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Existing Customer can't switch from Freedom Essentials to Digital Voice?

This is more for curiousity's sake, but I have tried twice in the last 6 months to switch my home phone number over to digital voice and off of the Freedom Essentials plan, and also to move my 2nd line off of copper and onto the fiber and add it as a 2nd line to digital voice.

The first time I called, I was told there was a technical issue that wouldn't allow me to switch, and I thought nothing of it. When I called back 2 weeks ago, I was told that existing customers can not switch to digital voice without a waiver. The CSR I spoke with seemed to know what she was taling about, but it appears that I can not switch.

Is there a reason for this? Do I have to wait until January (when my contract is up) to ask again?

Carl

Comments

Mike_VZ

Hello Carl,

Converting existing customers over to FDV was suspended until further notice and the product was restricted to new customers only. Not all areas are FDV capable as well which may of lead to some of the confusion you ran in to. If you would like I can check to see if you are located in a FDV capable location so that you will know if you have the option when we enable the ability to migrate existing customers to FDV again? I will send you a private message to get your information.

Thank you

ALarryR

I am in the same situation with respect to switching from Freedom Essentials to Digital Voice. Would you mind checking my capability as well?

DDRZ

I had FIOS installed today and do not have to pay early termination over the next 30 days. I do not feel that the Digital Voice vs. Freedom Essentials was properly explained(I certainly understand the difference now), and have not been successful in having it changed from Freedom Essentials to Digital Voice in my conversations with many Verizon phone reps today.

Can anybody here help, or must I exercise the leverage that I have over the next 30 days, which would be wasteful for Verizon and myself?

felinde

Can you check if I can upgrade to Digital Voice as well. I have been asking for over a year now.

I would be prepared to be double billed for a month if that is what it takes. Very frustrated..........

irwing

I ahve the same problem and am so frustrated I am about to switch my service to comcast.

I have FiOS and 2 lines on Freedom Essentials, my neighbors on both sides of me have Digital voice as new customers.

When I got FiOS a while ago they told me it wasn't available and now they tell me I can'nt convert over unless I switch to comcast and then come back to Verizon a year later.

I cant believe this, the Verizon customer service is non-existent and it appear to me that simply dont care about the customers and want them to leave.

lasagna

I know that Verizon certainly wouldn't recommend it, but if your phone service is not part of your current package or your only on a month to month plan and you're comfortable with VoIP services, I would encourage you to shop around. It's Verizon's competition in the phone service arena, but services like Vonage or Phonepower (the provide I happen to use) as well as a host of other are all out there which allow you to port your current number and are substantial cheaper than tradition phone service.

These are susceptible to internet outages and perormance -- so YMMV -- Verizon's POTS, FTTP, or DV are the most reliable in this spectrum compared to their competition, but it you understand and are comfortable with the risks, they are well worth consideration.

I've have VoIP services for over 5 years now (with different providers -- Vonage, SunPower -- which went bankrupt and I almost lost my number, and most recently PhonePower) but I pay less than $12/month for unlimited outbound calling anywhere in the US and 99% of the time I have excellent call quality and reiiability.

If you understand and are comfortable with the risks, I would urge you to consider such an option -- and drop your Verizon service but retain your FiOS Internet services -- which still, in my opinion -- are far superior to what cable has to offer.

Food for thought.

ALarryR

Mike_VZ, was wondering if there is any update to this issue? I still cannot switch from Freedom Essentials to Digital Voice although other people in my building (in Manhattan) have Digital Voice. Very frustrating situation.
Thanks, Larry

wekurtz74

Is there any update? I am upset with the runaround I have been getting when trying to find out about this and other issues from CSRs in the sales area. I was an early adopter of FiOS and have older router and ONT which do not support some of the current services available. I researched DV online and it says it is available in NJ where I am. What makes it even worse is that I get a letter from Verizon telling me to call to review my account to make sure I have the proper services and then I am told when I call to basicly go to sit and spin. I get the run around about upgrading my router to one which is capable of making use of things like remote DVR programing. Do I have to disconnect my service and they reconnect in order to get the services? This is awful treatment of current customers and for the first time ever I am considering making the jump to some other provider.

JustaGuy

Mike-Vz said "Converting existing customers over to FDV was suspended until further notice and the product was restricted to new customers only. "

I know that digital Voice is available on my street because my next door neighbors on BOTH sides of me are NEW customers and received it. So availability is NOT an issue. So what is the issue exactly?

Why can't I and other existing customers get digital voice? What's the big secret?

jonesyg27

I know it is frustrating and time-consuming, but keep hammering on them. You're right, there is no technical reason why they can't give you what you want.

I had Freedom Essentials and in June bought a house 1 mile away and wanted to keep the old number. Verizon originally said sure, no problem, and transferred service. But when the new service was activated I had a new number. I called to complain and they said I couldn't keep the old number on copper but could keep it if I got FIOS. So I got the triple play installed and guess what, the new number was still there. I called to complain and they gave me the old number back. (I'm leaving out the hours of time talking to every department about the copper issue and then having no home phone service at all for 2 weeks while waiting for FIOS installation after they put the message directing callers to my cell phone on the new phone number, which of course nobody would even know.)

