Fun with Verizon

vsp · 07-14-2003, 09:32 AM

A couple of months ago, Verizon Online reduced its base (768k) DSL rate from $50 to $34.95 per month. This is, in and of itself, a good thing.

When the offer was first made, it was for new customers. I called up and said "I'm an existing customer, whaddya got for me?" Along with changing the price, they said I'd be converted to a 1.5mbps line for no additional charge. "Sweet," says I.

A week or two passed, and I noticed no appreciable speed gains. I called up Verizon Online, and they told me that according to their records, the maintenance had been performed; the person tested my line, said everything checked out, and said that I should have 1.5mbps now.

So I spent the last month or two exhaustively testing things from my end. Web speed tests, FTP, USENET, DSL tweaking sites and utils... and every time, I kept getting results in the 650-700kbps range, which isn't bad throughput at all for a 768k line, but obviously unacceptable for a 1.5mbps.

I called them yesterday over an unrelated problem, brought the speed issue up, and the techie agreed that it was quite suspicious. He had me call the main office today, and the support person says...

(drumroll, please...)

...that I'm too far away from the CO (about 15000 feet) to qualify for 1.5mbps service, as I'd need to be within 12000 feet, and thus I was still on the 768kbps limit.

I can live with 768k -- it's still pretty damned fast. My dad lives about a mile or two away and can't get DSL _at all_, so I'm happy for what I've got. Still, I'm furious that <b>somebody</b> was or is lying to me. Either it checked out properly in April or it didn't, dammit...

juju · 07-14-2003, 02:21 PM

It's been two weeks since I've moved, and I STILL don't have my DSL back. I hate the DSL company! I want them all to die!

They said I'd have it last Monday. I didn't. Then they said I'd have it today. I still don't. I am withering in dial-up hell. Help me!

I fear that if I call them again, they will just tell me it will be next Monday.

07-14-2003, 09:32 AM	#1
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Fun with Verizon A couple of months ago, Verizon Online reduced its base (768k) DSL rate from $50 to $34.95 per month. This is, in and of itself, a good thing. When the offer was first made, it was for new customers. I called up and said "I'm an existing customer, whaddya got for me?" Along with changing the price, they said I'd be converted to a 1.5mbps line for no additional charge. "Sweet," says I. A week or two passed, and I noticed no appreciable speed gains. I called up Verizon Online, and they told me that according to their records, the maintenance had been performed; the person tested my line, said everything checked out, and said that I should have 1.5mbps now. So I spent the last month or two exhaustively testing things from my end. Web speed tests, FTP, USENET, DSL tweaking sites and utils... and every time, I kept getting results in the 650-700kbps range, which isn't bad throughput at all for a 768k line, but obviously unacceptable for a 1.5mbps. I called them yesterday over an unrelated problem, brought the speed issue up, and the techie agreed that it was quite suspicious. He had me call the main office today, and the support person says... (drumroll, please...) ...that I'm too far away from the CO (about 15000 feet) to qualify for 1.5mbps service, as I'd need to be within 12000 feet, and thus I was still on the 768kbps limit. I can live with 768k -- it's still pretty damned fast. My dad lives about a mile or two away and can't get DSL _at all_, so I'm happy for what I've got. Still, I'm furious that <b>somebody</b> was or is lying to me. Either it checked out properly in April or it didn't, dammit...

07-14-2003, 02:21 PM	#2
juju no one of consequence Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Arkansas Posts: 2,839	It's been two weeks since I've moved, and I STILL don't have my DSL back. I hate the DSL company! I want them all to die! They said I'd have it last Monday. I didn't. Then they said I'd have it today. I still don't. I am withering in dial-up hell. Help me! I fear that if I call them again, they will just tell me it will be next Monday.

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