WOOD COUNTY (KYTX) -- People around Alba and Lake Fork are getting tired of asking "Can you hear me now?" Their Verizon land line phones have stopped ringing when people call.
It's about to be the busy season at Lake Fork Marina and Motel, but if you want to call and reserve a room, it could be tough. All those calls are going to owner Dana Donahue's cell phone.
"Mainly we're just wondering how one of the largest phone companies in the world can't make our phone ring," Donahue said.
Donahue and hundreds of others have been looking for a solution since August 11th. That's the last time a land line phone rang, and for anyone without a cell phone, the last time they heard a call come in period.
Down the road at Steve's Custom Props, it's not just about making enough money to keep the doors open.
"We help them make sure their boats perform safely," owner Steve Glenn said. "So the phone system here, it's not just sales."
The entire problem is inside a twelve-by-twelve-foot building on FM 17. Verizon told CBS 19 a "ring generator" is broken due to a lightning strike or power surge. The company said after a long wait, it has gotten the parts to fix the problem. It should be done within a week.
"We do appreciate the Verizon employees out there on the ground who are working to get these things fixed."
But no one's happy with the communication skills at Verizon's offices.
A lot of people felt like they were getting the runaround so they started calling and emailing Verizon's upper level management. They say that's how they got the ball rolling.
Now people are concerned about going over their monthly allotment of cell phone minutes with all the forwarded calls.
"Contacted Verizon about that, and asked what they were going to compensate us when we go over our minutes. They said 'Oh you'll have to contact the business office.'"
CBS 19 is still waiting to find out whether Verizon will work with people who have been forced to go over their cell phone minutes.
