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Because of personal experience, I avoid going into the local AT&T store like the plague. I've been to some where I've had great experiences and tons of help, though.
But I'm just curious why so many are pre-ordering at AT&T stores this week when Best Buy is giving away $50 gift cards upon activation (phone freedom deal) plus the free flip case. (Must register mobile numbers by Feb 12, but can upgrade anytime during 2012.)
Is there a side benefit to buying through the corporate store that I don't know about?
mikegehl said:
Because of personal experience, I avoid going into the local AT&T store like the plague. I've been to some where I've had great experiences and tons of help, though.
But I'm just curious why so many are pre-ordering at AT&T stores this week when Best Buy is giving away $50 gift cards upon activation (phone freedom deal) plus the free flip case. (Must register mobile numbers by Feb 12, but can upgrade anytime during 2012.)
Is there a side benefit to buying through the corporate store that I don't know about?
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Click to collapse
I would like to know that as well i did my preorder at bestbuy and got the the $50 gift card and the free case but really the major reason I got the phone at bestbuy was there insurance in my opinion there's are much better then AT&T simply for the fact they don't have a deductible when I had a inspire and the phone screen crack I had to pay like $200 to get it replaced and with bestbuy if I break my screen or damage it in any way I will get another at no cost
I think it is because some are getting around their actual upgrade date by some flaw in ATTs system and therefore are forced to preorder on their website. Others that go into store, Im not sure. For one thing, the phone freedom thing is awesome and Ive been utilizing it for every customer that gets a phone upgrade. Im handing out gift cards on flip phones lol. People are complaining about the upgrade price but you can get it at BBY for 250 if you sign up for phone freedom this week. And you get a case? lol double bonus. Last, and this may just be because I work there, I think ATT's insurance sucks. $7 a month and (Note will be a tier 3 insurance item) a $200 deductible for replacement. That is insane and I dont know how they have anyone buying that program. Sure, you cover lost and stolen but who the hell is gonna lose such a big device. Gorilla glass or not, the note's screen can crack (look at the int version forum, it happens) and I for one am not paying $7 a month ($168/2 year contract) and then a gigantic deductible. Im not gonna go into details but if you're thinking about getting yours at BBY, ask the guy about Geek Squad Black Tie protection. He should give you a good enough run down of the program that my rant will make sense lol
Follow-up question re: Black Tie...
Month to month @ $10 per
or
$170 upfront for 24 months
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
mikegehl said:
Follow-up question re: Black Tie...
Month to month @ $10 per
or
$170 upfront for 24 months
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. I always do the outright because it does save some money and you dont have to have recurring payment from a card. If you get another phone within the two years you can return the protection at the prorated amount.
I tried upgrading via BB and it said I did not qualify for an update.
Signed on to AT&T and they offered me an early upgrade*.
*Which, by the way, matched what I was told by the local store rep. when I purchased my current phone last year (I obviously didn't know if he was right or not but knew he was might be just trying to make a sale).
One of the very few things an ATT store can do that Best Buy cannot is change dates to do an early upgrade. The only ones ATT allows us to do is an early iPhone upgrade, which kind of sucks cuz its just 200 off retail
mikegehl said:
Because of personal experience, I avoid going into the local AT&T store like the plague. I've been to some where I've had great experiences and tons of help, though.
But I'm just curious why so many are pre-ordering at AT&T stores this week when Best Buy is giving away $50 gift cards upon activation (phone freedom deal) plus the free flip case. (Must register mobile numbers by Feb 12, but can upgrade anytime during 2012.)
Is there a side benefit to buying through the corporate store that I don't know about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Around my area the ATT store reps rush you in and out like you are an annoyance. BB in almost all cases will have a better deal. Like in this case you can get $50 gift card + a free case if you pre-order.
from my experience with the at&t stores in my area a lot of them are not very experienced at all they couldn't help me with any questions at all where the people at my bestbuy mobile were very helpful
The corporate stores are pretty awesome in my area. When I went in to preorder my Note I recognized the dude I bought my 8525 from eons ago -- lots of experienced reps in my area. The only downside I run into is that it always seems to be World War III between the store reps and the call-in reps whenever I go in there. The good thing is the store reps are always fighting for me, but as the customer it sucks to stand there for literally two hours in the this case watching the store rep look at dinner recipes on her iPad because customer service has her on hold then she ends up getting in a spitting match with the guy asking for his employee number and hanging up on him . . . lol. But in the end she figured it out for me so more power to her . . . but yea, it always seems to be a war between them and the phone reps whenever I go in there.
LiquidArrogance said:
The corporate stores are pretty awesome in my area. When I went in to preorder my Note I recognized the dude I bought my 8525 from eons ago -- lots of experienced reps in my area. The only downside I run into is that it always seems to be World War III between the store reps and the call-in reps whenever I go in there. The good thing is the store reps are always fighting for me, but as the customer it sucks to stand there for literally two hours in the this case watching the store rep look at dinner recipes on her iPad because customer service has her on hold then she ends up getting in a spitting match with the guy asking for his employee number and hanging up on him . . . lol. But in the end she figured it out for me so more power to her . . . but yea, it always seems to be a war between them and the phone reps whenever I go in there.
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Click to collapse
This is just my opinion But; it seems to me If they have to call into ATT cs (call in reps) it means the store reps dont know what they are doing.
i went to corperate cause they will allow early upgrades and BB cant do that.
It always seems like they know what needs to be done they just don't have the authority to do it.
Dave*228 said:
This is just my opinion But; it seems to me If they have to call into ATT cs (call in reps) it means the store reps dont know what they are doing.
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Click to collapse
Does Bestbuy allow you to use the upgrade from another line in the family plan? I know Amazon Wireless policy doesn't allow you to do that.
specineff said:
Does Bestbuy allow you to use the upgrade from another line in the family plan? I know Amazon Wireless policy doesn't allow you to do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes we can do alternate upgrades
Dave*228 said:
This is just my opinion But; it seems to me If they have to call into ATT cs (call in reps) it means the store reps dont know what they are doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a corporate store employee, and a customer for years, I cannot disagree more.
The reason we have to sometimes call customer service is because they have a more extensive version of our system than we do. And, in general, customer service has more power, for lack of a better term, than we do. If the customer needs something done that can't be done from opus, then we have to call it in. It's not a limitation of the rep themselves, but the actual computer system.
Funny thing is, customer service is wrong too often for my liking. Such as, sending customers to the store for things we can't help them with, just because they didn't want to deal with it. Happens a lot. Hanging up on customers, etc.
The reason why there's such a battle with customer service is they aren't trained well, and are poorly managed. I can't tell you how many times I've had to call customer service AGAIN, on behalf of a customer, because the last customer service rep didn't do something right.
That's pretty much what the suit and tie manager told me during my two hour Note preorder. He said some of the customer service reps are even contract employees that take simultaneous calls for multiple companies including AT&T and that at most they have one week of AT&T training whereas he has in store employees that have been there well over five years.
Just received $150.00 credit on bill. My GNOTE was an initial early preorder/upgraded contract.
Premiere Business Acct
The goal here is to NOT have agents run around looking for answers on how to go about. YOUR CHANCES ARE 10X BETTER if you request nicely to even accept a credit on your acct for a $150.00
Reason Being; Agents mostly have the power to do that instanty.
