So here's the long-winded ordeal...
I own a 32GB Droid Maxx. Had it for a year. I would like the Turbo. If I want it, I can Edge up. (Some people are anti-Edge; just stick to the story here, okay? There's a time and place for that argument; it's not here.) My wife is also on my plan, among the five people total. She has the 16GB Droid Maxx. Both of us want more memory. We know how we use our phones, so 32GB would suit my wife fine. Really, she needs about a good 20GB so 32 is overkill for her. Her memory demand is to use her phone as her MP3 source as well due to her iPod dying, and she knows I have used mine as a MP3 source just fine over the years. Plus, I want more memory for my phone because I have a lot of stuff and it would suit me better. That, and I get a new toy, and well, we guys love our electronics, right? lol
So on the surface, we figure we'll go into Verizon, I'll Edge up, I'll give my wife my own phone, and if we have to surrender a phone, we'll just surrender hers and all is well. Simple triangle trade. Verizon gives me Turbo, I give wife 32GB Maxx, she turns into Verizon the 16GB Maxx.
Well, it doesn't work that way. They tell me at the store that *MY* phone has to be the one that is traded in because of others exploiting loopholes. Look, I have been with Verizon for nearly 10 years. This is the first time I have attempted to upgrade early before the Verizon contract would normally allow (I remember the days of 20 months and upgrade early to keep you locked up; didn't seem too long ago.) Apparently this doesn't matter, since it's about Verizon (indirectly) accusing me of being someone trying to cheat the system.
But, the salesman recognizes this at least. It's not HIS fault this policy is in place. I'm not going to get all psycho-mad at him, nor do I have a desire to. What did he do? Besides, he did tell me to call customer service and see if there's anything that can be done because he has seen this situation before and workarounds were made so it can be done.
So by the time I got home last night, and did other stuff, it was too late to call. Early this morning I called and spoke to a CSR at VZW. He could not have been more monotone and non-descript and basically towed the company line and said no, it can't be done, I have to surrender my phone and pay ETFs and other applicable fees if I don't.
I called the store and talked to the same salesman. He said try calling again because he felt the CSR I spoke to was wrong. Now I work in a call center, and honestly, I HATE it when people call in and try to get someone else to get a different answer. Sometimes they do it multiple times as I check the call logs and I'm asking myself, "Seriously?" in a sarcastic tone. But, on the flip side, I also know sometimes one CSR screws up and the next person cleans up, and lord have I cleaned up my share of messes.
So, after I deliberated whether or not to be the very guy I despise and thus be a hypocrite, I swallowed my pride and decided I'd call one more time and be done with it if the answer didn't change. The lady said yes, I CAN edge up and do what I want to do. But there's one caveat: It has to be my wife's phone being edged up. Then, we have to swap phones. Which means down the road, if something happened to her phone, I'd have to edge up on my plan to get her set up, and it would just cause a humongous red tape issue on top of the red tape right now.
Yes, it was an answer to do what I wanted. But after the wife and I took a few hours to think about it, we've come to the conclusion that I shouldn't have to go through all this. I've been with them for 10 years. Yes, the phone is nice, but it's not worth doing all this hoop jumping and tape cutting. I should be able to go in, do what *I* want to do, VZW gets money, all is happy, and it's done soooo much easier. I can't help it others have done manipulative things to make Verizon modify it's Edge program to try and quash them; there is bad in every situation, and I've seen it in my line of work. But someone like me is getting punished because of others?
I've been with Verizon for nearly 10 years. I ask to do one simple thing and they can't do it. My thought is I'm going to the store tomorrow (I'm in for the night, I'd like to actually RELAX this holiday weekend at some point) and I'm going to put it out there and be like, "Look, it doesn't matter how it's done, you'd be getting money from me you otherwise aren't going to get. Why do it this convoluted way? It may not be your store's fault personally, but if it can't be done in the triangle trade I proposed -- which uses MY Edge up -- it's not worth it. I want to be in, out, done, not in, setting her up, then setting me up, then this and that, and wasting my time."
I know some would just do what the second CSR said to do and be done with it, but why should I have to? I'm not trying to rip anyone off. I just want my darn phone, but at this rate, I'm going to ride my contract out to next December 2015, let my wife and others on my plan have their contracts ride out to May 2016, and then examine my options. I may stay with Verizon if it is my best choice at that time, but it's crap like this that make me question why I should remain loyal to them. I want a new phone. I'm willing to pay and agree to new terms. Why force someone to climb Mount Everest rather than just fix a thing or two and just do it easily?
I've rambled a lot, and if you read it all, you have my eternal thanks for that and I appreciate it very much. I truly do. But I'm frustrated right now. This isn't my first customer service issue with Verizon, be it FiOS or VZW (I don't care if they're separate entities officially; it's the same name and that's what people see), and I tire of it. Every time I ask a question, it takes an Act of Congress to get it done.
I should just buy my wife a new iPod and be done with it.
