“It’s FairPoint Communications all over again,” writes Stop the Cap! reader Jenna who is mad as hell with Verizon Communications who first locked her out of her e-mail account, and then accidentally deleted it, along with all of her e-mail, in preparation for the handover to Frontier Communications.

Jenna is referring to similar debacles which caused billing and service nightmares for residents in northern New England who lost their Internet access for days, along with e-mail accounts, followed by months of inaccurate bills when FairPoint moved away from Verizon’s internal systems.

Her problems started the last weekend of March, when Verizon notified Jenna and other Fort Wayne, Indiana residents who use Verizon Yahoo! e-mail service that they would have to take steps to convert their e-mail accounts.

Verizon Yahoo!: Service No Longer Available in Some Areas

Starting March 27, 2010, Verizon Yahoo! for Broadband will be discontinued in the following areas:

AZ, ID, IL, IN, MI, NV, NC (except Knotts Island), OH, OR, SC, Crows-Hermatite (VA), WA, WI, and the following communities in California that border AZ, NV and OR–Big River, Blythe, Coleville, Crescent City, Desert Center, Eagle Mountain, Earp, Felicity, Fort Dick, Gasquet, Klamath, Kneeland, Markleeville, Merced, Needles, Orick, Parker Dam, Ripley, Smith River, Topaz, Trinidad, Vidal and Winterhaven.

These changes will not impact your Verizon Internet service access plan or pricing, and your Verizon.net email primary and sub-account User names and passwords will stay the same.

“They told us we would have to use this service called Verizon TrueSwitch in order to convert our e-mail box and that all of our contacts and existing e-mail would be transferred from the old Yahoo! webmail account to the new Verizon one,” Jenna writes.

But her experience with Verizon TrueSwitch turned into a TrueNightmare when attempts to use the service resulted in error messages.

“First it popped up with ‘unable to authenticate’ error messages, and then we were locked out of our Yahoo! e-mail account.  The Verizon e-mail account worked, but was empty,” she writes. “I tried to use Verizon’s ‘in-home agent’ online support but it suddenly told me it was ‘only available to Verizon customers.’  Apparently they can’t wait to get rid of us.”

Jenna then did what most customers of a phone company might do — she picked up her phone and called customer service.

“That was the second nightmare — I waited on hold 49 minutes the first time before a representative came on the line, sneezed, and then disconnected me.  The second call was a real marathon — over two hours on hold waiting for someone to help me,” Jenna notes.

When a representative did finally speak to Jenna, she apologized for the delay and candidly admitted their call center was swamped with calls regarding the e-mail conversion.

“When she thought she put me on hold, I was able to overhear her talking with someone else about getting word from a supervisor that the problem was somewhere on their end, and she felt bad because she had spent a good part of the morning blaming TrueSwitch, which I later found out was not even owned by Verizon — it’s a service sold by Esaya, a private third-party company,” Jenna says.

Jenna was transferred to a supervisor when attempts to correct her e-mail account lockout were not working.

“The guy they transferred me to wouldn’t listen to me and kept telling me he knew what the problem was, claiming I had ‘sub-accounts’ and they were messing up their systems,” said Jenna. “But Mr. Expert ended up permanently deleting the account, along with all of my e-mail, contacts, and everything else Verizon claimed I was able to store online.  Years of e-mail and contacts — gone.”

Jenna was right when she noted Verizon’s call centers were jammed with customers experiencing similar problems.

Verizon’s own customer support forum is hot with angry customers who are going through the same thing:

• Verizon/Yahoo! ‘Devilish Switch’
• Verizon Sold Everything to Frontier
• I’m Not Able to Receive E-Mail
• New Set-Up
• Verizon E-Mail Has Been Down for a Week

Verizon spokesman Harry Mitchell acknowledged the significant e-mail conversion issues were partly in preparation for the pending transition some customers face to Frontier Communications.