Also marks an easy, instant customer satisfaction score call.
STEER them to ATG&T.com
Let them know the phone is offerred for 50% off. Its tyhe first phone featured clearly on the sales page.
You will get a run around. I was transferred about 4x.
Until one agent said no prob.
Good Luck!
Where is the link to this page?
Did you call Premier or Business Care (611)?
Yes ..I contacted Premeir as they are the ones who ordered the phone for me.
Throw that option out foremost when speaking to an agent; about credit your bill.
Make it light & easy for them. You will indeed get it done along the line somewhere.
Premier DEFINETLY has all the power to instanly issue an immediate credit!
How we know if we premier?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Awesome to hear you're getting this on an upgrade. What is the link again to the page I ought to steer them to?
LiquidArrogance said:
Awesome to hear you're getting this on an upgrade. What is the link again to the page I ought to steer them to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/de...are&siteId=dZCX6Je2w8Q-sBG3oO9zQ5oOdYyuLQ44IA
Discounted price shows up after you 'add to cart'
I just did the same, my upgrade was pre ordered through Premier online on 2/5/12.
Called 611, told them about my recent purchase and obvious disappointment in the rapid price drop of my new device - and that I'd like a credit to reflect the difference. They asked what I paid, how much it's selling for on AT&T.com and proceeded to issue a "one time only exception" credit to my account. Done deal, had to be on silent hold for a bit and the CSR confirmed the credit was applied to my account...$155 positive credit on my account since they were nice enough to credit me the tax =P
All worth it for a $150 Galaxy Note!
This does not apply to upgrades they said, it is only if you added a line or opened a new line. I guess being a loyal customer for so many years means nothing if you are not new business.
help! quickly!
I'm trying to get a 150 credit, but theyre saying that since i bought it in the store, i would have to return it to the best buy and then go online and buy it at the discounted price.
im telling them that i ported my number over from sprint and what would i do with my number if i brought the phone back but shes saying that theres nothing she can do!!!....
im asking for a superviser.. can somone help..
I too got the $150 credit but in a different way. I upgraded and have a premier acct.
I did not call but rather went to the local ATT store. I had my original G-Note invoice and a copy of the ATT checkout shopping cart showing the 50% discount on a new order for a G-Note. I indicated that this wasn't right after less than 1 week and that I really didn't want the hassle of returning the phone and ordering a replacement at the discounted price.
I was very nice throughout and even commiserated with the woman helping me because she was shuttled around to 4 different parties within the internal ATT web order service center over a 20 minute period.
Eventually she just got her manager who explained to me that they were not going to be able to get it resolved with the on-line folks and simply issued my account a $150 credit.
joenuts83 said:
This does not apply to upgrades they said, it is only if you added a line or opened a new line. I guess being a loyal customer for so many years means nothing if you are not new business.
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Click to collapse
That's what I'm worried is going to happen if I try
I got a $75 credit for not getting my Note on time. I will stay happy with that and not get greedy. $225 for the Galaxy Note is still a great deal, seeing as I paid $249 for my SkyRocket.
But good luck to those who try getting this credit
I'm ordering mine today, this wont work for regular upgrade right?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk
I just called att the second time today and WOW! $250 credit from my sky rocket and note! Although the rep said it needs to be approved since it was a big credit refund and takes about 4-5 business days before it reflects my account. Hopefully I will get my refund back. Btw, premiere account here also, both phones are upgrade.
ukic said:
I just called att the second time today and WOW! $250 credit from my sky rocket and note! Although the rep said it needs to be approved since it was a big credit refund and takes about 4-5 business days before it reflects my account. Hopefully I will get my refund back. Btw, premiere account here also, both phones are upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wonder what I could get for my infuse...$50
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk
Simple and painless $150.00 credit!
Wow this worked for me right away without hiccups. Around a 10 minute phone call with ATT CSR (nice lady). I just told her that I purchased the Note 2-days ago for 299.99 and today I've seen the 50% promo that drops the price to 149.99, and If if I can receive a credit for the difference. She said "please hold on sir", came back and advised me that she can issue a one-time credit for 150.00 back to my account with no questions asked and without confirming I had actually purchased the Note, at all! I actually purchased through AmazonWireless (they refused any price matching or adjustments unless the price drops on their site in the near future).
I was not being stern or sounding angry. Just professional.
I am premier and the phone was an upgrade through Amazon Wireless @$249.95
I dialed 611 and got connected to Enterprise CSR without any transfer to other CSR's!
Thanks to OP for this advise! And am happy with my SGN (ceramic white) for $100 plus 2-year extended contract of course and additional 181 day EFT @Amazon Wireless
E-mail notification:
"Thank you for choosing AT&T for your business wireless needs!
This email is a follow-up to our conversation earlier today; below is a summary of our discussion:
Your request for the following adjustment(s) have been applied to your account:
Date Applied: 02/23/2012
Credit Amount: $150.00
Note: It may take 1-2 billing cycles to appear on an invoice.
Use one of the following self-service options to view your account balance or make a payment:
- Log into your myAT&T account at wireless.att.com
- Dial *BAL (*225) for Balance Inquires
- Dial *PAY (*729) to Make a Payment
If you have further questions about your AT&T business needs, please refer to wireless.att.com or by calling us at 1-800-331-0500.
Sincerely,
Susana G.
AT&T Business Solutions Customer Care
1-800-331-0500"
Woot!
Thanks for letting us know about this. I just called and had an 11 min conversation with a csr, I was pleasant and 'because I was a long time customer, I can get this credit as a one time exception.'
I guess it doesn't hurt to just try.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
I called 611 the other day to see if they could match a different 50% offer that was found online...they quickly said no because it was a promo for add a line or new customers. Quick history lesson, i bought an infuse last year under upgrade, its been replaced 5 times. I got real fed up and told them I'd cancel unless they replaced it with a different device, they said they could not do that but they would however allow my 2nd line to upgrade some 8 months early. I called 611 a few days ago to get everything in order when they told me because of my situation i need to upgrade that line directly thru them which meant i couldnt purchace at my local retail store (drag) so today i called 611 to place my order and i referenced this new 50% deal, he said i most likely wouldn't qualify...i said whatever that's fine. As we were about to close the deal over the phone he told me that he can't process the upgrade cuz his system is under maintenance and to call back tomorrow. I called back in 5 minutes and started over. I again mentioned the promo than they transferred me to premier. The lady had no problem giving me the 50% off plus free priority shipping plus free activation. Had i ordered yesterday or even earlier today when the first dude had system problems i would have paid 299+15 shipping and 30 activation fee, i ended up paying $157 all said in done. Pretty nice savings if you ask me. :thumbup:
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Booya, third time was the charm. Used the script from a few posts ago. Credited back $150ish, will show up in 1-2 billing cycles.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA App
Is this applicable if there is already an exisiting FAMILY plan, then you add a NEW contract/number to that family plan?
I was charged $299 at bestbuy but I can still return/cancel the plan, then buy it on AT&T again then get 50% off.
Anyone?
I just got off an approximate 90 minute call regarding my "glitch" order over the weekend. It was very frustrating, but if you read to the end, you will pick up some tips and get the happy ending we all look for in life.
