First Impression

Signing up with a major provider like Verizon, I expected a certain
level of professionalism. Sadly, a lot of minor screwups are blowing
that expectation.

1. I signed-up online and chose my phone, accessories and extra
services. The phone arrived without the accessory (Jabra Earpiece) and
when I called about it, I was told that the accessory was
discontinued. No such information was given to me while I was
ordering or included as a note with the part of the shipment that did
arrive. If I had not called, I would not know. At that time, I was
also told that the extra services that I ordered were not on my
account (handset insurance, internet services, etc.). I even have a
confirmation email verifying that I had ordered these services, but
they were not on my account.

2. No account information is available for my account on
verizonwireless.com. One customer service rep said that I have to
wait 7 days. I did. The next rep said that I have to wait 2 billing
cycles. Still no account information.

3. Choppy sound on my LG vx6000 phone. I expected clearer calls on
this new equipment, especially with the 1x service.

4. The promised $50 rebate form did not arrive with the phone. Again,
too many things that should be automatic are not happening unless the
customer calls and asks for them.

5. Mobile-to-mobile minutes are accumulating although I have only
called land-line numbers. It's not a real problem yet, but the error
is disturbing.

Other services are working well. Instant Messaging is quick, as is
email, text messaging and pictures. I'm hoping that things improve
soon because I signed up for a 2-year contract and I only have a week
before the No Worry Guarantee expires.

"Gregory Bruno" <google@burlynerd.com> wrote in message
news:b05f82c1.0310210558.11619c9a@posting.google.c om...
> Signing up with a major provider like Verizon, I expected a certain
> level of professionalism. Sadly, a lot of minor screwups are blowing
> that expectation.
> snipped......



I can see how stuff like that would be troubling. Personally I would never
order a phone/service over the net unless I absolutely had to. I would
rather sit down in a store face to face with someone and try phones out
first hand and make sure I understood all the plan details. I can only
imagine how much time phone reps spend on the phone explaining things to
people after they get their phone/plan over the net. I have spent a solid
hour or more with some people trying to explain things when they are sitting
here in front of me, can't imagine trying to do it over the phone.



KC

Gregory Bruno <google@burlynerd.com> wrote:

> 2. No account information is available for my account on
> verizonwireless.com. One customer service rep said that I have to
> wait 7 days. I did. The next rep said that I have to wait 2 billing
> cycles. Still no account information.

My personal experience moving my account from Ohio to California was that,
since the California account opened as a new account, there was no information
available online until after the first bill cut. Have you received your first
bill yet?

And did you order online? I generally prefer to go into the stores - I don't
have any problems when I talk to a live person.

--
JustThe.net Internet & Multimedia Services
22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950
Steve Sobol, Proprietor
888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * sjsobol@JustThe.net

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003, Gregory Bruno wrote:

> Signing up with a major provider like Verizon, I expected a certain
> level of professionalism. Sadly, a lot of minor screwups are blowing
> that expectation.
>
> 1. I signed-up online and chose my phone, accessories and extra
> services. The phone arrived without the accessory (Jabra Earpiece) and
> when I called about it, I was told that the accessory was
> discontinued. No such information was given to me while I was
> ordering or included as a note with the part of the shipment that did
> arrive. If I had not called, I would not know. At that time, I was
> also told that the extra services that I ordered were not on my
> account (handset insurance, internet services, etc.). I even have a
> confirmation email verifying that I had ordered these services, but
> they were not on my account.
>

I guess the important thing is were you CHARGED for those products and
services. If yes, that's a problem. If no, stop whining. Yes, I agree
someone should have said something, but it just sounds like a major
screwup that had to happen to someone. Guess it was your lucky day.

> 2. No account information is available for my account on
> verizonwireless.com. One customer service rep said that I have to
> wait 7 days. I did. The next rep said that I have to wait 2 billing
> cycles. Still no account information.
>

What account information are you looking for? With such short hold times
into Customer Care, there's no reason not to just call them. VZW has been
working on the VZServe online system for several months now, market by
market. It's possible your market simply has not been upgraded yet.

> 3. Choppy sound on my LG vx6000 phone. I expected clearer calls on
> this new equipment, especially with the 1x service.
>

1x has nothing to do with sound quality. Google this group for some of my
posts on the subject and you'll see how to fix the choppy audio on VZW
phones, including the VX6000. I'm not re-posting it.

