I walked into a Sprint store at lunch today. I was just looking at the Photon and mentioned that BB had it for $99 plus trade in money for my Evo. They countered with $125 for my Evo so it would be $75 for the Photon. I said it is still cheaper at BB. So then they said even up trade plus a case for my Evo. So, I walked out of the store with a Photon and a case for no money. I didnt even bring my wallet with me. That was awesome! Just wanted to let everyone know that you still can get the Photon from a corporate store for gratis.
pinch55 said:
I walked into a Sprint store at lunch today. I was just looking at the Photon and mentioned that BB had it for $99 plus trade in money for my Evo. They countered with $125 for my Evo so it would be $75 for the Photon. I said it is still cheaper at BB. So then they said even up trade plus a case for my Evo. So, I walked out of the store with a Photon and a case for no money. I didnt even bring my wallet with me. That was awesome! Just wanted to let everyone know that you still can get the Photon from a corporate store for gratis.
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Do you like phone?
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I tried to get a corporate Sprint store to match the Bestbuy $99 deal. I also said I would buy a HD dock and Car Dock if the matched the Bestbuy price on the Photon.
The sales rep said they couldn't do it. I even brought a printout showing it was available just 3 miles down the road at Bestbuy for $99.
I asked to see a manager. He went and got the assistant manager and I asked him for the same deal as above. He also said he couldn't do it. I expalined that I am a Gold Premier Sprint customer with 5 lines on a business account. I've also been with Sprint over 12 years.
He said that it didn't matter. He couldn't do it.
I was amazed that a corporate Sprint store couldn't match a 3rd party retailer even after I said I would also buy an additional $130 worth of accessories.
I'm very disappointed. I ordered it from Bestbuy and I'm suppose to pick it up in the morning.
People do not understand the difference between buying a phone from a corporate store and a third party store. The difference from buying a phone in an actual corporate store is the customer service that they get. Im a manager at a sprint store, its true that it might cost you more from buying it from us but you will definitely get your moneys worth. The customer service and the experience is pretty much what you are paying for... when you buy something at best buy or radio shack, you are just like buying from a retail store (luckys, walgreens, etc) when you buy something the cashiers just ring you out, just like at best buy, they just ring out the phone and give it to you, heres your phone have fun with it.. if you buy it from an actual store you're like buying it from like a bmw car dealer. You will be helped and get assisted by a consultant, we are the experts on these phones, we get trained hours of hours, we know the phones inside and out. Before you leave we make sure your emails are set up, we teach you how to make a call, send a txt msg, etc... we make sure before you leave you are an expert and you are using your phone to its full potential, we make sure you are getting your moneys worth. I have a customer who bought an evo 4g from radio shack, its been 3 months, she came to me and asked why her phone always dies so quick, 3 hours after she unplugs it, its already dead.. i ask where she got it and she said she got it at radio shack because it was free,i looked at her phone and her bluetooth is on, wifi is on, 4g is on..she didnt even know what the toggle widgets are for...worst part she ddnt even know about the android market...i helped her out and explained to her everything and all the cool features she can get, the end of the day, she was very happy and told me next time she gets a phone she will get it from me, she might pay a lil more but she will know how to use her phone fully so its worth the money
I'm not saying do not buy phones from best buys or radio shack, there are always pros and cons, for people like us here who already knows mostly everything about androids we might want to buy it there because were just searching for a better price...but for majority of people out there who doesnt know anything about these devices, its definetly worth buying it from a corporate store, they will get the customer service and the knowledge they will need to use these new devices. Its worth the extra money. Hope yall fellas understand why it cost more in a corporate, its the experience and the customer service that you are paying for
Sent from my MB855 using XDA Premium App
bienperezii said:
People do not understand the difference between buying a phone from a corporate store and a third party store. The difference from buying a phone in an actual corporate store is the customer service that they get.
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You obviously do not work in the corporate store in my area. Not sure they even know what customer service is. Lying to customers, now that they know how to do.