I own a 32GB Droid Maxx. Had it for a year. I would like the Turbo. If I want it, I can Edge up. (Some people are anti-Edge; just stick to the story here, okay? There's a time and place for that argument; it's not here.) My wife is also on my plan, among the five people total. She has the 16GB Droid Maxx. Both of us want more memory. We know how we use our phones, so 32GB would suit my wife fine. Really, she needs about a good 20GB so 32 is overkill for her. Her memory demand is to use her phone as her MP3 source as well due to her iPod dying, and she knows I have used mine as a MP3 source just fine over the years. Plus, I want more memory for my phone because I have a lot of stuff and it would suit me better. That, and I get a new toy, and well, we guys love our electronics, right? lol
So on the surface, we figure we'll go into Verizon, I'll Edge up, I'll give my wife my own phone, and if we have to surrender a phone, we'll just surrender hers and all is well. Simple triangle trade. Verizon gives me Turbo, I give wife 32GB Maxx, she turns into Verizon the 16GB Maxx.
Well, it doesn't work that way. They tell me at the store that *MY* phone has to be the one that is traded in because of others exploiting loopholes. Look, I have been with Verizon for nearly 10 years. This is the first time I have attempted to upgrade early before the Verizon contract would normally allow (I remember the days of 20 months and upgrade early to keep you locked up; didn't seem too long ago.) Apparently this doesn't matter, since it's about Verizon (indirectly) accusing me of being someone trying to cheat the system.
But, the salesman recognizes this at least. It's not HIS fault this policy is in place. I'm not going to get all psycho-mad at him, nor do I have a desire to. What did he do? Besides, he did tell me to call customer service and see if there's anything that can be done because he has seen this situation before and workarounds were made so it can be done.
So by the time I got home last night, and did other stuff, it was too late to call. Early this morning I called and spoke to a CSR at VZW. He could not have been more monotone and non-descript and basically towed the company line and said no, it can't be done, I have to surrender my phone and pay ETFs and other applicable fees if I don't.
I called the store and talked to the same salesman. He said try calling again because he felt the CSR I spoke to was wrong. Now I work in a call center, and honestly, I HATE it when people call in and try to get someone else to get a different answer. Sometimes they do it multiple times as I check the call logs and I'm asking myself, "Seriously?" in a sarcastic tone. But, on the flip side, I also know sometimes one CSR screws up and the next person cleans up, and lord have I cleaned up my share of messes.
So, after I deliberated whether or not to be the very guy I despise and thus be a hypocrite, I swallowed my pride and decided I'd call one more time and be done with it if the answer didn't change. The lady said yes, I CAN edge up and do what I want to do. But there's one caveat: It has to be my wife's phone being edged up. Then, we have to swap phones. Which means down the road, if something happened to her phone, I'd have to edge up on my plan to get her set up, and it would just cause a humongous red tape issue on top of the red tape right now.
Yes, it was an answer to do what I wanted. But after the wife and I took a few hours to think about it, we've come to the conclusion that I shouldn't have to go through all this. I've been with them for 10 years. Yes, the phone is nice, but it's not worth doing all this hoop jumping and tape cutting. I should be able to go in, do what *I* want to do, VZW gets money, all is happy, and it's done soooo much easier. I can't help it others have done manipulative things to make Verizon modify it's Edge program to try and quash them; there is bad in every situation, and I've seen it in my line of work. But someone like me is getting punished because of others?
I've been with Verizon for nearly 10 years. I ask to do one simple thing and they can't do it. My thought is I'm going to the store tomorrow (I'm in for the night, I'd like to actually RELAX this holiday weekend at some point) and I'm going to put it out there and be like, "Look, it doesn't matter how it's done, you'd be getting money from me you otherwise aren't going to get. Why do it this convoluted way? It may not be your store's fault personally, but if it can't be done in the triangle trade I proposed -- which uses MY Edge up -- it's not worth it. I want to be in, out, done, not in, setting her up, then setting me up, then this and that, and wasting my time."
I know some would just do what the second CSR said to do and be done with it, but why should I have to? I'm not trying to rip anyone off. I just want my darn phone, but at this rate, I'm going to ride my contract out to next December 2015, let my wife and others on my plan have their contracts ride out to May 2016, and then examine my options. I may stay with Verizon if it is my best choice at that time, but it's crap like this that make me question why I should remain loyal to them. I want a new phone. I'm willing to pay and agree to new terms. Why force someone to climb Mount Everest rather than just fix a thing or two and just do it easily?
I've rambled a lot, and if you read it all, you have my eternal thanks for that and I appreciate it very much. I truly do. But I'm frustrated right now. This isn't my first customer service issue with Verizon, be it FiOS or VZW (I don't care if they're separate entities officially; it's the same name and that's what people see), and I tire of it. Every time I ask a question, it takes an Act of Congress to get it done.
I should just buy my wife a new iPod and be done with it.
When I got my Turbo I didn't want to give up my mint condition Razr Maxx so took in a old beat up Droid Incredible. It turned on and screen worked and that is all it takes to get $100. However, maybe it is different if you are still under contract? 
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