My monthly Frontior FIOS bundle was costing me almost $200/month. This was for TV,Phone, and Internet. Since we watched very little TV, I started looking to go Internet only.
As "luck" would have it, about then (3 weeks ago), my set-top box went on the frits and I could get no mote TV. I could still watch what was recorded on the FVR, but "live" tv and new recordings was jsut a black screen - TV guise worked well, but showed nothing.
So I figured this was as good a time as any to pull the trigger.
I looked around and decided to port my phone number to Ooma. Since I only really wanted the phone to receive legacy calls, that meant after the cost of the refurb Ooma device from Amazon ($60), I'd essentially have free phone service.
I installed the Ooma device and initiated the porting procedure for my phone number. In the past, it was my experience that one had to port the number *before* cancelling service, since I once lost a home phone number by doing it the other way.
After the Ooma port was successfully completed, I contacted Frontier to change my service to Internet-only. That was where my troubles started.
First guy (Ryan) said that the port canceled my service, so they would have to give me anew service. No problem, I don't care one way or the other. Went through credit check, etc. and then he said there was an "issue" and he'd have to call me back.
two days later I called again and spoke to a helpful lady (Tacia). Went through the same process again (This was the Friday preceding the Labor Day weekend). New service. Credit check again. Problem, would have to escalate to supervisor. Will call back. She at least left a callback number and extension and I got a case number from her. She did call back, telling me there was a manual process involved that had to be escalated. Since it was getting late and she would not be back in office until Tuesday after Labor day, she promised a call-back from another associate on Saturday.
Got the gall on Saturday, just to report "no progress", but that the process was ongoing.
Nothing further.
Yesterday (Tuesday Sept. 5th) I tried calling Tacia again. Left voicemail with callback numbers and asking about progress. No callback. This morning I woke up to no Internet. Called Tacia again, left more voicemail (all polite, I may add) called a few hours later, still voicemail and no callback, so I followed the suggestion on her voicemail to call the main Frontier number, on the odd chance she's out of the office.
Got in touch with Lisa, explained my predicament. Lisa claimed to be unable to find any record of any previous interactions with them, but offered to go ahead and just start the process over. She indicated that the termination of my previous service may now make it easier and so that would be the best thing to do. I accede and we start again with yet another (now the 3rd) credit check, and all the details. Then the same thing. a long hold-up. She asked me to hold on, sicne she was on a long delay on an internal call. 30 minutes later she said she would call back once she had news. She had no account number or case number, but provided her phone/extension.
A few hours ago she called back with the devastating news that Frontier cannot provide me with Internet service in my area unless I had a phone number to port in. They won't provide FIOS internet without a phone number and they don't issue phone numbers in my area. So that's it. No more FIOS Internet.
If anyone has some advice, I'd gladly hear it.
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