bienperezii said:
People do not understand the difference between buying a phone from a corporate store and a third party store. The difference from buying a phone in an actual corporate store is the customer service that they get. Im a manager at a sprint store, its true that it might cost you more from buying it from us but you will definitely get your moneys worth. The customer service and the experience is pretty much what you are paying for... when you buy something at best buy or radio shack, you are just like buying from a retail store (luckys, walgreens, etc) when you buy something the cashiers just ring you out, just like at best buy, they just ring out the phone and give it to you, heres your phone have fun with it.. if you buy it from an actual store you're like buying it from like a bmw car dealer. You will be helped and get assisted by a consultant, we are the experts on these phones, we get trained hours of hours, we know the phones inside and out. Before you leave we make sure your emails are set up, we teach you how to make a call, send a txt msg, etc... we make sure before you leave you are an expert and you are using your phone to its full potential, we make sure you are getting your moneys worth. I have a customer who bought an evo 4g from radio shack, its been 3 months, she came to me and asked why her phone always dies so quick, 3 hours after she unplugs it, its already dead.. i ask where she got it and she said she got it at radio shack because it was free,i looked at her phone and her bluetooth is on, wifi is on, 4g is on..she didnt even know what the toggle widgets are for...worst part she ddnt even know about the android market...i helped her out and explained to her everything and all the cool features she can get, the end of the day, she was very happy and told me next time she gets a phone she will get it from me, she might pay a lil more but she will know how to use her phone fully so its worth the money
I'm not saying do not buy phones from best buys or radio shack, there are always pros and cons, for people like us here who already knows mostly everything about androids we might want to buy it there because were just searching for a better price...but for majority of people out there who doesnt know anything about these devices, its definetly worth buying it from a corporate store, they will get the customer service and the knowledge they will need to use these new devices. Its worth the extra money. Hope yall fellas understand why it cost more in a corporate, its the experience and the customer service that you are paying for
Sent from my MB855 using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
You've clearly never been to the Sprint store in Jackson, MS!! They didn't know their ass from a hole in the ground. I had to educate four of the employees on their phone selection. What the differences were in the Photon and the Evo (aside from looks) and had to explain what rooting and unlocked bootloaders were. They seemed disinterested in helping anyone...even though I bought a total of 400$ worth of equipment from them, they acted like they could care less. I also had an appointment and waited about an hour to be serviced, meanwhile they serviced every walk-in that came in after me. My experience with Sprint "service" has been weak at best. I'd fully recommend going third party store....better deals, better treatment (at least at my local BB), and overall the only way I'm ever going to get my equipment anymore.
SO here's a NOOB question for you guys. I have a sprint store with repair center near by that's actually owned by Imobile or something like that. Since this is owned by another company I'm assuming that this is NOT an actual corp store correct? I'm hoping I can get them to price match.
Also yeah... I don't shop anywhere for the customer service, because there is no such thing anymore unless you're buying a BMW or something along those lines, if I want to be informed about what I'm buying, I research it myself. It's all about scoring the best price.
bienperezii said:
You will be helped and get assisted by a consultant, we are the experts on these phones, we get trained hours of hours, we know the phones inside and out.
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Really, is that why I have to tell the Photon designated "expert" at my local store the features of this phone? The guy is nice as can be and I always go back to buy phones from him, but not because he knows the phones so well. I went in after 3 days of owning my Photon to buy a screen protector and I knew more about the features on the phone than he did. He doesn't even own the phone and the store made him the Photon Specialist.
bienperezii said:
Before you leave we make sure your emails are set up.
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Click to collapse
Wrong again. The store set up email on my Evo 4G on launch day and haven't set up a phone since. I have bought another EVO 4G, Epic 4G, 2 Evo 3Ds and the Photon during that time and was never asked to set up my email.
Nice try though.
HYDE1000 said:
Really, is that why I have to tell the Photon designated "expert" at my local store the features of this phone? The guy is nice as can be and I always go back to buy phones from him, but not because he knows the phones so well. I went in after 3 days of owning my Photon to buy a screen protector and I knew more about the features on the phone than he did. He doesn't even own the phone and the store made him the Photon Specialist.
Wrong again. The store set up email on my Evo 4G on launch day and haven't set up a phone since. I have bought another EVO 4G, Epic 4G, 2 Evo 3Ds and the Photon during that time and was never asked to set up my email.
Nice try though.
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Click to collapse
On his defense, they are supposed to do that. Sadly like in all jobs you have lazy employees. For instance, at Best Buy, we are also supposed to set up everything and demo an app or a feature for you (unlike what he said) and good stores do it very well (like mine) yet stores poorly run probably don't.
Even still all it takes is one bad experience and all stores and employees are casted as idiots.. For the most part, it SHOULD be a walk out working experience IF the employee cares about his work.
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I always buy my phones from the same corporate store. I had pro lens with my moment and 3 months after I bought it the manager switched me out for a EVO. The EVO was great, bought the new EVO 3d and 3 weeks out of my 30 days the same store switched me into a photon after a ton of problems with my 3d. First day I had the photon it started rebooting like crazy, the same store gave me another photon. I think if I had all these problems at best buy they would tell me to pack sand. Best buy wouldn't even repair a camera for me that bought the insurance on and was clearly broken.
Bottom line, sprint corporate store did everything they could to make sure I had a properly working phone and im a happy camper.
Sent from my Motorola Photon using Tapatalk
HYDE1000 said:
Really, is that why I have to tell the Photon designated "expert" at my local store the features of this phone? The guy is nice as can be and I always go back to buy phones from him, but not because he knows the phones so well. I went in after 3 days of owning my Photon to buy a screen protector and I knew more about the features on the phone than he did. He doesn't even own the phone and the store made him the Photon Specialist.
