Verizon Communications Harassment, Extortion, Fraud, Lying, Violation of Privacy Wilmington, Delaware

I first realized Verizon were lying b**tards when I called them last summer, requesting assistance with my internet service, which had mysteriously stopped working. I had signed up for wireless internet, but when I called the service number on my bill, they claimed they didn't offer wireless internet and spent two hours transferring me to every branch of the company, refusing to help me. They also falsely claimed I was using my old cellular modem during the call. I told them it was impossible, since the modem in question was unplugged and across the room at the time. They continued to contradict me and would not stop telling lies.

I called Verizon on 1/14/11 requesting disconnection of my Internet service on the following Monday. They refused, claiming they would only disconnect the service THAT DAY or two weeks later I explained that I was moving the next day and would need the service working until noon. I told them I would turn in the router, but they would have to discontinue service effective Monday, 1/17, end of story. The representative I spoke to agreed to this.

When I attempted to pay my final bill online a few minutes later, Verizon wouldn't let me because my account was already invalid. I was forced to pay over the phone with a credit card (my CC statement from that month confirms full payment). Verizon claimed I could turn in the router at any Verizon store, but when I attempted to do so, the store manager rudely refused to take it, claiming they didn't do that. I had to pay to send it back, and the post office claimed the zip code Verizon gave me did not exist (now why would Verizon give out a phony address?). Verizon has failed to confirm receipt of router.

Verizon claims I have no account effective January 14...but they have not stopped billing me for my disconnected service! I have a reference number (which they now claim does not exist), two confirmation numbers (which they also claim do not exist), and a number for a voucher they promised to send (but have failed to do so).

This would be bad enough, but now they are harassing me, demanding $131.97 for three months of service I did not receive, at an address I vacated three months ago, for an account Verizon admits to closing on January 14. They obtained the private address where I receive mail (and could not possibly have done so by honest means, since I do not allow this information to enter public records), have been sending bills there, and are now making threatening phone calls to my cell phone (I do not accept calls from strangers and have asked them to stop bothering me).

The worst part? Verizon and other internet service providers have dedicated service areas, meaning consumers have no choice. Why haven't they been split up, 'a la Bell Telephone?