Prior to the call I had two orders. The first was on September 6th. It was not attached to any phone line and was put in as a special order as an accessory.
The second order was from the 29th during the "glitch" time. It was on my main line and got the subsidized price and kept unlimited data with a confirmation email.
My goals were simple: have a verbal and written confirmation to retain my unlimited data if the second contract was going to be honored and cancel one of the orders as I don't need two Note 3s.
So I call up and get the front line tech support guy. I explain the above and then he takes the second order's confirmation number and whatnot. He punches it up and he says the system is currently showing that as soon as I activate the phone, I will go to the default 2GB/month data plan. I asked him how could that possibly be when I have a confirmation email saying I have unlimited data confirmed and an official statement from Verizon headquarters to droid-life.com that the contracts will be honored He says he has never heard of this official statement and there's no news in the system regarding this weekend. I then proceed to read it verbatim to him. He repeats that there's nothing in the system regarding this, so my account will default to the 2GB plan. I'm really starting to hate this "system" at this point...
Wanting to retain my unlimited data, I then ask and give him all the info for the first order. He says he can't find it in the system (there goes that system again...) He continues to search for a couple minutes and says he can't find the order. He then puts me on hold saying he is contacting another department. After several minutes of being on hold, he comes back on line and says the other department told him they found the order, but since it was not attached to a phone number it was harder to find. The status of this order is processed, out to the warehouse, and can not be canceled. Wait. What? Does that mean it's being shipped today? He says he doesn't have that information. He can only go by the previous 10/10 date.
I realized at this point this guy was going to be no use to me. He cannot help me retain unlimited data on the second order and he can't cancel the second. I ask him to escalate the call and he does. So, I have to explain the whole situation to the new guy all over, of course...
He punches up the numbers for the second order and it comes right up in his system. He confirms that it is at the warehouse stage, but doesn't know when it's going to ship either. He sticks to the 10/10 date as well as that's what's official and on the order.
He then punches up the second order's numbers and he says the system shows I will retain unlimited, that it is not at the warehouse stage, and he's sticking to the 10/10 date on that order for shipping as well. I explain the droid-life statement and he's completely aware of it as he had many friends and colleagues ask him about it over the weekend. He even tried to place an order himself, but it wouldn't let him do it with his employee ID and there wasn't anybody working on the weekend to override the system. I tell him I'm a heavy data user and need to retain my unlimited. He said he was grandfathered in and was a heavy user as well. FINALLY, a sympathetic ear. He says he will do everything in his power keep the unlimited for me.
He then goes to droid-life.com and takes a screenshot of the official statement from Verizon. He then gives me his personal Verizon email address to forward the confirmation email I got from the second order. He gets it and takes a screenshot of it as well. He puts them both as attachments to the trouble ticket. He types for a couple more minutes and then says, "Okay, this is all the proof I need. I personally guarantee you will not lose your unlimited data when you activate this phone." A HUGE sigh of relief come out of my mouth.
I then give him this scenario: Let's go with the 10th as the shipping date and say I sign for it on the 12th. What next? He said activate the phone via verizonwireless.com. Do NOT call to activate or bring it to a local store to activate. This may cause the line to be manually reverted to the 2GB plan due to human error and interaction. Basically, he's saying let "the system" activate the phone since it currently says I'm supposed to have unlimited. After activating the phone, immediately log out of the verizonwireless.com website and log back in. If the data gets changed you'll know immediately. In my mind I envision a scenario in my head of calling on the 12th and having to go through this allllllll over again starting from scratch. I ask afraid to hear his next response, "what do I do if that happens?" He immediately responds, "Email me. I'll fix it within 10 minutes. I have access to the tools to revert you." I swore I heard a church choir hymn and saw a halo above this guy's head in that instant. He went on to further say, "In fact, I'm curious as to how the system handles your case. Please email me even if your unlimited is retained." For what this guy did for me, hell yeah I am.
End result, lessons learned and advice to all glitch order people:
1) Once the subsidized order was guaranteed intact, I had him cancel the first full retail price order. He said this would have to be a "manual order cancel" since my order was already in processing. It will take 12-24 hours to process this manual cancellation. He said if I don't have a cancel confirmation email by this time tomorrow to email him and he will track it down.
2) This Verizon "system" is HUGE and can be messed up at any time by any human. The front line call center people apparently have VERY limited access to this system. There's so many hands in this system that your orders and rights can be screwed up in an instant, sometimes through no fault of their own. If you talk to the right person with enough access to the system, it actually works. This second tier Verizon rep has reinvigorated my support for this company. I no longer just like the network; I like their service-- A LOT.
3) If you have a "glitch" order pending, call Verizon today as soon as you get home. Be prepared to go through the same struggle, but never waiver in your determination to keep your unlimited at the subsidized price. If you talk to the right person it will happen. Once you have your unlimited assured, if you're not told to by whomever you talk to activate by the website only, activate by the website only. If your unlimited goes away after activation, call or go to your local Verizon store immediately to have it fixed.
Attached is proof I emailed him my "glitch" confirmation email and his reply acknowledgement.
Hope this helps some of you out there,
Doc
docnok63 said:
3) If you have a "glitch" order pending, call Verizon today as soon as you get home. Be prepared to go through the same struggle, but never waiver in your determination to keep your unlimited at the subsidized price. If you talk to the right person it will happen. Once you have your unlimited assured, if you're not told to by whomever you talk to activate by the website only, activate by the website only. If your unlimited goes away after activation, call or go to your local Verizon store immediately to have it fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to activate it through VerizonWireless.com like you said, but I'm not going to bother to call. If I lose unlimited after signing up for the unlimited plan I'll simply call them and let them know they need to revert me back to unlimited or I'll be canceling without a termination fee. Then I'll head over to T-Mobile, pick up the Note 3, and be happy.
Thanks for the heads up though, much appreciated.
I saw it on TV news last night, Verizon WILL be honoring the contracts made unlimited due to the glitch! You guys lucky! I wasn't up for renewal, 5 mo to go, so missed out.
Sent from LG Spectrum using XDA app
LillieBennett said:
I saw it on TV news last night, Verizon WILL be honoring the contracts made unlimited due to the glitch! You guys lucky! I wasn't up for renewal, 5 mo to go, so missed out.
Sent from LG Spectrum using XDA app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What news station?
LillieBennett said:
I saw it on TV news last night, Verizon WILL be honoring the contracts made unlimited due to the glitch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm very sure they'll honor the contracts now that they've officially said so. It's your current status in the system that will determine if your unlimited stays after you activate the phone. If it's set to put you at the 2GB default, then it will. Then you'll have to spend all kinds of time on the phone and/or at the Verizon store getting it back. It's better to nip it in the bud before the phone comes so you can just enjoy the awesomeness that is the Note 3!
docnok63 said:
I'm very sure they'll honor the contracts now that they've officially said so. It's your current status in the system that will determine if your unlimited stays after you activate the phone. If it's set to put you at the 2GB default, then it will. Then you'll have to spend all kinds of time on the phone and/or at the Verizon store getting it back. It's better to nip it in the bud before the phone comes so you can just enjoy the awesomeness that is the Note 3!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They announced monday morning that they were going to honor all the orders from this past weekend. I'd suggest subscribing to a few android news feeds. Could save you a lot of time in the future.
