4 days and 3 Droid Turbos: My journey through Verizon hell (replacement woes)

[Robisan]

The OP has a perfect right to go ape about being given exchange phones that don't match the box. If it were me I absolutely would not have accepted that and would have escalated to the store manager -- and up from there if necessary. The owner of the phone - the person paying for it -- has a right to possession of everything purchased, including the exact box that matches the phone. As we saw in the OP, that matters for warranty purposes.

 

[Almeuit]

The OP has a perfect right to go ape about being given exchange phones that don't match the box. If it were me I absolutely would not have accepted that and would have escalated to the store manager -- and up from there if necessary. The owner of the phone - the person paying for it -- has a right to possession of everything purchased, including the exact box that matches the phone. As we saw in the OP, that matters for warranty purposes.

I have to admit I would have done something similar to this extent -- I would not have left that store without the proper box and everything just like I did when I bought the phone -- There is NO reason to not have the box it came with.

 

[Xelios]

If they tried that with me I would ask them, If you bought a new car and the paint started falling off after 2 days would you bring it back to get a new one? What would you say if the dealer told you NO because you didn't put on an after market clear coat or use some thing to protect the paint?

I believe that would get them to think a bit differently.

Thank you. I used this today when I went to Verizon, and it shut them up. I'm glad I read this thread before going, apparently Verizon stores know about the fraying nylon and are refusing to replace it for that defect alone. Certainly grabbed the attention of other customers around me too, can't bull**** your way through that.

 

[hal1]

I know it can be hard to play nice, but making a scene in front of other customers is not going to win you any friends with Verizon and the other customers will just think ill of you.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Xelios]

You know, I'm not one to make a scene normally, but at some point it's the only way you'll get help. In my case, here we have Motorola making phones with defective back pieces such as the fraying nylon, and Verizon selling them without taking responsibility. I get that they're just doing their jobs, but you gotta look after yourself too. I just paid 265 dollars for a phone. First one had a damaged screen, second one had a peeling backplate and poor battery life. Why should I suffer because someone else screwed up? Playing nice with them only gets you so far. Especially since the fraying nylon is so well known that the Verizon stores are being told not to replace them. It's just poor build quality at that point and shady business tactics.

 

[Robisan]

Maybe other customers will think "if I buy here maybe that will be me" and take their business elsewhere.

...adding, until proven otherwise good business practice is "the customer is always right."

 

[LegalAmerican]

I had a lot of thoughts as I read this, that I thought I would share for everyone to just ignore.

1- I have been a teller at a financial institution and dealt with customers who were angry from the get go and mistreated me for something that I had no control over, and plenty of times I did the wrong thing and tried my best to annoy them as payment.

2- I HATE HATE Verizon for so many things. So reading this, I sided with OP even with my past experiences as a teller as mentioned above.

3- Verizon needs to have customers start to hit them where it hurts instead of whining all day about it and then turning around and overpaying for their service. The only way to fix these problems is to stop paying them for their service no matter how good it is (I understand if it's your only option where you live, that just sucks)

4- I believe that a consumer has every right to swap out the product until they get one that meets their expectations. I also however, feel that some consumers are impossible to please. If I could only see a problem when running a test that does not duplicate real world usage and then acting like I simply couldn't live with it, I would expect the service company to get annoyed with me. It doesn't sound like this is what happened here, aside from maybe that color thing with the screen. Granted I didn't completely understand what was being described, and i'm sure if I did understand i'd again side with OP.

5- If you continue to have problems and decide to swap devices, the Note 4 would be a great choice. I love mine but the Moto x was my second choice (similar to the Droid Turbo).

Good luck OP. This sounds like a mess and hopefully you get it sorted out. Verizon is a bunch of scum bags who think we're all stupid fools.

 

[tech_fan]

Wow. I had just posted an issue with Verizon and my Moto X return when I saw the heading come up in the Top Trending articles. Oddly enough, I can relate to most of what was written. For me, I have decided that once my matter is resolved, I want to buy a phone that has no contract. I am done with this headache. I have been a customer of Verizon for over 10 years. Maybe its time to look at moving on and trying another carrier.

Sounds like you have gone above and beyond what is required. After my 2nd return, I would have wanted to swap out units for another model whatever that model might have or will be.

 

[cbreze]

For unit #1 you didn't say anything about trying to condition the battery, not to mention being just plain new and settling in general overall, unless I missed that. New phone batteries take awhile to settle as we all have experienced from time to time. Had 14 days right?
My M8 took most of a full day to straighten out. I was planning on returning it the next day, but it's been fantastic ever since, just took some time.

 

[twolastnames]

As someone who deals with people every day, here is what I have to say.

Usually when customers are being ridiculous AND rude, they get the bare level of service from me. I'm not going to lie, but assuming your first device is bad because of 20 hour battery life after the first 2 days of use is crazy. There are so many things that happen when you first get a phone, the first being you use it a ton because it's awesome, and batteries need a couple of discharge cycles to settle in. The reps probably thought you were being a bit quick to the faulty device.

