MCI DSL

This all started when MCI sent my elderly parents in Staten Island (both are retired - father was a pastor - and on very limited income) a letter stating that their DSL service would be shut off. I decided to ask MCI to shut if off a little bit earlier so that I could set up a DSL modem from another service and set up the modems and routers for them. I asked them to do this sooner than the original MCI DSL cancellation date so I could help with setting up the modem and router. MCI claimed to have cancelled their DSL service, but when I called Verizon, they said that the DSL service on the line was still owned by MCI and that they could do nothing until MCI completed the DSL cancellation. I had been calling MCI and Verizon, back and forth for about a month and a half until they finally had the DSL line released.

Next Verizon tells me that they would not be able to place DSL service on this line because it was not a Verizon phone line. Why couldn't they tell me this earlier? I considered different options such as cable internet and other DSL providers, but Verizon DSL had the best price - $17.99/mo. And with my parents on very limited income, it was the only option.

So we decided to switch the phone service from MCI to Verizon so that we could have DSL through Verizon at that price. On the phone, I asked them to make the switch and also set up DSL at that price. Every time I talked to a Verizon representative about DSL/Internet service, they always pushed the FiOS option as an alternative to DSL. Since FiOS was $30/mo, we decided that DSL at $18/mo was better for my parents.

Now I have just recently called Verizon again to see what was happening with the DSL order and they said that the only work done was to switch the phone line over to Verizon. There was no order to put DSL on the phone line. I was transferred to what was supposed to be the Verizon DSL service, but the operator answered as Verizon FiOS. I asked her to set up DSL for my parents but she now tells me that because FiOS is offered in Staten Island, DSL is not offered there. Why is she telling me this now and how come no other Verizon representative told me about this until after we switched our phone service to Verizon? Even before that, why didn't any Verizon representative tell me that they couldn't set up Verizon DSL on a phone line that they didn't service and why did they send a DSL modem to the residence if they couldn't even provide service for it? It leads me to think that they wanted us to be late in returning it so that they could collect fees on it - there's no reason they should have sent it since 1.) MCI was the phone service provider and 2.) even if Verizon was the phone service provider, they wouldn't offer DSL, but rather FiOS instead.

Please help in any way that you can. Thanks.

I have not had internet since Aug. 15. MCI used to provide service for me. They sent a letter letting me know that they would no longer provide service after Aug. 15, and suggested I contacted Verizon, which I did.

After one week of ordering DSL with Verizon, I was told that they could not provide service because my line still showed internet service by other provider. I immediately contacted MCI, just to learn that they take about ten to fifteen business days to actually remove the equipment. In the meantime, Verizon could not proceed with their installation to provide service for me.

It is frustrating and upsetting that one has to waste almost one hour on the phone, on hold, or talking to machines, and after that, all I get is for an MCI agent to say: I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do right now. It feels like I'm fighting against a giant.

Since the service started, if my DSL works, I lose phone service every evening between maybe 7 (never home then) and 8-10 pm. The phone used to come back on if I'd call it with my cell, now it doesn't. I didn't call because I work about 70 hours a week, plus up till recently I've been a full time student with 2 kids too--just didn't have time. But I've made tons of calls re the DSL because when that wasn't working the phone was, then I had some time so I called about both.

I've spent so many hours, calling one division or another 1-2 times a week, crawling around on my hands and knees plugging and un plugging things at the direction of cust service and I've spent so many hours without service they told me when the problem was fixed I'd have a credit. Well the last time this happened I told them I want my credit (and really have earned a paycheck) from them, cust service said yes, 1 month credit and I thought it was the LEAST they could do, since they've found the problem is them, but now want me to spent $189 to have their tech out.

Now I got a letter denying me the credit and I'm switching to SBC next week. At this point if kimberly would rot in hell I'd be satisfied, but since that's not possible I want my balance (1 month) credited back and we'll be divorced (me and mci). If you require further detail please contact me. My cell number is 630-***-****. This number is only to be used for contact for investigative purposed or in order to move this complaint forward. Thank you!

We lost our carrier single from MCI about 2 months ago. So I called MCI and after 2 1/2 hours on hold they finally told me to unplug all phones from the wall and re-plug them in again. We tried that and it did not work. So after another 1 hour wait, They told me to do the same thing again.

