Frontier billing, service issues continue

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Dozens of complaints continue after Frontier Communications took over internet and television services from Verizon FIOS accounts in Tampa in early April.

Frontier customer Marilyn Bailey contacted FOX 13 News after she couldn’t get anywhere with Frontier customer service. Her phone service had been out for more than a week.

Bailey has elderly parents who are both disabled, and depends on her home phone for their Lifeline medical alert service.

“I told them I need the phone working because I have Lifeline. My mother is legally blind and my father is a double amputee,” said Bailey.

She said Frontier told her the earliest they could fix her issue was Monday, May 9.

However, after FOX 13 News contacted Frontier's media relations department, Bailey’s service began working within a few hours. She said it makes her more upset, that it seems like the company didn’t care about her until the media got involved.

“These people are rude when you call them. You ask for a supervisor. Either there's no supervisor or they just don't want to let you talk to a supervisor,” Bailey said.

Ben Fiore has had internet connectivity problems as recently as four days ago. He was also billed more than double the amount Verizon charged when it was in charge of his account.

“[The bill ] was $606 and I was like, 'You're kidding. We don't owe that much,'” Fiore said.

Bob Elek, a Frontier spokesman, said the company has improved service since the rocky transition in the first days of April. He maintained the majority of Frontier’s customers were not having service or billing problems and estimated the number of customers with issues at about one percent of all customers in the Tampa Bay area.

Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said it received nearly 100 complaints from consumers about Frontier. It said it was working with the company to get refunds for customers and help them get their service issues resolved.

Anyone wishing to file a complaint may contact the state at 1-800-HELP-FLA or the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-225-5322.