Is Verizon intentionally "hooking" us on the initial trial period?

[fastfreddy]

Having looked through many posts, I think I see a common problem that many of us are having.  That is our wireless internet service starts our well with good connectivity and speed.  After a few months, the problems seem to appear: going dormant, little of no signal strength, sudden disconnects.

One particularly dissapointing learning I experienced was about two months into my contract, and after I realized that my connections was not the same, I asked a verizon service representative how to perform a function like the *228 like you do for the cell phone and found that no such option exists for the wireless internet service.

This makes me wonder - does Verizon "pump-up" the initial access for the trial period then cut back as needed to manage costs after you have accepted the contract?  I thought maybe everything had slowed down because of the trees, but now I'm not so sure.

Another thing is that for the last three months my bill has been outrageously over and I know that ther is no-way that I use the internet that much.  I see from many posters that the usage display is inaccurate and jumps around a lot.  This being the case, what figure does Verizon use when the create the bill?

[dave1812]

In short, "NO!"

[dave1812]

BTW, bringing such paranoia to a tech discussion forum is counterproductive.  If you have a problem, ask a legit question, and let's see if someone can help you solve it.  Otherwise you are just ranting.

Message Edited by dave1812 on 08-08-2009 05:31 PM

Message Edited by dave1812 on 08-08-2009 05:31 PM

[Greg4Wireless]

DAVE..........Some of us **DO** have legitimate concerns about usage and why its not updated correctly, and why there are so many

inaccuracies.

If we feel we need to voice these concerns, we have just as much as a right as you to comment on any issue..

So if do not wish to read our "rants", perhaps you should not read messages in this thread . . . . . . . .

[dave1812]

Greg, look at the title of the thread.  That title is a provocative rant, rather than a request for help.  The body of the post continues in the same vein. 

[Greg4Wireless]

Rants/Opinions.....everyone is entitled to their own.

However, I dont believe Verizon " " "pumps-up" the initial access for the trial period then cut back as needed to manage costs after you have accepted the contract"."....

I have no reason to believe that at this point.  HOWEVER, I can tell  you that broadband companies actually DO that (I can write

a book with my experiences at Hughesnet).

However, in the original post, such words as signal strength, dormant connection, disconnects, and inaccuracies in usage are

valid issues for concerns or questions.

Our concerns and or questions are not always addressed either (whether it be on here, email, or phone support).

So for a user to get a HUGE bill when there are flaws in the usage reporting system and it can never be explained or addressed,

we have the right to still complain about it or "RANT" as you call it.

Everyone's experiences and issues are different.

[fastfreddy]

Dave,  I am really sorry that you spent your time on my post, especially since it seems out of line by your standards.  You define it as provocative ranting, maybe you are right, but never the less, my questions are legit to me.   Different people have different values.

I am very disspointed with my Verizon service, and really feel that they use tactics to make it difficult for their customers to get straightforward information regarding our service issues and billing concerns.  Bait and switch isn't a new strategy, this wouldn't be the first time it has been used.

Who, besides someone in a technical forum could answer my concerns and questions?  I certainly cannot get satisfactory information from the Verizon service representatives, when they are unable to answer my questions they simply point me in a different direction.....hey, wait a minute???

Greg, thanks for your support

[kavanaugh]

In fact the thread title is not that far off from truth. I found out today the reason that my mifi download speed has been reduced and has been no higher than 200kb/s for the past couple of weeks is that a "feature" has been added to my account by Verizon that limits download speed because of my data usage. I have come close but not exceeded 5Gb/month, but regardless of data usage I have an unlimited data agreement through my University with Verizon. But the tech support person I spoke with today informed me that there is an "account investigations team" that throttles accounts that reach some secret threshold. I laughed at him when he told me it was a "feature"they added to my account and that my account still had unlimited data usage...it would be funny if it wasn't so Orwellian. It is similar to the word game they played before, advertising "unlimited" data plans that were actually limited. 

There is no way to know they are doing this unless you call and ask, and you have to contact the secret team to ask to get your "feature" removed, M-F  866 221 3979. I don't know how widespread this is and I am going to call first thing Mon. I plan to threaten legal action and if this is widespread I think it would be time to start planning a class action.

[fastfreddy]

 Kav,  thanks for speaking up.  I really believe this issue is more widespread that any one of us realize.  If more individuals would respond, we would gain a much clearer picture of what is going on.

[Greg4Wireless]

Almost all broadband carriers do it....some openly admit it, some its posted policy, some you have to "dig it out of" one of the techs!

I'm glad you got Verizon to admit it.  Last month, the same thing happened to me.  With speeds of 800-1000Kbps almost all the time,

it come to the point where i never got more than 300-500kbps at any time.  It only happened for one week, then all was ok, so that's sure verification of what they are doing . . .

Hughes and Wildblue never admit they do it, but I've had both of them and have solid proof.  Hughes just downloads software into your modem and "soft throttles" you...

Just remember, that UNLIMITED is ***NEVER*** unlimited, ever.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

that there is an "account investigations team" that throttles accounts that reach some secret threshold. I laughed at him when he told me it was a "feature"they added to my account and that my account still had unlimited data usage..

[Butthead]

I'm calling **bleep** on the bandwidth throttling kav. I don't think the rep you spoke with knew what they were talking about.

Under the old plans that were listed as "unlimited," if you crossed the 5 gig threshold, THEN your bandwidth was throttled. Under the new plans, they instituted overage charges for anything over 5 gigs of usage. There is no reason to throttle your bandwidth if you are allotted 5 gigs. Its in the terms and conditions. Stream video, do whatever you want. go over 5 gigs, you are going to pay for overages.

The mifi can not be used on one of the older plans, so you are clearly on a 5 gig plan.