“The systems realignment will facilitate the closing of the transaction with Frontier, which we expect at the end of the second quarter, subject to conditions including regulatory approval,” Mitchell told the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette.

Mitchell released a statement to the paper regarding the problems:

“In advance of a planned systems conversion over the weekend of March 27-28, Verizon online users who maintain e-mail accounts with Yahoo were notified that a customer-initiated service change would be required following the systems conversion in order to maintain their e-mail service,” he said in an e-mail.

“Customers were given instructions to use a ‘Trueswitch’ service to migrate their existing e-mail and contact information from Verizon Yahoo to Verizon servers in order to maintain e-mail access. Some customers have experienced difficulty when trying to initiate the service change. We’re working to address this as quickly as possible with those customers.”

Mitchell stressed that customers should make sure they validate their passwords in both the Verizon.net e-mail system and the Verizon Yahoo e-mail system. And they should “take extra care to write down those passwords so that, if they want to migrate their old e-mail and contact information, it will go smoothly through the Trueswitch process.”

Unfortunately, that won’t help Jenna.

A supervisor contacted her this week to apologize for the problems and the loss of her e-mail, which may not be gone for good if Verizon and Yahoo! can figure out a way to get the deleted account back, but for Jenna the damage has been done.

“I have read Stop the Cap! since 2008 and followed the misadventures of FairPoint Communications and the endless promises from Frontier they won’t repeat the mistakes the others have made, but it’s a case of ‘here we go again,’ and Frontier isn’t even in the picture yet,” she says.  “Verizon clearly can’t wait to get rid of us and Frontier will probably make us wish we had Verizon back, which should tell you the people of Fort Wayne now live on the corner of Rock Avenue and Hard Place.”

A survey released this week by Arbitron Inc. and Edison Media Research found, for the first time, that Americans are more willing to give up TV than the Internet.

Asked to choose the ”most essential” medium, 42 percent of the survey’s 1,753 respondents picked the Internet, 37 percent picked TV, 14 percent said radio and 5 percent said those dead-tree format newspapers.

That represents more evidence that major telecommunications companies will need to lasso control of the Internet before the cable television profit train derails.  That’s because the Internet delivers the prospect of a two-for-one deal.  Enjoy your online web surfing -and- stream your favorite television shows online at the same time — no more ever-increasing cable-TV bill for channels you never asked for and don’t watch.

Even more worrying for big cable — young people are increasingly never bothering to sign up for cable television in the first place.  In the 18-24 age group, 74 percent said they would quit TV before surrendering the Web, and many never bothered with subscription television to begin with.

The last time Arbitron and Edison posed this question in a survey was in 2001, back when dial-up access still predominated.  Back then, 72 percent of respondents said they could do without Internet and 26 percent said they’d give up TV.

“The shift over these nine years has been steady and profound,” said Edison Research president Larry Rosin.

Some consumers don’t want to watch television over their computers and would prefer to be entertained in a comfortable chair in the living room.  But Internet video innovation is increasingly solving that problem by coupling your television or DVD player to the web.  Several providers like Netflix even deliver their streaming video service through video game consoles.

How do cable companies stop the herd mentality to broadband video, leaving those big cable TV bills behind?  Stick a meter on broadband service, and charge consumers for every TV show they watch or simply put a limit on their broadband service.  The broadband usage cap or meter can, indeed, kill the online video star.

[flv width=”512″ height=”308″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WJW Cleveland The Download Internet More Important Than TV 4-9-10.flv[/flv]

WJW-TV in Cleveland reports that more people are ready to ditch their televisions than being willing to part with their Internet connection.  (3 minutes)

How would you like to open your AT&T bill and discover you were overcharged more than $1,000?

An AT&T-admitted “computer glitch” is routinely overbilling customers in Tennessee several hundred dollars a month for charges that are supposed to be included in their service plan at no additional cost.

One Clarksville woman has been getting bills nearing $1,000 a month every month since January, and AT&T is well aware of its mistake, crediting her bill each times she calls.

