I’ve been debating switching from Comcast to Fios for our home comm needs for a while now and every time I go to do it I work my way through the online ordering system and find so many taxes, rental fees and installation fees that it just doesn’t seem worth it to me.
They pimp there various triple play packages starting at $99 but that doesn’t include the (apparently manadatory) $7 subscriber line fee or something like that.
Also, they will only hook up 3 TV’s for free, then they charge you $20 per.
Plus, if I’m reading correctly, you MUST have a converter box for ALL of your TV’s that range in price from $6/mo for the SD box to $9/mo for the HD box. I don’t understand how they can claim that they sell TV service for price $XX but you must rent their converter box for additional $$ in order to use it. WTF???
Also, they charge $20/mo for a DVR box.
They also charge $3/mo to have an unlisted phone number!! A monthly charge for THAT!!! WTF???WTF???WTF???
Everything listed above is required to use the service except the extra $10 for a DVR box.
I mainly want to switch because I HATE Comcasts DVR menu and their customer service sucks but the more I look into Fios the more it seems like a huge rip off since they soak you for like $50/mo more than the advertised price to use basic features like the TV and what not. The internet works fine though and I don’t really need more speed since I don’t game online a whole lot.
Anyone have insight into this? Thoughts? Experience? Verizon is giving away netbooks and mini camcorders to people who sign up right now.
Without looking at a bill, I can’t remember how much I’m paying in fees/taxes/bullshit for Fios. No question the $99 price is a total lure.
I got in on Fios early (my town was one of the first to get it) and there were a lot of incentives, i.e. fees waived for the first year, etc, so I got the 3-service package close to $99 for at least a year, then it jumped up after the incentives ended. Oh, and I only have the one TV, so the extra boxes/installation fees did not apply to me.
All that said, I have been extremely happy with it, and am very glad I switched from Comcast. The installation was painless - the guy was on time (!!!), friendly, gave me a free HDMI cable. My internet has not cut out a single time in the years I’ve had it, I’ve never had a problem with the TV, the HD picture is excellent, and they keep adding HD channels to the basic line-up. The customer service (the few times I’ve had to use it) has been way better than Comcast, but of course that bar is so low it annoys the gophers.
I wish the standard HD-DVR had more storage space, but that’s a minor problem for me.
Summary: I may or may not be getting the cheapest deal, but the service is good and reliable, so I don’t think twice about the price.
Yeah I haven’t had major customer service issues with comcast yet. I mainly want faster net and a better interface for the DVR. Frankly I don’t understand how they can advertise TV at a certain price but require you to pay more to use it at all. That’d be like the phone company charging you for phone service and then charging you extra for the line from the pole to the house. It’s bullshit.
I agree, but I’ve had DirecTV, Comcast, and Verizon, and they’ve all had bullshit fees that rack up the price. It no longer surprises me.
Just have fun with Verizon e-mail if you use something other than webmail.
But hey, at least they’re not COX.