Another disgruntled Mifi User... Any options?

[ABBY53]

Suggestions, please!  I can't even begin to explain the frustration with Verizon since adding the "unlimited" plan and the Jetpack Mifi.  The first month, everything worked fine.  From then on, HORRIBLE.  Speeds are extremely slow, I'm not able to stream anything or even load a website page.  I keep my "fast not necessary" items on the hotspot (Wemo, canary cam, etc) and every once in a while try to download something in the background or get any use out of it.  Otherwise, I always have to use my iphone's hotspot to connect to internet from my roku, laptop, etc. for any decent speed.  If someone in my house wants to connect to wifi, the mifi is useless for productivity and I have to be home with my cell phone to allow them to connect to a hotspot.  Even though the devices I do have connected to it don't require "fast speeds" they still drop connections often.  I've troubleshooted the crap out of this thing, done everything that verizon recommends, tried the forum's suggestions (since there's numerous amounts of reports of others having the same issues), and lastly I finally found a helpful customer service representative!  Yay!  Her name was "Maya" and she didn't waste my time, she addressed the issue, confirmed it was an issue, and ordered me a replacement mifi and SIM card.  I got those today.  After activating, being excited to finally have "internet" at my house again, I found that I STILL have the same problem.  Consistently UNDER .5mbps.  I got online and started chatting with "Dylon" to ask him if there was anything that might cause the problem on the account side (de prioritizing my mifi data usage) and he continued to explain to me 3G vs 4G and denied that I had an issue. 

After a horrible conversation with him, I tried calling customer service and asking them how I can be done with the Mifi.  I have paid for this for months as I tried to troubleshoot it, tried different settings, tried waiting until the beginning of the cycle, tried resetting it, etc.- and because I TRIED to make it work for me, they now claim I can't return it, can't get out of the contract, and must continue using it or cough up somewhere in the range of $170+ dollars?!?  Seriously?  I wasn't even asking for money back on what I paid, I'm simply asking to not continue with the mifi contract.  I paid for all of those months of "troubleshooting" and trying to fix their issue instead of throwing it back in their face.  I'm told there isn't an issue by some, told there is an issue by others?  It's not a question of "if there's an issue," THERE IS AN ISSUE.  I am not satisfied, the device is NOT performing as advertised, I have done my due diligence on troubleshooting, and I am asking for help to be done with a service that I have not been satisfied with.  Prior to this, I was satisfied with Verizon, and have been with Verizon since 2005.  After today's fiasco of customer service and the amount of time I've wasted on this, I don't just want out of the mifi contract, I'm about to jump ship completely.  Can anybody advise on how to deal with this cluster?  I just want out of the damn contract.  If only every customer service rep was as nice an helpful as "maya..."

I'm tired of my time being wasted on this "10GB" crap.  YES, I UNDERSTAND.  Don't tell me 500 times and think that I will change my mind.  My phone and my mifi are both well over 10GB every month, and my phone performs fine after it's "throttling" to 3G, but the Mifi performs at a slow speed (usually .43 mbps download) consistently- without any improvement during a 4G "10 GB."  I've done millions of tests, tried all the troubleshooting, but most importantly- new mifi today and new SIM card... and I still have the same issue.  No, Verizon, I'm not interested in "continuing to troubleshoot" with you, I've done enough.  Get me out!

[DEBM1584]

Remember the good old days when you clicked on Internet Explorer, and the Google page opened immediately? DON'T EXPECT THIS with the Jetpak! Mine has taken anywhere from 8 min to 39 min JUST TO LOAD THE GOOGLE PAGE. I've tried every search engine. Same old shi****. Their poor customer service reps aren't trained to handle all the complaints. I've spent an average of 3 hours each and every day for 4 months - just trying to connect. One page loads, and I get that message: "Page can't be displayed. Fix connection problems." AFTER EVERY SINGLE PAGE LOADS.

So, I'm paying VZW $65 for "high speed internet," and they failed miserably to provide any internet service at all. So, I go to Starbucks, spend $5 + $1 tip on a beverage ($180/month) just so I can access the internet!!!