But Belinda Horton wonders what happens to other customers, especially the poor and elderly, who may not be up to scrutinizing their phone bills every month and aggressively pursuing credits from the phone company.

“This is crazy. This keeps happening over and over,” Horton told WSMV-TV in Nashville. “When I got the next bill, it was $921.”

Now she’s fed up.

“At this point, they can correct my bill, and then they can just keep AT&T,” said Horton. “Everyone needs to check their bills.”

[flv width=”480″ height=”380″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WSMV Nashville Customer’s Phone Bill Severely Overcharged 4-12-10.flv[/flv]

WSMV-TV in Nashville tells the story of Belinda Horton, a resident of Clarksville who is routinely overbilled by AT&T up to $1,000 every month since January.  She isn’t alone.  (3 minutes)

Some odds and ends regarding Bright House Networks you may have missed over the past several weeks:

Hernando County, Florida Ticked Off About Bright House Rate Hikes

Hernando County commissioners were united in their opposition to a recent $3 rate increase from Bright House Networks that spiked bills for standard service to $55.49 a month.  They voted unanimously for a resolution condemning the rate increase, noting it comes as a result of insufficient cable competition.

The commissioners want local consumers to shop around for alternative providers, but outside of satellite, Bright House is the only cable television provider for local residents.  Despite tough economic times, the rate increases just keep on coming.

“This, for lack of better words, really frosts me,” County Commissioner Dave Russell told Hernando Today. “As a retailer and a business owner in Hernando County, we’ve done what we can to keep our prices down.”
Bright House, he said, should do the same and “suck it up just like the rest of us have,” he said.

Additional rate increases of $2 per month for HBO and $1 a month each for digital phone, voicemail, and DVR service are also now in effect.

Vandals cut fiber optics on Bright House Networks in Birmingham area

Vandalism can result in major service disruptions for cable customers, especially when a fiber optic link is cut.  The Birmingham, Alabama area suffered a major outage in late February when vandals sliced an important fiber link.  Service was knocked out on the west side of Birmingham, including Five Points West, Ensley, and part of Ross Bridge for almost a day.

Customers generally have to call and request service credit for outages — most cable companies don’t automatically credit accounts.

Make Room for More HD Channels

Bright House Networks has been aggressively adding new HD channels to its lineups across the country.  In central Indiana, Bright House customers can spend even more time channel surfing through these additions:

• BBC America HD – Channel 847 on December 14
• Fuse HD – Channel 840 on December 16
• G4 HD – Channel 810 on December 16
• HLN HD – Channel 726 on December 14
• IFC HD – Channel 794 on December 11
• Investigation Discovery HD – Channel 804 on December 18
• MAV TV HD – Channel 753 on December 18
• NBA TV HD – Channel 862 on December 18
• NHL Network HD – Channel 863 on December 11
• Outdoor Channel HD – Channel 865 on December 11
• Style HD – Channel 860 on December 14
• Tennis Channel HD – Channel 864 on December 11
• TV One HD – Channel 866 on December 16
• BET HD – Channel 736
• Cinemax HD – Ch. 228
• CMT HD – Ch. 743
• Comedy Central HD – Ch. 725
• Crime & Investigation Network HD – Ch. 852
• Game HD – Ch. 904
• Hallmark  Channel  HD – Ch. 757
• HD Pay Per View Events – Ch. 304
• History International HD – Ch. 817
• MTV HD – Ch. 775
• Nickelodeon HD – Ch. 744
• Spike TV HD – Ch. 724
• Team HD – Ch. 886
• The Movie Channel HD – Ch. 262
• VH1 HD – Ch. 741

Wayde Klein, vice president of marketing and customer operations for Bright House Networks Indiana, said “In October, we announced that Bright House Networks had a goal of offering more than 100 high-definition channels in early 2010. We started by launching 17 HD channels in 17 consecutive days in November and then launched 13 new HD channels in December. Our launch of 15 HD channels this week is one step closer to our goal.”

