8 things I learned at Best Buy & Verizon today

[danthman]

1. First of all, what I *didn't* learn is the arrival date of the Thunderbolt. I didn't ask, I didn't care.
   
2. I learned that my LG Dare, the phone I've been holding onto while waiting for the Thunderbolt, is well and truly dead. It was working fine this afternoon, but when I got in my car to drive home from work, it said "Service Required". The Verizon tech tried a battery swap, soft reset, and hard reset. Nothing worked.
   
3. I learned that Best Buy may give you 30 days to return a phone, but you have to return it within 14 days if you want to keep your "new every two" discount. So, the extra 16 days is useless.
   
4. I learned that Best Buy is charging $300, not $250, for the Thunderbolt.
   
5. I learned that if you exchange one phone for another at Best Buy, it can take five days to activate the replacement phone. I was skeptical about this, but there was no higher-up person I could ask--I was speaking to the supervisor. So, I gave up on Best Buy.
   
6. Back at the Verizon store, I learned that Verizon charges a $35 restocking fee if you return a phone with 14 days.
   
7. I learned that Verizon charges an additional $2.99 per month for the privilege of using Visual Voicemail. Really Verizon?
   
8. I learned that you pay sales tax on the full retail price of the phone, not the discounted price.

So, anyway, my cell phone is my only phone, so I had to get something to tide me over until the Thunderbolt arrives (assuming it does arrive). So, I went with a Droid Incredible for $99 with a two-year contract. I figure it will give me a taste of Sense and Android.

If the Thunderbolt doesn't arrive in 14 days, I figure I have three options:

1. Return it and just buy a "pay as you go" phone until the Thunderbolt arrives.
2. Switch to a one-year contract and just live with the Incredible for a year (it's honestly kind of a nice phone, and one advantage it has over the Thunderbolt is pocketability).
3. Switch to a different carrier and get a non-LTE 4G phone for (probably) less up-front and monthly $$$.

 

[Joe the Insider]

Wel of course theres a restocking fee. VZW can't just put it back in the box and resell it, it has to be sent back to the manufacturer and costs verizon money.

If you order a replacement phone from VZW, it's overnighted and it can be activated immediately. You can actually activate it yourself on my verizon then just do *228.

And you do not pay sales tax on the full price of the phone if you get it at the discounted price. That is incorrect.

Lastly, BB is selling it for $249 when it launches.

 

[Droid800]

[*]First of all, what I *didn't* learn is the arrival date of the Thunderbolt. I didn't ask, I didn't care.

[*]I learned that my LG Dare, the phone I've been holding onto while waiting for the Thunderbolt, is well and truly dead. It was working fine this afternoon, but when I got in my car to drive home from work, it said "Service Required". The Verizon tech tried a battery swap, soft reset, and hard reset. Nothing worked.

That stinks. Sorry to hear that. If only it could have lasted a few more days!

[*]I learned that Best Buy may give you 30 days to return a phone, but you have to return it within 14 days if you want to keep your "new every two" discount. So, the extra 16 days is useless.

Well yeah. The 14 days is the return policy for the Verizon contract. Anything beyond that would be exchanging the device for a different one, but you'd still be on contract. Verizon MUST have the equipment back within the 14 days for you to get your NE2 back.

[*]I learned that Best Buy is charging $300, not $250, for the Thunderbolt.

Eh, this we knew. It was all over the web when it leaked out with the buyer's guide.

[*]I learned that if you exchange one phone for another at Best Buy, it can take five days to activate the replacement phone. I was skeptical about this, but there was no higher-up person I could ask. I was speaking to the supervisor. So, I gave up on Best Buy.

Bull****. That's a complete lie. When I got an OG Droid, I exchanged it for a Storm 2 (Don't ask), and the Storm was activated before I left the store. This is why a lot of this situation has been messed up; because a lot of the Best Buy reps have no ****ing clue what they're talking about.

[*]Back at the Verizon store, I learned that Verizon charges a $35 restocking fee if you return a phone with 14 days.

Well yeah. If you make a big deal about Best Buy not doing it, you might be able to get them to drop it.

[*]I learned that Verizon charges an additional $2.99 per month for the privilege of using Visual Voicemail. Really Verizon?

Yeah this is stupid. They don't charge it for the iPhone, so they shouldn't charge it for their Android customers.

[*]I learned that you pay sales tax on the full retail price of the phone, not the discounted price.

Depends where you live. Some states require this, most others don't.

 

[tekhna]

Why on earth would we pay 300 for the Thunderbolt when you can pick up the Atrix for 129.99? That's nuts.

 

[panicprone77]

Wel of course theres a restocking fee. VZW can't just put it back in the box and resell it, it has to be sent back to the manufacturer and costs verizon money.