ALarryR

I spoke to Customer Service on July 18th and was told that I will be able to convert from Freedom Essentials to Digital Voice on or about August 1st. I won't hold my breath.
Larry

rpjoe

i have freedom essentials. whats the benfit of digital voice? better call quality? less money? less taxes? i'm afraid that switching will somehow screw up mt billing with the quad play. any little change can set it off.

tns

Less taxes, some more features. However there are also a few things that are not available with Digital voice.

n00dle1

Hi,

I spoke to 2 different CSRs within the last 2 weeks. They told me they can transfer my Freedom Essentials to Digital Voice. However, they need me to sign up for a bundle deal (triple play, double whatever). And the prices they gave me are higer than the deals on the internet. For example, I am able to get a triple play deal with multi-room dvr free for life for 2 TVs (standard set-top box) for $89.99 on the internet. But the CSR told me $99.99 for the same bundle. It's $10 more a month - probably about the same as my tax savings for converting to Digital Voice.

Since my original contract was up, does anybody know if I would be able to just cancel my Fios service altogether and start as a new customer?

Thanks,

SAA2

im so glad i found this site as im as frustrated as any one person could possibly be about this same issue. my original inquiry came as a result of a bill change where i am now being charged $20 more per month for my package, (i had a promotion that ended). was advised by two CSR's that my package was no longer available and i would have to switch out of my plan to a new one in order to take advantage of any new bundles. The first CSR said i would have to be in a bundle that was $109 per month in order to get faster internet as every other package that was being offered had slower service than what i have now. the second CSR told me that there is a package for $104 which is essentially what i am paying now, but my internet will be faster. not sure where the $5 difference comes from, but whatever. So, after my tale of woe about how i feel like Verizon doesnt care about existing customers, because new customers can get a better price than an existing, loyal, good paying customers can, i finally agreed to the $104 package with digital voice. next thing you know im on hold for 20 minutes because of this digital voice ban on existing customers. there appeared to have been some debate between CSR's as to whether or not i could get it.

Well the long and the short of it is, i cant, and neither can any of you, AND verizion has no idea when an existing customer will be able to get it.

this is infuriating! its bad enough i have to pay more than a new customer, but now im paying more for an inferior product!!. and this makes sense how exactly??

where's the loyalty verizon???

some knucklehead with a spreadsheet in corporate is calling the shots, throwing around percentages and using terms like "customer retention". what they are really saying is "we'll do what we want, and most people are too lazy to switch" "we DARE you to switch, and we're willing to bet you wont"

well verizon, consider that dare accepted.

im on long island, cable is offering $79.90 for the triple play for anyone interested in exploring other options. Cable treats their clientele like crap also, but they roll out the red carpet for you when you switch from fios, which is what fios did when i switched to them almost 3 years ago. i fully expect to get the run around from them also in 2 years from now.

what all of these companies fail to understand is that we are not numbers on a spreadsheet, we are human beings, we are customers, and we wont accept being treated poorly.

Verizon, if you are not loyal to me, why should i be loyal to you? i am not lazy, and i will switch, and i encourage anyone else who feels the same to do exactly that.

TomLanning

I am so glad I found this thread. I was also an early adopter of FIOS Internet and have talked many neighbors into switching. I have spent over 2 months trying to add FIOS Phone (Digital Voice). Everyone says I should be able to get it since neighbors on both sides of me have it. I dropped Verizon voice service years ago for Vonyage and have been happy. I finally caved to the savings I could get by bundling television and voice with my current Internet plan. 2 months and still getting every wacky explaination possible and all the CSRs telling me to "just wait until we figure this out".

I have been a happy FIOS Internet customer for years. I'm checking out Comcast after I post this message. You blew it Verizon.

BeenDefrauded

Everyone might be surprised to learn that if you have the freedom essential package you are in fact being provided with digital service IF you also have FIOS. I learned it this weekend and Verizon will do nothing about other than charge you double for the exact same thing.

I have been a loyal customer for 20 years and Verizon will not even admit they made this mistake. I had a tech out at my house and he showed me that if yuo have a FIOS box then all your phone lines are digital and everything else is just nonsense. I spoke to customer service and they admitted it as well but said there is nothing they can do and that I should switch away.

If there is an update to your stories please let me know.

tns

@BeenDefrauded wrote:
Everyone might be surprised to learn that if you have the freedom essential package you are in fact being provided with digital service IF you also have FIOS. I learned it this weekend and Verizon will do nothing about other than charge you double for the exact same thing.
...

Two different services that actually act totally differently. In fact until relatively recently you could not get Fios Digital Voice in many areas of the country. The FIOS Digital Voice essentially is a VOIP service. It continues to travel as IP service until it reaches some part of the phone network that will not handle IP. The other, usually Freedom essentials, travels as digital optical to your local office where it joins all the old copper phone systems. The actual Verizon services from the local office to the rest of the phone network has probably been digital for many years.

bayclub

Can someone up=date me re: Copper Wire vs. Digital Voice. Initially, when I spoke with someone last Saturday, the rep. re-bundled my package w/o informing me that my copper service would be swtiched to digital; as a result I did not have dial tone for several days (8) untril the computer system cleared. On Tuesday, when I spoke to a tech they informed me of the "switch"???? and I explicity told themn that I never authorized it. From that point on everyone who made a ticket caused more damage. I had to use my cell phone minutes....The last post I saw mentioned the fact that if you have the Freedom Essential package you're already using digitial voice???? So, am I being billed "double" or what. Does someone have a simple answer how to proceed?

bayclub

I have FIOS for my Internet & TV but never switched my landline phone? However, VERIZON messed me up when they re-bundled my package...lost the dial tone for 8 days until the computer was cleared of all tickets????? So, what's the story with Freedom vs. Digital. Please use simple language...and I'll pursue the matter further. I am tired of just being a "tickeet". Loyality simply doesn't count. Wondering if the Public Service Coimmission has any control?

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