Wrong again. The store set up email on my Evo 4G on launch day and haven't set up a phone since. I have bought another EVO 4G, Epic 4G, 2 Evo 3Ds and the Photon during that time and was never asked to set up my email.
Nice try though.
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Click to collapse
Yes its true im not going to deny, some employees are jusy lazy and dont want to do their job right...but like what i said, guys like us here in xda would more likely buy it at a third party because were looking for the best price, we dnt need the customer service because we already know the phone. Sadly We know so much about the phone we make the employees look like idiots when we ask questions like rooting and all those stuff. Employees are only trained to certain extent, enough to answer basic questions for customers. In conclusion, guys like us here would benefit more from buying it in a third party store, but new comers and noobs like parents who is just about to start with a smartphone would benefit more from buying from a corporate because employees there are more educated with their product compare to those guys at best buy or radio shack.
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The past few years have definitely been better, for me at least, as far as customer service....until now.
/begin rant
We are Corporate-Corporate members. 9 lines, ALL OF WHICH ARE CURRENTLY UP FOR RENEWAL.
Ordered Photon through my Dedicated Care Rep and received it in the middle of last week. I see over the weekend that Best Buy is offering them at $99. I call my rep back and ask her about a price match. She said she could not do that. BB was also offering the screen protector with the phones. Even paying a restock fee, which I was willing to do at the time since it was my choice, I thought it would be in my best interest to return the one I had. She said I could just return the one I had to a corporate store and buy the one from BB.
I go to corporate store on Tuesday morning of this week.(~12 miles away) They do the return and charge me $35. I call BB to make sure they have one in stock and the sales rep says to check back with her during the day to see when my upgrade resets. She informs me over the phone about 4 hours later that it has reset and I head to BB.(~10 miles)
I get there and she has left for the day. The sales rep I deal with tells me that my upgrade has in fact NOT reset. He gets Sprint on the phone and 20 minutes later the reset is in. He hangs up and starts the sale.
Couple minutes later, he tells me the system won't let him sell me the phone. Again, he calls Sprint. 25 minutes later I'm told that I am outta luck and that BB can not sell phones to corporate corporate members. Noooo. That's not information that would have been useful earlier, WHEN THE OTHER REP WAS LOOKING AT MY ACCOUNT.
I go home PISSED. Email my Dedicated Care rep. She is out of town and I am given a different rep to deal with. I call her Tuesday afternoon. She tells me she doesn't know why BB told me that, they should be able to sell me the phone. She asks me if I want her to send me another. I ask her to credit my account the $35 restock fee for the run around I was getting. She asks to call me back, to get approval. She calls back and says that she can credit the acct. I ask her if I could just go to a Sprint store and re-purchase the phone at the original $199 price I paid and put this whole issue to rest.(to keep me from having to wait until the next week for the phone to arrive) She says that would be fine and apologized for my troubles.
I get to Sprint store Tuesday evening and they tell me they can not sell me a phone but they could order it over the phone for me! I call Dedicated Care from right there in the Sprint store and get a different (my 3rd) Dedicated Care rep. She tells me that I should never have been told to return my original Photon to a store (not even a Corporate store), that I should never have been told that I could purchase a device from anyone other than my rep, unless I let a store order it but why in the hell would I drive to a store to have them order a phone from someone that is in my current phone's contact list?
Again, I am asked if I would like her to mail me another. I tell her to take the nearest phone to her, turn it sideways and....well, I wanted to say that.
I tell her to forget it and just make sure my account is reset, both upgrade and contract obligations, and I will just hold off and weigh my options at this time.
I'm mean...holy cow! 3 Dedicated Care reps, 2 Best Buy sales reps and 2 Sprint reps on the phone at BB. Does information not get pushed down to the folks that are actually moving phones?
I will prbly end back up with the Photon. I really did like the phone but I didn't want to give them a sale at the time and am holding out hope that my personal Ded. Care rep realizes that my business has ZERO contractual obligations with them at this time and will offer me something to make up for it.
/rant. Sorry for length. It was very therapeutic though.
newalker91 said:
Being a corporate sprint store doesn't make them miracle workers, it's actually quite the opposite. Said stores are direct representatives of the corporate offices, which requires them to follow regulations to a T. These employees have little to no flexibility in their ability to bend the rules for customers, and if they were they are a thousand times quicker to get fired than someone at, for example, Best Buy. They are bound to making you do mail-in rebates, pay sticker price and whatever else the corporate offices feel like narcing on at that moment. Quite frankly, if I were lucky enough to work at corporate I would be doing the same thing they are so I dont jeopardize my very well paying job.
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I work at a corporate store and i must say its nice to see someone that gets it. Believe me if i could change the price of the phone i would. I get paid on phones so why in the hell would i turn away a sale if i had the means to keep it.
