Forced swith from landline to DIgital Voice is a FRAUD

[vvinewyork]

Recently I have been bombarded by emails and letters, stating "Action required: Call us!!! Verizon is updating to Fiber-Optic Technology". In these letters and emails I was threatened that suspension of the phone service will occur, if I do not schedule an appointment to switch to a new service. Moreover, the letter stated that new service will be provided “for the same price you already pay for your current telephone service". I checked with the customer service that in addition to the phone service, my DSL service will be switched off as well. So, I had no choice but to call the provided number.

During my call conversation regarding the appointment I was offered Digital Voice + FIOS 100/100 plan for roughly $65.00. I demanded specifically to itemize the price of the new phone service. The response was "this is a package", and separate price is unavailable. However, in the first bill that I’ve got the price of the phone service turned out to be $40.00, and the price of the 100/100 FIOs was $89.99 (as opposed to advertised $39.00 everywhere). Matching to $65.00 price that I currently paid for landline and DSL was achieved by TEMPORARY discounts, which amounted to an additional $65.00 ($15.00 expires 10/09/19, $20.00 expires 10/08/20, $30.00 expires 10/08/21).

In other words, the letter, signed by Janet Gazlay Martin, Director of Verizon Network Transformation, was a total lie and a complete FRAUD. After I switched to a new service under THREAT of the suspension of the old phone (and of the DSL as well, as a result of it), the price of the new phone service became $40.00 (61.3% increase compared to landline price of $15.80+$9.00). That is not to mention, the price of 100/100 FIOS is in fact 89.99, as opposed to advertised $39.00.

My request to the Customer Service to honor the promise and to adjust the price of the new phone service to the old price of $24.80 was rejected after infinite childish explanations and preposterous excuses, which I do not want to repeat here.

Additional surprise came after I checked my electric meter. After FIOS equipment was installed (which included a new power supply box), the amount of electricity that we use INCREASED by approximately 4kWh /day, which will cost approximately $30.00 a month more. This is so disturbing, that I am conducting a separate investigation of the matter; so, please, interpret this information as preliminary.

To conclude, I think this price increase after a forced switch to a new service is a crime, which I will report to the Office of the New York State Attorney General, as well to the Federal Communications Commission.

[LawrenceC]

Hi vvinewyork,

Your issue has been escalated to a Verizon agent. Please check your Private Message Inbox for a message from Verizon_Support. You can find your Inbox by clicking on your username at the top right corner of this page. Please direct all correspondence concerning your issue to the agents who will be assisting you privately.