FairPoint Prepares "stabilization Plan" For Maine

Nearly two months after taking over complete control of Verizon's landline telephone and Internet business in northern New England, FairPoint continues having problems with the transition.

FairPoint has taken some heavy hits since the change.

— Last week, the company agreed to issue credit rebates to nearly 20,000 customers who have experienced e-mail problems.

— The PUC reported receiving calls from more than 1,200 customers between late January and early this month.

— Last year, the company lost 12 percent of its residential and business lines throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The average among FairPoint's peers was 7 percent, the company said.

One of those customers was Norm Marsh.

The Augusta resident was so annoyed after losing his e-mail and not being able to get through to FairPoint's customer service representatives that he pulled the plug on FairPoint and switched to a competitor on March 5.

But he's still calling after his bank account was debited $84 last week through the automatic payment plan he signed up for through FairPoint. Marsh said he still can't get through to resolve the matter.