I too, did all the troubleshooting as instructed. Each tech support had a different answer - but, none had a solution. I asked numerous times to speak to a manager, but, none was available. After speaking with 20 VZW employees, I was finally transferred to their one-and-only manager, who informed me that my physical address was located in a "marginal, variable connection area." Verizon is "aware of all the problems, and we're working on improving this service. It's a lengthy process, waiting for permits, etc....."

So, Verizon KNEW that this Jetpak would NOT provide internet access, much less "high speed" internet. The salesman who sold the worthless piece of crap LIVES AND WORKS in my zip code, so he was well aware that I would not have access. I placed comments in every blog I could find; I submitted 3 or 4 Verizon surveys after speaking with tech support. I emailed VZW. NO REPLY.

The supervisor I spoke with allowed me to cancel my 2-year contract, and she "waived the $175 disconnect fee." YEAH!! However, VZW refuses to refund me for the device!!! What the hell does one do with a worthless device???? MY CONSCIENCE won't allow ME to sell it anyone, knowing it isn't going to work. If you're unable to cancel the contract with VZW, contact the Better Business Bureau and Fed Trade Commission. I don't know about you, but, I'm so sick of getting screwed by big companies who don't offer 'REAL' customer services. Consumers are required to fulfill their responsibilities of the contract; THERE ARE 2 PARTIES to every contract. I paid for internet access and high speed internet. I expected VZW to provide high speed internet. Easy. Good luck!

[ABBY53]

Ugh, thanks for sharing your story!  I hate to know that I'm not the only one with this issue and Verizon continues to do business the way they do!  For the first time in 12 years I'm looking elsewhere for wireless service just because of this!  How do they not see that these early termination fees force customers to look elsewhere????  I started looking, and very quickly found out that I can keep my phone and number, and another company will pay off the phone AND the contract!  I'd have a lower monthly payment, with more data, and I wouldn't have to worry about termination fees and "payment plans" for my phone!  Ridiculous.  They've definitely lost their edge.

[vzw_customer_support]

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[lukevinyl]

First of all, I am not even going to begin to address everything that you have mentioned.

I just wanted to mention that it continues to baffle me that people expect cellular service to operate in the way that landline service does. Cellular technology uses radio waves for service, which means there are a million things that can impact your service-- from how far you are in relation to the towers to interference issues, weather, building materials of structures that they are trying to operate in, etc... The list goes on and on before even realizing all the other ways that one device varies from user to user (apps that change how the device functions and interacts with the network, accessories that impact services etc).

"Consumers are required to fulfill their responsibilities of the contract; THERE ARE 2 PARTIES to every contract. I paid for internet access and high speed internet. I expected VZW to provide high speed internet. Easy. Good luck!"

Read the details of your service with Verizon as they have in fact upheld their "responsibilities". You stated you are in a marginal coverage area which every carrier has, as no carrier can cover every square inch of Earth. That is because it is cellular service and every carrier states that there is no guarantee of service for any area. Another carrier may cover this specific better than Verizon and there are areas that Verizon covers that the other carriers do not. That is because this is again, cellular service. Verizon covers more than the  others but there is always going to be areas that aren't covered, regardless of how much VZW would like to have a cell tower on every corner.

Verizon let you out of the contract, which they absolutely didn't have to do, waiving the ETF. For that I would be pretty thankful of, if it were me.

[DEBM1584]

THE VZW SUPERVISOR CANCELLED MY CONTRACT. I'M GETTING A DIFFERENT ISP. GOOD

LUCK!

[ConundrumIV]

This guy must work for Verizon or is a corporate attorney!! Online contracts are for the most part a complete joke and are by design deceptive, coercive, meant to take advantage of certain weaknesses inhearant to the internet.

Now in order to use an app, program, utility etc. you are forced to agree to whatever "terms" they have included in the TOS agreement. if you remotly want to be able to use most of not all, services, devices, apps, the list goes on you are forced agree to TOS. If you do not agree you will remain locked out of whatever product.or service again....unless you click agree. How many people have been forced to agree to something they havnt read, cant read, or do not want to read, you have to agree  to unknown TOS procedures, hidden agendas, whatever is in such agreements you are FORCED to agree, even if you do not agree, you must pay to play......pay with your soul pray to play!! People have been signing away.their rights for many many many years. There is no choice

[rcschnoor]

ConundrumIV wrote:

There is no choice

There is always a choice. You can choose to not use the service.