Getting rid of Verizon within the next few months.
Igneus
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'm just here to join another long list of Verizon haters.

I have been a loyal customer to Verizon for the past 12 years at two locations. I have used their DSL service ever since it became available in my area - had I known it was going to stay the same for much of that time I would have made the switch a long time ago.

When I was first able to purchase the enhanced Internet package (about 2 years ago) I was receiving 3Mbps and it was comparable to cable but now 2 years later cable has speeds surpassing 50mb and I'm stuck with 1.1Mbps (it seems for the past 6 months we've been receiving 1Mbps or lower even though we have purchased the higher tier package).

Now on to telephone quality... Calls are dropping and full of static on some days while others it's dang near perfect. However, this is a land-line service and we shouldn't be experiencing this period!

To sum this up I plan on canceling my Internet and Phone service to go with Cable. I can receive a 10mb service and phone line for the same price I'm paying Verizon - heck I might even upgrade it (just 20 bucks more) and get the 50mb service.

I am also a Verizon Wireless customer and they have recently informed me that my grand-fathered data plan won't work with new devices and so I will be canceling that also and switching to the more affordable AT&T plan with better phone options/discounts as well.

I was very optimistic when I first became a Verizon customer as I thought things would always improve and at the time they were leaps and bounds ahead of Cable and other service providers. But it seems like they have forgotten about rural areas and are wanting to get everyone switched to a wireless form of internet where they can charge you an arm and a leg for each gb you use - so for those of us that like watching netflix, playing online games (in which we download a lot of them), etc will be paying them a small fortune each month. ---  Well not me.

Just my .02 and I'm sorry I feel this way but this is getting ridiculous.

Re: Getting rid of Verizon within the next few months.
macboogie
Enthusiast - Level 1

I'm right behind you. For a month I've been paying for 2.5 MPS and getting .74 on good days. Despite numerous phone calls Verizon has done nothing to address the issue.

Re: Getting rid of Verizon within the next few months.
Igneus
Enthusiast - Level 2

They have soo many customers they could care less about the ones that do leave.

Well I ordered Shentel this evening and I get it for 30 days to try it out. So I'll be taking it for a test run starting Monday. My home was built and pre-wired for cable anyhow so I won't have to change out any lines, etc. Just a quick switch over from one of my direct tv lines to allow the cable modem a solid connection to the coax and box already located outside.

I have family that live on the other side of our subdivision with their 20mb package and even on the weekends peek hours they are getting an average of 18.5Mbps. I realize that there's times i won't get exactly what I pay for but 17-25Mbps (which is how it varies) is a hellova lot better than .7 to 1Mbps. True broadband high speed here I come!

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Re: Getting rid of Verizon within the next few months.
armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@Igneus wrote:

I'm just here to join another long list of Verizon haters ...


There are many other long lists here.  For example, if you search the "Ask the Community" box for "kudos" under "Category" you will discover at least 100 posts that praise Verizon or Verizon employees.

I suppose there are as many lists as there are people willing to tell us which list they are joining.  Anyway, thanks for the update.

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Re: Getting rid of Verizon within the next few months.
Igneus
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'll agree it's hard to make everyone happy. But when we are needing a service and willing to pay for it - we should get what we pay for. So perhaps I shouldn't have let my first post on this forum be a bashing post, but I felt like I needed to voice my opinion.

When you go out and order a steak well or medium well you don't want it to come rare and vice versa.

Thanks for reading 😃

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Re: Getting rid of Verizon within the next few months.
Igneus
Enthusiast - Level 2

Just figured I'd drop in and say that I made the switch. I can't out right cancel my services just yet because of a contract and I'm only paying 50 bucks a month now (reduced retention cost heh) for 1.3mb DSL + nation wide calling with all the other jaz.

Now on to the good news my new cable service is installed. Using a dual-band modem/router and I'm getting on average 19.5-20Mbps during non-peak hours and about 17Mbps during peak (tested on a TABLET!). Kind of what I expected but let me tell you it's fast. Blazing fast - pings are just as low as my DSL connection and I can finally stream HD movies from Netflix, Shows from Hulu, and download my purchased Xbox games in a matter of minutes instead of what seemed like days. (I downloaded State of Decay, a 2GB game in about 45 minutes and I'm pretty sure microsoft was capping their upload) - The best part is this amazing service is only 35 bucks a month - I can add my phone for another 20 so for 5 more bucks on the month you get the same phone service and an internet connection that's almost 20 times faster than what Verizon offers.

Good luck everyone out there with your Verizon service. I hope they provide you guys with advertised download speeds, FIOS in your area and all that great stuff. Truth be told I'd switch back to VZ if I had the choice of Fios.

Thanks for reading

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Re: Getting rid of Verizon within the next few months.
armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@Igneus wrote:

 ...  I'd switch back to VZ if I had the choice of Fios ...


I think you "nailed" it with this comment.  DSL (Verizon or otherwise) is an outmoded technology.  Yet in many cases it's the only game in town.  VZ has unequivocally stated they don't want to be in the DSL business.  In fact they really don't want to be in any ""wired" business if recent statements by VZ management to Wall Street are an indicator.

I really dig FiOS, especially when I compare the products to earlier suppliers.  I'm sure I would not be so happy with DSL, VZ or otherwise.

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Re: Getting rid of Verizon within the next few months.
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

For the issue concerning Verizon Wireless, I suggest doing one of two things. First, if you already have a phone running Android that's been abandonded as far as OS updates are concerned, back up your phone, root it, and install a Custom ROM. CyanogenMod (CM) is one of the most used ROMs out there. Second, be careful with giving up the unlimited data by moving to another carrier. If you really want a new device, the last I've heard Verizon Wireless will allow you to carry your unlimited plan over to a new device, but you must pay full price for a capable handset. Otherwise, AT&T isn't bad and they do have an LTE network that's starting to get pretty big, but I would honestly hang onto that unlimited data for dear life. As you point out, data's a nickel and dime opportunity for the carriers.

Second, for both the DSL and phone issues, you need to call Verizon from a mobile phone and speak with Voice repair during a time static is present. Your DSL is going to perform poorly if your telephone line is also working poorly. Before talking to voice repair, double check all telephony devices including phones, satellite receivers, and alarm systems to make sure the filters are fine. This should be done especially if the static disappears from the line when the DSL modem is turned off. Failing that, test out at your NID's test jack to identify where the static could be (see this page: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/1317 ) and if it's present there (perhaps with the DSL modem also connected to the NID using a splitter, with the phone filtered), it's Verizon problem to fix.

Just let me know if you need any help. Otherwise, good luck with the Cable company. Glad to see they're already working to your expectations and their pricing is reasonable, compared to the provider I'm stuck with in my area.

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