Well, the OP said it was a corporate store that gave him the deal. I've read of other people that said corporate stores discounting phones but know you guys say it can't be done or if it is the sales person could loose there job.
Sprint is willing to loose a sale to bestbuy (Sprint has to give Bestbuy the contract renewal bonus) but can't take care of a LONG time customer.
I've pretty much got to be one of there best types of customers.
1) Been with Sprint/Nextel about 12 years.
2) 5 lines all with unlimited data yet I average only about 1.1gb of data a month combined between all 5 unlimited data lines.
3) All 5 of my lines use less than 400 anytime minutes a month and usually less than 1200 total minutes combined a month.
4) I've never returned a phone for any reason (I see some peopel have indicated that they have had multiple bad phones and I wonder how many of them are full of crap) I've never returned anything, thus not costing Sprint.
5) I've never asked for nor received a "credit" of any sort by complaining about service/coverage/droped calls etc...
6) I've had insurance on every personal phone of mine (1 of the 5 phones) that I've had for the last 10 years or so. Yet I've never made a claim, ever!
I don't need customer service. I need a phone at a decent price, I would of thought Sprint could of done that for me. I guess not.
BTW: I did get my Photon today from Bestbuy. What pleasent experiance. I ordered it online last night for instore pickup today. I got my email this morning saying it was ready. I walked into Bestbuy and 10-15 min. later I walked out with my new phone. No mumbo jumbo trying to "set up" my phone for me. I just wanted a new phone and that is what I got.
bienperezii said:
People do not understand the difference between buying a phone from a corporate store and a third party store. The difference from buying a phone in an actual corporate store is the customer service that they get. Im a manager at a sprint store, its true that it might cost you more from buying it from us but you will definitely get your moneys worth. The customer service and the experience is pretty much what you are paying for... when you buy something at best buy or radio shack, you are just like buying from a retail store (luckys, walgreens, etc) when you buy something the cashiers just ring you out, just like at best buy, they just ring out the phone and give it to you, heres your phone have fun with it.. if you buy it from an actual store you're like buying it from like a bmw car dealer. You will be helped and get assisted by a consultant, we are the experts on these phones, we get trained hours of hours, we know the phones inside and out. Before you leave we make sure your emails are set up, we teach you how to make a call, send a txt msg, etc... we make sure before you leave you are an expert and you are using your phone to its full potential, we make sure you are getting your moneys worth. I have a customer who bought an evo 4g from radio shack, its been 3 months, she came to me and asked why her phone always dies so quick, 3 hours after she unplugs it, its already dead.. i ask where she got it and she said she got it at radio shack because it was free,i looked at her phone and her bluetooth is on, wifi is on, 4g is on..she didnt even know what the toggle widgets are for...worst part she ddnt even know about the android market...i helped her out and explained to her everything and all the cool features she can get, the end of the day, she was very happy and told me next time she gets a phone she will get it from me, she might pay a lil more but she will know how to use her phone fully so its worth the money
I'm not saying do not buy phones from best buys or radio shack, there are always pros and cons, for people like us here who already knows mostly everything about androids we might want to buy it there because were just searching for a better price...but for majority of people out there who doesnt know anything about these devices, its definetly worth buying it from a corporate store, they will get the customer service and the knowledge they will need to use these new devices. Its worth the extra money. Hope yall fellas understand why it cost more in a corporate, its the experience and the customer service that you are paying for
Sent from my MB855 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I manage a Best Buy Mobile store and while I'm not going to say you don't provide great customer service in your store, it's inaccurate to state that Best Buy Mobile doesn't provide quality service as well. We perform all the services you stated, for free, in addition to having better prices and impartial service in a non-commission sales environment. Not all consultants or stores are created equally, and I'm sure there are good/bad Best Buy Mobile's just as there are good/bad carrier stores, but to say that you're the only store that provides quality service and goes above and beyond for customers is wrong.
pfroo40 said:
I manage a Best Buy Mobile store and while I'm not going to say you don't provide great customer service in your store, it's inaccurate to state that Best Buy Mobile doesn't provide quality service as well. We perform all the services you stated, for free, in addition to having better prices and impartial service in a non-commission sales environment. Not all consultants or stores are created equally, and I'm sure there are good/bad Best Buy Mobile's just as there are good/bad carrier stores, but to say that you're the only store that provides quality service and goes above and beyond for customers is wrong.
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Click to collapse
if you're trying to say that Best Buy goes above and beyond for customers then you are dead wrong.
Best Buy is the worst electronics store i've dealt with, even Comp USA is better to deal with than best buy.
DualSportDad said:
if you're trying to say that Best Buy goes above and beyond for customers then you are dead wrong.