In Orlando, Bright House added these networks in March:

• Hallmark Channel HD at channel 1315
• Nickelodeon HD at channel 1333
• Comedy Central HD at channel 1366
• Spike HD at channel 1368
• BET HD at channel 1367
• CMT HD at channel 1371
• VH1 HD at channel 1372
• MTV HD at channel 1374

Questions Answered from Bright House Customers

The St. Petersburg Times tackled this one from a Bright House customer:

Why doesn’t Bright House tell their customers that they have to pay for faster connection?

-Stephen, St. Petersburg

Like Big Mama always said, “you can’t get something for nothing.”

Bright House says customers are informed that the faster connections cost more. The higher speed Internet connections are not automatically given to customers.

“You have to request it,” says Joe Durkin, a spokesman for Bright House Networks.

Standard roadrunner Internet service is about $48. Then you can get Roadrunner turbo for $15 more or the fastest, Roadrunner lightning, for $30 above the standard.

The additional charges are listed, even online.

Bright House serves a large part of central Florida.  Comcast Cable serves territories further south.

[flv width=”576″ height=”409″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/Bright House Ad Campaign Spring 2010.mp4[/flv]

Bright House launched a new ad campaign this spring emphasizing bright colors and product bundles.

Here is how DataJack was marketing themselves back in January

DataJack, the 3G mobile broadband service that was promising unlimited wireless broadband service for $39.99 a month is back — with an all-new 5GB monthly usage cap, a new provider, and hassles for existing customers who must swap out their existing wireless modem.

Stop the Cap! first covered DataJack back in January, when customers were howling about the company’s lousy customer service and its tendency to “stretch the truth” about its coverage area, speeds, and even the availability of the product itself.

Rumors about a major spat between its original data service provider, presumably T-Mobile (based on the fact DataJack and T-Mobile had identical coverage maps back in January) and DataJack led the company to stop signing up new customers.  Since January, DataJack’s website has told would-be customers that the wireless modem necessary to use it was “out of stock.”

DataJack remained in limbo until the first week of April, when the company began e-mailing updates to dealers and customers about major changes to the company and its marketing:

1. “Unlimited” service is history, not that DataJack ever really offered it.  Many customers who used the service in excess of 5GB per month were notified their account would be closed at the end of the month’s billing cycle.  “Companies like DataJack have an English language comprehension problem,” writes Stop the Cap! reader Kevin. “The word ‘unlimited’ means ‘without limit,’ — a concept DataJack routinely ignored when throwing people off their service.”  New customers will be subject to a formal 5 GB usage cap.
2. Customers who did manage to get modems from DataJack may find they may no longer work after this Thursday.  The company is dropping GSM-based network service and moving to a CDMA network (either Sprint or Verizon — most believe the former), which means obtaining a new modem.  At least that will be offered free of charge to inconvenienced current customers.
3. The price for new customers is going up $10 per month — to $49.99 for 5 GB of service.  Existing customers get to retain service for $39.99 a month, albeit with the new usage cap.  The DataJack website has still not been updated to reflect the new pricing.

Kevin is taking a walk far away from DataJack:

“These people don’t have the first clue how to run a business.  Their entire marketing plan just a few months earlier was based on the premise of unlimited service.  They apparently got into trouble with their provider, another sign that doesn’t inspire confidence, and now they’re e-mailing customers telling them they literally have days to complete an equipment swap or lose service?  In the end, they were punishing people for actually believing their marketing nonsense about “unlimited” service and now they want people to believe a $10 price hike for less service is good news?  After everything that has happened with these people since January, who knows what will happen next month.  I’m not about to wait around to find out.”