The plot thickens........
Gotta love that Verizon system...
....
This could possibly mean that my retail price order shipped.
polo2883 said:
What news station?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WHSV if I remember correctly, but it's to late to change orders, those who stayed with the glitch order won big, congratulations!
Sent from LG Spectrum using XDA app
I'm a former verizon employee, both in over the phone tier 1 customer service and in store retail rep. As xda has been a huge help to me in the past I figured it was time to break my silence. I'm also going to use this post to give you some insider secrets.
First, it seems like you lucked out with the second rep. He was clearly on his game, and had a supervisor who is able to give him some leeway. He offered to give you his personal email * a big no no, and wants to help you. If hes taking screenshots, he most likely notated your account, which is good for you. The lesson to learn here is twofold. One, there are many corporate reps who will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you off the phone and will either forget to notate the account, or will blatantly not write it in your account (I used to clean these up all the time). Given that he he gave you an @VerizonWireless.com email I would assume, you are in good shape. Now, here is where things get interesting. Verizon cannot fill its customer service ranks as the job is a thankless one, and unless you are vested, most reps are lucky to last a year. In addition, they have been closing call centers and asking more of the reps they already have. As a result, verizon backfills there demand with third party call centers. These third party call centers are unfortunately very un-acountable because no one in corporate has access to them. If they can't give you a real email, then they are likely one of these reps. Unfortunately, reps aren't supposed to give out their emails to begin with, so its a crapshoot to begin with, but its a place to start. Also, verizon centers run until 11pm in their local jurisdiction. The later you call, the more likely you are to get one of these reps.
It also seems like this person had a competent supervisor who would be willing to back them up. Unfortunately not all supervisors are willing to work with you. Verizon tied the supervisor schedules to things like credits, so you may need to call multiple times to get what you want.
As for the first rep. He could either have been a third party rep *who get half the information as corporate reps and half the access, or he could just not be aware of what happened. A lot of verizon employees don't follow places like droid-life, and in cases of leaks, they are the last people to know about anything. Usually it takes a while before there is even an official response from legal. Furthermore, corporate would likely be telling the reps to try and get you to switch, because "your data usage is really low" or some other bull****. The best option is to stay firm, but never lose your temper. Most reps will try their best to help you out as long as you remain civil. The minute you start yelling and screaming, you've lost your leverage. Verizon reps live and die by surveys, and they want you to give them a ten, but if they've already got their survey for the day, then acting like an ass is a surefire way to get nowhere.
The rep you got did an amazing job, if you get a survey make sure to give him a ten.
-If anyone has questions about how to navigate vzw's systems, what to say to reps etc from an insider perspective shoot me a pm. I left there in august(from retail), so my information is a bit out of date, but I will do my best to help.
soupaloup said:
I'm a former verizon employee, both in over the phone tier 1 customer service and in store retail rep. As xda has been a huge help to me in the past I figured it was time to break my silence. I'm also going to use this post to give you some insider secrets.
First, it seems like you lucked out with the second rep. He was clearly on his game, and had a supervisor who is able to give him some leeway. He offered to give you his personal email * a big no no, and wants to help you. If hes taking screenshots, he most likely notated your account, which is good for you. The lesson to learn here is twofold. One, there are many corporate reps who will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you off the phone and will either forget to notate the account, or will blatantly not write it in your account (I used to clean these up all the time). Given that he he gave you an @VerizonWireless.com email I would assume, you are in good shape. Now, here is where things get interesting. Verizon cannot fill its customer service ranks as the job is a thankless one, and unless you are vested, most reps are lucky to last a year. In addition, they have been closing call centers and asking more of the reps they already have. As a result, verizon backfills there demand with third party call centers. These third party call centers are unfortunately very un-acountable because no one in corporate has access to them. If they can't give you a real email, then they are likely one of these reps. Unfortunately, reps aren't supposed to give out their emails to begin with, so its a crapshoot to begin with, but its a place to start. Also, verizon centers run until 11pm in their local jurisdiction. The later you call, the more likely you are to get one of these reps.
It also seems like this person had a competent supervisor who would be willing to back them up. Unfortunately not all supervisors are willing to work with you. Verizon tied the supervisor schedules to things like credits, so you may need to call multiple times to get what you want.
As for the first rep. He could either have been a third party rep *who get half the information as corporate reps and half the access, or he could just not be aware of what happened. A lot of verizon employees don't follow places like droid-life, and in cases of leaks, they are the last people to know about anything. Usually it takes a while before there is even an official response from legal. Furthermore, corporate would likely be telling the reps to try and get you to switch, because "your data usage is really low" or some other bull****. The best option is to stay firm, but never lose your temper. Most reps will try their best to help you out as long as you remain civil. The minute you start yelling and screaming, you've lost your leverage. Verizon reps live and die by surveys, and they want you to give them a ten, but if they've already got their survey for the day, then acting like an ass is a surefire way to get nowhere.
The rep you got did an amazing job, if you get a survey make sure to give him a ten.
-If anyone has questions about how to navigate vzw's systems, what to say to reps etc from an insider perspective shoot me a pm. I left there in august(from retail), so my information is a bit out of date, but I will do my best to help.
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Wow! Thanks for this incredibly useful post man!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
I also ordered a phone during the glitch An s4. Got it yesterday called them today and the guy told me he knew nothing of a glitch that let users keep unlimited data. Told him to ask his supervisor, which he did and after a brief hold came back on and said there is an internal memo email about this issue. He stated that this is known throughout all call centers as well as stores that we are to KEEP unlimited data if we ordered during the glitch. So use that info when calling because he assured me for my piece of mind that my unlimted data on all four accounts will be intact. Activated phone and it stayed unlimited. :laugh:
Dra$tiK said:
I also ordered a phone during the glitch An s4. Got it yesterday called them today and the guy told me he knew nothing of a glitch that let users keep unlimited data. Told him to ask his supervisor, which he did and after a brief hold came back on and said there is an internal memo email about this issue. He stated that this is known throughout all call centers as well as stores that we are to KEEP unlimited data if we ordered during the glitch. So use that info when calling because he assured me for my piece of mind that my unlimted data on all four accounts will be intact. Activated phone and it stayed unlimited. :laugh:
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Congratulations! Enjoy your S4! It's a great phone. I'll be giving mine to my son when my Note 3 comes. Now if only Verizon could cancel my first full retail price order. They're still "working" on it. It's been two days now......still no cancel confirmation email.
docnok63 said:
Congratulations! Enjoy your S4! It's a great phone. I'll be giving mine to my son when my Note 3 comes. Now if only Verizon could cancel my first full retail price order. They're still "working" on it. It's been two days now......still no cancel confirmation email.
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Verizon has a separate website for "iconic" pre-orders. Although it looks pretty much the same as the regular order status site, it is a different one. This site gives you the option to cancel your pre-order, but it's kind of hidden.
Try going to this exact website:
https://preorder.verizonwireless.com/iconic/
Then click on "Check Order Status" on the bottom. Enter your pre-order confirmation number and last name and you will get the option to either cancel the order or change payment.
Hope this helps.
LuczOr said:
Verizon has a separate website for "iconic" pre-orders. Although it looks pretty much the same as the regular order status site, it is a different one. This site gives you the option to cancel your pre-order, but it's kind of hidden.
