Cancelled DSL Service, E-mail Account Deleted, No Help

[sscheerb]

I have been a DSL customer for 2 years and a VZW customer for 10+. I recently moved, and having existing internet at my new address, I no longer need my DSL account. I called last Thursday to cancel it. The email on my Verizon smart phone stopped working, and when I tried to log in via the website, an icon notifying that the account was suspended appeared with no further instruction. I called Customer Service and was informed that the e-mail was a function of the internet service and that it was deactivated. I was also told it will be difficult to reset the email username, and that any data stored in the account was likely lost but could possibly be regained. After over two hours on the phone being cycled between Customer Service, Billing, and Tech Dept, each with conflicting stories about how to reactivate the account and/or access the existing emails and contacts, I was ultimately told by Customer Service that the email account was deleted and all data wiped, and that my only course of action is to pay to have the internet service reconnected and work with the Tech Dept to attempt to have the email repointed, then sign up and pay for an email service to maintain the account.

My problem is threefold:

1. I was not informed the email account would be deactivated on cancellation of internet service, nor that all data would be deleted. I was not provided with any instruction on how to maintain the email address if I wanted it.

2.  I am not willing to incur the cost in time and dollars being asked of by Verizon to reactive the internet service, reactivate the email account, then maintain the email as a fee. Mainly because I was not advised I would have do so but especially because after two hours on the phone, I could not reach one person that could explain the whole process from start to finish.

3. I know the data in my email was not permanently deleted. There has to be someone that can help me gain access to it.

I am currently awaiting a return call from a Customer Service supervisor who supposedly will address my concerns about (at minimum) reactivating the account and (ultimately) recovering my data. Given my experience today, I'm not hopeful that it will happen.

Is there anybody that can help me with my problem?

[somegirl]

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@sscheerb wrote:

1. I was not informed the email account would be deactivated on cancellation of internet service, nor that all data would be deleted. I was not provided with any instruction on how to maintain the email address if I wanted it.

2.  I am not willing to incur the cost in time and dollars being asked of by Verizon to reactive the internet service, reactivate the email account, then maintain the email as a fee. Mainly because I was not advised I would have do so but especially because after two hours on the phone, I could not reach one person that could explain the whole process from start to finish.

3. I know the data in my email was not permanently deleted. There has to be someone that can help me gain access to it.

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1. It's in the ToS. Section 10.4.

2. That's your right, but you are probably not going to get anything resolved by refusing to work with Verizon.

3. It's probable that your data is still on the servers somewhere, but Verizon (as stated in the ToS) is completely within their rights to delete it.

I hope you get your issue resolved, but this is a peer-to-peer forum. We're end-users like you, and have no access to your account or data. You are going to have to work with Verizon if you want to get your email back, one way or another.

[ckpinkard]

Responses to somegirls's responses...
1. Who actually reads the ToS for a common provider of services?
2. Verizon has done an abysmal job in training their support staff on helping customers with what has to be a common issue/oversight. Who signs up for Internet services and the accompanied email address with the expectation of having them for eternity?
3. See comment above. A common issue that should have a relatively easy fix unless you want to lose customers for life.

A peer-to-peer forum is a place where most consumers go if they feel they aren't getting the help, answers, or service they need from there provider. They are looking for others who have had similar issues with hopes of finding a resolution. They are not looking for a condescending response that states the obvious and quotes documents that 99.9% of consumers don't have the time or desire to read.

[tns2]

Still, who expects email to be maintained after you terminate your account?  And the bad news its too late to do anything about afterwards if you remember your email.

Solutions

• Never depend on your email to be on a server.  All mine is downloaded to my devices (PC being main one) and deleted 7 days later.
• consider one of the free email services
• Before terminating Verizon services use their my domain service to keep your email at Verizon.

[nychas]

In my case I still have Verizon DSL Only at my home in NY but cancelled the service at my Mom's home in PA. Yesterday I could send but not receive emails. Today everything seems to be gone. The phone rep should have mentioned that I would lose this email and perhaps I could have pointed out that I am still paying Verizon 50+ dollars a month and I could have kept this email account. 

[nychas]

I was actually able to access the old account and again, can send but not receive. This is the error I received from my msn.com mailbox:

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.
 
Delivery to the following recipients failed.
 
       {edited for privacy}