topic Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones in Electronics

Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

Jordan2 — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 23:55:58 GMT

My elderly mother went to her AARP meeting with a neighbor today. She told me they were discussing Verizon and some kind of letter that went out stating there would be no land line service starting April 1. My mother and her neighbor didn't receive a letter. Is this true? My mother doesn't always get things right but I can't imagine that she will not have the land line phone in her home in operation.

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

glb613 — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:16:42 GMT

If Verizon stops providing land line service, there are other companies that will. Call Verizon and find out.

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

yellowkitty — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:23:54 GMT

We have Verizon land line and didn't receive any letter. We live in Northeastern Pa

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

jackthebear — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:27:37 GMT

that doesn't sound right to me at all, perhaps you could do some research for her?

ETA some kind of plan for someone to sell little old ladies cell phone service they don't really need. I am very cynical

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

Time-To-Shop — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:27:55 GMT

I wonder if she is referring to a "trial" that AT&T is doing in Delray Beach, Florida and Carbon Hill, Alabama to replace landline service with VoIP. Apparently AT&T is saying that maintaining copper wire landline service is no longer cost effective for them. There are many concerns about this especially for rural areas. Change is difficult for older people especially the rate of change we're experiencing today.

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

ceekay — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:34:48 GMT

Verizon keeps calling me to change my old copper wires over to fiber optic. I asked if I had to and they said no. The whole reason I have a land line is so I can make calls in an emergency. They said if we went to fiber optic we would have some kind of back up power unit that would allow us to make calls for about 2 hours if there was a power outage but were toast after that (my words not theirs). So, Verizon copper land line we will remain until they pry it away from me. Maybe that is what your mom is hearing? I live in the mid-Atlantic area.

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

jackthebear — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:39:55 GMT

On 3/14/2014 ceekay said:
Verizon keeps calling me to change my old copper wires over to fiber optic. I asked if I had to and they said no. The whole reason I have a land line is so I can make calls in an emergency. They said if we went to fiber optic we would have some kind of back up power unit that would allow us to make calls for about 2 hours if there was a power outage but were toast after that (my words not theirs). So, Verizon copper land line we will remain until they pry it away from me. Maybe that is what your mom is hearing? I live in the mid-Atlantic area.

Interesting, that might be what the OP is referring to.

We have VIOP but with a cell phone and stand by generator the power outage is nolonger an issue. Stick to your guns!!!

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

Jordan2 — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:41:08 GMT

On 3/14/2014 ceekay said:
Verizon keeps calling me to change my old copper wires over to fiber optic. I asked if I had to and they said no. The whole reason I have a land line is so I can make calls in an emergency. They said if we went to fiber optic we would have some kind of back up power unit that would allow us to make calls for about 2 hours if there was a power outage but were toast after that (my words not theirs). So, Verizon copper land line we will remain until they pry it away from me. Maybe that is what your mom is hearing? I live in the mid-Atlantic area.

This may be it. She lives in New York and after Sandy Verizon changed the wiring to fiber optics. She also had a box installed in the basement that holds power in case of the loss of electricity. Maybe she didn't get the letter because she's already switched over. Either way I'll make a phone call for her.

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

Nuttmeg — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:49:08 GMT

On 3/14/2014 Time-To-Shop said: I wonder if she is referring to a "trial" that AT&T is doing in Delray Beach, Florida and Carbon Hill, Alabama to replace landline service with VoIP. Apparently AT&T is saying that maintaining copper wire landline service is no longer cost effective for them. There are many concerns about this especially for rural areas. Change is difficult for older people especially the rate of change we're experiencing today.

Cell phone service makes phone companies a great deal of money.

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

fthunt — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:50:08 GMT

NYS - have Verizon land line and Verizon cell - no letter received here.

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

focksie — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:54:39 GMT

I'm also in the northeast and have not received a letter. What I can say is that Verizon has been using threatening tactics over the past 2 years or so to change our copper wiring to fiber-optics. This would require them to come into our home and install different equipment/wiring. They have claimed that copper wiring is outdated and causes problems. What they don't tell people is that their fiber-optic wiring is exclusive to Verizon, so once it's installed, you do not have a choice of carriers in the future. That is their ultimate m.o.

