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Switch to Digital Voice

Currently I have FIOS Triple Service and the phone portion is Freedom Essentials. I would like to switch the phone portion to Digital Voice. My contract is long ago up and I am on a month to month basis. Digital Voice is available in my neighborhood (Private Homes). Neighbor on both sides of me have it. I was talking to Customer Service about a different issue last week and in passing asked about switching. The agent told me that Verizon is not currently switching customers due to technical/billing problems. I didn't have time then to pursue it further, however I was wondering if I received valid information.

Does anyone know about this or even better, has anyone tried either successfully or unsuccessfully to make the switch from Freedom to Digital Voice?

Comments

indecisive311

I've been wondering this too. I'm a techy guy, and always getting the latest apps, and devices. Smartphones have an app that allows you to check your voicemail, and is only available for Digital Voice customers. Plus Digital Voice customers don't have to pay one of the FCC fees I'm told, saving a few bucks a month.

I just got off the phone with customer service about trying to upgrade to Digital Voice, and I got some run-around reason that customers were being upgraded that didn't want to be, and it was a huge billing issue. So they limited who is elligible to only new customers with new installations. Same thing you heard pretty much....

I think if you want the service, you should be able to get it, especially if you are a long time Verizon customer. Sounds like they just want to avoid the cost of sending a technician out to your house....

JustaGuy

@indecisive311 wrote:
I've been wondering this too. I'm a techy guy, and always getting the latest apps, and devices. Smartphones have an app that allows you to check your voicemail, and is only available for Digital Voice customers. Plus Digital Voice customers don't have to pay one of the FCC fees I'm told, saving a few bucks a month.
I just got off the phone with customer service about trying to upgrade to Digital Voice, and I got some run-around reason that customers were being upgraded that didn't want to be, and it was a huge billing issue. So they limited who is elligible to only new customers with new installations. Same thing you heard pretty much....
I think if you want the service, you should be able to get it, especially if you are a long time Verizon customer. Sounds like they just want to avoid the cost of sending a technician out to your house....

Not exactly what he told me. He stated that switching caused major problems in the billing department and they were working on fixing it and they intended to offer the service to ALL customers in the near future. While that is somewhat different than the "only new customers" can get it, the result at least for now is the same.

I will wait until this billing cycle ends, because I have some changes in the works and I want to keep the billing as simple as possible. In fact I will probably give it a few months as I don't really want to switch. I will then do as the other poster sugested, which I was already considering. I will give Verizon a choice - provide Digital Voice Phone service or NO phone service.

jumpin68ny

Prisaz, what's the deal with the $5 charge for no phone line? I haven't had a voice line with VZ in years and don't pay an extra $5.

indecisive311

I would love to hear from a VZ rep...

prisaz

@jumpin68ny wrote:
Prisaz, what's the deal with the $5 charge for no phone line? I haven't had a voice line with VZ in years and don't pay an extra $5.

When I looked at bundle pricing a while back, I was something about a $4.99 surcharge for FiOS without voice because of account management issues. I was also told this by a CSR last year when I considered dropping voice. But sis see it on the web site at one time. I will look around.

rmplatt

I had the same experience today. When I signed up for the triple play last month, the rep said that I'd save the $6 FCC charge, but when I looked at my bill, it was still there. After calling today, the rep told me that existing customers are not being allowed to switch to digital voice for programming reasons... he didn't know when they would be resolved, but did say that I would get something in the mail when they were.

I hope they fix it... But when I put my tin foil hat on, I get the feeling that someone has told them to stop switching current taxpayers to the tax free service, or the screws will be tightened and they'll force the taxes onto voip plans as well... we'll see what happens.

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