dpham00:
* Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
* Your suggestion to contact the Verizon executive prompted me to make the attempt. I tried to contact the Verizon executive in both Northern CA and Southern CA areas, from their profile pages. At the bottom of each profile page is a "Contact" link that opens a new pop-up window with a contact form. However, after filling in all the fields, when I clicked "Send" absolutely nothing changes with the screen. It still shows the exact same contact form and fields, with my entries, as though I didn't click "Send," even though I did click it. I tried this for the Northern CA president several times, then for the Southern CA president, on two different browsers, and got the same result every time. It was rather frustrating. I finally printed it out and got a mailing address from the general Verizon Wireless web site "Contact Us" page.
UPDATE:
I spoke with the Northern CA Verizon executive today. When I tried to send a summary of the situation via the web contact form, it wouldn't send, as noted in a previous post. There was no indication of a maximum number of characters that can be typed in the message field, and it never limited my typing as I typed my message (the way some message fields would stop allowing any further typing once the maximum length has been reached). So I tried to send a very brief note instead, simply stating that I had an issue to discuss that I couldn't resolve at the Verizon Wireless stores, and the contact form was not sending my message so in case it was due to message length, please let me know how else to contact him. In response to this, he called me.
He stated that the first Verizon Wireless store should not have refused to exchange my device, because they have a 14-day exchange policy that is supposed to be "no questions asked" and so it didn't matter what my reason for the exchange was. He stated he can change my upgrade dates so that I'm back to my upgrade eligible period as though I never purchased a new device back on Jan 8 of this year, and I can go back to Verizon Wireless to purchase the phone again. I asked what if I get another defective device, and he said then they should exchange it. I asked what if the one that gets exchanged is also defective, and he said then they should exchange it again until I get one that works. However, when I clarified this with him later, he changed his tune about this and went back to saying I would get one exchange opportunity.
I am considering, then, to purchase the device again, and if the GPS function doesn't work, then return the product and that's that. However, they may try to hit me with a restocking fee, which would not be appropriate if the return is due to a defective product.
Perhaps interestingly, he didn't ask which store or which manager would not allow the exchange in the first place. I did mention I had the store addresses, and names of all the reps and managers I spoke to.