Verizon is Everything that's Wrong with America

[solarbird]

They've delayed DSL install until the 23rd, because they can. So no DSL for us until then. I called to start yelling at people and the first two people I talked to said that they didn't even allow third-party ISPs for residential customers, period. This is, of course, a lie. When I told them that yes they goddamn well do and we have a fucking INSTALL DATE they backed off and said that they just couldn't talk to me about it at all. And they couldn't give me a number for anyone who could, and that I should call Northwest Link (which they kept getting wrong, by the way) and find out who they're talking to and try talking to them.

One of them also tried to get me to set up a new DSL order for Verizon DSL service. Fuckers.

Anyway, I called back the very helpful [Name Withheld] at Northwest Link, who gave me the most likely numbers he had. He also warned me that they have on the order of 20 DSL service lines, that they all maintain their own databases, and that none of them talk to each other. And that the line he'd talk to about it when he had to - he prefers using their ISP web pages - wouldn't talk to me at all, under any circumstances - they'll only talk to ISPs. He also said that it'd be very unlikely that anyone would expedite it, but if they did, I should call him because that'd be neat.

Anyway, the second line he gave me got me through to the very first person to pick up a phone there with a clue already on hand. It was very nice. She actually knew exactly what I was talking about, but said she can't do anything - that you'd have to be the ISP and you'd have to talk to the line that won't talk to customers. However, she did give me one helpful clue: the work should actually be done on Friday, not the 23rd. But if we try it on Friday, we can't complain until the 24th, even if they've done the work but gotten it wrong, because they're in league with Cthulhu the work order isn't scheduled to officially complete until the end of the day on the 23rd.

They're just that kind of fuckheaded.

It was funny; I was talking to spazzkat earlier this morning, and said, "I wonder if Verizon used to be GTE?" Dealing with them is a lot like dealing with GTE used to be, with the same sort of gross the-name-brings-no-comfort-to-me-now hog-shoggoth incompetence.



Yep.

It's them.

...

foo.

---

Oh. Also, the fax machine broke last night, mid-fax. I left it unplugged overnight and when I plugged it in again this morning, it worked just long enough for me to tell the credit report people to try faxing the information over now, and hang up. Then it keeled over and died again, except for this weird chik-chik-chik-chik sound. I think the power supply is b0rked, but I'm not sure. I hate spending money on fax technology; it's stupid and will be dead soon, I hope and pray. But I still need one to deal with tenant applications. Costco run, ho!

Comments

[starfallz.livejournal.com]

Baaaaah. Hate Verizon! I got sick of their shit when we were trying to get non-Verizon DSL a few years ago.

Also, I hate fax machines lately.

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

Sounds a lot like any of the Bells.

When Notebart came in as CEO of Qwest, he started doing things like calling our Customer Service lines and trying to get help for some issue. He said in an all-company meeting a year and a half or so ago that he was stunned with just how much it validated the bad results we'd been getting from market surveys.

The latest survey came out like a month ago and while Qwest is still a little ways down the list, we're also the company that moved up the list the farthest last year by a long shot.

I dunno, I think it's kind of cool that our CEO still occasionally calls in to see what kind of service he gets. I know it's done good things for Qwest's rep (though we still have a LONG way to go, we were way the hell in the hole for many many years).

Good luck on your DSL, btw.

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

I've had similar experiences trying to get DSL on 3 different occasions, with 3 different companies. The short version:

Try one, in El Cerrito, CA, with Speakasy. After waiting an initial 3 weeks for install, it arrives. And stops working 3 days later. A Covad tech comes out, it works, and stops again less than a week later. Rinse, repeat. After six weeks of this, not ever having any internet connection on a weekend, I gave up. Ordered a cablemodem, was working 3 days after order, never had problems.

Try two, moved to San Jose. Ordered, waited 3 weeks. Nothing showed up. Called PacBell (who I ordered it through, on the theory that the local phone company used their evil powers to make their installs the quickest), and there _was no order_. Despite the fact that there were notes about a DSL order in the phone order, so they believed me. But had to make a new order from scratch, couldn't make a rush job. 3 weeks later, it was a successful install, though.

Try three, moved to Kirkland. Made the order, waited a month. Called to find out why it wasn't installed on the date. They said, "Oh, you said your local phone service was Verizon, but it wasn't, so we cancelled your order two weeks ago." Of course, I was holding my local Verizon bill at the time. They ask, "Do you want us to re-open your order?" Um, no. Less than a week later, had a cablemodem working.

And on the three-strikes theory, I've never tried to get DSL since.

Of course, cablemodems have drawbacks, that for some people are a bigger deal than others. But at least I can relate to your misery.

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

We seem to be alternating between DSL and cablemodem, depending on which company is the least fcuked up at a given time....

Our last adventure was in Hawai'i, where Keith had rigged it so we had internet access through his cell service, because T-mobile included internet in the basic service contract. Except that as of 1 August they un-included it, with no notice. I enjoyed listening to Keith politely inform the umteenth service tech that yes, this did constitute breach of contract, and yes, he could certainly terminate his contract with no penalty now, and yes, he would love to talk to a retention specialist....

Gah.

Cathy

[agrimony.livejournal.com]

I'd comment on my DSL installation experiences, but I'm afraid that I would jinx them and I don't want to do that. :)

[banner.livejournal.com]

I've never had any of these problems myself.
But then my Dad worked for the phone company for almost forty years and retired out of it. So of course I know the secret handshake. ;-)

And remember that if James Colburn hadn't disrupted TPC's plans for world domination, you wouldn't even be needing DSL, so blame him :-)

[solarbird]

After dealing with GTE Verizon again, that movie just got a lot funnier. ^_^

[gerimaple.livejournal.com]

you haven't killed anybody yet. i admire your restraint :)