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Some things just boggle the mind

As if my experience with American Express wasn't bad enough, now I can't believe Verizon is just as intransigent.

Lately I've been having problems with my wireless connection. It seems anytime I get more than 10 feet away from the router, my internet connection fades out, and connectivity is hit or miss. Mostly miss.

So I contact Verizon, and discover my wireless connection is only guaranteed for 10 feet or line of sight from the router.

THAT'S RIDICULOUS!

What's the point of having a wireless connection, if you can't get a connection anywhere in the house. Besides this has only been a problem for the past one or two months. I never had a problem connecting before. Incidentally this is on 3 different computers (including a brand new MAC), so I know it's not a computer problem.

So anywaze, I contact Verizon, and I also discovered that the router is only warranted for one year.

SAY WHAT?

I never bought the router in the first place. It was included with the installation, which was free. But if I want another one, because this one is bad, it will cost $139 + tax.

What's even more amazing is, I'm only 5 days past the warranty. So you would think Verizon would cut me some slack, and send out a new one at no charge, just to be nice guys, but noooooooooo, that is not the case.

I could cancel the service, and then sign up again, and they'll install new service, including a new router, for no charge, costing them money and time. So why not just send me a new router, rather than piss off a valued customer.

That just was not to be. No amount of cajoling, begging, or even threatening to discontinue service would change anyone's mind (and I talked to 4 different people).

So I just got off the phone with Charter Cable, and they are coming to install my new cable internet service tomorrow. How's that for service?

And it's half the price of my Verizon FIOS for the first six months, with no minimum time commitment. So after 6 months if I'm not happy with Charter, I'll just switch back to Verizon.

I guess I'll just never understand big business.
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Comments

Becky said…
Okay first of all I had to look up intransigent. Good word, btw.

We have been having trouble with Verizon Fios and they could give a rats ass that our cable isn't working and apparently they are not going to credit me for the days we had no service.

Wasn't this part of your "Rollerball" theory?
3:46 AM
Marc said…
When there's no competition, that sort of strategy works fine, but in Long Beach, CA. I don't think so.

Of course I was probably talking to someone in India, who has no idea where Long Beach is.
4:13 AM
Susan C said…
I don't know how Verizon stays in business because their cell phone customer service is equally inexcusable. The average wait for service at their Pasadena store is 35 minutes.
7:21 AM
Marc said…
Well Susan, I hope you at least get decent service when you get to the front of the line.

I really can't complain about the Verizon customer service. I didn't wait very long for them to get to my issue, or even coming to the conclusion it was a modem/router issue, my complaint was with their final decision.

But even if I had to wait 35 minutes, I still would have been very happy had they just sent me a new modem/router.

I just don't think the cost of a new router to Verizon (I'm sure a lot less than the $140 they wanted to charge me), was too much to ask to keep a satisfied customer satisfied.

Especially since they'll lose more then their cost of a new modem, in the first two months they no longer have me as a paying customer.
8:47 AM
Mark VanKirk said…
My Verizon wireless router works great, but I would do the same thing you did if they gave me problems.

I nearly canceled my DirecTV for a similar reason. They wanted to charge me a $100 service charge to fix my DVR that I am leasing from them.
5:31 AM
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