Question about upgrading Verizon FIOS

[purbeast0]

I've been with FIOS on the same plan since we first moved into this house in 2012. I may have upgraded my internet from 25mb to 75mb a while back, but I'm currently on 75mb. I'm also using the older set top boxes and the older multi-room DVR.

I was looking at what it would be to upgrade to gigabit and then upgrade to the newer multi-room DVR and set top boxes, and the price would be ridiculous. It would be like $230 or something like that, plus I'd have to pay $150 for the tech to come and install stuff.

If I were a new customer, this would be $177/mo and no fee for installation.

It's stupid how they do this but whatever.

Does anyone know if there is a way to get this deal as an existing customer? I am currently not in a contract either I am month to month.

Or has anyone just signed up in your spouses name as a new customer and then gotten the new customer rates? Since I'm month to month I could just cancel whenever I want so I don't see why that wouldn't work, but before I try that I'm wondering if anyone has done this successfully.

EDIT:

Looks like this is moot - a verizon person on chat just told me that it's perfectly valid to sign up as a new customer with my wife's name which I'm doing right now and getting the discount. I will then cancel mine after installation.

 

[MtnMan]

I've been with FIOS on the same plan since we first moved into this house in 2012. I may have upgraded my internet from 25mb to 75mb a while back, but I'm currently on 75mb. I'm also using the older set top boxes and the older multi-room DVR.

I was looking at what it would be to upgrade to gigabit and then upgrade to the newer multi-room DVR and set top boxes, and the price would be ridiculous. It would be like $230 or something like that, plus I'd have to pay $150 for the tech to come and install stuff.

If I were a new customer, this would be $177/mo and no fee for installation.

It's stupid how they do this but whatever.

Does anyone know if there is a way to get this deal as an existing customer? I am currently not in a contract either I am month to month.

Or has anyone just signed up in your spouses name as a new customer and then gotten the new customer rates? Since I'm month to month I could just cancel whenever I want so I don't see why that wouldn't work, but before I try that I'm wondering if anyone has done this successfully.

EDIT:

Looks like this is moot - a verizon person on chat just told me that it's perfectly valid to sign up as a new customer with my wife's name which I'm doing right now and getting the discount. I will then cancel mine after installation.

WOW, I hope Verizon doesn't review that agents calls, they will fire him on the spot. But great that he did that.

 

[zinfamous]

I was going to say that the best way to get a new customer deal is to tell them you are about to be a not-customer. ...it usually works, but it seems that you already found a rather frank, and strangely helpful CSR.

But my experience with FIOS has also been pretty good so far. Approaching the dreaded "2 year give my old deal!" phone call about a year ago, I called them expecting to be on the phone for about an hour at least, over 3 or 4 phone calls. I told them that I didn't like my bill going up from $55 to $90, they said it's because my introductory deal expired...I know, I said. I want to pay less. What do you want to pay? I told him that I like the current $60/month plan they offer to new customers with my service (Fiber only, 1gbit), and he said fine, let's do that.

It took maybe 5 minutes, lol.

 

[bbhaag]

So what you're saying is that you knew that you were receiving a two year introductory price and that it would go up after that time period expired but you didn't like that idea so you called into complain about this introductory price deal expiring even though you knew it was eventually going to happen when you first signed up and agreed to those terms.

I'll be honest bro you kinda sound like you might have a lil bit of a Karen complex in ya. Don't take offense to it I just call it like I see it.

 

[purbeast0]

WOW, I hope Verizon doesn't review that agents calls, they will fire him on the spot. But great that he did that.

So apparently the 2 people I talked to at Verizon were flat out lying to me and you are correct - this is straight up not allowed.

So after talking online to chat that told me I can do this, and then calling to cancel and that lady telling me it was also fine and they would cancel my access saturday at midnight so I could have the new service installed that same day at noon, she apparently f'd up.

She canceled my account today so I was on hold with Verizon for about 2 hours today so they could turn it back on and it just now finally started working.

The person I talked to told me that was flat out not allowed and it was a big reason it took them forever to turn my service back on. In fact they coudl not just turn it back on easily because a new installation was planned. She told me that my new account could/would be suspended in a month or two after a couple billing cycles went through. So she tried to work with me to get my current service back on cause I need it for work and my son needs it for school.

