Signing up for Fios soon
gjkiii
Enthusiast - Level 2

Is there a particular time of year that is better  for signing up for fios. I am interested in getting the best possible deal or does it really not matter? Thank you

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Re: Signing up for Fios soon
TBuilder
Enthusiast - Level 2

DO NOT DO IT...RESIST THE TEMPTATION.  IT WILL PASS.

Re: Signing up for Fios soon
Justin46
Legend

@TBuilder wrote:

DO NOT DO IT...RESIST THE TEMPTATION.  IT WILL PASS.


I suggest you ignore this response to your post and get FiOS. I have had it for 5 years now, love it, very reliable, accurate billing, and overall good customer service (not to say I have not experienced a couple of less-than-satisfactory calls to support, but I have experienced that with most companies these days, in all industries, and the cable company I had before FiOS was far, far worse than Verizon, both product-wise and customer service-wise).

Besides, how often realistically do you contact support? In 5 years I have called probably 20 times, maybe 25. Nearly all resulted in my issue being resolved immediately, a couple of issues took 2 calls, and one I know took 3. I think the last time I called Verizon for any reason was to renew my triple play, in Oct. last year. The service just works, period.

Of course everybodys experience can/may be/will be different. Maybe the best thing to do is initially order month-to-month service, without signing up for a package, and see how it works. It may cost a little more, but that way it is easy to get out if you aren't satisfied. And if you do decide to keep FiOS, then convert to a contract and save some additional money.

As to when to get the best "deal", I don't know, I am not sure there really is one, sorry.....

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416-P1, IMG 1.7.1, Build 09.97
Keller, TX 76248

Re: Signing up for Fios soon
prisaz
Legend

I agree with what Justin has said. I have been a fios customer just as long, and have been happy I made the change.

Re: Signing up for Fios soon
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

Another that agree's with Justin. Great service. Best time for deals seems to be just before Thanksgiving and after Christmas.

If you live on the east coast where it snows and gets really cold, winter is a bad time to burry cable. So installs here can be iffy for that reason. Look to your neighbors they can help with an idea about this.

But basically, whenever you current contract with your current cable provider is up, thats a good time to change.

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Re: Signing up for Fios soon
lasagna
Community Leader
Community Leader

It's not uncommon to find that townships have a "no dig" rule in effect from around December thru the beginning of April if you live in the northern states, so plan accordingly.   The rule usually applies to digging in or under public right-of-ways but not private property (i.e. under your driveway is OK, but under the street is not) unless it's an emergency. 

I got wrapped up in that restriction on my initial install until we managed to sort out with the township and Verizon that the only digging necessary to get the fiber from my house to the interconnection point ran across my and my neighbor's private property.

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Re: Signing up for Fios soon
java007
Newbie

@Justin wrote:

 .................

Besides, how often realistically do you contact support? In 5 years I have called probably 20 times, maybe 25. Nearly all resulted in my issue being resolved immediately, a couple of issues took 2 calls, and one I know took 3. I think the last time I called Verizon for any reason was to renew my triple play, in Oct. last year. The service just works, period.

 .................


I'm also considering FiOS, primarily for uncapped internet connectivity. 20-25 calls over 5 years actually seems like quite a few to me, although that was surely just an estimate. Were those calls generated due to service disruptions? I'm presently on Comcast and in general the service has been highly reliable. Moving to faster connectivity (at a higher price), with more problems would be a disappointment.

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Re: Signing up for Fios soon
Justin46
Legend

@java007 wrote:
I'm also considering FiOS, primarily for uncapped internet connectivity. 20-25 calls over 5 years actually seems like quite a few to me, although that was surely just an estimate. Were those calls generated due to service disruptions? I'm presently on Comcast and in general the service has been highly reliable. Moving to faster connectivity (at a higher price), with more problems would be a disappointment.

Service disruptions? Nope. Very reliable, just a few issues, some significant, some minor.

I really can't give you an accurate breakdown of what and why, getting too old I guess.....and keep in mind this goes back five years, most of the calls were in the first two, no calls in last 10 months or so....but here are the issues I experienced, at least as I remember them :

1) Email problem: during first year, some people sending me emails said they were getting bounced back, userid unknown. Very erratic, next send might work, might work for months between failures. I never fully understood the problem or the solution, but support eventually deleted my email account and re-defined it, no problems since.

2) Billing issues (2): I participated in the early test for the TV service, I was promised some discounts, took three calls over a three month period to get it straight. Plus I included in my call volume the calls I have had to make to update/change my triple-play deal each year.

