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How To Cancel Verizon Fios Internet

If you are considering canceling your Verizon FiOS internet service, there are a few things to consider before you pull the trigger. Perhaps your decision is fueled by a less-than-satisfactory customer service experience, or maybe it has been building over time due to rising prices.

Whatever your reason for canceling Verizon’s FiOS internet service, it will require some planning to get out of your deal unscathed by cancellation fees and overly pushy salespeople. Luckily, we have done the legwork for you. Check out this simple guide to cancel your internet service.

Why Cancel Verizon FiOS?

Fiber-optic internet service is the fastest, most reliable internet service currently available to consumers. There are comparatively few providers of this service, so canceling to upgrade to a better connection is not likely to be the reason. If not for an upgrade, then why cancel?

Rising Prices

The cost of fiber-optic internet is comparatively more expensive than traditional copper-based coaxial cable internet. The cost to install and maintain the infrastructure for fiber-optic cable is a significant burden on consumers. Those who sign up for services like Verizon FiOS may see this trend in the form of rising bills year after year. Maybe it’s time to sign up for Xfinity and try out a different internet provider.

Unfortunately, this is a common practice in the world of internet service providers. It does not seem to matter if you are using fiber-optic, cable, or DSL, providers love to lure new customers with bargain-basement prices only to raise them consistently once they are signed up.

Instead of canceling your service due to rising prices, try negotiating with Verizon to lower your rate.

Service Complaints

From chatbots and automated phone menus that don’t adequately address your questions to technicians that miss service appointments, there are a lot of opportunities for an internet service provider to fall short of expectations.

If you are among the 87% of consumers that think that companies need to put more effort into their customer experience, you might be predisposed to jump ship every time that you see something that you don’t like.

Assuming that you have already done your due diligence and checked out alternatives for internet service providers, the next step is committing to canceling your Verizon FiOS Internet service. Get prepared to make the call with these helpful tips for handling the cancellation with Verizon.

Steps to Cancel Verizon FiOS Service.

It is the goal of any service provider to make breaking up with them as difficult as possible. They set it up so that customers have to call in to confirm cancellations. This gives them an opportunity to continue the conversation – and hopefully change your mind.

Call center representatives are trained in a seemingly endless parade of tactics to redirect and distract you from actually canceling your account. Why? Because the more difficult that they can make it, the less of a chance that customers will see it through. This shady tactic works well in the internet service provider industry.

Dial into the Customer Service Department

Before you pick up the phone to make a ‘the’ call, prepare yourself mentally. You will need a bit of patience to get through the call in one piece. Pick a time when you don’t have any other distractions and remind yourself why you are canceling.

Armed with equal parts patience and confidence, dial the number and make your way through the automated phone menu. Once you have provided all of your account information and indicated your desire to cancel service, you have cleared the first hurdle.

Be Prepared for a Battle of Wills

Before you even get to the part of actually canceling your service, be prepared to be transferred through an entourage of retention reps. These are not your typical customer service representatives. Verizon has invested big dollars in training them to take control of calls and redirect customers away from canceling their service.

The tactics used by telecommunications companies like Verizon FiOS to deter cancellations are often effective simply because many consumers are easy prey for instant gratification. That doesn’t mean that they are any less shady.

On the surface, it may look like the retention reps are offering great deals with low prices and extra perks to win back your business. Don’t be fooled by these tricks. A lower rate is a band-aid fix. It might buy you a few more months of satisfaction, but chances are your bill will rise again.

Recognize Common Tactics and Know How to Respond

If you have ever tried to cancel a subscriber service, you may have wondered why a call center representative tries so hard to keep you from canceling.

Maintaining subscribers is very important in the telecommunications industry. Companies like Verizon FiOS will invest in special training for retention reps and then reinforce that training with performance-based incentives.

Keep in mind that most call center agents receive pay-based incentives. The direct link to their wallet is often all the motivation that they need to dig in and make it difficult for you. Maintaining your composure during the call will prove to be far more difficult.

Probing Questions

The first thing that call center representatives are taught to do is to control the call. Most customers don’t even realize that they are doing this. As the customer, it is natural to assume that you are in control. After all, you are the one who initiated the call with an agenda to cancel your service.

While assisting customers certainly falls in the job description, call-center representatives work for the company that employs them. They are trained, coached, and incentivized to meet sales goals and retain customers.

Any question, even when disguised as friendly chatter, is intended to gain control of the conversation and find ways to convert a sale or upgrade. Some common questions to watch for might include:

• Why are you canceling?
• What are you looking for?
• What do you use your internet for?
• Do you stream tv shows and movies?
• Do you like to play a lot of video games?
• How do you watch tv? What is your favorite show, etc.?