If you order a replacement phone from VZW, it's overnighted and it can be activated immediately. You can actually activate it yourself on my verizon then just do *228.

And you do not pay sales tax on the full price of the phone if you get it at the discounted price. That is incorrect.

Lastly, BB is selling it for $249 when it launches.

Actually, if you look at Best Buy's Ad next week, it has the Thunderbolt listed for $299.99

 

[TBolt2011]

Actually, if you look at Best Buy's Ad next week, it has the Thunderbolt listed for $299.99

Best Buy price matches almost anything if you bring proof. Not to mention that ad isn't in circulation yet, so there's no reason to take it as law..

And even when it is in circulation, look what happened this past Sunday!

Edit: They better effing price match this, or I'm not buying any phone and saving my upgrade. Ugh. Finally decide to invest my time and they potentially raise the price >.<

 

[danthman]

Wel of course theres a restocking fee. VZW can't just put it back in the box and resell it, it has to be sent back to the manufacturer and costs verizon money.

Best Buy made no mention of a restocking fee, however.

And you do not pay sales tax on the full price of the phone if you get it at the discounted price. That is incorrect.

Apparently, in CA, you really do. I'm looking at my receipt right now. It says "*Tax on Phones: $47.37." Below, it says "*CA: Sales tax calculated on full retail price. NY: Sales tax calculated on VZW cost."

Lastly, BB is selling it for $249 when it launches.

That's not what I was told by the supervisor or what any of their marketing materials said, but if you're right, great.

 

[Droid800]

Why on earth would we pay 300 for the Thunderbolt when you can pick up the Atrix for 129.99? That's nuts.

The Atrix doesn't have LTE or 40 GB of memory.

 

[Chrisy]

There's a Best Buy ad that shows the TB at $249. I'm bringing that in for them to price match. I saved the actual paper.

 

[Maelonzky]

There's a Best Buy ad that shows the TB at $249. I'm bringing that in for them to price match.

jaja ima do the same

 

[TBolt2011]

There's a Best Buy ad that shows the TB at $249. I'm bringing that in for them to price match. I saved the actual paper.

I thought about that, but there were notices in-store after that went out saying that the ad was a misprint and never meant to go public. So they could technically throw that disclaimer back at you.

 

[Chrisy]

I didn't go in store so I saw no such notice. Got the ad in the mail.

 

[TBolt2011]

I didn't go in store so I saw no such notice. Got the ad in the mail.

But, legally, that doesn't change the fact that there were disclaimers. And if they're feeling like A-Holes, I'm just letting you know that they have the option to throw that in your face.

 

[Chrisy]

Possible. But I'm fairly sure it would work.

 

[Droid800]

Possible. But I'm fairly sure it would work.

Unless you threw a *****-fit, it wouldn't. The ad is from the previous week, and on an item that was not in stock. In order for best buy to price match, it has to be a current ad, on an item that is in stock.

Because of this debacle they might cut you some slack, but I wouldn't count on it. In their minds, they could find another customer that will pay the $299, so they wouldn't lose anything.

 

[Chrisy]

I don't throw those. Not my style. We'll see. Don't know about SKUs or in stock. All I know is I got this ad in the mail and am now here to buy.

I won't lose anything either. I'll just buy from VZW w my NE2. Best Buy is just closer. They can take $250 or $0. Makes no difference to me.

 

[Droid800]

Best Buy made no mention of a restocking fee, however.

That's because Best Buy doesn't. They never have on phones.

Apparently, in CA, you really do. I'm looking at my receipt right now. It says "*Tax on Phones: $47.37." Below, it says "*CA: Sales tax calculated on full retail price. NY: Sales tax calculated on VZW cost."

In Cali, yeah, you do. Most places don't though.

That's not what I was told by the supervisor or what any of their marketing materials said, but if you're right, great.

These guys don't know anything at all. The only ones that do are their bosses, and even then what they know is minimal.

 

[NickF227]

Hissy fits ALWAYS work. For some reason I picked up the wrong car charger and busted the USB port on my Eris cuz I shoved it in. Hour on the phone of my mom screaming about how we were loyal customers, new phone on our doorstep.

 

[Droid800]

Hissy fits ALWAYS work. For some reason I picked up the wrong car charger and busted the USB port on my Eris cuz I shoved it in. Hour on the phone of my mom screaming about how we were loyal customers, new phone on our doorstep.

After all they've been through, hissy fits might just piss off the mobile employees.

 

[ShaggyKids]

If you order a replacement phone from VZW, it's overnighted and it can be activated immediately. You can actually activate it yourself on my verizon then just do *228.

Sorry if this is a little OT but since you mentioned this ... if I activate the phone myself - do I get charged the activation fee? I'm a current under-contract customer if that makes any difference.