Best Buy is the worst electronics store i've dealt with, even Comp USA is better to deal with than best buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said, not all stores or employees are equal. But I see it every single day. A company does have to keep an eye on it's bottom line in order to stick around, and sometimes the requests of our customers are so far beyond profitable that we couldn't stay in business if we met them, but in my experience the average day to day experience for customers in my store is very positive.
I have been around long enough to see some douchy things but they are definitely not the norm.
pfroo40 said:
Like I said, not all stores or employees are equal. But I see it every single day. A company does have to keep an eye on it's bottom line in order to stick around, and sometimes the requests of our customers are so far beyond profitable that we couldn't stay in business if we met them, but in my experience the average day to day experience for customers in my store is very positive.
I have been around long enough to see some douchy things but they are definitely not the norm.
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Click to collapse
i bought a lot of stuff from best buy at one point all around the same time. it was a wide range of things from computer hardware, camera, Sirius satellite stuff etc. i bought the extended warranty on everything. the items that did end up needing to be repaired were denied. i called corporate, the warranty company everything, i was told to go pack sand.
i should have known what a total POS company best buy was when i bought my camera and when i got home and tried to use it it wouldn't turn on. i took it back and they didn't have the same model, you wouldn't believe how much trouble i had to go through to get a replacement camera. i mean the camera was literally about an hour old.
i never had any request that were unreal, i just wanted my stuff working and i paid for the warranty on all of it, and even the one hour old camera was a pain to get resolved. with sprint i bring a phone back months later and they do their best to make sure that i get a properly working product. i pay for the extra warranty and i have used it once to get a speaker replaced on my evo and no questions were asked the phone was fixed in less than an hour, even with my phone rooted with CM7 on it.
a little extra: my friend just bought a evo at best buy for $1. they talked her into some sort of best buy tracking software (or what ever the hell the program is) that cost her $40, and then a screen protector that is a pile of crap vinyl distorted looking thing and a really, really really cheap silicone case for i think she said another $40. the person at the store didn't help her try to understand her phone at all. the next day she went back to try to get help setting up her e-mail and best buy told her to call sprint for help or go to their store and have them show her how to do it.
DualSportDad said:
i bought a lot of stuff from best buy at one point all around the same time. it was a wide range of things from computer hardware, camera, Sirius satellite stuff etc. i bought the extended warranty on everything. the items that did end up needing to be repaired were denied. i called corporate, the warranty company everything, i was told to go pack sand.
i should have known what a total POS company best buy was when i bought my camera and when i got home and tried to use it it wouldn't turn on. i took it back and they didn't have the same model, you wouldn't believe how much trouble i had to go through to get a replacement camera. i mean the camera was literally about an hour old.
i never had any request that were unreal, i just wanted my stuff working and i paid for the warranty on all of it, and even the one hour old camera was a pain to get resolved. with sprint i bring a phone back months later and they do their best to make sure that i get a properly working product. i pay for the extra warranty and i have used it once to get a speaker replaced on my evo and no questions were asked the phone was fixed in less than an hour, even with my phone rooted with CM7 on it.
a little extra: my friend just bought a evo at best buy for $1. they talked her into some sort of best buy tracking software (or what ever the hell the program is) that cost her $40, and then a screen protector that is a pile of crap vinyl distorted looking thing and a really, really really cheap silicone case for i think she said another $40. the person at the store didn't help her try to understand her phone at all. the next day she went back to try to get help setting up her e-mail and best buy told her to call sprint for help or go to their store and have them show her how to do it.
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Click to collapse
If your warranty claims were denied they were probably caused by something that is explicitly not covered by the warranty. (Accidental damage, water damage). Two versions of most plans are offered, one covers accidental, one doesn't. The camera you purchased sounds like it was the last one in stock. Even big box retailers have a limited quantity of product they keep in the store and have to be replenished. We don't charge $40 for tracking software. The phone locating and remote lock software is included with the optional accidental damage warranty on phones, the other $30 is to allow her to sell back the phone for up to $300. We don't carry $40 silicone cases, silicone cases are $20. The screen protector is fine, Zagg brand, it just looks like crap if you don't install it right, which she probably chose to not have us do because we guarantee the install and she could have it reinstalled if she isn't satisfied.
Email they should have offered to set up and should not have turned her away. I'd suggest having your friend mention it to their manager so they can correct the behavior.
kgbcapthowdy said:
I work at a corporate store and i must say its nice to see someone that gets it. Believe me if i could change the price of the phone i would. I get paid on phones so why in the hell would i turn away a sale if i had the means to keep it.
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Click to collapse
I concur.... I hate seeing people walk because BB or RS offer the exact same phone for a fraction of the price that we do. I wish we had the capabilities of price matching. People have a very bad misconception of the power that we as corporate stores have.
It's actually pretty sad because shortly after, they normally walk in the store stating "BB or RS or Sam's or insert random store here told me to come here to get my contacts transferred over" and like the corporate tool that I am I must oblige even though you didn't bother to buy the phone from me at all. Then as soon as I try to upsell on the opportunities that were stolen from me, I'm told "Oh well RS or BB has that cheaper"...