> 4. The promised $50 rebate form did not arrive with the phone. Again,
> too many things that should be automatic are not happening unless the
> customer calls and asks for them.
>

Okay, so when you call to get the account information you're looking for,
ask for a rebate form. Problem solved.

> 5. Mobile-to-mobile minutes are accumulating although I have only
> called land-line numbers. It's not a real problem yet, but the error
> is disturbing.
>

E-MAIL me the area code and exchanges that have been getting billed
incorrectly and I'll see if I can figure out why.

> Other services are working well. Instant Messaging is quick, as is
> email, text messaging and pictures. I'm hoping that things improve
> soon because I signed up for a 2-year contract and I only have a week
> before the No Worry Guarantee expires.
>

Okay.

Steve


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Take a pill already

C



"Gregory Bruno" <google@burlynerd.com> wrote in message
news:b05f82c1.0310210558.11619c9a@posting.google.c om...
> Signing up with a major provider like Verizon, I expected a certain
> level of professionalism. Sadly, a lot of minor screwups are blowing
> that expectation.
>
> 1. I signed-up online and chose my phone, accessories and extra
> services. The phone arrived without the accessory (Jabra Earpiece) and
> when I called about it, I was told that the accessory was
> discontinued. No such information was given to me while I was
> ordering or included as a note with the part of the shipment that did
> arrive. If I had not called, I would not know. At that time, I was
> also told that the extra services that I ordered were not on my
> account (handset insurance, internet services, etc.). I even have a
> confirmation email verifying that I had ordered these services, but
> they were not on my account.
>
> 2. No account information is available for my account on
> verizonwireless.com. One customer service rep said that I have to
> wait 7 days. I did. The next rep said that I have to wait 2 billing
> cycles. Still no account information.
>
> 3. Choppy sound on my LG vx6000 phone. I expected clearer calls on
> this new equipment, especially with the 1x service.
>
> 4. The promised $50 rebate form did not arrive with the phone. Again,
> too many things that should be automatic are not happening unless the
> customer calls and asks for them.
>
> 5. Mobile-to-mobile minutes are accumulating although I have only
> called land-line numbers. It's not a real problem yet, but the error
> is disturbing.
>
> Other services are working well. Instant Messaging is quick, as is
> email, text messaging and pictures. I'm hoping that things improve
> soon because I signed up for a 2-year contract and I only have a week
> before the No Worry Guarantee expires.

Steve Crow <scrow@stevecrow.net> wrote in message news:<Pine.LNX.4.53.0310211741460.22221@www.stevecrow.net>...
> Chopped crotchety comments.

OK Steve, you've got some interesting opinions. Customers whose
orders Verizon screws up are 'whiners'; customer should not expect the
online information page to work, but should just call; customers have
to read your obnoxious posts to find out how to fix choppy audio; and
you think someone would want your help with the incorrectly
categorized calls after you have displayed such a perfectly
sewage-like personality.

Are you on the Verizon payroll, or just a freelance curmudgeon?

"Gregory Bruno" <google@burlynerd.com> wrote in message
news:b05f82c1.0310220452.10dc3d69@posting.google.c om...
> Steve Crow <scrow@stevecrow.net> wrote in message
news:<Pine.LNX.4.53.0310211741460.22221@www.stevecrow.net>...
> > Chopped crotchety comments.
>
> OK Steve, you've got some interesting opinions. Customers whose
> orders Verizon screws up are 'whiners'; customer should not expect the
> online information page to work, but should just call; customers have
> to read your obnoxious posts to find out how to fix choppy audio; and
> you think someone would want your help with the incorrectly
> categorized calls after you have displayed such a perfectly
> sewage-like personality.
>
> Are you on the Verizon payroll, or just a freelance curmudgeon?

I was busy writing a reply ... and then I saw your post ... reply cancelled!


Tom Veldhouse

You are finding out that any negative comments against Verizon
Wireless will be met with disdain responses. Some people in this
forum consider VZW as God and that may explain their undying loyalty
to aforementioned wireless provider. With that said, I wish you luck
in rectifying your situation. If the trouble is too much to withstand
I would seek alternative methods.

If you don't want comments, don't post here.

