Complaint Review: Verizon Communications - Marshfield Wisconsin

I ordered a verizon bundle in July of 09.  At that time I ordered 3 services, phone, internet and Direct TV.  My Direct TV was hooked up within a couple of days of my order but it took Verizon another 5 or so weeks to hook up my phone/internet which did not make me happy at all.  Seriously 5 weeks to set it up seems like poor customer service.  I should have run the opposite direction at that time. 

During the time I waited for my phone/internet service, I started receiving bills from Direct TV for services.  I paid bills for two months to Direct TV totaling $186.40.  Then I also started being charged by Verizon for the phone/internet.  None of these charges were at the bundled rate.  In September I called Verizon (their customer service line is so aggravating - it is almost impossible to find a way to talk to someone) and spoke to a rep who told me that the services will all be combined the system just needed to catch up and that I would see credits coming back to my account for the amount I was overcharged. 

I let it go at that point and continued to pay my Verizon bill but made no more payments to Direct TV.  A week ago I had my Direct TV shut off, when I contacted them they said that they had no record of my being part of a bundle with Verizon and if I was they were not receiving any payments from them.  I then asked what I needed to do, they said that I needed to pay my balance through Direct TV and they would put my service back up and then I would need to contact Verizon about the bundle issue. 

I then contacted Verizon last Friday and asked them if I had a record of my being in a bundle, they said the only bundle they show me on is a phone/internet bundle.  I then explained to them the situation and they said they needed to send it too their offline team who would contact me in 24 to 72 hours.  (Again - great customer service.)  I made a follow-up call on Tuesday to find out they were still working on it.  Then I made another follow-up call on Wednesday and asked the person to escalate me right away because I was frustrated beyond belief at that point.

The "Escalation team" was a joke.  He told me that I was now signed up for all 3 services in a bundle (and just for the record - no call was ever made to me from an "offline team".  He then explained to me that I would need to pay my balances on both accounts so they get to $0.00 before the bundle status will kick in.

Having already paid $600 for 4 months of service when I signed up for a $99.99 bundle originally, I was not about to pay the remaining $200 balance that existed!!! I don't have them money to do that. 

And why should I pay when none of this was my fault and that balance is basically red tape from my being overcharged because of their mistake.  The joke of a customer service rep basically said it was my fault because I didn't have both accounts paid off.  

Well, tell me why that is my fault when I was never told that this was required, when I made a commitment to pay a bundle fee Verizon for my bills - not Direct TV.    In addition,  Direct TV and Verizon have two different DUE cycles - one on the 15th and one at the end of the month so having both at a $0 balance in unrealistic.

After being so upset, I asked him to put me through to his Manager.  He said he is as high as I can go right now but he could have a Manager contact me within 24 to 72 hours yet again.  What A joke and what terrible customer service.  It is now 24 hours later I have yet to receive a call from this Manager.

I am a single mom and live paycheck to paycheck.  I don't have hundreds of extra dollars to pay out until they get their act together.

Verizon made me feel like a criminal rather than a valued customer or even an non-valued customer for that matter.