AVOID Verizon Phone/DSL Service

Whatever you do, do NOT order phone service and/or DSL from Verizon--at least not in Philadelphia. Look for another phone company (see below). Verizon is atrocious.

Today, from 8-12, they were supposed to come fix my phone. It's been dead for over 2 weeks. This was the third repair appointment they've scheduled--and for the third straight time, they've no-showed. I wish this were a joke. I've spent 18 hours waiting at home for them and around 5 hours on the phone--burning up cell minutes, of course, because I DON'T HAVE A DIAL TONE AT MY HOUSE. I make $18/hour, so as far as I'm concerned they owe me $90 plus no charges for this month of (non) service.

They're not real good about keeping telephone appointments, either; yesterday, they were supposed to call me between 9 and 11 am. I called at 11:20, the supervisors' line was still busy, and they said a supervisor would definitely call me within the next two hours. I was busy at 1:20, but when I finally called back at about 4:00, I still waited on hold for a half hour before I could finally talk to a supervisor. This company is despicable (though the call center reps are polite), and I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it. Here are my options:

Write or call their upper level management

File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau

Order service from a different company--Cavtel does Philadelphia DSL and Philadelphia phone service.

Contact the press

This last option is tempting. My officemate's husband is a news producer at a major Philadelphia TV station, and I know at least one reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer who covers media issues.

The supervisor I spoke with yesterday has already given me 2 months' worth of credit, but at this rate, that will barely cover the time my service has been out. I have no idea how these people expect me to pay them another dollar.

I'm also a Verizon Wireless customer, and I'm already thinking about which cellular provider will get my business when that contract runs out next summer. (I have another motivation on this count: I just learned that VZ wireless busts unions and fires would-be unionizers.) I'm also going to contact my landlord and insist that they begin including information about other telephone companies for their new tenants.