should I just stay away? I would be saving a bundle, and Charter just keeps jacking up the rates.

Why not sign up for VOL DSL service, but also keep your cable modem service for a few months. Then simply cancel the service you like least.

- Dan

Customer service has not improved. My connection is pretty solid. It rarely goes down and if it does it's only for 2-4 Hrs. Someone has to replace a fuse somewhere. Doctor Dans suggestion is a good one. I'd do it if I had alternative to Verizon. Let the best man win.

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Youll pay 49.95 for Charter and 19.95- 40 for unlimited local, long distance plus you lose almost all taxes so 19.95 is 19.95. There are also many, many features that Verizon cannot offer with these.

Yes Go For Verizon DSL, and the Customer Service seemed great here,

IMO:

1. The quality of the VOL DSL service itself is quite good, especially for the price. I have found it to be very reliable, hardly any downtime in the last six months, etc. The Westell DSL modem that Verizon supplies works fine.

2. Customer service is highly variable. Tier-1 tech support can be painful (but, in fairness, the same could be said of many companies). Support through 0.verizon newsgroups (Robin, Scott, etc.) is excellent.

3. Billing can be problematic, especially if you're signed up for one of Verizon's bundled (i.e. Veriations/Freedom/Whatever It's Called This Month) plans. If the Verizon Telco business office doesn't enter the correct discount codes onto your account, you don't get the special pricing, and it can take several months for your discount to finally appear when they get the codes set up correctly. Sometimes your discount mysteriously "vanishes" even though you made no changes to your phone service, etc. The bottom line is that you have to watch your monthly bill like a hawk to ensure you're not getting overcharged.

- Dan

said by 93254336:

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IMO:
2. Customer service is highly variable. Tier-1 tech support can be painful (but, in fairness, the same could be said of many companies).

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Gee, thanks. Allow me to pull the knife out of my back. Not all of us are that bad. Some of us (myself included) are good. We just get lumped up with the bad seeds.

said by Pero2:

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Gee, thanks. Allow me to pull the knife out of my back. Not all of us are that bad. Some of us (myself included) are good. We just get lumped up with the bad seeds.

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Well, that's been my overall experience, not only with VOL but a number of other companies. Fortunately with VOL there are alternate methods of obtaining technical support which are very effective (e.g. VOL support people in the 0.verizon newsgroups).

- Dan

said by 93254336:

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Well, that's been my overall experience, not only with VOL but a number of other companies. Fortunately with VOL there are alternate methods of obtaining technical support which are very effective (e.g. VOL support people in the 0.verizon newsgroups).

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That's okay; I'm used to people telling me that I ain't (fill-in-the-blanks). It still hurts, but...oh, well...

said by Pero2:

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That's okay; I'm used to people telling me that I ain't (fill-in-the-blanks). It still hurts, but...oh, well...

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Do not take it personally. Remember never sign your work. If it works no one cares, if it does not work then they will know who did it.

said by HappyBunny9:

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Has it gotten any better? Should I just stay away? I would be saving a bundle, and Charter just keeps jacking up the rates.

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Tons better!!!

I switched from OOL to Verizon and could not be happier. In the 15 months I had my line it was down once for a minute. All I had to do was reboot the modem to get it going again.

I can say that Verizon has been the best and most complete ISP I have used.