So, I just found out that both of my pre-orders are being shipped at the same time. I obviously don't need 2. Is the demand still high for these, or should I just return one? I don't care about making a profit, but wouldn't mind helping somebody out who's waiting if they are still backordered.
If you do decide to return it the best method may be to refuse the package (this way neither you nor the retailer pay return shipping). I assume this way the Prime would also be able to be immediately resold to the next person in line.
PS Amazon themselves have asked me to refuse a package in the past, that's how I know about this method.
EDIT: I just thought about this... You may want to hold onto one of them unopened just in case you have any defects on the first one?
There's probably somebody out there that would buy it from you. But with all the problems people have been having with Wifi, light bleed, etc. you might want to open them both and return the one with the least amount of "issues"
I was thinking about confirming the first one works 100% before opening the second as well, but the only downside is I'm sure I will get stuck with shipping costs back if I accept the package and who knows if they will try to charge a restocking fee.
thebaron862 said:
I was thinking about confirming the first one works 100% before opening the second as well, but the only downside is I'm sure I will get stuck with shipping costs back if I accept the package and who knows if they will try to charge a restocking fee.
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Where did you get them?
Where you from? im in florida looking for one.
thebaron862 said:
I was thinking about confirming the first one works 100% before opening the second as well, but the only downside is I'm sure I will get stuck with shipping costs back if I accept the package and who knows if they will try to charge a restocking fee.
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Click to collapse
Pretty sure no retailers will charge a restocking fee if the package is unopened. Depending on the retailer, you may get stuck with shipping costs, however.
Just thought of another tip: The only package I ever refused, I contacted the shipper (I believe it was UPS) and asked about the "refusal process" they told me I'd have to be home to refuse it, but if they left it at the porch I could simply call back within 5 days to have them pick it up free of cost to return to sender as long as the package remained unopened.
I'd give the shipper a call and ask.
Goodluck
i cancelled my micro center order right before it "shipped" since i figured these are in/out of stock so often that i cant make a premium on it. if you cant find someone to buy it on xda, try craigslist. i'm sure you wont have trouble selling it. so i guess either way works lol
just came home 40 mins ago. only put it down to let it update to ICS ITS BEAUTIFUL!
The one thing I didn't think about earlier is if I sell the unopened prime and it is defective, it will be a huge hassle for me and whoever buys it. Probably not worth it.
I know there will be a number of people in the exact same boat as me, and since I'm a moron, I could use the guidance before making a fatal error...
I pre-ordered the S3 prior to June 28th on Verizon to use my available upgrade and lock-in my unlimited plan for another 2 years. However, I do not want this phone and want to get the Inc4G instead.
I know I'll have to sell the S3 and buy the Inc4g off-contract. What I don't know is if I have to activate the S3 on my line prior to selling it. I see all these ebay listings saying the S3 is new and never activated, but when I asked vzw support over email they sort of insinuated that I had to activate the S3 first before selling it as part of the agreement process. Does that sound right?
If so, I guess I activate the S3 when I get it then box it all back up and send it to the eventual CL/eBay buyer - do I have to do anything to wipe the phone at that point for the person that buys it from me?
H-508 said:
I know there will be a number of people in the exact same boat as me, and since I'm a moron, I could use the guidance before making a fatal error...
I pre-ordered the S3 prior to June 28th on Verizon to use my available upgrade and lock-in my unlimited plan for another 2 years. However, I do not want this phone and want to get the Inc4G instead.
I know I'll have to sell the S3 and buy the Inc4g off-contract. What I don't know is if I have to activate the S3 on my line prior to selling it. I see all these ebay listings saying the S3 is new and never activated, but when I asked vzw support over email they sort of insinuated that I had to activate the S3 first before selling it as part of the agreement process. Does that sound right?
If so, I guess I activate the S3 when I get it then box it all back up and send it to the eventual CL/eBay buyer - do I have to do anything to wipe the phone at that point for the person that buys it from me?
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If I understood you correctly, you already upgraded your line, and so you can activate the s3, and then do whatever you want with it, as long as you keep the line active and pay your monthly bill. I've gotten phones as upgrades, then sold them soon after, the esn remains clean as long as the person who originally bought the phone as upgrade/new line keeps maintaining the line, or they pay the full etf.
In terms of preparing for sale, factory reset the phone before you sell it, that way your personal info is erased. Also, don't forget to wipe the SD card (if it came with one).
You don't have to ebay it. If you go to an actual VZW store and have them do an exchange which comes nicely along with a 35 dollar restocking fee, and not a return/replacement which they will want to do because it gets the sales rep a commission but screws you, you can swap it out in the store and keep unlimited data. The only thing you have to do is before you bring it in to swap it out it must be activated at least once, then you can wipe it or what ever.
