Quitting Verizon

Siva Vaidhyanathan on Quitting Verizon

via Sivacracy [links via ng]: 

So I called up Verizon to cancel our phone and DSL service with them. We are switching to our cable company, which offers a phone-cable-Internet deal that is dirt cheap and much faster.

Plus, I got to make a political point. Well, I thought I could. Here is how the conversation went:

Verizon representative: This is _____ with Verizon. How may I help you?

Siva: Hello. I would like to cancel my service please. Immediately.

Verizon: I can help you with that. May I ask why you are cancelling service?

Siva: I have two reasons. First, because Verizon has been fighting legislative efforts to ensure network neutrality. This is very anti-consumer. And second, because Verizon has been cooperating with the National Security Agency to allow it to monitor calling patterns of its customers. This is a violation of our privacy agreement and probably the law.

Verizon: (Pause) Uh. How did you learn about these things?

Siva: I am a communication professor. It's my job to follow these things.

Verizon: (Pause. Page flipping) Okay. Would it change your mind if I were to offer you a free month of service?

Siva: (Laugh) No. No. You could not pay me enough to use Verizon any more.

Verizon: Okay. Your service will be terminated today. Thank you for being a Verizon customer and don't hesitate to call us back if you change your mind.

Siva: Thank you. You have been very helpful.

                           

So I called up Verizon to cancel our phone and DSL service with them. We are switching to our cable company, which offers a phone-cable-Internet deal that is dirt cheap and much faster.

Plus, I got to make a political point. Well, I thought I could. Here is how the conversation went:

Verizon representative: This is _____ with Verizon. How may I help you?

Siva: Hello. I would like to cancel my service please. Immediately.

Verizon: I can help you with that. May I ask why you are cancelling service?

Siva: I have two reasons. First, because Verizon has been fighting legislative efforts to ensure network neutrality. This is very anti-consumer. And second, because Verizon has been cooperating with the National Security Agency to allow it to monitor calling patterns of its customers. This is a violation of our privacy agreement and probably the law.

Verizon: (Pause) Uh. How did you learn about these things?

Siva: I am a communication professor. It's my job to follow these things.

Verizon: (Pause. Page flipping) Okay. Would it change your mind if I were to offer you a free month of service?

Siva: (Laugh) No. No. You could not pay me enough to use Verizon any more.

Verizon: Okay. Your service will be terminated today. Thank you for being a Verizon customer and don't hesitate to call us back if you change your mind.

Siva: Thank you. You have been very helpful.