NO DIAL TONE - sporadic and recurring problem

[WEG1]

This pertains to my land-line service at my residence in area code 703.

I have experienced numerous incidents of NO DIAL TONE.

Sometimes the phones have a noise that sounds like heavy static and/or the rapid beeping, accompanied by the recording that says "If you would like to make a call, please hang up..."

Never mind that no other phones in the house are "off the hook" or otherwise activated.

This often happens when I'm the only person in the house. There are no pets, children, or inept adults, in the house that could have could have jostled a phone off the cradle.

I unplug all the phones in the house, then I dutifully go outside to the NID, and plug-in a phone to test for dial tone at the NID.

No dial tone there either.

I come back inside and plug in just one phone, and listen for dial tone.

Still no dial tone.

I report the issue to customer service via the web form, and a repair ticket is generated.

In every instance, the repair is scheduled for several days out from the date of my report.

In almost every instance, the dial tone is restored prior to the scheduled repair date, and without any notification to me.

This has to have happened at least a dozen times.

This is a frustrating cycle of annoyance AND inconvenience.

My phones are as follows:

One non-cordless phone plugged into a common baseboard jack.

One splitter plugged into a common baseboard jack, and serving a non-cordless phone and a fax-machine.

One cordless phone base-station plugged into a common baseboard jack, and utilizing a handset resting on the cordless base-station unit, and one cordless handset-only on a separate charger-only base.

Again, whenever this problem occurs, I unplug ALL THE PHONES from the baseboard jacks, and I go outside and test the NID, where there is never a dial tone when this problem is occurring. When I come back inside, I plug only one of the non-cordless phones into a baseboard jack, and also still have no dial tone.

When I report the problem via the web site, the VERIZON computer system does some sort of autonomous check, and always pops back up with a message on my computer monitor to say there is no problem detected. I still register a repair request, as I still have NO DIAL TONE.

I do not have FIOS.

I do not get my internet service from VERIZON.

I get my internet service via a cable company other than VERIZON.

My only service with VERIZON at my residence is simple landline telephone service.

Does anybody have a suggestion about how to solve this recurring problem once and for all?

[KimbaWLion]

I'm having the same problem now. I'm looking at Vonage and MagicJack.

[smith6612]

If there's nothing occurring out at the NID it sounds like a short is occurring on the line some place on Verizon's end or you are on a bad line card. Verizon's tests (should be called MLT Test) may or may not be able to pick it up. Does the problem seem to correlate with the weather, such as Rain or heavy wind/large temperature changes? Also, if you have a cell phone or have used a VoIP solution such as Google Voice to call Verizon while the line is acting up, have you talked to a live agent to have them run a test on the spot?

The static on the line with the recording you hear is the big indicator of what is up. Short or bad line card will cause both of those to occur, both of which can also cause no service. You also need to let Verizon know when you're on the phone with them or talking to them via Chat that they need to come out the next day, not a week later. I believe they are required to make prompt repairs to faulty and non-working lines (~24-48 hours except during catastrophic events or with multiple problems on a piece of equipment).

[WetLine]

I am in the area code 562 and have the same problem every time it rains. I have FiOS and Internet too and they work. Only my phone landline has problems. I will restrain myself from comments about the competence of the Verizon phone support service.