*&)*( Verizon

[Grandpa Shooter]

Verizon recently bought out Bluegrass Cellular here in Ky.  We dropped Verizon when we moved here 8 years ago because Verizon sucked back then.  It hasn't improved.  After the buy out we got a double bill because Bluegrass never collected the last bill, they cut off our voice mail, stopped all previous bank authorizations, and dropped the designation of administrator of the account.  Worst of all, they started doing "upgrades" to the service, all of which suck in my opinion.  An upgrade is when they contact a customer and ask, "We have this available, would you like it?" not turning your phone on and finding they have added chat, rearranged your screens and icons, drained your battery with unnecessary crap, and don't ever answer their phones.  I have had to go to an office 5 times already to try and get stuff straightened out, and if it is a previous Bluegrass employee, they admit they don't know what or why Verizon is doing what they have.  Acquisitions should be planned and executed seamlessly, not inflict as much damage as Verizon has.  They are trying to squeeze me into buy a new phone, and they don't have phones in stock to sell.  Since my phone has to connect to my hearing aids, they have to prove whatever they are selling will connect, not sell me one of the few they have in stock and make me go through finding out it doesn't work and returning it.  What a major PIA this has turned into.  I talk, text, and use mapping.  That's all a phone has to do.  It's a phone for God's sake, not the be all, end all of my daily life.

[Cliffh]

  I talk, text, and use mapping.  That's all a phone has to do.  It's a phone for God's sake, not the be all, end all of my daily life.

For me, a phone is a telephone.  I was very happy with my old flip phone.  I "upgraded" to a cheap ass Samsung (~$40) because the aholes at corp decided to do away with the time clocks.  We now have to clock in and out using their crappy* app on a smartphone.

*I call it crappy 'cause it's a POS.  ~30% of the time it'll log you out for no reason, and uses a two step verification to log back in.  Lots of fun when there are customers standing there waiting (in)patiently for you to clock back in from lunch.  ~40% of the time you've got to play games to get it to recognize where you are or what the "official" time is; games like starting Google maps to kick start the "where the hell am I" part of the app.  (You have to be in the building to clock in/out, of course).  The problems are not due to my cheap phone, everyone has the same problems.

[Hawkmoon]

^^^ You really have to wonder why so many management types think "new and different" HAS TO BE better. They need to learn the inherent value of "If it ain't broke -- don't fix it."

[K Frame]

I was with Verizon for well over 20 years. Was always fairly happy with their service. I still have Verizon for home TV, internet, and phone.

But there are times when I really wonder what the hell they're doing.

Would you be better served with a phone/plan from Walmart  (Straight Talk) or Consumer Cellular?

[230RN]

^^^ You really have to wonder why so many management types think "new and different" HAS TO BE better. They need to learn the inherent value of "If it ain't broke -- don't fix it."

Amen.

Pack behavior.  That's the least unfavorable thing I can say about it.

"The razor leading edge of technology."

Don't cut yourself with it.

Terry, 230RN
----------------------------------------

I'm constantly being reminded that Medicine is a business and Insurance inevitably drives the cost of services up.

[Hawkmoon]

Amen.

Pack behavior.  That's the least unfavorable thing I can say about it.

"The razor leading edge of technology."

Don't cut yourself with it.

It isn't called "The Bleeding Edge" for nothing.

[MechAg94]

^^^ You really have to wonder why so many management types think "new and different" HAS TO BE better. They need to learn the inherent value of "If it ain't broke -- don't fix it."

It seems to me it always starts with some middle management type trying to make a name for themselves by pushing for an upgrade to something that works then championing the new system until it gets rolled out.  They usually leave for another job about that time to avoid having to actually make the new system work or explaining that they weren't actually ready by the roll-out deadline. 

[sumpnz]

Verizon sucks.  If the others available here didn’t suck as much or more I’d switch.  Whatever the others might make up in terms of customer service I’d lose in signal strength at home.

[Grandpa Shooter]

Verizon sucks.  If the others available here didn’t suck as much or more I’d switch.  Whatever the others might make up in terms of customer service I’d lose in signal strength at home.

Exactly.  Verizon is the only one that serves the corridor we travel in reliably.  Bluegrass used Verizon's towers but was a local customer friendly company.  Verizon is based on numbers, not customer service.  Even the Bluegrass people who stayed on can't explain what the hell Verizon  is doing.  Nothing on my phone is the same now, even the calculator function. It sucks.

[Ben]

Verizon sucks.  If the others available here didn’t suck as much or more I’d switch.  Whatever the others might make up in terms of customer service I’d lose in signal strength at home.