Dealers were the first to be notified about the company changes.  Stop the Cap! obtained this copy of a message sent to DataJack retailers:

Dear DataJack Dealer,

Please note that Effective April 2, 2010, the following changes were made to our terms and conditions:

Service Usage. We reserve the right to safeguard our network from abuse, excessive bandwidth consumption or any activity that compromises the performance of our network. We may limit throughput speeds, control the amount of data transferred, and suspend, modify or terminate service, without notice, if your usage adversely impacts our network or exceeds 5 GB in a given month. We may monitor your compliance with the above but will not monitor the content of your transmissions except as otherwise expressly permitted or required by law.

Prohibited Uses. The service may not be used in a manner that violates any law (including without limitation, copyright and intellectual property laws); or the Service Usage clause.

We have found it necessary to implement these measures to ensure our DataJack customers are given the opportunity to access reliable, high speed, wireless internet service at a reasonable price.

95% of our customers will not be impacted by these new provisions; however, if a customer who is impacted visits your store and requests a refund due to no longer having access to the service, please direct them to the DataJack customer support team at 1-888-693-4522. Our team will work directly with the customer to resolve the issue.

Additionally, we are in the process of rolling out a new and improved Dealer Portal. Benefits of this portal include a more user friendly interface, virtual training videos, and enhanced functionality. Our systems will be down for a short period of time while making the transition. Please refer to customer service to process pins and activations for your customers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact [email protected].

The "unlimited service" so prominently mentioned in January is gone from today's marketing of DataJack (click to enlarge)

Existing customers were next to be notified by this e-mail message sent last week:

Dear Valued Customer,

To address recent quality and connectivity issues, DataJack is migrating our service on April 15, 2010 to a new Tier 1 network which delivers faster data speeds and an expanded coverage area. The move to this new network means that DataJack must replace your existing device by April 15th to ensure uninterrupted service. Realizing this could be an inconvenience to you, DataJack is offering our customers a FREE MIFI unit for use as your replacement device at absolutely no extra charge (M.S.R.P. $299.00).

To ensure we get your replacement device to you in a timely manner, it is imperative that you verify the name and address we have on file for you as soon as possible by replying to this email. The name and address on file is as follows:

(address removed)

Upon verifying your address, we will send your new WIFI unit and a postage paid return envelope so you may mail back your current DataJack device. We ask that you please return the used device within 10 business days. South Florida customers also have the option of exchanging their device on April 14th, 15th, and 16th from 10AM – 9PM EST at the following location: 6365 NW 6th Way Suite 160 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.

If you do not want to take advantage of the FREE MIFI unit offer, please contact customer service at 1-888-693-4522 to discuss alternative equipment options.

Please note that new customers will be required to pay $49.99 per month for service. This price increase will not affect you, your service fee will continue to be $39.99 per month. Additionally, we have changed our terms and conditions to include service usage and prohibited uses clauses. The terms and conditions apply to all customers.

Again, time is of the essence. We must get your new unit to you by April 15th to avoid service interruption. Thank you for your patience and we look forward to serving you on our new and improved network.

Best Regards,

The DataJack Team

Here is how DataJack dispenses with customers who use their “unlimited” service “too much”:

Dear DataJack Customer,

In accordance with our terms and conditions, more specifically the Service Usage and Prohibited Usage clauses, we are unable to renew your service upon expiration.

We regret that we can no longer provide service and wish you the best in finding a new provider for your wireless internet access needs. Our customer service representatives are available 8AM – 5PM Monday through Friday to address any questions you may have.

Best Regards,
DataJack, Inc.
888-693-4522

Under Terms & Conditions

Effective April 2, 2010

Service Usage. We reserve the right to safeguard our network from abuse, excessive bandwidth consumption or any activity that compromises the performance of our network. We may limit throughput speeds, control the amount of data transferred, and suspend, modify or terminate service, without notice, if your usage adversely impacts our network or exceeds 5 GB in a given month. We may monitor your compliance with the above but will not monitor the content of your transmissions except as otherwise expressly permitted or required by law.