Poor Coverage Verizon heavy handed attitude Unwilling to resolve.

[KD4PBA]

I recently upgraded my phone to the LG G2.  Nice phone, I also got a Galaxy Tab 2, which is an ok tablet for my needs. Both are on a shared data plan. I have been with Verizon for at least 4 years after being an AT&T Customer.  I recently purchased a new home and moved about 5 miles from my previous location. I am about 2 miles from a Verizon tower.  I can NOT use either device inside my home.  My neighbors also can not use their devices inside their homes. We ALL have to go outside to make calls. Verizon opened a ticket for this issue and determined that the signal at street level is Marginal, 1-2 bars. I get 1 Bar in my HOME if I go directly to a window Upstairs, Occasionally. I realize that topology can effect microwave propagation and there may very well be dead areas but that is not my problem as I am not the maintainer of the network that provides the paid services.

The solution from Verizon is to purchase a $250 extender to resolve the issue. Why would I need to purchase a device to use a service I already pay for?  I have spent about 8 hours on the phone thus far with Tech support.  I escalated this to a manager who agreed to hear my complaint and stated he would call me back after 15 minutes. He never called back. I called support back and of course none of the people I talked to were available.

Does Verizon not understand the concept of a warm hand off for tickets?  Verizon believes that I will simply pay for the extender in part or in full because I am on the edge agreement and I stand to loose over $400, so its take it or leave it your under a new contract. I WILL leave. Even if the the cost is $1500. This is about principle and fair business practices.  The attitude of Verizon is deplorable. They do not care about the customer. The flat out lied about the cost of my monthly charges in the store and now this. I am pay over $100 a month for something I can't even use?

Nobody is calling me and honestly it appears they don't care what I do. Its "Best Effort" only.  YOU need to be aware of this. I am not asking for the impossible. Lets be realistic. The Extender is not that expensive to Verizon. It is made by Samsung and it in itself does not have that great a track record. Other companies such as AT&T offer these for free. T Mobile has a VOIP client to get around this issue. Verizon wants to sell you something to solve the issue.

I am sure this post will be deleted or removed by the moderator so I am saving it so I can either re-post or place on Facebook.  I am sorry it has to come to this but I have tried to be diplomatic and understanding about this  Push come to shove Verizon is not different than AT&T or any other company. The could care less about you the consumer as long as your signing a new agreement.

Verizon will argue we can't give away an extender to everyone with a signal issue. Well you actually can, but I understand the business implications of such matters. That however is not my problem and if you understood the basics of Customer support and Customer Advocacy you would deal with each issue on a case by base basis. Crapping on customers and not communicating is the best way to loose business.

[jroeder · Accepted solution]

It is not Verizon's problem that you moved to a location that has marginal service through them. Verizon is not required to provide good coverage whether you pay them or not.

As per the customer agreement:

"WHERE AND HOW DOES VERIZON WIRELESS SERVICE WORK?

Wireless devices use radio transmissions, so unfortunately you can't get Service if your device isn't in range of a transmission signal. And please be aware that even within your Coverage Area, many things can affect the availability and quality of your Service, including network capacity, your device, terrain, buildings, foliage and weather."

No cell company can guarantee service everywhere. Verizon does not have good signal at your new location but that is not on them. They never told you that if you moved you would receive good signal wherever you moved to because that would be an impossible claim. Verizon is not going to eat the charge for a network extender.

Find a provider that works for you in that area. No point in paying a cell company that has poor reception where you use it and there is no point to try and convice them to spend money to provide you good coverage.

Good Luck

[KD4PBA]

Yea nice, So when it happens to you , you will simply eat $250 BS. Easy to say when you probably have no signal issues. Verizon states they have the best coverage and stated this area was high coverage.  I am 2 miles away from the tower, what part of that do you not understand. I fully understand microwave propagation. I understand there can be dead zones and null zones that are dynamic or static. I am not trying to convince them to spend any money.  Let's be realistic here. AT&T provided an extender for NOTHING. The device does not cost them much if anything. The larger issue are the lies. They do not want to engage me at all. Support and Managers say they are calling me back and they don't. It is more about the business practice more than anything else. Apparently the company I work for cares more about he customer than Verizon does.   On Top of that other Verizon customers have the same issue. There are 100 homes here. What does that tell you?

[jroeder]

It tells me that area has minimal coverage regardless of where the tower is located and even with other Verizon customer is the same area, Verizon is not doing anything to change that (That you know of)

And yes, I would eat the ETF to get good cell coverage because good cell coverage is critical to my life and to my business. I would rather do that than keep paying for unusable service I would not eat the $250 for a network extender because from reading the stories on the forum about it, it's not worth $50.

You keep talking about how other companies offer this or offer that, Verizon never price matched and never will so don't get your hopes up for a free network extender.

They will never call you back, Verizon customer service is on it's way down the hill.

And they can tell you what they want about high coverage in your area, you are experiencing firsthand they do not.