I have told them if they continue to harass me about changing my wiring, I will change my service. That shut them up pretty quick and I'm now on a "Do Not Call for Migration" list. (They call the changeover "migration")

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

maryebrown_1 — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 01:11:41 GMT

We had Verizon for 11 years...our bills went from $30/mo. to $90 just for basic service (plus caller ID). The lines were awful in our area (rural) and the last 3 years we had them, the line constantly had a weird noise in the background. We purchased Samsung Tracfone Cell Phones (2 from the Q) in Nov. 2012, with 1400 minutes + 1 yr. service, and triple minutes for the life of the phone. DS transferred his number from his 10 yr. old cell, also a tracfone, no problem. I tried to transfer our Verizon home number to my new cell...it took 5 days for Verizon to "allow" it (they couldn't refuse, but they held it up).

That company is filled with spiteful control freaks...their customer service is non-existent and I think Focksie (post above me) describes them to a tee! My advice - get rid of Verizon as soon as you can dump them!

Edited to add: We spent about $200 for the 2 cellphones, the cost was what we would have paid for 2 months w/ Verizon...so we've SAVED $1400 by unloading them! Add in the savings from Verizon's long distance charges, it's closer to double that!

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

circles — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 01:19:13 GMT

my brother and sister-in-law live in Michigan and received that letter...they are not happy..but it sounds like there will be no choice when it happens...

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

focksie — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 01:38:02 GMT

Jordan, re-reading your OP, do I understand that your mom doesn't yet have fiber-optic wiring? If so, I have no doubt that this letter is yet another one of Verizon's threatening tactics. Don't let them scare your mom into changing her copper wiring. I'd call and tell them there are plenty of other carriers and if they don't want your business, it's fine by you. So many of my neighbors have fallen for their shpiel. Those people I know who have also switched their cable tv to Verizon Fios are sorry they did.

ETA: Just to further illustrate what low-lives they are, a rep. told me on the phone that our condo manager had given Verizon permission to access our apartments to change all the wiring to fiber-optics. When I checked with our manager, she said she never did any such thing. Other times when they called, they said, "We hear you've been having problems with your phone. You need to change your wiring to avoid further problems." I said I haven't been having problems and if they are going to try to intentionally give me problems, I will immediately terminate my service with them!

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

Jordan2 — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 19:04:19 GMT

On 3/14/2014 focksie said:
Jordan, re-reading your OP, do I understand that your mom doesn't yet have fiber-optic wiring? If so, I have no doubt that this letter is yet another one of Verizon's threatening tactics. Don't let them scare your mom into changing her copper wiring. I'd call and tell them there are plenty of other carriers and if they don't want your business, it's fine by you. So many of my neighbors have fallen for their shpiel. Those people I know who have also switched their cable tv to Verizon Fios are sorry they did.

ETA: Just to further illustrate what low-lives they are, a rep. told me on the phone that our condo manager had given Verizon permission to access our apartments to change all the wiring to fiber-optics. When I checked with our manager, she said she never did any such thing. Other times when they called, they said, "We hear you've been having problems with your phone. You need to change your wiring to avoid further problems." I said I haven't been having problems and if they are going to try to intentionally give me problems, I will immediately terminate my service with them!

My mother does have fiber optics. Shortly after Sandy Verizon replaced the copper wiring, they said fiber optics was better. I'm going to call on Monday to see what all this is about. Sometimes my mother doesn't always fully understand the discusions at AARP.

Re: Question About Verizon And Land Line Phones

Nuttmeg — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 19:19:09 GMT

On 3/15/2014 jordan2 said:
On 3/14/2014 focksie said:
Jordan, re-reading your OP, do I understand that your mom doesn't yet have fiber-optic wiring? If so, I have no doubt that this letter is yet another one of Verizon's threatening tactics. Don't let them scare your mom into changing her copper wiring. I'd call and tell them there are plenty of other carriers and if they don't want your business, it's fine by you. So many of my neighbors have fallen for their shpiel. Those people I know who have also switched their cable tv to Verizon Fios are sorry they did.

ETA: Just to further illustrate what low-lives they are, a rep. told me on the phone that our condo manager had given Verizon permission to access our apartments to change all the wiring to fiber-optics. When I checked with our manager, she said she never did any such thing. Other times when they called, they said, "We hear you've been having problems with your phone. You need to change your wiring to avoid further problems." I said I haven't been having problems and if they are going to try to intentionally give me problems, I will immediately terminate my service with them!

My mother does have fiber optics. Shortly after Sandy Verizon replaced the copper wiring, they said fiber optics was better. I'm going to call on Monday to see what all this is about. Sometimes my mother doesn't always fully understand the discusions at AARP.

You may want to ask them about the cost of replacing or service for the backup battery in your Mother's phone system.