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<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">Greetings Everyone,</p><p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">Many, many thanks to all who replied.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0.2in"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">Hi Ian,</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">It looks like, we both had an
unpleasant experience dealing with Verizon. <br></p><p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">Ian and All,<br></p><p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">I believe they (Verizon) are
the most unpleasant of all the corporations, I have had to deal
with---horrible phone menus, so-called "customer service"
people, who ask needless questions, followed by robo-calls asking
similar questions all over again, followed up by a real person, who
asks more meaningless questions. Verizon needs a new
management.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">I knew it would be an unpleasant
experience, so when I noticed the line was dead on Monday, I figured
I would wait and hope the line would comeback to life. It
didn't. So Wednesday about noon, I called Verizon. I was
pure hell dealing with them. They kept insisting on FIOS.
I kept insisting, they repair the copper line. We went around and
around and around and around. They finally said they were
transferring me to another department. That's when the phone
went dead.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">So I called them back. The
Verizon phone hell resumed. We again went around and around and
around. Finally, they agreed to send a technician to repair the
copper line the next day between 8:00AM to 12:00PM. Lou Ann and
I waited, and waited and waited for the tech. So at 3:00PM, I
called them again, only to be told that they (Verizon) had canceled
the tech coming to our house, because we did not want FIOS.
They could have called us about the cancellation, but they didn't.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">I believe Verizon is a horrible
corporation, when it comes to how they treat their customers.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">When they explained canceling the
tech, I began to complain and complain and complain about Verizon's
customer disservice. I was thinking of filing official
complaints with government agencies and seeing a lawyer. I told
them so. I don't know if this was what got action, but they
again told me they were going to transfer my call. I warned,
"this is what you said before, and I was cut off and was left
holding a dead phone. Could you give me the phone number of the
department you are transferring me to?" I was told they
did not know the phone number, because they just hit a button.
But this time, I was connected and this department agreed to send a
tech to repair the copper lines.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">On Friday the tech arrived. He
seemed knowable and repaired by line. I was happy with him and
his work.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">He did ask why I did not want FIOS.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">I told him, it was because of both
privacy concerns and the long lasting battery at the central office.
I like the existing copper system because my phone has always
remained on during power outages. I also told him, that I am
also concerned with FIOS, because I do not want my phone to line to
be run through the Internet. The tech told me that when copper
lines are replaced with fiber optic, the fiber optic lines follow the
same path as did the copper lines--to the local central office etc..
He told me at no time does the fiber optic line which replaces the
copper line go over the Internet.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">He asked me why I did not like the
Verizon FIOS battery. I told him, it was because I had read
that in theory it had an 8 hour charge, but may not even last that
long. I told him, I had also read that when the battery dies,
it is the customer's problem, that all Verizon will do is sell the
customer a replacement battery. The tech told me this was the
old FIOS. He said that the current FIOS box, which they place
it the garage is no longer backed up by that type of battery, but if
it is backed up, it is done so with a power supply which can be
switched over to D-cell batteries. He also said some customers
do not want any battery backup, because they have cell phones. He
said in that case, they do not provide battery backup.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">The tech did repair my line, but
warned me, a day is coming when they will no longer repair these
copper lines.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">Many thanks to all of you. I
learned from reading your replies.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">I tend to like copper, because it
says up during prolonged power outages. I also wonder, if it is
more secure.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">About a year ago, a ham radio
operator told be he had renewed something online with a credit card.
on his cell phone. I asked him if the cell phone signal is
encrypted. He said he didn't know. It seems to me, if the
cell phone's signal is not encrypted it would be unsafe for sensitive
financial transactions either by voice or via the Internet.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.2in">I have also heard about Internet
phones --Voice Over IP. I believe Comcast has these. I have asked,
if these Internet phone are encrypted, and was told, "I don't
know." If they are not encrypted, they, I believe, would not be
safe to use for sensitive business or financial discussions.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Many thanks for all your replies. I
have learned from them.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Best Wishes</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Richard KI4KXJ<br><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">(Note: I believe today's modern digital
technology is wonderful, when it comes to email and surfing the
Internet. But I am very, very unhappy with the way businesses and
other organizations use it to put a wall between themselves and their
customers.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">And</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Coincidentally I happened to see a TV
program which said that in the early 2000's (perhaps 2002), the
telecoms lobbied for a bill which would allow them to abandon copper
lines and force fiber optic on their customers.)</p>
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