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Why does my cell phone lose service?

Is it illegal for a phone provider to deny landline service when no cell service is available?

  • Verizon is the only provider in the area, no cell service is available at our new house. Before we moved we called and they said no problem just give the last 4 digits of your social and you are set. Once we moved suddenly they couldn't find our house in their system. After 6 weeks of the runaround, giving neighbor's phone numbers, the number of the people we bought the house from, etc. we called the PUC, Verizon called and now suddenly they could find our house but now they required full social, birth date, and name, over the phone no less; we refused. They said then we had to fax a copy of our deed, a copy of a utility bill, and a copy of our car insurance. We asked whether we would need a copy of our drivers license, they said no, that was just a picture and useless. So we complied with their (ludicrous) request. We waited a couple of days and called and asked if they got our fax. They acknowledged receipt, and we asked if we were set. They said no, now we want a copy of your drivers license. We hung up in disbelief and called our state rep's office. Then Verizon called us and said we want to help you get phone service we said ok we are going to fax copy of drivers license right now as soon as we hang up, and she asked how we could do it so soon. We answered that there is a fax machine at work, to which she asked how we would get it notarized. It stands there at this point. This has been since late September with our initial call to inquire about service; today is Jan. 20. We have been without 911 service at home this entire time. My husband has an autistic son with medical issues who is with us on weekends and vacation shutdowns from school. And mind you, this entire episode stems from Verizon's inability to locate our house in their system, not from any credit issue or inability to pay. In fact we have Verizon cell phones and they send the Verizon wireless bill to our new address with no problem. It also is not that they have to run new lines; everything is in place. The people we bought the house from had Verizon phone service. They have only to throw the switch or whatever they do to turn the phone on.

  • Answer:

    If it happened to me, I'd keep calling the PUC until I got a resolution :-) It's annoying when the telco drags their feet to give you service when the previous resident already had service. And you're right, it's probably an LIF (Left in facility) so they would just have to pull the picks on the frame or go into the recent change machine to turn the line back on. Relay this story to a PUC representative. The phone company is required to file an answer back to the PUC when the complaint is formal. The amount of information is unreasonable, especially since they could just ask for a deposit if they were unsure of your ability to pay. Yeah, these types of stories set the concept of "universal service" back to the 50's.

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1: their system needs to verify the address.. you are probably not giving them the address as it appears in their system - if it can not be validated in their system they would not be able to create an installation order 2: the information that they are asking for does seem a bit excessive 3: verizon wireless is only partially owned by verizon communications - they are two different companies, plus - verizon wireless does not need to validate your address, since they are not providing a utility to that address, they are only sending postal mail to the address you provided. once they do that it is up to the post office to figure out where your address is located. 4: i wish installing phone lines was as easy as throwing a switch... but it is not... there is wiring that needs to be done at the central office, and potentially there is also wiring that will need to be done on the outside plant - the longer your address has gone with out service, the more likely that a truck roll will be required to complete your installation 5: if you have a reason for this to be expedited due to medical reasons, you need to bring this up to their attention, and provide medical documentation - this should expiate the installation. 6: once the order is placed into the system, your due date will be aprox. 5 business days from when the order was placed.

joe r

They have a monopoly. All they have to be in your area is incompetent, be unable to support their customers, and that is the side you are seeing. Usually, you can contact a local news team, and they have investigative reporters that will expose their idiocy. This can sometimes get service turned on. No, you can walk to a local payphone or a neighbor, as far as the law goes. They might have to give you 911 access (emergency services) in some places, but that is as far as it will go. If it has been going on for some time, there may be new cell phone towers up. Some carrier might have service in your area. In addition, it is possible that you could get paid to sport a cell phone tower on your property, to get cell phone coverage in your area. This might get your landline problem fixed. I do not have a landline, I get mine through the internet, so via a cable connection.

OzoneGuy

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