To make a long story short - turns out cause they canceled my account early without my concent, I am not a "new" customer and they could now give me "new customer" rates since my account was canceled. But I had to go through hoops and was literally on hold for 2 hours talking to them tonight and waited for a callback that I missed cause my call silences non-known calls.

But I think after I call tomorrow I will get the new rates with my old account. So I'll have faster net, more tv stations, and better dvr for less money now.

 

[purbeast0]

So what you're saying is that you knew that you were receiving a two year introductory price and that it would go up after that time period expired but you didn't like that idea so you called into complain about this introductory price deal expiring even though you knew it was eventually going to happen when you first signed up and agreed to those terms.

I'll be honest bro you kinda sound like you might have a lil bit of a Karen complex in ya. Don't take offense to it I just call it like I see it.

No I didn't say that at all.

L2R.

 

[bbhaag]

No I didn't say that at all.

L2R.

It's cool man I was talking to Zinfamous anyway not you. Sorry shoulda been more clear on that.

 

[VirtualLarry]

So what you're saying is that you knew that you were receiving a two year introductory price and that it would go up after that time period expired but you didn't like that idea so you called into complain about this introductory price deal expiring even though you knew it was eventually going to happen when you first signed up and agreed to those terms.

I'll be honest bro you kinda sound like you might have a lil bit of a Karen complex in ya. Don't take offense to it I just call it like I see it.

... and completely IGNORING the fact that American ISPs are nearly all PREDATORY MONOPOLIES, well, WHOOSH!

Edit: Look up, "art of negotiation". That like saying haggling with the used-car lot dealer down the street, is "being a Karen".

 

[bbhaag]

I don't see anything predatory when one enters into an agreement with another party especially when they fully understand the conditions of the agreement.

Look man I just call it like I see it no need to go caps on me with words like PREDATORY and MONOPOLIES......

 

[VirtualLarry]

You were basically implying that the consumer was at fault, fully, for dealing with these companies, and these companies had no fault.

They are known, FOR NOT FULLY SPECIFYING THE FULL TERMS UP FRONT of these ISP deals.

For example, "12 month introductory rate @ $68/mo for 100Mbit service, remaining months at full rate" (and then they make it hard to find out what "full rate" entails).

Or an ISP offering cable service, and they tack on below-the-line fees, that add on $6 for RSN and $4.50/mo for broadcast fee, plus $15/mo for the cable modem, an $4/mo for the STB, that aren't even disclosed up-front as part of the "Advertised" deal, using terms hidden deep in the agreement, such as "Taxes and Fees extra".

I fully support the democratic proposal to REQUIRE FULL DISCLOSURE UP-FRONT, ALL-IN, for cable / telecom / ISP deals.

Anything less than that, is, IMHO essentially fraudulent. Which is the state of the market today.

 

[bbhaag]

You were basically implying that the consumer was at fault, fully, for dealing with these companies, and these companies had no fault.

They are known, FOR NOT FULLY SPECIFYING THE FULL TERMS UP FRONT of these ISP deals.

For example, "12 month introductory rate @ $68/mo for 100Mbit service, remaining months at full rate" (and then they make it hard to find out what "full rate" entails).

Or an ISP offering cable service, and they tack on below-the-line fees, that add on $6 for RSN and $4.50/mo for broadcast fee, plus $15/mo for the cable modem, an $4/mo for the STB, that aren't even disclosed up-front as part of the "Advertised" deal, using terms hidden deep in the agreement, such as "Taxes and Fees extra".

I fully support the democratic proposal to REQUIRE FULL DISCLOSURE UP-FRONT, ALL-IN, for cable / telecom / ISP deals.

Anything less than that, is, IMHO essentially fraudulent. Which is the state of the market today.

Look friend I wasn't implying anything. I was specifically replying to the information provided by Zinfamous in post #3 and nothing more.

 

[snoopy7548]

A co-worker of mine lives in a condo with both Comcast and FIOS. After each promotion is up, he just calls the other company to sign up as a "new" customer, and flips back and forth between them.

 

[zinfamous]

So what you're saying is that you knew that you were receiving a two year introductory price and that it would go up after that time period expired but you didn't like that idea so you called into complain about this introductory price deal expiring even though you knew it was eventually going to happen when you first signed up and agreed to those terms.