I would just cut ties and move on. T-Mobile is buying out contracts still I believe so I would check and see what coverage the have.

Otherwise you could buy the extender and you have 14 days to figure out if it's worth the $250 or not.

Good Luck

[KD4PBA]

LOL you have had your share of dealing with them I see.  So I do respect that!

So actually I am getting a call here shortly , I took an unconventional route that got this escalated to another level.

I hate it for anyone in this position but then again I guess life is not fair. I called in a marker so I will hush now.

[vzw_customer_support]

KD4PBA, I can certainly understand how important it is to have reliable coverage at home. There are many factors outside of our control that can affect the signal inside a building including building structure, interference from electrical equipment, distance from towers, etc. This is why we can't guarantee service inside buildings. The network extender is an accessory that allows you to boost your signal indoors and route calls over an existing internet connection.

MarquiaF_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[KD4PBA]

That's just it , this is a situation that is NOT outside of your control. You claimed (Verizon) that this was a high signal area due to proximity to the tower. It is not, its a dead zone due to overshoot.  It is not even about the signal quality as much as it is about how poorly Verizon has handled this.

When a manager speaks with you says I will call you back in 15 minutes then leaves for the day, yea.........

[vzw_customer_support]

@KD4PBA,

I totally understand your frustration. If you're promised a call back we should definitely keep that promise. Were you provided a number to reach the supervisor? Have you tried calling customer service to speak with the supervisor? What was the supervisor going to do that required a call back? have you received a call back from the supervisor since your post?


JohnB_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[KD4PBA]

It was escalated to the executive level and I worked with the VP's office. We are in the process of trying to resolve the issue. While not ideal I think we are on the right track now. It should however never had to go that far. Your Support team and engineers clearly need to set the expectations up front about how calls and tickets are managed. While not unreasonable a 2 day SLA is something you need to make people aware of up front. Additionally maintaining contact with the customer is vital.

[jphcc]

Before I signed the contract with Verizon I asked if the area I lived in had good coverage.  I was shown a map the had my area covered.  I purchased the phone and when I got home I did not have service inside the house.  I had to climb a hill to get any kind of signal.  I was told all I had to do was purchase an extender and then I could get service; a one time price.

It worked fine.  Then I began to loose the signal inside.  I call tech support and do what they recommend and wait; it can take three to four hours for the the extender to find the signal.   Sometimes it comes in good; all is well for a few weeks, something happens (I don't change anything) and I loose service.  The Extender is under warranty so they shipped me a new one and I shipped the old one back.  Since then, I have replaced the SIM card in my phone and waited for them to ship me a new GPS plug that goes in the extender.  The device quite working since the last of February and calls to tech support have not solved anything.   The tech people are all very nice but I am paying for data and service I cannot use in my home.

[vzw_customer_support]

We want you to enjoy reliable service in your home area jphcc! I'm sorry to hear that you have experienced difficulties lately. What is your zip code? Have you received the replacement plug that you referenced? What were the results of your last interactions with our network extender support team? We should always provide options!

JonathanK_VZW
VZW Support
Follow Us on Twitter@VZWSupport

[KD4PBA]

Hi,

So I got the extender. It took about 2 hours to set up. The system light flashed red for a long time, Eventually it started working, I am guessing it just had to update and obtain GPS data. Additionally I opened the recommend ports on my firewall. So far it works fine. When I dial *48 it says it failed to complete set up, but again it is working.  I will follow up with support next week just to make sure it is configured correctly.  I will say it has made a difference as I can use my phone in my house now. The range could be a little better but I live in a 3100 SQ FT 2 story house and my only option is to have the extender downstairs when my gear is located. The house was not pre-wired for CAT 5 :-(.

I am trying this out for 2 weeks if all goes well I think we are done with this issue. Eventually I think this will become a non issue as this area is growing at a rapid pace. I am sure another tower will go up in the next year or 2.

The main issue I had was just how the case was handled. While engaged with support everyone is fine. Its the lack of follow up with the customer the really frustrated me.  I think folks need to be aware of the expectations up front.  Yes I probably personally have an issue with this as I have done it for over 20 years. But folks need to know that your SLA for issues like this is 2 days period. Even then there is no promise that the customer will be provided a solution.

While it is noted in the fine print, Verizon , and this is not just Verizon is not obligated to provide anyone with anything when it comes to coverage.  I know that sounds heavy handed but it is reality. Nobody can make a promise like that.

My issue is when a Manager or a rep says I will call you back or engage you at a specific time and they don't , that is just poor service. Additionally Just tossing in the towel and saying ok we will just cancel everything without making an effort is also not a great approach.

Yes I was [removal required by the Verizon Wireless Terms of Service] but then again part of that is me. I can't change that. I hold a high level of expectation because I have been there and done that. I kind of miss it sometimes,

While it was not the best route the customer did get engagement and was offered what Verizon could realistically offer which was a good compromise. That is all I was asking for to start with..............