3) Guide data accuracy: I got frustrated due to errors in the Guide data, primarily wrong programs shown in the Guide. Several calls reporting this, was a waste of time, Verizon buys the Guide data service from a company called FYI TV in Grand Prairie, TX (20 miles from my house) and they have just not stepped up and delivered consistent, accurate information. Worst part of FiOS service IMHO.

4) Unable to view three recorded programs on my DVR: Support could not find the problem after several calls, erased the recordings, no problem since (this was in first 2 years).

5) Agreed to participate in an early test of something new in TV service, then wanted to change my service slightly (TV package), nobody could figure out how to do that, there was an open order on my account for the early test. A CSR went above and beyond to help me, exchanged emails and phone calls, he got it fixed. (Note: I think this issue, that once you have ordered one change on your account, then no other change can be made until that first one is complete, still exists. I think this is a carryover in Verizon's computer systems from the good old days when they were phone only and there was really no reason to have more than one change open at a time. But I know that people who want to make changes to their service regularly have hit this issue in the past).

6) Favorites setup on STBs: various channels would magically appear in my Favorites list, or disappear. This happened off and on for probably a year, until they finally fixed it with a software upgrade, probably 2 to 3 years ago.

7) Router issued: originally Verizon gave us a wired D-Link router, I had been using wireless in my house with cable, I daisy-chained my Belkin wireless router off of the D-Link, it worked, but was sometimes flaky, took some help from Verizon to understand the issue and figure out what not to do (not really a Verizon problem, but I was calling them 'cause I was lost on finding the problem, and they helped).

😎 A few cases of just not understanding how things worked. Keep in mind that it was a very new service when I got it (I got TV within two weeks of initial availability in the country, nobody I knew had it), there were no Verizon Forums, if there were other forums focused on FiOS at that time I didn't know about them, there were no online helps, no In-Home Agent, pretty much nothing, so the only source for help was to call the FSC.  

I hope that gives you an idea. Some of the problems were pretty serious at the time, but again, FiOS was pretty much in its infancy, and I was an early tester of some services. And to be safe I think I over estimated the number of calls I made.

Hope this helps.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416-P1, IMG 1.7.1, Build 09.97
Keller, TX 76248

Re: Signing up for Fios soon
gjkiii
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have read about alot of billing issues. Is that overblown or does Verizon have a problem with their billing department? Thank you

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Re: Signing up for Fios soon
Justin46
Legend

@gjkiii wrote:

I have read about alot of billing issues. Is that overblown or does Verizon have a problem with their billing department? Thank you


IMHO the answer is yes and no.

Most definitely some people do have billing issues. And when they do, it apparently can become a nightmare to get the problems corrected. On the other hand, once you get past any problems you have, it can really be smoth sailing.

I have had FiOS now for five years. I initially got internet and phone, FiOS TV did not yet exist. The original bills were totally incomprehensible. When I added TV service, they got more incomprehensible, and then when my discount ended I had trouble getting the billing correct. But, over the next year to two years, Verizon made many changes in their bills and the way they handled things, and I have had no problems for probably three years now. I get a paper bill for the triple-play, I check it carefully, I pay via the website (no autopay, I would not touch that with a 50 foot pole much less a 10 foot one), the bill is always within a fews cents each month now (government fees and taxes just seemingly cannot remain constant). Absolutely no issues for several years.

Why do some people have problems and others not? I wish I understood why. I think one reason is they tend to make changes frequently, or at least they want to. Verizon's system is not set up very well, it seems to want to do one thing at a time. So if you request a change, until that change is fully complete, it appears impossible to even order another change. And unfortunately some people go into this without really knowing what they want, or misunderstanding what they are told by a FiOS rep, or they are lied to, and naturally they want to make changes, and can't, and get mad, and Verizon doesn't respond well in their view, and it all escalates.

So I guess my advice would be to research thoroughly the offerings Verizon has, make a firm decision on what you want before you order, don't order it from the guy that rings your doorbell, instead use the website or call the Veizon Order department, don't accept any of their "free 3 month" or whatever comeons as they will automatically start being billed at the end of the free time and you will guaranteed forget to contact Verizon and cancel beforehand, be patient, and especially expect that the installers may not arrive when you expect them to (mine arrived early each time, but they are apparently very busy and if they have a problem at one installation it will affect their ability to make subsequent appointments on time). Then take the time to figure out how things work, if you have kids set the parental controls to avoid things like accidental VOD or movie package orders, and especially, and most important, come here to the forums and ask before you call anybody or use the Live Chat  Smiley Very Happy

Hope this helps.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
QIP6416-P1, IMG 1.7.1, Build 09.97
Keller, TX 76248