The state specifically alleges that Verizon engaged in the following conduct:

• Quoting one price for FiOS Service in door-to-door solicitations, direct mail advertising and otherwise, then billed consumers at a higher price;
• Charging consumers an activation fee, after the salesperson in the door-to-door solicitation waived the fee;
• Charging consumers for services, such as movie packages, that were never ordered;
• Representing that movie packages were free, then billing consumers for such services;
• Advertising promotional gifts, yet failing to provide consumers with the opportunity to contract for the types of FiOS service necessary to obtain the promotional gifts;
• Using the term “additional charges apply” in advertisements, without providing a description of those charges;
• Failing to provide consumers with the rewards letter or other instructions necessary to receive their promotional gifts;
• Failing to provide consumers with a copy of their signed contract;
• Representing that consumers are entitled to receive promotional gifts, but failing to provide promotional gifts;
• Providing consumers with promotional gifts only after significant delay and/or after consumers made repeated calls or other contacts with Verizon;
• Billing consumers at a price other than that initially quoted;
• Billing, on a monthly basis, inconsistent amounts to the same consumers with the same services;
• Failing to honor a consumer’s request to cancel the FiOS service; and
• Making it very difficult (i.e. long delays, varied telephone numbers) for consumers to reach a customer service representative in order to address or resolve issues as to promotional gifts, services and/or billing.

“Verizon conducted a very aggressive marketing campaign to introduce its FiOS service, which included promotional gifts that were never to be provided” said David Szuchman, Consumer Affairs Director. “We will seek to ensure that Verizon complies with all relevant laws when advertising and selling services and products.”

Sprint is closing a call center we posted ex-employee accounts about that alleged on-the-scene drug use, sex, and theft of customer credit card numbers, among other infractions.

According to an inside source, these posts about the Teleperformance USA call center in Fishers, Indiana got sent up the company ladder. When they hit the Senior VP level, there was much teeth grinding. A Sprint vendor manager was hauled in on his ass to explain himself. Guess it wasn’t very convincing. Then again, it could just be the economy. Whichever the case, no matter, all roads lead to Rome.