Feed up with the long waits for support, I then switched my line to a VOIP and disconnected my DSL service from MCI (Which took 1 hour and 39min on a phone to get to the correct personal to disconnect the DSL Line). Now I find out that it takes up to 14 work days to disconnect the DSL Line and while that work order is open they can not end my Phone Service (Nor can they tell me when the DSL order is finished so I must call everyday to find out when the DSL disconnect is done so that I may then disconnect the regular phone service).

While this is occurring I am paying for DSL and for phone service. It seems wrong to me that I must pay for DSL and Phone when I do not wish to as I am under NO contract requirements to do so. Is there anything I can do?

I signed up for MCI DSL a couple of months ago, and it is the worst service I ever had in my life.

1) Processing delay. it took them about three months from the time I ordered the service online to the time I received the installation kit from them, allowing me to actually use it.

2) Connection speed. They advertise their DSL speed as up to 1.5 Mbit/s, with a fine print that says that it is not guaranteed and the transfer speed depends on many factors. What they don't tell you is that they don't even guarantee the speed between your modem and their access point! They gave me 384 Kbit/s downstream, which is 4 times less than the advertised maximum. When I complained, they said that my house is too far away from their access point to obtain better speed. Why did they not tell me this up front, when I gave them my street number to check for availability?

3) Connection quality. The modem loses the connection every couple of minutes. All downloads that take more than that are being interrupted. For instance, I can't download e-mail attachments bigger than about 3 MB, because the connection is almost always lost during transfer, and I have to start over. I was hoping to use this service to talk to people using Skype. I can forget about it. Most of the time, latency on the connection is so unstable that you get terrible jitter making it impossible to understand a word.

4) E-mail. Their SMTP mail server is on a public black list since April 2004, for it is an open-relay server, allowing anybody (not just registered customers) to send e-mail through it (BTW, it is partly because of companies like MCI why you're getting so much spam: they make it possible for spammers to send e-mail to you anonymously). Since more and more ISPs recognize this problem, the blacklisted SMTP servers are often banned from delivering mail to their customers. It means that I can't send e-mail to some (and growing number) of my friends, because their e-mail systems refuse to accept it, trying to protect receipients from a potential spam.

5) Customer service. I tried to ask them to fix the SMTP server problem. I called twice, every time I was talking for about 30 min., trying to describe the problem to a person with apparently no technical knowledge whatsoever. Given that the problem is unresolved for more than a year now, I don't see big chances of success.

I am going to terminate this deal, but I advise that you don't make the same mistake, paying $99 up front and $30 every month, for such a useless, low-quality service.

I have had MCI service since January 2004. Everything was fine until April of 2004 when a representative contacted me about signing up for DSL. I declined the service but when I received my April bill from MCI it stated that I had ordered DSL. Then about a day later the equipment showed up.When I called to tell them that I did not sign up for DSL and that I didn't want it, they told me that it would take 2 weeks to resolve the issue.

Two weeks later I call back and the DSL was still on the line. So again, I kindly ask them to remove it and also tell them that I do not want their service anymore. Once again they agreed and told me that it would take another 2 weeks to resolve the issue and for me to wait the 2 weeks before I switch to another company. I said fine and asked for them to fix the problem asap. Well to sum this whole thing up, it is now January of 2005 and nothing has been fixed. I have been told by them 2 weeks every 2 weeks and still nothing.

They even had the nerve to say that Verizon was at fault for the DSL issue (which I called and of course they had nothing to do with it) So now I am hearing that the company that provides DSL for MCI (COVAD) is the on that is at fault. Basically, I'm still getting the run around and still stuck with MCI service not to mention the $600 bill they tried to stick me with for the DSL service that I never ordered.

I ordered the DSL service in October of 2004 and here it is November and still no DSL. After numerous calls to customer service they can't seem answer the question of why its taking so long to complete the order. I need dsl for my college studies as it would be more efficient but yet and still its not a priority to them. The customer service team can't seem to get me to the right people to answer the question and they can't seem to understand why i'm mad. I have a friend who order dsl from both southwestern bell for one house and verizon dsl from another house and has received both orders and i'm still waiting.

