Verizon repair woes: would $11 satisfy you?
In 2007, the state Public Service Commission began investigating about 300 complaints filed about Verizon customer service --- that technicians missed repair appointments, leaving people without basic telephone service.
Now to clear up these Verizon customer service complaints as well as other matters, the company has negotiated a settlement agreement with the Office of the People's Counsel, which represents consumers, and commission staff.
They are offering $1 million in bill credits to customers who were left without service for more than four days as well as promising to pay penalties if they leave people hanging in the future.
According to testimony submitted by commission staff, nearly 80,000 customers were out of service for that long from Aug. 2007 until the present (there's a typo in the original text on page 21, Verizon sez), and would qualify for bill credits of $10.88.
And nearly 47,000 had set up appointments but the technicians failed to show up, and would receive about $2.77.
So what do you think --- is that a fair payment? Will the penalties be enough to prevent these problems from happening in the future? And what do you think about other parts of the agreement, including the proposal to deregulate pricing for bundled telephone service?
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer protection
Comments
As someone who had Verizon do this to me at least 4 times, I find this a horrible underestimate of the payment that should be recieved. When Verizon failed to show up for a morning appointment, they would then reschedule your for the afternoon and then not show up for that either. That meant taking an entire day off work twice because you'd have to reschedule. Essentially, this proposed settlement implies that the customers time is worth pennies while the company can make baotlads while not providing the agreed upon services.
Does the proposed settlement indicate wheter the credit only applies to current customers? That would also be unfair (although in line with other accepted settlements) since customers like myself who changed providers to show are displeasure with our treatment would have no recourse.
r, your guess was right: only current customers would get any compensation. -- lfk.
Posted by: r hanson | February 5, 2009 1:44 PM
Verizon missed my install once too, when I called back to reschedule I told them that unless they sent someone out that day, I'd cancel the install. They sent someone that day (who was great!). Technicians are great, so far, it's dispatch who is all messed up. Either way, $11 is not sufficient.
Posted by: jim | February 5, 2009 2:57 PM