I'll be honest bro you kinda sound like you might have a lil bit of a Karen complex in ya. Don't take offense to it I just call it like I see it.

Uh, this is exactly how you are supposed to work with them, though. Everyone knows that. Are you happy paying those guys more than even they are willing to charge you? Besides, everything is within contract terms.

Everything is negotiable. Everything.

 

[zinfamous]

Look friend I wasn't implying anything. I was specifically replying to the information provided by Zinfamous in post #3 and nothing more.

at least I got it the first time!

 

[IndyColtsFan]

So what you're saying is that you knew that you were receiving a two year introductory price and that it would go up after that time period expired but you didn't like that idea so you called into complain about this introductory price deal expiring even though you knew it was eventually going to happen when you first signed up and agreed to those terms.

I'll be honest bro you kinda sound like you might have a lil bit of a Karen complex in ya. Don't take offense to it I just call it like I see it.

No offense, but you’re dead wrong.

He may have signed an agreement to have a 2-year introductory price, but nowhere does it say he must stay with that vendor once the term expires. When that term expires, you’re free to try to wrangle another deal or move to another provider. Believe me, Spectrum doesn’t think twice or ask my consent when they add an additional $5 charge every few months.

I have called Bright House (and now Spectrum) many times over the years to chew them down on price. Since Spectrum has taken over, it generally doesn’t help so we just end up dropping services from them and then when they finally come around and offer a deal, we take it. I don’t have much of an option at this stage but when/if I do, I’ll drop Spectrum fast.

 

[pcslookout]

at least I got it the first time!

 

[MtnMan]

You were basically implying that the consumer was at fault, fully, for dealing with these companies, and these companies had no fault.

They are known, FOR NOT FULLY SPECIFYING THE FULL TERMS UP FRONT of these ISP deals.

For example, "12 month introductory rate @ $68/mo for 100Mbit service, remaining months at full rate" (and then they make it hard to find out what "full rate" entails).

Or an ISP offering cable service, and they tack on below-the-line fees, that add on $6 for RSN and $4.50/mo for broadcast fee, plus $15/mo for the cable modem, an $4/mo for the STB, that aren't even disclosed up-front as part of the "Advertised" deal, using terms hidden deep in the agreement, such as "Taxes and Fees extra".

I fully support the democratic proposal to REQUIRE FULL DISCLOSURE UP-FRONT, ALL-IN, for cable / telecom / ISP deals.

Anything less than that, is, IMHO essentially fraudulent. Which is the state of the market today.

I have spectrum internet 200/10 service. No phone or TV. My bill has one line item...

 

[pcslookout]

We pay $50 a month for 1 Gbps.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

It is impossible as an existing customer, you need to churn your account to become a shiny new customer to get good treatment.
What I do is my wife has the account for a year, cancels on the same day as my new install. Rinse and repeat.
I’ll be taking over the bill in February when our $15 per month credit expires.

my last attempt to change to a promo rate was I wanted the 100/100 $40 promo rate. I didn’t need the $150 gift card or other BS.
On the second attempt to change the rate I used the “rope a dope” technique. Did a chat, complimented the rep, got a call in number spoke with the reps supervisor, complemented that woman asked to send good wishes to her boss, got sent to call center manager said how wonderful the experience was, got exceeded to some other dude but sadly I hit voicemail on that guy. I unloaded about how outrageous it is that I am expected to pay nearly 150% more for the same damn service and how their perpetual thanking me for being a loyal customer better happen because I am paying twice the price for half the service.
Sadly it didn’t work because of voicemail. No call back.

BTW if there is nobody else in your home you can still sign up for new service by either:
Going online to apply and refuse to give your ssn# (this may or may not result in a deposit)
Going online and applying with a fake name. “Hugh Jassole” was able to get new service installed at my place for a $150 deposit refunded by a bill credit on month 13
Both options require some follow up and usually a phone call to an agent. You need to put a little work into it.

 

[kt]

I have spectrum internet 200/10 service. No phone or TV. My bill has one line item...

View attachment 35294

Your one line item is about increase by $5 soon. Spectrum already gave me shaft and I am ready to return the favor once my new internet connection gets installed.