People can be silly with requests, but you need to be cool as hell. If I knowingly do something I know is not going to fix your problem, just because you tell me to do it, you better be on your best behavior. My vote is all your other problems are Karma kicking you in the ***. Sorry, but I don't feel for you on this one man.

 

[Adawg1203]

Everyone has the right to switch carriers if they do not like who they are with. Remember, the grass isn't always greener in a competitors yard. Also, whether it's right, wrong, or indifferent you should NEVER hide behind the shield of "i'm the customer" therefore, I'm in the right. The problem is people feel being the customer entitles them to being rude to the employees who represent a business. In many cases the store front employees have nothing to do with the problem of the customer. Conversely, I do feel they make every attempt to help with the situation the customer brings before them. In many cases its the CUSTOMERS actions that lead to a poor experience. The customer raises their voice and displays aggressive behavior, first. The employee can only sit there with a smile, and in their head think about how badly they want to punch the person but need to keep their jobs. So the customer is just as responsible for service as an employee. If you bully a representative due to your poor behavior I don't think they will be eager to go the extra mile on your behalf. If customers excersised better restraint in difficult situations I believe the customer experience would be much better. Whether or not the employee was able to completely resolve the problem. Just my 2 cents.

 

[BOSSY TEXAS CHICK]

Even if you did EVERYTHING wrong including punching every employee in the face & setting the store on fire, you'd STILL be in the right as far as i'm concerned...lol

i have been calling Verizon The Red Devil Network for years. They ruin EVERY phone (cosmetically & performance-wise with their V-Cast & all their other Verizon Bloatware, OEM software removal of features etc) they rape & pillage with their pricing of phones & plans, 90% of their sales staff are rude & untrained, etc, etc, etc.... I would rather go back to a slate & and a hammer than ever give them a penny. They are evil!

Here's what you should have done. Tell them, "since all 3 exchanges equal ONE working advice (but barely) i will take ALL 3 devices and only be charged for the one." And then tell them this is something you are only willing to do as a "ONE TIME courtesy" and then wait for their answer. And remember, he who speaks first after that, "loses".....

BTC

 

[tdizzel]

Everyone has the right to switch carriers if they do not like who they are with. Remember, the grass isn't always greener in a competitors yard. Also, whether it's right, wrong, or indifferent you should NEVER hide behind the shield of "i'm the customer" therefore, I'm in the right. The problem is people feel being the customer entitles them to being rude to the employees who represent a business. In many cases the store front employees have nothing to do with the problem of the customer. Conversely, I do feel they make every attempt to help with the situation the customer brings before them. In many cases its the CUSTOMERS actions that lead to a poor experience. The customer raises their voice and displays aggressive behavior, first. The employee can only sit there with a smile, and in their head think about how badly they want to punch the person but need to keep their jobs. So the customer is just as responsible for service as an employee. If you bully a representative due to your poor behavior I don't think they will be eager to go the extra mile on your behalf. If customers excersised better restraint in difficult situations I believe the customer experience would be much better. Whether or not the employee was able to completely resolve the problem. Just my 2 cents.

This is the biggest bunch of BS I've read in a long, long time. You sound like a rep who wants to get paid as much as possible for doing as little as possible.
I'm not at all an advocate for harassing a rep, but far too often, the only way to get what you are paying your hard earned money for is to be a little rude. You are the customer. You're the one giving up your money. The first assumption on both sides should be that you are right. Anything else is plain insulting. If I buy a phone and during the sale the rep shows they know very little about it, if I'm having problems with it, why would i think they now know more about the device and its problems than i do?
I had a decent experience when i bought my OG Droid. Since then, every single experience, whether i went by myself or with someone, has been varying degrees of awful. They've been filled with nothing but misinformation and disinterest to what i actually want. I have yet to have an employee make much of an attempt to help me with what i actually want until i get a little ride with them. I try not to go overboard and i don't think i ever have, but I've come close a few times. I always start out polite, but when i come in and tell you i want a Droid Bionic and you repeatedly try to get me to buy an iPhone, I'm gonna be a bit rude to you. When i buy a Droid Ultra and you try to repeatedly sell me a "Q-1" charger, I'm gonna be rude. If i came in with a problem like the OP, and got treated like he did, I'd be rude. It's called customer service, not rep service. The customer needs to be the one being serviced. If they had a problem reps should do everything reasonably possible to fix it. If i sold him something defective he has a right to come in with a bad attitude. Reps should understand that and act accordingly, but in this day and age, they don't. The idea of "you just bought a $700 device, it's defective, so you better be nice" is completely ludicrous.
Anyone who listens to you is setting themselves up to be bulldozed by someone who is only there to get a commission.
Whenever i go in to a store my first thought is that whoever is there is going to help me and i act accordingly, but the second i see that my needs aren't being prioritized the switch gets flipped. I'm not gonna go in there, be nice no matter what, let them have their way with me, and then offer them a cigarette when they're done . Not gonna happen.