Bug off.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2003, Gregory Bruno wrote:

> Steve Crow <scrow@stevecrow.net> wrote in message news:<Pine.LNX.4.53.0310211741460.22221@www.stevecrow.net>...
> > Chopped crotchety comments.
>
> OK Steve, you've got some interesting opinions. Customers whose
> orders Verizon screws up are 'whiners'; customer should not expect the
> online information page to work, but should just call; customers have
> to read your obnoxious posts to find out how to fix choppy audio; and
> you think someone would want your help with the incorrectly
> categorized calls after you have displayed such a perfectly
> sewage-like personality.
>
> Are you on the Verizon payroll, or just a freelance curmudgeon?
>


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hn13@dcx.com (Hung Nguyen) wrote in message news:<b7fc5354.0310221142.3087bcd6@posting.google. com>...
> You are finding out that any negative comments against Verizon
> Wireless will be met with disdain responses. Some people in this
> forum consider VZW as God and that may explain their undying loyalty
> to aforementioned wireless provider. With that said, I wish you luck
> in rectifying your situation. If the trouble is too much to withstand
> I would seek alternative methods.

ARe you aware you have 30 days to back out of service contract, but 15
days on phones?

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 17:47:59 -0400, Steve Crow <scrow@stevecrow.net> chose
to add this to the great equation of life, the universe, and everything:

>On Tue, 21 Oct 2003, Gregory Bruno wrote:
>
>> Signing up with a major provider like Verizon, I expected a certain
>> level of professionalism. Sadly, a lot of minor screwups are blowing
>> that expectation.
>>
>> 1. I signed-up online and chose my phone, accessories and extra
>> services. The phone arrived without the accessory (Jabra Earpiece) and
>> when I called about it, I was told that the accessory was
>> discontinued. No such information was given to me while I was
>> ordering or included as a note with the part of the shipment that did
>> arrive. If I had not called, I would not know. At that time, I was
>> also told that the extra services that I ordered were not on my
>> account (handset insurance, internet services, etc.). I even have a
>> confirmation email verifying that I had ordered these services, but
>> they were not on my account.
>
>I guess the important thing is were you CHARGED for those products and
>services. If yes, that's a problem. If no, stop whining. Yes, I agree
>someone should have said something, but it just sounds like a major
>screwup that had to happen to someone. Guess it was your lucky day.

No, the important thing is that he has to spend his time on the phone with
CS getting what he ordered.

>> 2. No account information is available for my account on
>> verizonwireless.com. One customer service rep said that I have to
>> wait 7 days. I did. The next rep said that I have to wait 2 billing
>> cycles. Still no account information.
>
>What account information are you looking for? With such short hold times
>into Customer Care, there's no reason not to just call them. VZW has been
>working on the VZServe online system for several months now, market by
>market. It's possible your market simply has not been upgraded yet.

If it hasn't been upgraded yet, that's one thing. If it is policy for him
not to be able to access information that might influence his decision to
cancel the service or not until after it is too late for him to make that
decision, that's quite another thing, it sucks and it might even qualify as
fraud.

>> 3. Choppy sound on my LG vx6000 phone. I expected clearer calls on
>> this new equipment, especially with the 1x service.
>
>1x has nothing to do with sound quality. Google this group for some of my
>posts on the subject and you'll see how to fix the choppy audio on VZW
>phones, including the VX6000. I'm not re-posting it.

Can't argue with you on point here, but your attitude sucks.

>> 4. The promised $50 rebate form did not arrive with the phone. Again,
>> too many things that should be automatic are not happening unless the
>> customer calls and asks for them.
>
>Okay, so when you call to get the account information you're looking for,
>ask for a rebate form. Problem solved.

But he shouldn't HAVE TO.

Last year at work, I had to call a vendor numerous times because they kept
getting orders wrong. I did a purchase order; they "never received" it; I
faxed them a copy; they screwed it up. Finally got that one straight.
Later, I did another one. Now, not only are there multiple errors, but
their computer apparently can no longer distinguish between "Ship to" and
"Bill to." After someone at the district office takes time out of her busy
schedule to find a package and send it over to me, it's wrong. I call, they
send me a return mail label -- also to the wrong address. That eventually
gets to me, I send the thing back, they send me something else wrong... to
the wrong address. This time on the phone, I have them put my name in their
computer's attention field. Stuff still goes to the wrong place, but it
only takes an extra day to get to me. Unfortunately, this includes the
invoices.

Now, IIRC, I had a point when I started into the above... Oh yeah -- this
year, we have new procurement cards; to the vendor, it's a Master Card; it
saves us a lot of paperwork and postage. More to my point: I figure if I
can go through the vendor's web site to enter the order (name, version,
format, quantity, ship to) into their computer MYSELF, maybe they can get
it right. Shouldn't it work that way at Verizon, too?

