An essential, everyday service unreliable for months. Several people living in New Cuyama tell KSBY they’ve had spotty and sometimes nonexistent cell phone service, and there’s a common denominator: their provider.
“They’re telling us to upgrade our sim card, or that we’re the only one having this issue,” said Jack Forinash of New Cuyama.
And by the turnout of New Cuyamans who showed up to talk with KSBY about the Verizon cell phone service issues in the Cuyama Valley, Jack Forinash is not the only one.
“We keep getting the S.O.S. deal on it. Worked great in Bakersfield, got home, same deal,” said Juan Garcia, who has lived in New Cuyama since he was younger.
Verizon confirmed to KSBY there was a problem in the area with the coverage starting around the beginning of the year but did not elaborate on what the issue was.
The people KSBY spoke with say no compensation was offered to them, even though the major cell provider admitted there were issues with the cell service. That service? It’s not cheap. A five-phone plan can cost upwards of $300 per month, Garcia told KSBY.
“They expect you to pay a big amount of money for a service that is not really providing at all,” said Garcia.
Most residents KSBY spoke with say they would like compensation from Verizon for the inconvenience of the last six months, but others just want it fixed.
“I just want my phone service to be there when I need it. That’s the bottom line,” said Debbi Johnson.
Johnson, who has lived in the Cuyama Valley for about 25 years, says communication during wildfires is always on her mind.
“We had a fire on our road on July 21 st , and we had no service. It’s scary out here when we have fires. You don’t which direction they’re going,” said Johnson.
“I kept thinking, ‘It’s my phone. It’s my fault,’” said New Cuyama resident, Karen Mortensen, who says the inability to communicate with family outside of the area poses safety issues. “I’m 81, I live in a rural area, it’s dangerous for me to not be connected via the only instrument there is for connection here.”
KSBY reached out to Verizon twice. The first time, KSBY was told the issues were resolved, but when KSBY later met with people from New Cuyama, they insisted their cell service issues persisted. KSBY reached out to Verizon again asking for more specifics on the problems and whether any compensation had been issued to impacted customers, but did not hear back.
If you have an issue with your cell phone service in the Cuyama Valley, you can report the issue to the Better Business Bureau or the FCC.
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