Posted from my Droid Turbo, Kelly and Ozone

 

[itic]

Hey Owl, what happened?

 

[GolferChris68]

No matter what the OP said or did, the fact that the store gave out replacement phones without the matching boxes is very suspect! I would bet that it's not a corporate store, but instead, an authorized reseller. I've had not-so-great experiences with resellers in the past. Best to always go to a Verizon corporate store if there is one local. I've found the service to vary dramatically between corporate stores and authorized resellers.

 

[rdjr74]

AMEN tdizzel! I have an issue with posters that think the guy is out of line. Did you read what he had to deal with! I've been in a similar situation with that pathetic thing called a phone, the Nexus 4. My screen had issues and they did the same thing, look at it under the brightest light possible where it's next to impossible to see imperfections. After the same exact thing, whispering and going in the back for 10 minutes plus, me proving to them that there was imperfections, they finally replaced it. Lucky for me the second device was satisfactory. If only I had known this phone would turn out to be SHEET!

We as the customer deserve a better experience from Verizon. Not all of use what something for free, we just want what is right. If I receive the slightest bit of pull back from the reps and I'm absolutely sure I deserve to be there with my complaints, then it's gonna be a long day for them and me. My time is important to me and I'd rather spend it elsewhere but if I have to stay and hammer my point across then so be it. It's unfortunate they go on the defensive immediately when someone comes in with a legitimate issue.

Now this has only been my experience with corporate stores, not retail nor customer rep's on the phone. Online is the only way I do things now whenever possible.

Those of you dogging this guy makes me think you've never had issues similar to the OP. Lucky for you but if you were standing next to him in the store while all of this was going on I think your opinion would change slightly. Also, I don't think he would have gotten as far as he did at the store if he was being a jerk as some of you claim.

 

[sharkita]

If I buy a phone and during the sale the rep shows they know very little about it, if I'm having problems with it, why would i think they now know more about the device and its problems than i do?
I had a decent experience when i bought my OG Droid. Since then, every single experience, whether i went by myself or with someone, has been varying degrees of awful. They've been filled with nothing but misinformation and disinterest to what i actually want. I have yet to have an employee make much of an attempt to help me with what i actually want until i get a little ride with them. I try not to go overboard and i don't think i ever have, but I've come close a few times. I always start out polite, but when i come in and tell you i want a Droid Bionic and you repeatedly try to get me to buy an iPhone, I'm gonna be a bit rude to you.

I'm sorry to say this kind of thing has happened to me with AT&T more than once, which is why I avoid the stores altogether as much as possible, so it's not just exclusive to Verizon, I'm sorry to say. I purchased my last two phones directly from Moto online, bypassing the store, and I'll keep doing that as long as I can. My last few visits to AT&T - it was all about the latest iPhone or Galaxy. The last time I bought a phone in store was the Atrix.

I have coworkers who have had issues with their phones and have had good experiences with Verizon, so it likely varies from store to store, but believe me AT&T has just as many untrained people behind the counter as Verizon. Sad but true.

 

[Brad Steele]

Here's what you should have done. Tell them, "since all 3 exchanges equal ONE working device (but barely) i will take ALL 3 devices and only be charged for the one." And then tell them this is something you are only willing to do as a "ONE TIME courtesy" and then wait for their answer. And remember, he who speaks first after that, "loses".....

BTC

Could not have said it better.

Me 2 you via Lg0gPro

 

[Robisan]

A few rules I follow for dealing with customer service on problems, in no particular order:

1) Always leave room to escalate. If you start at 11 on an anger scale of 10 you have nowhere to go.

2) Befriend the rep. Use some humor and make them laugh. Make them like you and want to help you. Honey, not vinegar.

3) If you start getting angry, apologize. No, seriously. Apologize to the rep as a person. Whatever your problem is, the rep, personally, did not cause it. Tell them that. "I'm sorry, please don't take my upset personally. I know this problem is not your fault, however..."

4) Understand that first-level reps are in a box. There are things they're allowed to do and things they're not allowed to do. They can't go outside the box. They might lose their job if they do. Understand that "no" doesn't mean they disrespect you or problem. Instead, tell them you understand the box and ask to speak to a supervisor or manager.

5) Don't dis the front line rep with the manager. Instead, see #2 above. Your goal is to get the manager to go outside the box your friendly, helpful rep was in.

6) If you have to escalate, do it in a direct, frank, non-personal way. Most "no's" are institutional "no's", not personal ones. Managers have boxes too. Keep moving up the chain of command if needed.

7) People are human. Some reps/managers will be disrespectful of you or your problem. Maybe they're having a bad day; Maybe that's just their disposition. Don't return the disrespect, recognize it and move on to someone who will be more attentive. Remember, you goal is to get to "yes." Don't waste time getting angry with someone unlikely to give you a "yes."

 

[rdjr74]

Robisan gets an AMEN from we as well!