Try going to this exact website:
https://preorder.verizonwireless.com/iconic/
Then click on "Check Order Status" on the bottom. Enter your pre-order confirmation number and last name and you will get the option to either cancel the order or change payment.
Hope this helps.
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Dude, that was PERFECT!!! I did it!!!
docnok63 said:
Dude, that was PERFECT!!! I did it!!!
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Nice! The only reason I know about it is because I had to change my payment info, but nobody could do it for me in live chat or even over the phone. Even the csr I was talking to didn't know about it till she talked to a higher up, but they pointed me in the right direction, finally.
LuczOr said:
Nice! The only reason I know about it is because I had to change my payment info, but nobody could do it for me in live chat or even over the phone. Even the csr I was talking to didn't know about it till she talked to a higher up, but they pointed me in the right direction, finally.
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Yes thanks for the tip. I used it to confirm that three previous orders had been canceled, and one wasn't.
Thanks again. Brilliant.
Sent from my Crapple iPhone 5
docnok63 said:
Dude, that was PERFECT!!! I did it!!!
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You might want to edit out all of your personal information from that screenshot...
EtherealRemnant said:
You might want to edit out all of your personal information from that screenshot...
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Thanks. As you saw from the original one, I edited in the bottom and didn't even think about the tabs... Thanks again.
docnok63 said:
Thanks. As you saw from the original one, I edited in the bottom and didn't even think about the tabs... Thanks again.
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No prob. Just figured you overlooked it.
not to hijack the thread
Not to hijack this thread, but i had question for you guys.
I got a LG G2 during the glitch and picked it up in store the same day with the idea of exchanging it for a Note 3 when it releases.
anyways I was thinking, if I go to exchange it in store and go to the same person who helped me last time (keep unlimited) would it be just a straight exchange plus the difference of the phone? I dont want them to remove my unlimited.
Also i bought the g2 with the "verizon30" coupon...would that still work with the note 3 when i exchange it?
thanks guys!
So I put in a pre order a few weeks back for the Note 3 online using Edge. Last Monday Verizon tried to charge my bank for the pre order and my bank held the funds as fraud for some reason (Because I paid my bill 2 days before probably). When I called in on Tuesday to have them resubmit and told my bank to clear it they pushed my preorder back and told me it would not ship out until Monday 10/14. So I canceled my preorder (Even though I already agreed to edge contract online) and went to store on Thursday.
They could not process my order because they said that I was already under an Edge contract. I've been dealing with customer service managers and tech support for the past 3 days trying to get the edge agreement cleared off my account but it's saying I owe $630+ on my edge contract for a phone I never got. Ugh anybody have any ideas what I need to do? I've done everything I can think of except call the corporate office which I plan on doing Monday if it's not fixed by then.
Long story short: There is a glitch in Verizon's system if you agree to the edge contract online on a pre-order then cancel the pre-order your edge contract sticks and Verizon still think you owe them even though you never got any merchandise.
I definitely didn't fall for that trap. You will end up paying for more just because you are paying for full pricE by the two year term
dcoy82 said:
So I put in a pre order a few weeks back for the Note 3 online using Edge. Last Monday Verizon tried to charge my bank for the pre order and my bank held the funds as fraud for some reason (Because I paid my bill 2 days before probably). When I called in on Tuesday to have them resubmit and told my bank to clear it they pushed my preorder back and told me it would not ship out until Monday 10/14. So I canceled my preorder (Even though I already agreed to edge contract online) and went to store on Thursday.
They could not process my order because they said that I was already under an Edge contract. I've been dealing with customer service managers and tech support for the past 3 days trying to get the edge agreement cleared off my account but it's saying I owe $630+ on my edge contract for a phone I never got. Ugh anybody have any ideas what I need to do? I've done everything I can think of except call the corporate office which I plan on doing Monday if it's not fixed by then.
Long story short: There is a glitch in Verizon's system if you agree to the edge contract online on a pre-order then cancel the pre-order your edge contract sticks and Verizon still think you owe them even though you never got any merchandise.
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hellsangelbx said:
I definitely didn't fall for that trap. You will end up paying for more just because you are paying for full pricE by the two year term
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That's what they want you to do, but I plan on paying $100 a month and have it paid off in 6 months without contract, but right now I'm pretty much screwed...
Be diligent and follow up each day until the charges are removed. It's a time such but if it's worth it to you then... it's worth it.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk 4
Eventually you'll get a VZ Rep Sup from this planet and will fix it for you, I would keep trying and dont be nice.
papaavi said:
Be diligent and follow up each day until the charges are removed. It's a time such but if it's worth it to you then... it's worth it.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk 4
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Nuqid said:
Eventually you'll get a VZ Rep Sup from this planet and will fix it for you, I would keep trying and dont be nice.
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Been on the phone all morning and they are still having issues removing it. I'm wearing this poor girl out lol
the magic term when dealing with telecom companies... "I want to escalate." Get a supervisor... and if you're not getting satisfaction, escalate on them. Everyone has a boss. Keep going up the food chain until you get satisfaction.
Man. That sucks. Just keep calling man. That's all you can do.
I had a similar problem with T-Mobile and till this day Since 2007. I still owe them. That whole situation sucked ass. Just like this one.
daavy said:
the magic term when dealing with telecom companies... "I want to escalate." Get a supervisor... and if you're not getting satisfaction, escalate on them. Everyone has a boss. Keep going up the food chain until you get satisfaction.
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js0uth said:
Man. That sucks. Just keep calling man. That's all you can do.
I had a similar problem with T-Mobile and till this day Since 2007. I still owe them. That whole situation sucked ass. Just like this one.
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Unfortunately I have escalated up as far as possible on the weekend . The problem is that there is an issue with their system because Edge is so new and apparently I'm the first person to have this issue and not a single person has seen this issue ever before. The edge agreement is still showing active even though the pre order was cancelled.
They said that upper tier corporate IT will have to fix it tomorrow and that the corporate finance department will have to fix the money problem showing that I owe $633 for a phone I never got.
Same EXACT problem for me! Cancelled pre-order, Edge contract still tied to line. Cannot get the damned thing reversed. Can't get a phone. Call every day and they're working on it. I'm happy to give them money for a phone. Can't get ANYTHING now. Their system is horribly broken.
Unfortunately when you call into VZW and go through the prompts, most of the prompts that are customer service based go to an Outsource call center that only has the capability to answer limited general knowledge questions, and make small changes to the account. What you have to do to bypass that is to NOT choose a customer service issue on the automated system (Bill Payment, Features, Plans, Accessories, etc...) ALWAYS choose Technical Support. If you choose Technical Support you're routed to an internal VZW call center because the outsource isn't good at handling tier 1 technical support issues. Once you get a real VZW rep on the line tell them you don't want to speak to their Team Lead or a rep taking escalated calls for the supervisors. You either want to talk to a Supervisor or an Associate Director. If that doesn't help ask for Executive Relations. In a case where I've exhausted all my over the phone options and spoke to 1-2 sups and still didn't get anywhere I'll email the executive relations team. They always reply back to me within 48 hours and I've never had a problem with them. Their job is to be the last line of defense and do almost anything to keep the customer from wanting to escalate further.
