In article <telecom23.577.20@telecom-digest.org>,
RickMerrill@comTHROWcast.net says:
> Garth Nospam wrote:
>> LINGO SUCKS!
>> I had two lines that I needed ported over to their service ... They
>> strung me along for over the 30 day trial saying that they were
>> working on it. Then they say Verizon is blocking access to the
>> lines.
> "Blocking" was the wrong word. If you look a matrix of all phone
> companies' numbers that are converted to another phone companies' system
> there is a complex number of dates at which the conversion (i.e. number
> portability) will begin.
>> I call Verizon they say that they would be happy to transfer
>> my numbers and there is no blocking going on. I call Lingo back and
>> they say they can't transfer my numbers due to technical limitations
>> on their end! Then they charge me a $40 cancellation FEE!!
>> Bastards! And they have no managers to talk with or even a mailing
>> address! What crap.
> Keep at 'em until they cough up a refund or a credit or ! a phone.
>> Also beware if you want to hook up a fax machine to their Voip box it
>> has to be one that they support.
> That's a good caution: Does anyone know more about FAX vs. VOIP?
>> Evil bastards Lingo needs to shape
>> up get better customer service and maybe they will be worth it!
> Keep hoping!
I'm 25 days out from my switch to Vonage and my number still hasn't
been ported.
I've been talking to the PUC, Verizon, Vonage etc. What I've gotten
from this is a clear picture of the anti-competitive nature of Verizon
and the structure of Vonage's network.
It seems that Verizon only has to do rapid LNP with other FCC regulated
carriers. If you're not FCC regulated they can take as long as they want
and delay for whatever reason they wish because they're free of
regulatory burden.
With that in mind I plan to file suit against Verizon for the
additional two months of their service I had to purchase either due to
their incompetence or their outright anti competitive behavior. If
anyone else has had this trouble with Verizon I invite you to contact
me. The more the merrier I say, and the more likely the FCC and DOJ
might take notice.
Vonage basically buys excess capacity on two carriers switches, Paetec
or Focal Communications. Interestingly neither lists their switch type
on the telcodata web site so I'm left to surmise that in my case,
Paetec is just buying UNE from Verizon. That being the case my number
transfer shouldn't take more than a couple days. But Verizon won't
treat it as carrier to carrier as they should.
A few years from now when the Verizon's and SBC's and Qwests are
marginalized they'll be wondering why they only carry < 25% of the
market.
Years of reliance on tariff and regulation are the reason.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The same thing happened to me when I
decided to switch from Southwestern Bell (SBC) to Prairie Stream.
First, SBC told Prairie Stream 'he is not eligible for conversion,
since he has DSL on his line.' That, to them, was a satisfactory and
complete answer. When Prairie Stream told me that, I called back
to SBC and cancelled my DSL, concurrent with getting cable internet
turned on the same day. Then I told Prairie Stream try it again.
That time SBC said I would have to call them personally to have
them turn it off. Prairie Stream told me that, so I called back to
SBC once again and told them allow the switch. SBC's answer to me
that time was 'well, okay, we will turn over your line, but we
are really backed up here with work orders, etc so it may be two
or three weeks before we are able to get around to it. I told them
that was fine with me, but to mark my file that I requested a total
disonnecton as of that date, and to make sure it was reflected on the
bill. Prairie Stream took possession of my line a couple days later,
but only because the technician at Prairie Stream put in another order
for it and simply took it over.
None of the former Bell telcos give up easily; UNE-C was bad enough
for them, but VOIP is really doing a number on them. At least I was
lucky that it only took about a week to get it done here, since
Prairie Stream is a local company and I can walk over to their office
from here in a few minutes and deal directly with the owner, and he
continually pushed on SBC for me. I can see where someone some
distance away from the carrier they want to use (and with no personal
contacts at that company to push for them) could easily spend a month
fighting with Bell over it. Begin by taking all their excuses away
from them, such as DSL, etc. PAT]
Tony P. (kd1s@nospamplease.cox.reallynospam.net)