Enticement with Special Offers

Have you ever noticed that the well goes dry for loyal customers, but as soon as you mention the word ‘cancel,’ companies like Verizon FiOS suddenly find a myriad of great offers that you are exclusively qualified for?

This is a tactic commonly used to retain customers who give in easily to instant gratification rewards like a free speed bump for 12 months. These offers are packaged to sound like a great deal. In reality, they cost the company pennies in exchange for keeping your much more lucrative loyalty.

If you are comfortable with your decision to cancel your service, be firm with your choice to cancel. You may have to put up with a few attempts to woo you. Just continue to be kind, but firm that you are not interested in the offer and would like to cancel your service.

The Hold

When the retention agent feels like they are not getting anywhere with you, they will place you on a lengthy hold. The only purpose of this tactic is to quite literally waste your time in an effort to wear you down. The company wants you to give up and end the call, hoping you will move on to something else.

The Transfer

If putting you on hold for a couple of times has not suddenly made you more willing to accept the carrots that they are dangling in front of you, the next thing the retention department will try is to transfer you to another representative.

It will take a lot of patience and persistence to get through a cancellation call. Continue to be polite because escalating the call is not going to help the call progress. At best, it may just get your call disconnected, leaving you to start all over.

Politely inform the new representative that you will not spend time going back over any details. Point out that all of the pertinent notes should be on your account. And directly ask to cancel your account.

As frustrating as it can be, you may want to think twice before asking for a supervisor. The reason is that it is unlikely that you will be transferred to one. Most call centers practice more coaching than transferring to a supervisor may coach the employee on the phone, but is unlikely to take the call directly.

There are many tactics; some considerably questionable, that call center employees are trained to use in order to retain customers. Each question that is probed and every answer that is given opens the opportunity for these well-trained agents to reel you back in with a speed boost or package upgrade.

Confirm the Cancellation

Once you have finally exhausted the retention representative’s abilities to delay you and reached the coveted point of cancellation – don’t forget to get confirmation. In fact, don’t even hang up the phone until you have received the details confirming the cancellation.

The name and badge number of the employee who is assisting you may be necessary in case you need to call back. They should also be able to provide you with a confirmation number for the cancellation verbally and offer to email you a copy of the cancellation notice.

Cancellation Fees and Equipment Returns

Adding insult to injury, it is a common practice among internet service providers to capitalize on cancellation opportunities by levying hefty early termination fees or billing for equipment. Avoid these types of financial surprises by understanding your agreement ahead of time.

Early Termination Fees

Unless you have signed up for a pay-as-you-go plan, your agreement is likely to come with an early termination fee. Most service agreements range between 1 and 2 years.

Early termination fees for Verizon FiOS agreements are up to $350, prorated based on how many months are remaining in your agreement. Verizon is one of the only internet service providers that prorate cancellation fees. Verizon deducts $15 for every month of service.

Equipment Rentals

Some customers are fortunate enough to avoid renting any type of equipment. Verizon offers the ability to purchase a FiOS router or will allow customers to use a compatible router purchased elsewhere. But, if you have bundled services, there may be additional equipment that will need to be returned.

Verizon allows customers 30 days to return rental equipment. Returns can be shipped back to a Verizon center or returned in person at a Verizon store. Failure to return rental equipment can cost customers big bucks. Verizon, and many other companies, charge inflated retail values for equipment that is not returned when service is terminated.

Equipment rentals and early termination fees provide additional opportunities to collect cash from customers as they exit the door. The lifeblood of their business is in loyal customers who maintain subscriptions, not those who leave. But it never hurts to take advantage of any opportunity to bill a fee.

Successfully Parting Ways

Once you have decided the Verizon FiOS is not for you, it is time to plan your exit strategy. Carefully evaluate the cost of cancellation, including early termination fees and equipment expenses, to decide if it is better to cancel now or wait until a later date.

Research your options. Find out what other competitors offer similar services in your area. Compare pricing and services to determine if you are trading bad for worse or simply making a move that makes sense for you.

Before you dial the phone, spend a few minutes preparing yourself to begin haggling with customer service. The key to navigating the cancellation call is to remain calm and persistent. Try not to engage in too much conversation and try to regain control of the control by continually redirecting the agent to your request to cancel service.

Get the agent to commit to the cancellation and obtain confirmation. Don’t settle for just an email. Ask for a confirmation code, or at least get the name and badge number of the associate canceling your service.

Canceling Verizon FiOS internet can be a frustrating experience, or it can be a simple business transaction. It all depends on how you approach it. Arm yourself with a little information on what to expect and why the agents are asking certain questions, and you will gain a little control over the conversation.