Just make sure you talk to a sales rep that isn't a dope.
jvward said:
You don't have to ebay it. If you go to an actual VZW store and have them do an exchange which comes nicely along with a 35 dollar restocking fee, and not a return/replacement which they will want to do because it gets the sales rep a commission but screws you, you can swap it out in the store and keep unlimited data. The only thing you have to do is before you bring it in to swap it out it must be activated at least once, then you can wipe it or what ever.
Just make sure you talk to a sales rep that isn't a dope.
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This! Definitely try an exchange at a Verizon Corporate store before you go through the trouble of selling your GS3 on eBay. There have been numerous people in this forum who've successfully exchanged phones without having their data plan changed, but a few folks haven't been as lucky. It's definitely worth a shot though.
dbrits said:
There have been numerous people in this forum who've successfully exchanged phones without having their data plan changed, but a few folks haven't been as lucky.
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...it's that part that worries me and after it's all said and done, they're like 'whoops, you lost unlimited. sorry bro, you only need 2gb anyway so what's the big deal - it's totally better this way'
I'll definitely go the exchange route first, though, before dealing with eBay - although it looks like I'd come out ahead $-wise with eBay.
Thanks for the help.
Thanks, I also plan to do this when I get my phone. I pre-ordered to retain my unlimited data.
Since the Inc4g is $149 and the GS3 is $199, do you get $50 back (then the restocking fee)?
I may still do the ebay route depending how much money I can get for it and how much cheaper I can buy an inc4g for. I also noticed the ads all say "unopened" "clean esn" "ready to activate"
If you are required to activate your phone prior to switching, then how do these ebay people do it?
Once I get the Inc4g, do I just activate using the setup on the phone or do I need to call in? If I activate the SG3, then buy an inc4g and activate that, then does that mean the SG3 now has a "clean esn"
Correct me If Im wrong , but I was under the impression if you go and EXCHANGE your SG3III box UNOPENED they will NOT charge a restocking fee.
Johnnybee said:
Correct me If Im wrong , but I was under the impression if you go and EXCHANGE your SG3III box UNOPENED they will NOT charge a restocking fee.
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I heard that if you do that (or any exchange), you lose your unlimited. But I've heard different stories.
When I called my local verizon store and asked if I could retain my unlimited data when exchanging the phone they said no. I guess I could try calling a different location or something...
Sent from my Droid Incredible using the XDA app.
You should be fine with not losing unlimited. The only way you can lose it is if you upgrade your phone with a new contract. I would assume if you upgraded the line already the contract should be in place. You can log into your account and see when the upgrade dat eis.
I called my local verizon store today and they told me they would accept the s3 and I would still be able to keep my unlimited data. I will do it once I get off work since my phone arrives today. I will post back tonight!
So if I get an Inc4g (and sell the SG3) and keep my unlimited, do I just activate the Inc4g? or do I need to first activate the SG3, then activate the Inc4g?
Hey,
The key is you need to open the box and activate the GS3 which nails you with the 35 dollar restocking fee for swapping it out for the exchange but it also locks in your contract with unlimited data.
Jeff
jvward said:
Hey,
The key is you need to open the box and activate the GS3 which nails you with the 35 dollar restocking fee for swapping it out for the exchange but it also locks in your contract with unlimited data.
Jeff
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When you "exchange" do you get the $50 rebate?
I may plan to sell it on ebay then buy an Inc on ebay. I figure if I can sell for $600 or higher and get an Inc4g for $350 or lower, I will break even with verizon's $200 + tax + $35 fee assuming I can't take advantage of the $50 rebate.
In that case, do I still need to open it and activate it?
And if I don't activate, and just activate the Inc4g, then what happens?
Is there anything special to be done with the sim card?
I have successfully exchanged in my S3 for the Incredible 4g. I walked in with my un-opened/un-activated S3 and asked for a straight up exchange. I still have my unlimited data intact and received the $50 dollar mail in rebate. HOWEVER I did have to pay the $35 dollar restocking fee. Good luck.
hieu2ueih said:
I have successfully exchanged in my S3 for the Incredible 4g. I walked in with my un-opened/un-activated S3 and asked for a straight up exchange. I still have my unlimited data intact and received the $50 dollar mail in rebate. HOWEVER I did have to pay the $35 dollar restocking fee. Good luck.
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Thats what I like to hear. My S3 is arriving tomorrow and I want the Inc4g but had to lock in my unlimited. I will be doing tomorrow what you did today.
sully5981 said:
Thats what I like to hear. My S3 is arriving tomorrow and I want the Inc4g but had to lock in my unlimited. I will be doing tomorrow what you did today.
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I will also be switching to Inc from S III because of the sh!t screen the S III has on it (dim, pentile, generally crap).