RicoX9 said:
Same EXACT problem for me! Cancelled pre-order, Edge contract still tied to line. Cannot get the damned thing reversed. Can't get a phone. Call every day and they're working on it. I'm happy to give them money for a phone. Can't get ANYTHING now. Their system is horribly broken.
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I ended up calling the Executive office and have them working on it. They have no idea how to fix it in the corporate office and are completely stumped. So annoying.
I had a problem with a brand new tablet that got stolen. The store rep didn't add insurance on it when I got it and he even admitted to it. Supposedly they have to go into another site after the transaction to add it. Well long story short Verizon or the ins wouldn't cover it and wanted to charge me $350 for cancelation. The rep on the phone said he couldn't do anything at all. I asked for a supervisor and then he apologized and said he could make it a dummy line and me pay$10 a month. I told them this wasn't my fault that the ins didn't get added and that every phone I've ever owned has had ins. We went on and on till I asked his name and I'D # then told him my attorney would be contacting them he put me on hold for about 2 mins then said they would drop the line and not charge me.
Sent from my hacked Galaxy N3!
11 days in and I still don't have a phone. They cannot get the Edge stuff straightened out. Very frustrating. I really hope they don't start charging me on my next bill for a phone I never received.
RicoX9 said:
11 days in and I still don't have a phone. They cannot get the Edge stuff straightened out. Very frustrating. I really hope they don't start charging me on my next bill for a phone I never received.
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I'm still stuck in the same boat myself. I've been talking to the executive office everyday and they still can't figure it out as of today. My monthly edge payment did show up on my bill that's due in a couple of weeks but they waived it. They have already promised me the world once this is resolved. We'll see about that...
I honestly don't know what else to do from here except cancel Verizon and have a lawyer clear the contract cancellation fees, but at the same time 2 of my 4 lines are grandfathered with unlimited data and I'd hate to lose that going anywhere else. Dammed if I do, dammed if I don't. Let me know once you get yours resolved Rico.
Sent from my SCH-I605
This is a little bit off topic, but for those that do plan to use Edge, you do not have the choice to pay more on your phone per month. You must either pay the normal monthly amount, or pay the 50% to upgrade, or 100% to close it out.
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/2...s-att-next-vs-t-mobile-jump-vs-sprint-one-up/
Sent from my XT1060 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Executive care isn't what it use to be. They use to be able to do everything. I am working with executive care on a different issue and they are sorta useless. The plus side of working with executive care is they waive a lot of fee's and charges. I got both my upgrade fee's waived but it doesn't quite help when the phones you have are on their last legs and they won't ship your new phones.
RicoX9 said:
11 days in and I still don't have a phone. They cannot get the Edge stuff straightened out. Very frustrating. I really hope they don't start charging me on my next bill for a phone I never received.
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Hey Rico wanted to follow up and let you know they finally got mine cleared up today. I highly suggest calling the executive office and get it fixed. 212-395-1000. Good luck!
Sent from my SCH-I605
dcoy82 said:
Hey Rico wanted to follow up and let you know they finally got mine cleared up today. I highly suggest calling the executive office and get it fixed. 212-395-1000. Good luck!
Sent from my SCH-I605
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Thanks. I'll give that a shot. Next bill just posted. They swore up and down that I wouldn't be billed for the now cancelled Edge contract. The bill detail isn't available, but judging by the amount, they're billing me for the contract anyway.
If it weren't for the coverage, I'd be back on T-Mobile in a heartbeat.
dcoy82 said:
Hey Rico wanted to follow up and let you know they finally got mine cleared up today. I highly suggest calling the executive office and get it fixed. 212-395-1000. Good luck!
Sent from my SCH-I605
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I got a different number for executive care office. My number is from North Carolina.
I'm about send a six page letter to the Verizon VP of retail operations and customer service. I have never experienced more improper behavior by the hourly employees of any company. Before the V10 release I called to confirm that unlimited data customers could buy the phone on the device payment plan on Nov. 15th. I received numerous confirmations over the phone. When I entered the store they had no idea what I was talking about. Fine, put that on Verizon corporate for not properly informing all the stores of what was going on. After many calls a customer service supervisor indicated that I was correct but that Verizon had not updated its own software to make the change in time. I placed the order online that night as the stores had already closed. When I called the next day with another supervisor they again told me I was correct and would make arrangement to ensure that I was given the device payment plan without losing my unlimited data. I arranged to pick up the phone at an official Verizon store. The supervisor assured me that she would follow up after I picked up the phone to make sure everything was correct.
SHADY BEHAVIOR #1 - that same supervisor went into the notes after the call the next day and left an outright lie indicating that she informed the customer (me) that I would NOT be able to buy on the device payment plan until December. The order was canceled and NO ONE notified until AFTER I walked into the store to pick up the phone. My order was canceled without any notification via email or text, so I basically wasted my time going to the store and making all these calls with the supervisor.
SHADY BEHAVIOR #2 - When I called customer service from wihin the store, another supervisor, who said she knew the first supervisor personally, began telling me that I had no order. I emailed it to her and she began refuting the validity of it and when I asked her to give me the status of the order she admitted she had no way of knowing because she had no access to internet orders, which was not her department. Clearly she was just trying to cover for her supervisor friend. I immediately told her to stop wasting my time, now some 30 minutes after first calling, and connect me with a supervisor in the internet orders department ASAP, what she should have done from the beginning. Unbelievable... they see that you are clearly angered and yet they try to blame you the customer for their mistakes.
I returned the phone after I was told that device payment plan would start exactly one week later. On the day I was eligible for the DPP I purchased a new phone. After spending nearly 10 hours and speaking to over a dozen different Verizon employees I wasn't about to come away from the ordeal without the device payment play as I was assured I would.
SHADY BEHAVIOR #3 - In the store the new phone (#2) was handed to me without a screen protector and a receipt was not given to me.
SHADY BEHAVIOR #4 - when I went back into the store to ask for a receipt, and point out that the phone was not working, a employee passed himself off as being "THE" manager. I asked him if he was the store manager and he admitted he was not. He would not provide me with receipt because the store was now closed although many employees were still inside with some customers. He said my receipt information would be available online, which was false. Even the confirmation email sent did not make reference to the model of the phone that was purchased it only made reference to my old phone.
SHADY BEHAVIOR #5 - The next day I returned the phone and was finally given a receipt. This phone also stopped working properly after a few hours! I called a store near my work to confirm if they had a replacement phone in stock and they said they did. I walked over to the store and they said, after finding out it was for an exchange, that they did not have the phone in stock after all. Huh? I drove over to another Verizon store as no one was picking up the phone (??) and as soon as I walked in I asked if they had my phone in stock. They said sure we have it. I asked them to confirm but they would not tell me unless I gave them my phone number, presumably to see if I was there for an exchange or for a new line activation. I told the guy it was for an exchange and he went in the back stock room and, when he came out surprise, surprise they didn't have the phone in stock. I'm tenacious so I walked over to the third Verizon store of the night. On the way over I called and asked if they had the phone in stock, they confirmed that they did and that they had more than one in stock. When I walked in they tried to do the same thing, as soon as I asked if they had it in stock they wouldn't answer unless I gave them my phone number. But this time I had them on the hook because the guy told me over the phone that they the phone in stock and "PLENTY". The employee that took care of me tried to give me the run around too once they saw it was an exchange. She took my phone to the back room to show it to her manager and confirm the equipment problem. I asked her to tell him to come out as I did not want my phone leaving my sight for long. She said he could not come out..... shady. She comes out with a new phone and I ask her to turn it on before she switches over the service as I want to make sure the screen is 100% operational before I have to go through a third exchange. She says she can't take it out of the box without switching over the service. I asked her if they had more than one of the phone in stock in case there was a problem, and without making eye contact she responds with an incoherent "nu uhh" and head shake. I did not tell her that her own co-worker confirmed that they IN FACT did have more than one phone in stock nor did I ask why they were now singing a different tune. Seriously... this is how a publicly traded company runs its retail operations?
