VERIZON IS THE EVIL UN-AMERICAN COMPANY

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Verizon can not even give good service in the Communications

capital of the world Times Square

Bitching By: James Edstrom

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 Un-American Verizon

I have had the week from hell with Verizon. After a wonderful trip to Dune Point Fire Island, I headed back to NYC. My Internet then went out in Times Square.

WHY I WENT TO VERIZON

I left RCN who labels themselves as the Communications Giant of the world because their Internet kept going out. Hundreds of times. I had tech guys here so many times for RCN, and the last straw with them was when their so-called tech guys were here three times in one month for the Internet and when my new bill came, they raised my rates. Not just a little, a huge rate increase.

I finally said to myself, enough is enough. When I called RCN, they went on and on what a great company they were and I just said goodbye. Paying almost $150 a month for TV and Internet was just too much for something that never worked right. I went to their store, returned the equipment and said farewell. Days later I got a nasty letter demanding payment for the rest of my bill or they would ruin my credit. As much as they did not deserve any payment, I went online and paid it, just to get rid of the company that claimed to be the Communications Giant Of The World and could not even provide Internet service in the communications capital of the world Times Square.

VERIZON HIRES IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND FIRES IN AMERICA AND THEIR INTERNET SUCKS

So I timed everything perfectly so Verizon would kick in and I could say goodbye to RCN. Right away the trouble started. I would be working and the Internet would go out. I would call Verizon and I got someone in India. Everytime I called Verizon, I got someone in India.

 I am not putting down anyone in India. This is not what this is about. They are nice people and tried to help, but I could not understand them with their accent. So as time is rolling along, the Internet keeps going in and out hundreds of times. I just ignored it, I was in no mood to call repair and wait online for someone from India, who I could not understand anyway.

I go away to Dune Point Fire Island for a wonderful trip. I am away almost a month and I come back to NYC refreshed and ready to work. Late last Thursday night the Internet goes out. My kid is complaining and I tell him it will come back on. I told him to wait for the morning and if it's not on, I will call Verizon. So we go to bed.

The next morning, nothing is working. I call Verizon. I get someone in India once again. They tell me to do this step and that step. I told them I did all of that before I called you and it's not working. They insist I do it all again. Un-plug the modern for a minute, restart the computer. I do it all again and still nothing. They do their checks and then tell me it's not on their end, it's in my apartment. I tell them it's not in my apartment. The Verizon Phone line is working. Everything is the same, nothing was touched, no wires, no cables, no nothing. I get dis-connected several times. Everytime I have to call back and listen to these recordings and wait and wait for hours at a time. The recordings are saying I can find out more information on the status of my Internet online at Verizon.com. Imagine that. I have no Internet and they are telling me to go to the Internet. Each and every call the robots ask for my phone number. I give it to them. After a hour or so, I get someone in India and they ask for my phone number. I say, "I gave that to your robot already". They insist I give it to them. 

So I now know what all these robot questions are all about. It's about keeping the customer busy so he thinks they are getting somewhere, when in reality they are getting no-where. The Un-American Indian representative insists they have to send someone to my apartment. As much as I argue, they want to send someone here. 

They make a appointment for yesterday. I was so upset, I have so much work to do and now I am expected to go without the Internet for almost a week. I was also worried they would not show, RCN did this so many times, I can not count. So I called almost everyday to confirm that they would be here Wednesday between 9am and 11am. After so many hours on the phone with India, they all confirmed my appointment. Tuesday night I am still worried. I have a afternoon doctors appointment that I could not really cancel on Wednesday, so I call them Tuesday night. They confirm their Verizon Tech guys would be there as planned and I could make my doctors appointment. I spent another two hours on the phone with India, but I thought it was worth it to make sure I had help coming. I tell my kid that we have to get to bed early so we can wake up. I thought all was well in Verizon land. How wrong I was!

We wake up early and start to move furniture so Verizon can get to the wires. 9am, 10am,11am and no one here. I call Verizon India again. Another hour on the phone. They say the tech guy was running late on another job and would be here. I demand to speak to someone in America. Almost another hour on the phone waiting. They do not hire many Americans anymore, so they had a hard time locating one. I speak to a Richard in California. He insists someone will be here. No one shows. I call again and insist to speak to someone in America. Another hour wasted while they try to find someone, but they found Richard again. He insists they are working on the problem and someone will be here. 

We wait and wait. Nothing. No Verizon, no updates. I call again and by this time I am yelling my ass off at these people in India. I want someone in America now. Another hour waiting, but they found their token American again Richard. He said they had decided the problem was in the office and not in my apartment. I hit the roof. I yelled about the least they could do was to inform me and not keep putting me through this crap. He said he was very sorry. I told him he would be sorry when Verizon replaced his job for someone in India too. The sad thing was, I think he knew this. The sound in his voice told me this. For now he was the token American for Verizon, but soon he could be the un-employed American.

Our token American Richard tells me the problem would be fixed by morning. I was livid. This all could have been done a week ago when I told them it was on their end and not mine. They were so insistent that it was my lines, I brought everything new and replaced everything, hoping that maybe they were right and my Internet would come back. I ran from store to store getting the right wires and spent money that I did not need too. Richard tells me how sorry he was, but he will be the one sorry when Verizon replaces him with someone in India.

 Late that evening I get a text, My Internet is working it says. It is not. Once again I call India, insist on someone from America, and they make me wait for another hour. I am ready to smash everything tech in my apartment and I get Richard once again. He says I have to set up all my computers once again and takes me through the steps. I complain that Verizon should have told me this in the text, but at this point I feel the Internet coming closer and I just want it up and running. Finally everything clicks in. Lights start blinking, Times Square Gossip is on the screen again, and I just want to start working as my readers must be wondering where we are. I say goodnight to my token Verizon American. 

THE END IN SIGHT

 I am looking at other ways to get the Internet in Times Square. We do not have many choices. The big companies have eaten up all the smaller companies and the FCC allows this. This gives us little choices. I am really considering filing a small claims case against Verizon. I had to cancel Doctors appointments and spend untold hours on the phone with people in India. I could not work and the aggravation caused was just a horror. I am sure when I call Verizon, they will tell me they will credit me with the time everything was out. This is not good enough. They need to be held accountable. 

DON'T HIRE AMERICANS AND YOU DO NOT HAVE AMERICAN CUSTOMERS

America is hurting. More and more American companies are hiring in other countries. What these big corporations do not understand, if Americans do not have a job, they can not afford their product. It is a sin that they want our business but they do not want to hire us. I never once got a American on the phone until I demanded it and then it took so long for them to find one. They are in reality cutting their own throats. Sooner or later it will all catch up with them. We won't have jobs and we won't be able to afford Verizon. Their outsourcing is a horror to Americans and it is time we speak up. I know it's hard, but it is time to leave these companies that do not hire American. By leaving these corporations, the job you save might be yours!