Does anyone work for or use Verizon?

[babylonsister]

My dad and his honey, both over 75 years old, live in a secluded location. Their phone hasn't worked in over 2 weeks, the phone line from the street to their house is 'broken', and they can't get any help getting it fixed. I just logged onto Verizon and was told that there's no help available (Dad was told the same thing). I'm at my wit's end as far as what to do to help them. Pls. PM me or let me know if anyone has any ideas on how to get through to Verizon as I'm worried about Dad! Thanks!

[FloridaPat]

1. Call the public utilities commission for your state. The problem

should be fixed in 1-2 days. Telephone companies get very upset when you file a complaint against them

[RPM]

2. email the CEO

i did and got prompt resolution ot my problem by an executive assistant in NYC.

I don't have his address anymore, but they follow the following format:

[e-mail]

Ig you go to the Yahoo finance page, you can get his name, plug it into that format and send it off to them.

I also suggest that before doing so, you write a detailed, one page statement of the situation and end the letter with a concrete request (so they know what you want). e.g. I request that you have one of your staff contact me at their soonest possible convenience to establish a plan for rectifying this situation.

In my case - i had DSL service that didnt work for 3 months and had spent that time trying customer service regularly... nothing got resolved over 9 weeks. But within 10 days of e-mailing the executive, my problem was resolved. I actually got a phone call from his office the next day.

Good luck!

[babylonsister]

3. GREAT suggestions! I'm on it, and thanks! nt

[alfredo]

4. When they say that no help is available, do they

mean they don't have the personnel, or that the home owner is responsible for the drop line to the home in rural areas. If the customer is responsible in those situations, an independent contractor can string a new line, if Verizon is responsible, the PSC, and your state and federal representatives should be contacted. If they are responsible, your dad should get a pro rated bill reflecting the time service was severed.

what do you mean by "Broken"?

I used to be a splicer/lineman/trouble shooter for Ma Bell back in the early 70's.

[babylonsister]

5. Dad called and there were no operators available

due to high volume of calls :eyes:. So now that's his problem? Yep...

Verizon sent a rep. out last Tuesday who diagnosed what was wrong and told Dad he'd report the problem but it wasn't his job to fix it. So from that I'm assuming Verizon is responsible. Verizon is the only game in town and they haven't addressed his problem at all.
As for the line, I think it's corroded; they live near a beach and the salty air probably got to it. All the neighbors' phones work, it's that one line that's hindering them. I did finally get a troubleshooting number and my next avenue will be the PSC or CEO.
Thanks for your help/inquiry!

[Nite Owl]

6. I had a problem last year

with a broken line. They came out and had to send a construction crew to fix it, they pawn that stuff out, but they rigged a line in the meantime so I only lost the phone for a about half a day. They have to do something especially with an elderly couple or they would bbe responsible for leaving them without service. The underground installation of the new line took about a week, they said two but it was faster. What number did they call? Is there a number on the bill for service problems?

[babylonsister]

7. I don't know, Nite Owl. I'm in TX and they're in NY, but

don't have a computer. They have an e-mail machine which runs off the phone line so that doesn't work either. It's all very frustrating, and sucks for an older couple that feel so helpless.

[Nite Owl]

12. They're in NY?

Let me see if I have a number that maybe you can try and talk to someone.

This is the number I called:

890-6611 (it says call free in NY so I guess the number is for NYS) I wonder if you called Verizon in TX and asked them to connect you, that you felt that it was an emergency if they would help?)

They are on the island? I would call if I were closer, maybe a neighbor can call for them or they can use their phone to call. They were so efficient when this happened to me.

[babylonsister]

14. I love DU! Thank you all for your comments

and suggestions! I'm working on it and my sisters are involved; we'll get him hooked up now, I have no doubts!:hi:

[alfredo]

13. good luck. Keep your cool, but keep involved.

Ask for some type of refund for service lost.

[goclark]

8. This is what works for me

I call the company - take names and record times of all calls.
I find that the night shift handles problems better than the day, they have less work to do I guess.

ALWAYS call at various times of the day, no matter what the problem. You will find that different reps will give you tidbits of info that will enhance your ability to get to the bottom of the problem.

When I talk to anyone, I tell them my problem and say, " Are you the supervisor that handles problems for someone that is IRATE?"

They will then start taking my problem up the line because they don't want a hot potato.

Usually, I get action after going about 3 steps up from the phone answerer.

I always mention that I have spoken to AARP and they are really concerned that no phone is working for a SENIOR citizen.

Then I send a letter to back it up to the President of the company if I have no results. Or, if it is better, I then can give the names of all the wonderfulpeople that helped me solve my problem.

I have not had trouble YET with Verizon, but plenty with Sprint. They told me that I could not get my refund on my Cell phone ---HA!

They were real sorry, I got my refund and more!

[KharmaTrain]

9. Verizon Nightmares With My Parents

They were "slammed" into Verizon through the consolidation of several phone companies, and like your parents, that cellphone was supposed to be our lifeline in their aging years. Sometimes it was, sometimes it wasn't. I won't go into all the service problems we had (this was 4 years ago), but I was constantly trying to find out why one of our phones wasn't working. At least at that time, most of the customer service people were in the U.S.

When they passed away, I wanted to take their old account and remove their names off of it. Even though my name was also on the account, and I had paid every bill, on time, for the previous 3 years, when I called to make that change (a simple one I thought), I ran into lots of hassles. First, since my mother set up the account, they wanted proof she was no longer alive (death certificate) as well as documentation that I was their executor. Then bills started showing up at my parents house instead of mine. They also started to show up toward the end of the billing cycle rather than earlier, so by the time we were able to get the bill and send payment, we were assured of being late.

I got pissed and decided to close the account. This time they wanted both my parents death certificates. I told them to talk to my lawyer and we stopped any payment on the account. After about a month of fighting my way up the Verizon chain (including a letter and several phone calls to the CEO's office...he never answered) we got a final bill for several months of service I never used (after I called to cancel). They tried to collect and I refered them to mail their addresses and send their collectors to the cemetery where my parents were burried.

We switched to U.S. Cellular and have been satisfied ever since.

I know the value of that phone and how important reliability is. You did the right thing...just keep an eye on the corporates...they have zero compassion when their profits and egos are questioned.

[AuntieM1957]

10. Contacting the CEO and PUC are great suggestions

but if they don't yield fruit right away, here are a few more:

Since your dad is over 70 and in a secluded area, I'd also call his local news outlets. Do they have a consumer reporter type?
If so, they might be able to make some phone calls for you.

Another suggestion is to call your dad's state and federal representatives. Lots of times on a local issue the state rep can be of more help. It worked for me when I had a problem with my local utility - the state rep's office made 1 phone call and it was resolved in less than 24 hours.

Good luck, friend!

[RPM]

11. good call

local TV reporters, as annoying as they can be, can really gerease the wheels!