To summarize, I was LIED to repeatedly by Verizon employees. Supervisors lied in their notes to cover up their giving out incorrect information. Verizon retail stores make it deliberately hard for your to exchange a phone. I plan to send this letter to the consumer protection agency run by the federal government.
Somehow I find it hard to believe you where treated this badly by VZ. You had 3 brand new defective phones in a row??
I have dealt with 3 different VZ stores in my area & have had excellent/courteous service from all 3. Sure, we where all upset when VZ raised the price of the unlimited data service by $20 a month (I cancelled 3 lines because of that) but that was not their employees fault.
I owned a retail store for over 20 years & your whole attitude seems to me as being one of those customers that is never satisfied no matter how hard they try.
~John
^ Yes I can tell you were a retail owner. To make a blanket statement like "your whole attitude" is indicative of that.
You made not a single mention of the outright lies that were told by the Verizon employees but instead opted to put it on the customer or impugned the customer's integrity by voicing skepticism of faulty equipment without any solid basis for that skepticism. You don't know me, and you don't know the track record of an entirely new phone. Have you visited the LG forums to see those who have had to make multiple returns? Of course not. Yours is the typical management response of Fortune 500 companies that are loathed by the public.
Also, there were two returns for faulty equipment, each confirmed at the Verizon store before a new phone was given. The first return was simply my prerogative to take advantage of the device payment plan, as I was initially told by numerous Verizon employees prior to the initial sale. And secondly you fail to address the point that the stores apparently have unethical motivation to make an exchange of their inventory for another location's sale of hotly sought after phones deliberately more difficult.
And by the way, I worked for a five star hotel, deemed the best in the metropolitan area, all through college where we bent over backwards to ensure customer loyalty and to deliver value for premium services. I had to take written tests for AAA certification to verify that I knew all the latest information required of my job and had frequent training seminars to ensure that we were all worthy of the "best in class" title. Verizon like trumpet that they're the best, evidently they don't visit their own stores very often. You know how well your operation is doing when the customer has a problem, and not just for how well they handle mundane transactions. Can your staff rectify the problem as quickly as possible without further aggravation to customer? But ultimately we're not talking about just dropped balls and incompetence here, we're talking of employees repeatedly making deliberately false statements to customers. That's beyond acceptable.
Sucks to be PorscheOscar.
Is there any chance that the humanity of at least ONE employee would have come forth and done at least half-of-the-right-thing by you if you were presenting a good persona?
But I feel for you ... because of course ... ALL the employee's in the store wouldn't have the same negative attitude and manipulate a computer system because the person in front of them was completely rational, respectful and courteous. It has to be some corporate level decision that was sent through the regional representatives and programmed into the one store to single YOU out and destroy your integrity.
I've been disappointed by some of Verizon's products and also their staff before - but instead of finding a manager within the store that supported someone I couldn't get a positive interaction with, I just drove 5 to 10 miles in any direction and went to a different Verizon store.
Good luck trying to get good service from a Verizon Rep based on the computer notes now!
I've been with Verizon for 10+ years (also have unlimited data). I've been pretty happy with their service. I typically call 611 when I have issues rather than visiting a call. The stores #1 (and seemingly only) objective is to sell devices. They have no interest in handling returns/defects/etc. I've actually called 611 from within a store when a sales rep told me something wasn't covered.
The information they told you could have been true and false at the same time. Did they have several brand new V10's in inventory? Yes. Did they have refurbed V10's in inventory to issue as replacements? No. Most companies will not give you a brand new phone as a replacement. A manager can choose to give you one but that's few and far between. Though Verizon (in terms of the big 4 carriers) is your best bet at getting such replacement.
Next time try calling 611. They'll ship you a replacement and give you a return label for the defective one.
All in all, your experience is still better than you'd expect from AT&T. Wanna test that? Ask a Verizon rep to send you a text or e-mail (written confirmation) of something. They will. I've been fighting AT&T U-Verse since July for a bill that I don't owe. Every month they bill me, every month I call and explain, and every month some rep (or manager) has said not to worry and they've removed it from my account. EVERY SINGLE REP has told me they're not allowed to send any e-mails, texts, faxes, or mail...no written confirmation. I got my first collection letter last week. It's my word against theirs. Sorry POS company!
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
joshw0000 said:
I've been with Verizon for 10+ years (also have unlimited data). I've been pretty happy with their service. I typically call 611 when I have issues rather than visiting a call. The stores #1 (and seemingly only) objective is to sell devices. They have no interest in handling returns/defects/etc. I've actually called 611 from within a store when a sales rep told me something wasn't covered.
The information they told you could have been true and false at the same time. Did they have several brand new V10's in inventory? Yes. Did they have refurbed V10's in inventory to issue as replacements? No. Most companies will not give you a brand new phone as a replacement. A manager can choose to give you one but that's few and far between. Though Verizon (in terms of the big 4 carriers) is your best bet at getting such replacement.
Next time try calling 611. They'll ship you a replacement and give you a return label for the defective one.
All in all, your experience is still better than you'd expect from AT&T. Wanna test that? Ask a Verizon rep to send you a text or e-mail (written confirmation) of something. They will. I've been fighting AT&T U-Verse since July for a bill that I don't owe. Every month they bill me, every month I call and explain, and every month some rep (or manager) has said not to worry and they've removed it from my account. EVERY SINGLE REP has told me they're not allowed to send any e-mails, texts, faxes, or mail...no written confirmation. I got my first collection letter last week. It's my word against theirs. Sorry POS company!
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
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1. I'm glad you pointed out the issue about exchanges vs. Refunds. Note to all: if you are still in your two week return window and have an issue DO NOT EXCHANGE. RETURN FOR REDUND ONLY. They will not tell you if you are receiving a refurbished phone. Demand a new phone. I can't believe I made this mistake because I had exactly this same experience 6 years ago with Droid X. They kept giving me refurbished phones one after the other until I was in my 9th return. Verizon have very poor if nonexistent quality control testing of refurbished phones. I'm going to have to give hard thought to returning this phone if they confirm that it's a refurb, even if I have to eat the $35 restocking fee. Given how the manager of the store couldn't be bothered to leave the back room I have no issue with giving him a return.
2. Yes AT&T is bad, Sprint is Worse and Tmobil I once caught red handed doing something shady on international calls which I reported to the State Attorneys and FCC. But Verizon leads them all for expensive service. The expectation of competent and non-shady service goes up. This all unfortunate because I reward straight shooters with long term loyalty. I would expect this from a fly by night Cell phone company but not an established company with millions of shareholders.
