How honest are you?

[Jude526]

Would you take a new phone that you really don't want just to have a new phone and if in the grace period you can return it, would you return it and get the phone you really want?

And if you are one of those who does this, why can't you just wait till the phone you want is released?

Personally, I think this is very wrong to do and if people continue to do this, we will lose more with Verizon.
I have been with Verizon for many years, even before the company was known as Verizon...so that says a lot for my loyalty to such a good company for their service and their product.

Verizon used to give their customers 30 days to try out a phone. People really took advantage of this and unfortunately now we have only 14 days. Eventually, it wouldn't surprise me if they take this away if people continue doing the obvious. It is a policy for legitimate reasons to trade, not just cause a person wants a new phone while waiting for the ONE they really want. And then argue the 35.00 restocking fee.

As a retailer, I certainly don't like seeing this happen in any form of selling. I saw it many times when in the wireless industry and I see it in other retail areas as well. It wastes a lot of money and it causes the retailer to damage out and/or throw out the product. When this happens with cosmetics, the product can't be resold. It is a sheer waste of money. And the customer wonders why prices skyrocket.

We need to be mindful of what we do and how we spend our money. And deliberately getting a phone knowing all the while you are going to return it is really wrong and unethical. This isn't teaching young people to be responsible. This is a form of cheating.

 

[natehoy]

Any time a company offers this kind of deal, they are inviting a certain level of abuse (I should know, I work for LL Bean). But the abuse you'll suffer is offset by increased sales due to customer confidence in your brand and practices.

I honestly doubt Verizon is losing a great deal of money over this. The returned phones can be refurbished and used as warranty/exchange replacements, so they aren't losing a great deal of value.

It might not be right, but it's the cost of having a policy that increases sales. That policy will be abused by a certain percentage of your customer base.

Ranting about it just makes those members of your customer base who legitimately use such services uncomfortable doing so and therefore more reluctant to buy in the first place, and makes no difference to the customers who are going to abuse it anyway.

 

[Jude526]

I have never allowed customers to know what I am thinking regarding their returning a product. I am always gracious accepting a return. I was simply just making a statement that there are some people who take advantage. It is an observation. But like I said, the customer never knows what I am thinking. I am more professional than that.

 

[dequardo#AC]

I don't understand the wording of this. What's dishonest about using a policy that has been cut from 30 to 14 days? And that costs $35 that it didn't used to. Flip the question around and ask if VZW is being dishonest rolling out new phones 15 days apart.

 

[worwig]

I wouldn't waste my time and waste the $35 to play with a phone that I didn't want after 14 days.

BUT

People that do this, while they may be annoying and odd, are NOT being dishonest. Verizon has spelled out a business deal, and people are conforming to the Verizon deal. I don't see anything here implying honesty or dishonesty.
And Verizon should have enough data by now to know what is good business, and what is a wasted expense. If Verizon can't analyze it, and adjust the rules to make good business sense, then that is their fault.

BTW, I have been a long time fan of VZW also.

 

[chuckh0308]

I would never do that. I don't HAVE to have the newest phone on the first day and I'm never in a big enough hurry to get rid of one that I need to have something to fill in a few days. Most importantly, there is nothing I hate worse than having to get my phones all set up and then change them and have to set them up again. Setting up a phone for temporary use would be a huge inconvenience, to say the least.

 

[willis936]

My biggest issue with restocking is that it's just plain wasteful. If the customer had simply gotten the right accessory or phone in the first place they wouldn't be out 35 bucks and the retailer wouldn't be out an unused phone.

 

[recDNA]

If people love the "try it" phone they are likely to keep it. The problem is the LTE network is so messed up nobody can hold a good 4G signal so they blame the phone and want a new one. VZW should fix their network and stop charging customers to be beta testers. Here's a thought....get it right the FIRST time.

If Bionic came out within the time period I would have traded for one because of all the data problems with tbolt. It wouldn't have helped but I would have tried it.

BTW, I've been with vzw since my first cell phone and nobody warned me about the change from 30 days to 14 days when I bought this phone. How honest was that?

BTW, guess why I always buy my glasses from Lens Crafters and most of my clothes from LL Bean?

 

[rcmarks314]

Brutally honest. If my answer upsets someone then maybe they should have thought better of asking me. I hurt a few feelings but I don't lie to make you feel good. And that makes me feel good. But that's another topic. I just wouldn't do the return thing unless something was wrong with the phone. I only go for the phone I want. I mean why go for the all you can eat burgers when two days later you can have the all you can eat prime rib?

 

[r007]

I do not work at a Verizon/wireless store, so this is just my opinion... But, I do not think a lot of people were purposly buying a phone, to return it in 30 days, and get a better phone. I think there were people that did that, but not very many. Out of all of the android users out there, 200 million of them, it's an extreamly small percentage who did this.