I look at Verizon the same way I do Google. I'd like to quit them, but you lose a lot to be free.

Back when I traveled a lot, and was switching between Verizon, Nextel, and Sprint, I was always going back to Verizon for coverage. I don't travel much anymore, and could justify switching now, except that again, Verizon is the carrier that gives the best coverage in my neck of the woods. Locals using other carriers are always complaining about lack of bars here.

For Grandpa Shooter, I would suggest looking into Verizon prepaid. You get a bit more freedom and it's usually cheaper than the regular plans.

[Grandpa Shooter]

I look at Verizon the same way I do Google. I'd like to quit them, but you lose a lot to be free.

Back when I traveled a lot, and was switching between Verizon, Nextel, and Sprint, I was always going back to Verizon for coverage. I don't travel much anymore, and could justify switching now, except that again, Verizon is the carrier that gives the best coverage in my neck of the woods. Locals using other carriers are always complaining about lack of bars here.

For Grandpa Shooter, I would suggest looking into Verizon prepaid. You get a bit more freedom and it's usually cheaper than the regular plans.

Does that mean they would stop cramming updates and apps down my throat?  I liked my phone the way I had it set up and it didn't need "improvement" by them.  Our phone bill is only $112 a month so it's not the money, it is the way they do business.  I think it was Hawk who said if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Under Bluegrass it wasn't broke.

[HeroHog]

We went to Verizon YEARS (a decade+) ago as they, at the time, had the best nationwide coverage and best covered the places I was likely to be travel to. Now, we use Xfinity Wireless and are quite happy with it, of course, we mainly use it through WiFi as we are homebodies these days. It is SUPER CHEAP, < $17/mo, if you use less than a gig of data, SMS Text not included, a month.

[Grandpa Shooter]

We went to Verizon YEARS (a decade+) ago as they, at the time, had the best nationwide coverage and best covered the places I was likely to be travel to. Now, we use Xfinity Wireless and are quite happy with it, of course, we mainly use it through WiFi as we are homebodies these days. It is SUPER CHEAP, < $17/mo, if you use less than a gig of data, SMS Text not included, a month.

Never heard of Xfinity.  Where in the country are you?  We are in north central Kentucky.

[sumpnz]

HeroHog is in Louisiana.  I’m in WA state and Xfinity is pretty common up here too.

[Grandpa Shooter]

Follow up on my troubles with Verizon messing with my phone.  For a number of days I had issues with my phone's Bluetooth capability and couldn't get it to pair with my hearing aids.  A techie young friend of mine worked his magic and got it straightened out.  I had lunch today with another Bluegrass Customer (now Verizon) who says his phone stopped connecting to his hearing aid and cochlear implant, without which he is totally deaf.  Coincidence, I think not.  I have an android phone and he has a smart phone so totally different operating systems.  Why oh why do they mess with us?

[HeroHog]

Xfinity ~ Comcast's new name. My internet/cable service.

[MillCreek]

We have Xfinity/Comcast digital TV cable and Internet via copper cable and Verizon for our wireless 45 miles north of Seattle. Verizon is the only wireless carrier we have found that gives decent signal strength in Washington state for her iPhone and my Samsung, especially the further away we get from I-5 or I-90; i.e.: the more rural areas of the state and when we travel.

[Brad Johnson]

I have Verizon. SWMBO is on T-Mobile as a "transitioned" Sprint customer. Neither is trouble-free, but Verizon has at least been semi-reliable. T-Mobile craps the bed in a lot of the rural places we visit. I haven't had the issues GS is experiencing, but I also haven't been migrated across providers like he has.

When SWMBO's contract runs out we'll probably get her added to my Verizon account.

Brad

[RocketMan]

Wifey and I migrated from AT&T to Consumer Cellular a few years ago.  Cost was a major factor in our decision as there were significant savings.  CC piggy backs off of AT&T and maybe another major carrier, so coverage has not been an issue for us.

[Grandpa Shooter]

I just looked up the hearing aid manufacturer's home page on pairing to an Android phone, and sure enough it addresses what happens when a carrier updates the OS.  It makes the program inoperable.  I still get bluetooth to my computer, or Youtube music, but lose all control over the hearing aid program.  If I get a call it connects to my hearing aids, but I could not tune it, or access the custom programs I had set up for everyday use.  I should be able to control each hearing aid separately, as well as set balance, base, treble, all that jazz.  I had 6 programs set for places like, church, bowling, restaurant, etc. where I could soften sharp sounds and boost speech. I am not techie at all, but I followed the instructions and got control back over the custom settings functions for my hearing aids.  Yay, I'm proud of me.