Was the Droid X that long ago? I loved that phone.
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
I've never had issues with Verizon by phone conversation. but going to a Verizon retail store is a different story. stay away
I called LG to verify I had a new phone and They said it was. Also, while I was in the phone with them I asked about an issue I was having with a set of refurbished LG 900 Infinium headphones purchased on Amazon. I was told that if you buy LG Bluetooth headphones and have an issue they will send you new unit not a refurbished even though they were refurbs to begin with.
I also called Verizon tech support and they claim that if you go in store for an exchange they can only give you new phones as they don't stock refurbs. If however you make a claim over the phone They will send you refurbished units. Avoid that at all costs if you are in your 14 day return window.
joshw0000 said:
Was the Droid X that long ago? I loved that phone.
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I keep every phone I ever had in my desk as a little museum. I still have my BlackBerry Pearl..the first must have phone all my friends ran out and switched too, the iphone wasn't the first. But the Droid X was the phone I got when I left T-Mobile just to secure unlimited data. When the iPhone 4 was announced still without 4G, I was Android do good.
porscheoscar said:
I keep every phone I ever had in my desk as a little museum. I still have my BlackBerry Pearl..the first must have phone all my friends ran out and switched too, the iphone wasn't the first. But the Droid X was the phone I got when I left T-Mobile just to secure unlimited data. When the iPhone 4 was announced still without 4G, I was Android do good.
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I sell mine as soon as a better phone is released. That's how I get to try every new phone that will work on Verizon.
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i'm not sure how you got so far as to preorder on the phone then schedule an in store pick up. I called about 3 times before actually going through with a purchase on my UDP line and making sure every questions was answered. I then proceeded to get the phone picked the phone and color then the person couldn't proceed. I was then transferred and they clearly explained to me the deal after again trying and not being able to proceed while keeping the UDP line. I then had to wait til my pay period ended. 3 days later I went to the store and did the actual DPP on my UDP line.
Sorry you had a bad experience. I usually avoid the stores at all costs.
I've had generally good experiences with Verizon stores, but tend to do my business online, simply because I don't have to worry about being pushed or "pitched" anything. Recently, my wife's LG G4 was caught in a bootloop (showed LG logo, then went black). After 3 store reps fiddled around with it trying to factory reset it (BTW, it said "Modified" on the menu, but none noticed that fact!) As one of them was processing the warranty replacement, another guy walked into the store with a G4 and it was doing the exact same thing! Anyway, I asked them if there was anything else I could do since my wife wanted to take photos for Christmas (this was on the 23rd) and the replacement was shipping 2-day. They did offer for me to buy a new phone, but her G4 is 6 months old. Anyway, they seemed very helpful to me and I've never experienced what the OP did--doesn't mean it can't happen, but I would say it's rare.
As a small side-note to my story, I happened to be shopping at BJ's Wholesale during the day on Christmas Eve. In the store, there's a Verizon Kiosk, which is actually run by Diamond Wireless. EVERY SINGLE TIME I've done anything through them, they've been amazing. I guess it actually helps to have some degrees of separation from VZW! I told the guy what happened to my wife's phone. I asked him if I could buy a phone, then return it within 14 days without being worse for the wear--which he confirmed. He then suggested I "buy" the V10 as it has a better camera, etc. Since VZW had already issued a warranty replacement G4, he said they couldn't cancel it, but he suggested that I do a "buddy upgrade" (I have 3 total lines eligible), which I did. Unfortunately, my employee discount doesn't allow payment plan, so I was out $300 temporarily. HOWEVER, LG is giving a $100 rebate (Visa Gift Card). Then on top of that, the replacement G4 that will arrive shortly will be all mine--I'm hoping to sell it for at least $200, so I will break even in the long run. The Diamond Wireless guy walked me through everything, answering all my pesky questions and ensuring everything was done properly. The best part is that my wife has an amazing new phone and took many great Christmas photos with it. I like the phone so much, I'm thinking of switching to a V10 myself... I may wait to see if/what HTC releases next (usually March) and if it doesn't suit my fancy, I'm a new LG V10 owner.
Hell yeah the VZW stores are shady! I had to call CS for 3 months to get a 50 dollar credit I was assured was coming to me. I've jumped from Verizon since then, same bull**** just different source at this point
My experiences have been just the opposite. The instore folks have been so helpful. The telehelp people were clueless about all the discounts on my account and completely jacked everything up. The store manager did some creative genius and my account got fixed. His creativity cost me $35 but it saved me over $1,000 in the end. Everytime I've been in to the store I've had great experiences. I've been in so much recently that I practically know all the employees by first name. (Lots of $300 trade-ins of $10 phones. Thank Vzw!)
I'm not trying to negate your negative experiences as I've seen upset people in the Vzw store every time I've gone in. I understand your frustration and writing the letter was probably very therapuetic. However, sending it probably won't make one bit of difference. The stores are meant for one purpose and only one purpose, sign up new accounts and do phone upgrades. They aren't there to do exchanges like Walmart. If they give you a new phone then that means there's one less new phone in the store to sell. Verizon is a business in business to make money. Exchanging a phone doesn't bring them any new money. Like it or not, that's the facts jack.
If you haven't sent the letter yet then don't bother. You'll probably get a nasty note added to your file.
Op.
You are whats wrong with america, everytime you think you have been wronged in the SLIGHTEST way, You go cry to the better business bureau or aaa or fbi cia dea, obama, whoever will listen to your little violin playing at your pity party.. ...big red is a big companh, they dont give 2 f's about you or your opinion, and neither does the government agency who has their contracted service through big red... Play the game, or get pegged as a pest...and then treated as such
porscheoscar said:
I'm about send a six page letter to the Verizon VP of retail operations and customer service.
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You can stop right there. Your post here is already tl;dr.
Time to do some serious editing. Ideally, you'll parse it down to a single page. Two pages is the max.
Beyond that, you're into serial killer manifesto territory. The only reason anybody will read beyond the second page is to see if you're just a kook, or if you're actually a threat and they need to report you to law enforcement.
Itt: people who don't know what a sales quota is,so they're surprised a corporate verizon rep is only concerned with a sale. Their quotas are so high their jobs are quite frequently on the chopping block if they take time to actually help customers with issues like this.
It sucks, but that's why I usually go to authorized retailers instead.
There's always two sides. Funny thing is 97% of the shadiness I've seen from T-Mobile AND Verizon was to benefit me. You probably come off as pretentious and entitled over the phone, same as in text.
Sorry you had to go through all that nonsense but its true if its a Corporate store they do not care about customer service I have experienced myself and have been lied to also , its much better to go thru a 3rd party where they will treat you better or customer service and since all the nonsense with corp stores I always avoid them would rather get the phone on ebay or amazon or even craigslist before I go to a corp store cuz all they are interested in is sales vs customer sevices and I have many friends and family memebers with Verizon that have had bad experiences so I beleive you sir and its a shame that it happens cuz they are a huge corp that should not be acting like that and should try to make the customer happy even though there are some customers out there that are worse than the employees cuz they expect to get their way cuz of that stupid saying "The Customer is always RIGHT" which is also aload of bs,Anyways it works both ways!!!!!!!!!!!!!!