In the mail two days ago I received an advertisement from Verizon that offered me 12 months of land-line service, including unlimited long-distance, at $19.99/month.
Intrigued, I called them up. In general I dislike telephone companies. They're huge bureaucracies. My experience has been that it is difficult to find any person, much less the person who can help you with your specific issue.
When I called Verizon up yesterday to find out more about the offer I was not surprised to find my expectations fulfilled.
At the top of the flyer I received was printed a contact number. The flyer was for new telephone service but when I called the number I was greeted by an automatic attendant that asked me for my Verizion telephone number. I don't have one (no land-line) so I pushed 0# and was transferred to hold.
I waited on hold for three minutes before an operator picked up the line. I tried to explain what I was looking for but was interrupted before I could complete my first sentence. "Let me transfer you," the operator said and without waiting for a response, he did. I was placed back to hold.
I waited on hold again for 10 minutes before a second operator answered the line. This time I was able to explain what it was that I was looking for. "Do you currently have Verizon service?" the operator asked. When I said that I didn't she said "I'll need to transfer you to new accounts." This operator was more helpful. When I said that I had already spent about twenty minutes and that I didn't want to be placed back on hold she said that she would stay on the line until the new accounts representative picked up the line, and she did.
The new accounts rep greeted me, asked for my name and address and then for my social security number. "You don't have to provide your social security number but we need to do a credit check. If you don't provide your social security number, your application may take longer to process." I thought about this for a moment. Why provide any personal information I don't have to, I reasoned, and told the new account rep that I would rather not provide my social security number. He said something about faxing but when I said that I did not have a fax machine nearby he recommended that I try the internet. I thanked him and hung up.
Later that evening, I went to Verzion.com and completed an internet account application. Again, I chose not to provide my social security number. I submitted my application and received an email confirmation asking me to call Verizon customer support at a number that was provided in the body of the email.
I made that call earlier today and was asked again for my social security number. Feeling beaten down a bit, I decided to provide it to the account rep but then was told that in order to verify my identity they would need to ask 5 questions including my place of work as reported on my income tax return. I asked the account rep how they would know this. She said through the credit bureau. I said, ask me the other four questions--let's come back to place of employment as I wasn't sure that Verizon had any business knowing where I work. She refused and I hung up the call.
My intention is to check my credit report to see if place of employment is indeed reported. If it is, I will be curious as how this information is obtained. I can't believe it is, as the Verizon sales rep stated, obtained from my tax return.
Also today I happened across an article on MSNBC that mentions how Verizon is experiencing a fall in the number of traditional line subscribers. I think the article, my negative experience with the Verizon beaucracy and Verizon's lawsuit against Vonage together show a business that has in the past been able to profit by regulation (like Ayn Rand's Oren Boyle) and which when now faced with a technologically superior upstart in Vonage (and other VOIP providers) is turning to the courts in an attempt to force consumers not to choose the better technology.
Intrigued, I called them up. In general I dislike telephone companies. They're huge bureaucracies. My experience has been that it is difficult to find any person, much less the person who can help you with your specific issue.
When I called Verizon up yesterday to find out more about the offer I was not surprised to find my expectations fulfilled.
At the top of the flyer I received was printed a contact number. The flyer was for new telephone service but when I called the number I was greeted by an automatic attendant that asked me for my Verizion telephone number. I don't have one (no land-line) so I pushed 0# and was transferred to hold.
I waited on hold for three minutes before an operator picked up the line. I tried to explain what I was looking for but was interrupted before I could complete my first sentence. "Let me transfer you," the operator said and without waiting for a response, he did. I was placed back to hold.
I waited on hold again for 10 minutes before a second operator answered the line. This time I was able to explain what it was that I was looking for. "Do you currently have Verizon service?" the operator asked. When I said that I didn't she said "I'll need to transfer you to new accounts." This operator was more helpful. When I said that I had already spent about twenty minutes and that I didn't want to be placed back on hold she said that she would stay on the line until the new accounts representative picked up the line, and she did.
The new accounts rep greeted me, asked for my name and address and then for my social security number. "You don't have to provide your social security number but we need to do a credit check. If you don't provide your social security number, your application may take longer to process." I thought about this for a moment. Why provide any personal information I don't have to, I reasoned, and told the new account rep that I would rather not provide my social security number. He said something about faxing but when I said that I did not have a fax machine nearby he recommended that I try the internet. I thanked him and hung up.
Later that evening, I went to Verzion.com and completed an internet account application. Again, I chose not to provide my social security number. I submitted my application and received an email confirmation asking me to call Verizon customer support at a number that was provided in the body of the email.
I made that call earlier today and was asked again for my social security number. Feeling beaten down a bit, I decided to provide it to the account rep but then was told that in order to verify my identity they would need to ask 5 questions including my place of work as reported on my income tax return. I asked the account rep how they would know this. She said through the credit bureau. I said, ask me the other four questions--let's come back to place of employment as I wasn't sure that Verizon had any business knowing where I work. She refused and I hung up the call.
My intention is to check my credit report to see if place of employment is indeed reported. If it is, I will be curious as how this information is obtained. I can't believe it is, as the Verizon sales rep stated, obtained from my tax return.
Also today I happened across an article on MSNBC that mentions how Verizon is experiencing a fall in the number of traditional line subscribers. I think the article, my negative experience with the Verizon beaucracy and Verizon's lawsuit against Vonage together show a business that has in the past been able to profit by regulation (like Ayn Rand's Oren Boyle) and which when now faced with a technologically superior upstart in Vonage (and other VOIP providers) is turning to the courts in an attempt to force consumers not to choose the better technology.
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