I began service with MCI that included DSL and was told it would take up to 3 weeks to get the DSL service started. Over the next two months our regular phone service was interrupted as many as 3 times (that we know of). I had to speak with 3 different service people & it took nearly two months to finally connect the DSL, the basic service interruptions continued throughout. the disconnection process took over 3 months. Beginning with the 7-14 days necessary to disconnect DSL then the failure of MCI to initiate a manual service disconnect.

Two months later the new renters of the space complained to SBC who alerted us to the continuing monopolization of the line by MCI - they also continued to charge calls made on the line to my account. All procedures & interactions took above & beyond the amount of time stated by service reps. & required extensive intervention & monitoring to actually be accomplished, the company took advantage of these lapses to charge and over charge for service.

We applied for a DSL and Unlimited Long Distance Package with MCI after being informed that MCI can provide us with those services. After two weeks, we followed-up with them, and the DSL order was mistakenly not processed, so we re-ordered DSL. Another two weeks, I was informed that the DSL technicians came to my residence however they were unable to access inside my compound so they just left. I was available for them but they did not call me to tell me they were in the vicinity. I re-scheduled and this time I had to take off work to make myself available for the DSL technicians.

On the day of the appointment, I made another phone call to MCI to find out the status of the DSL Technicians. I was informed that they were not making the scheduled appointment because MCI is unable to service me with DSL in my area. MCI was aware of this well in advance and never bothered to inform me. So, I am no longer with MCI. I received a statement of charges for their services. I wrote a letter to their corporate office in complaint of poor customer service, and I was seeking an adjustment of those charges.

To this day, I am still awaiting a response to my letter from MCI. I made another phone call to MCI's customer service to arrange payment. I paid the agreed upon amount, and I was informed that the rest of the balance would be adjusted for me. I am now receiving phone calls and letters for this remaining balance. I want MCI to adjust this balance as promised to me, and just leave me alone.

I will never again be using MCI in the future. Every single time I have called MCI's customer service I have all ways encountered excruciatingly long waiting periods. I am very dissatisfied with MCI and their services.

MCI is continuing to bill me for service that I have not used. About mid June, 2003, I signed up for their My Neighborhood service, adding the DSL service for a fixed price of about $90 a month. Several weeks passed when I got a card stating that they were still working on my "package", I did not exactly know what that meant.

Around mid August, I had several callers including my grand child who informed me that they tried to leave me a message but had difficulty getting through to me. This triggered my call to MCI to find out what was going on. I was advised that I had to "activate" my voice mail. I was never informed that the service had been initiated, there were no manuals sent nor at notice. I was thoroughly upset as I had missed important calls because of this. It was also at this point that they advised me that they could not provide me with the DSL service. I then told the representative that I was unhappy with the way they handled my account.

I called ATT to sign up with their service to ATT to sign up with them and told them I did not really know the status of where MCI was and the ATT representative assured me that they will take care of the change over from MCI. Thus from August, I thought ATT became my service provider. I had been billed by ATT and have been paying ATT.

I kept being billed by MCI a $38 charge since October, which I ignored, but finally decided to get them of my back and paid the charge in January. I spoke the the MCI representative and told her that I had never used their long distance service and she concurred with me on this fact.

When I kept receiving MCI bills, I called repeatedly telling them that I did not use their service. Each time I called the story was different. At first it was my long distance service, then it became my local service, today, May 18, I am told it is their dial tone.

I believe ATT carries some responsibility as they were supposed to advise MCI of the switch-over.

I signed up for MCI DSL service on the mci.com web site. This was done on 3/13/04 and I was contacted by an independent verifier on 3/16/04. This is when I first learned of a one-time $99.00 activation fee. I questioned this amount and was transferred to Kim Strom at MCI. She explained how the $99.00 fee was just put into place today, and even though I placed my order on 3/13/04 I would have to pay this fee.

While on the phone with Kim I accessed the mci.com website and further complained to her that there was no mention of this activation fee on the mci website. She agreed with this fact and apologized and explained how the website was not yet updated. I am going to be contacting as many people as possible at MCI, including their consumer affairs department. I am very surprised to find this bait and switch tactic being utilized by such a large organization in the year 2004.