I do not expect to pay restocking. I will not be opening the S III box!!! That would be completely unacceptable. I also expect the $50 difference of the price. It's just plain fair.
Also S III has locked boot loader, Inc does not. I hope this means we get good ROMs and mods etc.
macdroid01 said:
I will also be switching to Inc from S III because of the sh!t screen the S III has on it (dim, pentile, generally crap).
I do not expect to pay restocking. I will not be opening the S III box!!! That would be completely unacceptable. I also expect the $50 difference of the price. It's just plain fair.
Also S III has locked boot loader, Inc does not. I hope this means we get good ROMs and mods etc.
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I was told that I had to pay the restocking fee. I will try and call csr tomorrow and try and get out of it. I was also told by a chat rep that I could get out of the activation fee as well. I will update you guys again tomorrow.
hieu2ueih said:
I was told that I had to pay the restocking fee. I will try and call csr tomorrow and try and get out of it. I was also told by a chat rep that I could get out of the activation fee as well. I will update you guys again tomorrow.
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I am not usually one to be rude in public or anything, but that is unacceptable. I assume you have not opened the box. In my case they won't have a problem selling a Galaxy S III. They'll probably sell my phone that day. So I don't expect anything less than $50 back and a "Have a Nice Day".
I do wish I had an S III with an LCD display. But the AMOLED is just so incredibly terrible no pun intended. At least to my eyes, anyhow. YMMV.
OH, if I can get the $50 rebate then I think its indeed worth it to exchange vs trying the ebay route with the selling fees, paypal fees, and shipping it would be tough to break even even with paying that $35 restocking.
I suspect with enough complaining and letters, I could get that waived if it was still sealed on box. Ofcourse its a "restocking" fee, not a "repacking" fee. Does it really cost them $35 to put the box back on the shelf?
Hi, currently Amazon has the HTC One m8 for 149.99$ on Amazon, which is 50$ off normal retail on a 2-year contract. I'm currently on the grandfathered unlimited plan but if I upgrade through Amazon, I have to select one of their plans. Is there any way to keep Unlimited Data? And if I order the phone, would calling AT&T help get my plan back?
I would highly recommend you don't do that. If you choose a different plan, then AT&T probably will NOT let you get it back. So that I don't take any chances, I always upgrade directly in a corporate AT&T store or via the website. And when I'm in the store, I verify with the salesperson that they're not touching my data plan.
I actually just gave up my unlimited data because its so restricted. Could only use data on my phone, couldn't tether without getting a nasty phone call from them saying they were going to add in charges since I was tethering without the plan - thats even after using workarounds on XDA they still caught me ? But yeah if you really don't wanna lose it then go directly into the store and go for it. You can still do AT&T Next with the Unlimited plan if you were interested in that over the 2 year plan also. I had originally done that, but it was too expensive, so I switched to mobile share...sucks since I was unlimited for so long but I found that my average data use was around 2 GB per month anyways strangely. I use lots of Wifi. Anyways, definitely wont let you get it back if you change it.
I think they price match at the store.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Go to bestbuy, they will price match amazon and let you stay on your current plan.
that's what I did. actually I also had the $50 phone upgrade discount option sitting at best buy since last feb as well, so I combined both and got the phone for $100 plus tax.
Thanks everyone! I think I might go with the Best Buy price match option, that way I get the phone on the same day and if there's any problems I can exchange the phone without having to ship and wait days.
tommy_riley said:
Go to bestbuy, they will price match amazon and let you stay on your current plan.
that's what I did. actually I also had the $50 phone upgrade discount option sitting at best buy since last feb as well, so I combined both and got the phone for $100 plus tax.
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Is that 50$ discount still available or was it a time limited thing?
Edit: Nevermind, just found out its not Oh well thank you!
Kinotsu said:
Is that 50$ discount still available or was it a time limited thing?
Edit: Nevermind, just found out its not Oh well thank you!
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Correct, you had to sign up around the Superbowl and essentially "reserve" a $50 gift card.
If you upgrade at a Best Buy or Best Buy Mobile, you can keep your same plan and your unlimited data feature. Their system doesn't force employees to change your plan or its associated features.
tommy_riley said:
Go to bestbuy, they will price match amazon and let you stay on your current plan.
that's what I did. actually I also had the $50 phone upgrade discount option sitting at best buy since last feb as well, so I combined both and got the phone for $100 plus tax.
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So I just went to Best Buy and they said they do NOT price match on contract phones. I kept insisting that other people did it but they gave me a thing and checked online and it said they don't. I have no idea how you were able to but I brought the Amazon paper and everything and they said no.
It seems I'm gonna have to go with Next.
That sucks. Mine was an add-on line to my girlfriends existing account. But they guy didn't seem to care if it was on contract, new line - he was just happy to make the sale. This was at one of the Best Buy Mobile booths in the SF Bay Area.
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