I think you got bad information from a rep. Call in to tech support and try and get a competent rep to help troubleshoot the issue.

[fastfreddy]

Butthead - You are right about the rep. I recently called Verizon to demand that either something be done, or that I be released from my contract.  After being transfered three time, (and my call getting dropped once due to a lost signal) I was able to discuss my frustration with a very competent person.  He contradicted almost everything the initial rep had told me.  I learned that the device can map for different towers, and that in fact, it can be configured to so automatically.  He also identified that the software provided with my system was an outdated version.

After downloading the most current software I now see a tremedous performance improvement, and am rarely disconnected except for between the hours of 10am and 6pm.  I do, however, continue to have issued with the system going dormant even during data loading events.

[burningrave101]

I just called the number 866 221 3979 that kavanaugh posted and the guy I spoke with admitted to Verizon throttling speeds because I informed him that there were users on the Verizon forum talking about it and I wanted him to check my account and guarantee me that there weren't any "features" added to my account and that there wasn't any throttling taking place because I'm still under the terms and conditions of my Alltel agreement which is Unlimited no restrictions. He said that there weren't any restrictions placed on my account but since I've been having issues lately since the Verizon merger it's hard to know for sure. Now I don't know if it depends on your specific Verizon plan as to whether or not they do it and if it only happens when you go over 5GB but I asked him specifically about it and that's the answer I got.

I've been an Alltel subscriber with the Unlimited $59.99/month data plan since Octoboer of last year and up until the past few weeks my download speeds always averaged around 1200-1300Kbps and were rarely under 1000Kbps except for when the network was having issues and it would pick right back up again and now this past week especially I've been getting less than half that speed and typically averaging around 500-600Kbps or less as well as my ping times have gone up from around 133-150ms to around 260-300ms. So either their network isn't comapable of supporting everyone that is on it or they're having network issues in my area or they're throttling data. I already opened another new ticket today with Verizon to have them check into a resolution as to why my speeds are half of what I had been used to with Alltel.

I think everyone that is in question about whether or not Verizon is throttling our speeds should give that number posted a call and question them about it and let them know if you've been experiencing an issue with your download speeds. The only way to get things fixed is to call and complain on a regular basis and have support tickets opened until they do something about it.

[burningrave101]

I just got back from driving out to where the Alltel tower that I connect on EVDO Rev-A is at, the only Alltel/Verizon tower in my area, and I ran several speed tests to see how things were performing right out by the tower compared to what I was getting at home to rule out my rural location in supposedly a fringe area having anything to do with it and the speeds were the same. I was getting 400-600Kbps down, 100-300Kbps up and high ping times. I called Verizon technical support while I was there and gave them all the information that I had gathered to add to my support ticket.

One of my other family members also has the same Alltel plan as me and he connects on the same tower and when I had him run some speed tests earlier he was getting the same kind of speeds I am right now as well so it looks like it's most likely a local tower issue or the Verizon network in my area isn't handling the bandwidth like it should be. I kinda doubt now that it's due to throttling because I don't think my nephew goes over 5GB a month since he doesn't spend as much time online every day as I do with my business and everything else that I do online.

[Darnstrat]

There are other "features" that are not publicized.   

For example, as I checked my billing during the first couple of months, I noticed text message charges for my MIFI 2200.. two of the texts were from VERIZON and they were going to charge me for them!  I immediately called them and let them know a) the MIFI 2200 is not a phone and there was no direct way to read the text messages and b) I had no intention of paying for the messages.  The "support" staff person took the charges off (no hassle, btw), but did say that there was no way to disable text messages on the MIFI.

When this happened again last month, I called and had the charges removed and the "support" staff said they would disable text messaging on the account.  So far, no new text messages.

It does show a couple of things... some of their support staff need more training in options available and that there are probably thousands of users who are getting and paying for text messages to their MIFI 2200.  It's .20 a message and it does add up.

[#16]

The first thing I did when I received my USB760, before I installed it, was to call Verizon and have them disable text messaging for my account.  I had read here where some people were having a problem with spam messages being sent to their device.

[Doodle]

Amen.

[#18]

If you are unhappy with the service, switch to something else.  The disconnect fee is not enough to keep something you're not happy with.

[jasee]

I sometimes wonder regarding data services in reply to the topic of this thread...  But I'm hoping it's not the case.

And I'll comment that I had phone support tell me I was could be "grandfathered" on my old pc card internet unlimited account with the MiFi.  When I purchased the MiFi in-store, the sales person said he set it up and I asked him twice during service setup, because I was NOT going to go with this MiFi if I lost my unlimited plan I had on the PC Card.

Can you imagine how ticked I'll be if I find out that they lied?  And if they throttle me down after 5G of use? 

Been a customer for 10 years, and I hope things to go south now...

[eastexsteve]

I'll tell you what, I've been having so many intermittent speed problems since Verizon took over my Alltel account, I'm beginning to wonder just this.  My account is supposed to be "unlimited".  But, too many aggravating times I will suffer slow data speeds.  And, there should be no excuse for this, as I use my internet from a fixed location, and always get 100 percent signal.  And, as a retired IT guy, I promise you, you can "throttle back" individual streams if they meet certain criteria.  I would like to think that what I am experiencing is just network growing pains from the takeover of Alltel.  However, I have called many times about the problem.  I will admit that after the last session I had with the techs, everything seemed to get much better.  But, I can't yet say that the problem is fixed.  I will also say that I can sometimes shift it back into high gear by resetting my router, or just dropping the connection and re-establishing it, which will give me a new dynamically assigned IP address.  And, I'm fully aware that internet traffic during peak times of the day will have an effect.  However, what I was experiencing was, at times, as slow or slower than dialup.