However, the small percentage of people caused a huge policy change that affected all of us who might have legitiment reasons to return a phone. It's to bad that this happened, I do not like it, but they can get away with it. Why? Because we still buy new phones from them.

 

[FrankXS]

However, the small percentage of people caused a huge policy change that affected all of us who might have legitiment reasons to return a phone. It's to bad that this happened, I do not like it, but they can get away with it. Why? Because we still buy new phones from them.

I agree 100 percent. But the real issue is that it can easily take 30 days to notice legitimate problems. 14 days is not enough for today's computer phones.

-Frank



Sent from my HTC ThunderBolt 4G/LTE using Tapatalk

 

[Jude526]

but the 30 days was taken away probably because it was taken advantage of which is the point I was trying to bring out. I just wanted opinions and am glad for the most part, everyone agrees. It is unfortunate that those who abuse policies are the reasons we lose out.

 

[recDNA]

That's not my problem. Imo all "restocking fees" are a rip off and should be made illegal... In fact you've gotten me gussied up enough to call my state and
federal reps and senators about it.

 

[fatboy97]

I've only returned one phone, and that was because it had a defect... and I wasn't going to take another of the same model because even the sales person said they all had the same defect... luckily I only had to wait for another month to get the phone I finally settled on.

 

[tdknocking]

Retail companies actually know that it's going to be abused and calculate the loss to gain ratio. Being in this grueling business for so many years, it's always going to come out ahead. With Verizon, the phones don't always make them money, they make a killing off of insurance and data.

 

[wildman]

I really see this going the same place the conversation about using Wifi Teathering Apps without paying for it (NOWHERE)... I see both sides of this subject but no matter what a user never will acknowledge that playing the systems rules is still wrong and could lead to others being effected..

Jude526 I agree that the abuse of the system (ON BOTH SIDES) is effecting the system. Teired pricing is a perfect example..

 

[Mortiel]

That's not my problem. Imo all "restocking fees" are a rip off and should be made illegal... In fact you've gotten me gussied up enough to call my state and
federal reps and senators about it.

A rip off, eh?

You do know that Verizon is out on average of $300 when you return a new phone, right?

If you return the phone due to a defect in the 14 day period, the company sees it as you needing to, and thus does not charge you to swap it for the same device, however just desiring to swap to a different phone for aesthetic reasons just adds to the company's losses... and you would prefer that you not have to pay $35 and watch all our bills rise some more huh?

There is absolutely nothing illegal about restocking fees. You chose to switch to a different device with the logical deduction that Verizon will not be able to sell the original phone you bought as new ever again, and you are refunded the entire price you paid for the device. In fact, they usual give them away for free as certified like-new replacements for those with defective phones outside the 14 day period. If it was my company, and was infinitely smaller scale than Verizon (i.e. less than 100 customers), I would have no 14 day return unless its defective.

 

[Wildside]

14 days is not enough for today's computer phones.

Agreed. 14 days is not enough to determine if there is an issue - nor is it enough to determine if the phone fully meets my needs.

I returned the Droid Pro just after 3 weeks (the first phone I ever returned without a problem). I did not like the form factor at all even though I had come from a Blackberry Curve. I believe I gave it a legitimate try. I also could not have a phone that had a known issue of sending messages to the wrong contact. The potential for client information going to the wrong client was too great.

Under the 14 days, I have to make sure the form factor will work and that issues won't affect me or my clients too greatly in a half the time. Battery life is an inconvenience, messages to the wrong client are unacceptable.

People who like to test drive every new phone have changed the game. It's unfortunate for people with legitimate issues with a device.

 

[anthony2558]

I lie every day... Does it matter no. Does any of this matter. No. Verizon is still making money hand over fist. The problems are from the small majority of us in these forums that need to have the newest of new the most upgraded software. 9 out if 10 people that I talk to don't even know nor do they really care if a new software up date is coming out. When ics comes out they will have no clue, why cause they don't care enough. 14 days 30 days whatever does it really matter to 95% of the people who buy phones, no.... It doesn't. You only test drive your car for a few hours before you buy it. Then its yours no returns. We here on these forums have insider knowledge (to say) and this is why we have idiots demanding the nexus from Verizon. Shut up and get it when it is released, its not like your going to boycott it if it doesn't come out when u want it to, your still gonna buy it and your still gonna want something newer when it comes out. I'm sorry Jude, but I can't stand your posts. I try to ignore them but I can't sometimes...

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[Wampa1]

F Verizon. My headphone jack was messed up on my original thunderbolt and they wouldn't let me exchange it when I tried to. I ordered the phone online on 3/17 and received it on 3/21, they said the 14 days started on 3/17 and not 3/21 when I was able to use the phone. My upgrade comes based on the 3/21 date, again the more convenient date for them. I took a refurb phone instead.