>> 5. Mobile-to-mobile minutes are accumulating although I have only
>> called land-line numbers. It's not a real problem yet, but the error
>> is disturbing.
>
>E-MAIL me the area code and exchanges that have been getting billed
>incorrectly and I'll see if I can figure out why.

Oh, so you can be helpful after all.

Still, it *shouldn't happen*.

--
David Streeter, "an internet god" -- Dave Barry
http://home.att.net/~dwstreeter <--minor updates 10/19/03
Expect a train on ANY track at ANY time.
"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."
- Dan Quayle

On 21 Oct 2003 06:58:23 -0700, google@burlynerd.com (Gregory Bruno)
wrote:

>2. No account information is available for my account on
>verizonwireless.com. One customer service rep said that I have to
>wait 7 days. I did. The next rep said that I have to wait 2 billing
>cycles. Still no account information.
>

>
>Other services are working well. Instant Messaging is quick, as is
>email, text messaging and pictures. I'm hoping that things improve
>soon because I signed up for a 2-year contract and I only have a week
>before the No Worry Guarantee expires.

How is it you could have waited 2 billing cycles (as implied in the
first paragraph above), yet still have a week to go on your worry free
guarantee?

On Thu, 23 Oct 2003, David S wrote:

> >> 3. Choppy sound on my LG vx6000 phone. I expected clearer calls on
> >> this new equipment, especially with the 1x service.
> >
> >1x has nothing to do with sound quality. Google this group for some of my
> >posts on the subject and you'll see how to fix the choppy audio on VZW
> >phones, including the VX6000. I'm not re-posting it.
>
> Can't argue with you on point here, but your attitude sucks.
>

I'm not making you read it.

> >> 4. The promised $50 rebate form did not arrive with the phone. Again,
> >> too many things that should be automatic are not happening unless the
> >> customer calls and asks for them.
> >
> >Okay, so when you call to get the account information you're looking for,
> >ask for a rebate form. Problem solved.
>
> But he shouldn't HAVE TO.

He doesn't HAVE TO. He can go without the rebate. Or carry the phone
back and take his business elsewhere. He has a choice or two.

> >> 5. Mobile-to-mobile minutes are accumulating although I have only
> >> called land-line numbers. It's not a real problem yet, but the error
> >> is disturbing.
> >
> >E-MAIL me the area code and exchanges that have been getting billed
> >incorrectly and I'll see if I can figure out why.
>
> Oh, so you can be helpful after all.
>
> Still, it *shouldn't happen*.
>

Yes, I can be very helpful when not being insulted. Couldn't help but
notice he didn't take me up on my offer, so screw it.

Steve


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Steve Crow <scrow@stevecrow.net> wrote in message news:<Pine.LNX.4.53.0310221808160.26855@www.stevecrow.net>...
> If you don't want comments, don't post here.
>
> Bug off.

Not wanting comments from a truculent child like yourself is very
different from not wanting comments at all. I would like helpful
comments from sane adults, but I would appreciate it if you would
ignore all my future postings.

I can see by the way you infest this newsgroup that you don't want to
allow anyone to get help from other people, but you do not own this
newsgroup. Go away for a while and let some constructive help be
shared.

hn13@dcx.com (Hung Nguyen) wrote in message news:<b7fc5354.0310221142.3087bcd6@posting.google. com>...
> You are finding out that any negative comments against Verizon
> Wireless will be met with disdain responses. Some people in this
> forum consider VZW as God and that may explain their undying loyalty
> to aforementioned wireless provider. With that said, I wish you luck
> in rectifying your situation. If the trouble is too much to withstand
> I would seek alternative methods.

Thank you for the good wishes. Some of the issues are being
addressed. Others are not, but I still have a little time before my
opportunity to cancel expires.

I think you are exactly right about the Verizon worshippers. I hope
they realize that they are hurting Verizon by blatantly attempting to
conceal real and valid concerns from Verizon's paying customers.

Unfortunately, I have seen this type of behavior in newsgroups before.
Last time, it was in one of the photography newsgroups. There was a
group of participants who consistently attacked en masse, whenever a
negative comment was made about a particular photo store (regardless
of the validity of the complaint). They seemed to be on-line 24 hours
per day. Suspicions were voiced that the store had assigned employees
to monitor the newsgroup and participate actively.

If Steve Crow is not a paid participant in this newsgroup, he
certainly appears to be one of the most dedicated sycophants I have
encountered.