Verizon Fios--HORRIBLE (Arlington, Leesburg: credit card, month-to-month, new house)

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by car54

It's a shame I didn't think of that!

As it is, I wonder how much my 42 cent bill cost them to send (twice) and then process my payment. A lot more than 42 cents I would imagine.

But when their computer wants something, no matter how ridiculous, you must comply. All resistance is futile.

Be glad you don't have Sprint. They were threatening to send his 2 week past due debt to collections if he didn't pay up now! Imagine what it would cost to send your 42 cent bill to collections.

[car54]

Originally Posted by The Dissenter

As a help desk guy, I would see if you can get the FIOS compatible router cheaper on Amazon. The one I rent from Comcast sells for less than $100 on Amazon and I'd buy it and give Comcast back theirs...but my service with Comcast may end for another reason depending on how this week goes.

Thanks....but I have terrible luck with "tech" stuff...getting it to work. I'll probably have a hell of a time getting the "pre-owned" (LOL) Verizon router to work if I get it, let alone a non-Verizon router. I have a new printer that I just can't get to work...I'm waiting for my 10 year old grandson to visit and bail me out!

I'm inclined to just pay the monthly fee and not mess with it. They claim this new, err I mean certified pre-owned, router will "enhance my Wi-Fi experience". The only "Wi-Fi experience" we do is my wife's iPad and it seems to work fine with the current router.

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by car54

Speaking of FiOS...I recently got a letter from them about my router.

They say my router is old and being discontinued. But, if I want to keep it, it'll cost me $2.80 (plus taxes) extra per month.

OR, I can buy a "Certified pre-owned" (LOL) "FiOS Advanced Wi-Fi Router" for a one time charge of $59.99 (plus taxes).

You guys know way more about puters than I, what should I do?

My husband took them up on that very same offer. Since he used to work in IT, he's up on all that stuff so when he mentioned the offer to me, I told him it was up to him. He's has been happy with the "certified pre-owned" router.

[car54]

Originally Posted by BOS2IAD

My husband took them up on that very same offer. Since he used to work in IT, he's up on all that stuff so when he mentioned the offer to me, I told him it was up to him. He's has been happy with the "certified pre-owned" router.

Was it "plug and play"?

My fear is I'll end up in help desk hell with the phone fused to my head...

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by car54

Was it "plug and play"?

My fear is I'll end up in help desk hell with the phone fused to my head...

It's not exactly 'plug-and-play'. VZ includes instructions on how to connect up the router, but they seemed not to work to get one connected to the internet. I called VZ and their automated help line tested the connection from their end. I finally had to power off the router and power it on again to get the connection to work correctly. Not bad all things considered.

^^^^My husband typed the above answer

[WittyUserName]

Originally Posted by car54

Speaking of FiOS...I recently got a letter from them about my router.

They say my router is old and being discontinued. But, if I want to keep it, it'll cost me $2.80 (plus taxes) extra per month.

OR, I can buy a "Certified pre-owned" (LOL) "FiOS Advanced Wi-Fi Router" for a one time charge of $59.99 (plus taxes).

You guys know way more about puters than I, what should I do?

On DSL Reports, some people have been successful calling and complaining. Verizon has sent them a free "Rev I." router.

That reminds me, I need to call them and tell them I already have one, just don't use it, and see how tough they make it to remove the charge. My Verizon router is just there because it needs to be. The wireless is off and I have a superior router doing wifi.

[Hal Roach]

I pay 170 for 25/8 internet....per year. But if I actually resided in the People's Republic of NoVa, and wasn't just a "Resident;" I would incorporate this strategy. No bundling of anything...bundling makes you vulnerable (I don't keep my money at one bank, either). Next, never use an auto-debit...do pay online. If they really botch your billing, cancel immediately, and that may be the only way to get through to someone, who can correct the situation. It used to be that you could practically renegotiate your rates every several months, just by calling to cancel. It is very easy to dispute collection activity, and the debt is probably worth 10 cents on the Dollar to a collections agency.

[FCNova]

Fios customer service sucks but that's the norm for cable companies. They do have a good product I will say. Very very few outages and fast internet. I can't wait until the industry changes though and you don't feel like such a slave to cable. It's really hard to cut the cord right now if you're a big sports fan.

[SmartMoney]

When I had Comcast, I was calling them at least once every every 8 weeks or so, internet was down or crawling so slow, nothing would work correctly. It didn't take much to disrupt my day with an outage, and internet was vital for work. When FiOS became available, I couldn't sign up fast enough. That was 4 years ago. I have never had to lift a finger once to call for service. Does their bill choke me each month? Absolutely. At the most, I will cut the cord for TV with FiOS, but as long as I am working, FiOS for internet it is.

Cutting the TV cord is the latest trend. Thanks to video streaming and "GO" programming or a la carte direct ordering, we have many more options, as long as a strong internet connection is available. Unless we see a major pricing shakeup, this option is definitely in my future - the expense it just out of control. Hard to believe in 2009, basic channels were free until we went digital. At first, we got sucked down the rabbit hole with the added channels, wanting MTV and CNN and who knows what else. Then, HBO, ESPN, and Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon sealed the deal.

Looking at customer satisfaction surveys, FiOS is in the lead, followed by ATT-Uverse (who???), followed by DirecTV.

Many more gearing up to cut the cord from what I have been reading.

[Hal Roach]

as mentioned, if there is a must have sports option, you become a hostage...It's the Nats for my parents.