Verizon sent me the wrong replacement phone

[mesocyclone30]

Verizon sent me a Galaxy S21+ instead of the 21 for a replacement. it's black instead of space grey. so i got an upgrade. but now all my cases won't work i bought 3 different cases this year for my phone and screen protectors. Now all the cases are worthless and I have to buy new ones on a thin budget. I don't recall the guy on the phone saying i was being upgraded to a Galaxy S 21+. I'm assuming they was out and sent the next best thing. My email invoice shows that is what they sent me and it's in the computer that way.

Is this normal? I've never gotten a replacement that is different other then the time i got them to give me a motorola phone instead of a Galaxy S 3 but it's rare to get them to change to a different one for a replacement.

 

[Gary02468]

I've never heard of that before, but it does sound like they had a shortage of the lower-end phone. You could complain to customer service about the incompatibility with your cases, and see if they'll send you a new case for free. (Why do you need more than one?)

 

[Mooncatt]

It's rare, but this sort of thing can happen with Verizon. If you file a warranty claim through them, they typically send a refurbished phone of the same make and model. If they are out, they send a brand new phone. If those are out of stock, then they send one of equivalent or better specs. They use to also let you switch it up if you've had numerous issues with replacements, as a gesture of good will, but they severely clamped down on that option (if they do it at all anymore).

 

[mustang7757]

Yeah seen them do that

 

[spARTacus]

I ordered a phone via reward points and they ended up sending me the next higher up model, without telling me. I think once some of these places commit to sending, it doesn't make a difference to them after that what they actually send, within reason, if the specific model is temporary out of stock, and it is not worth their time/effort to explain why they are sending next model up. I think they assume most people will be happy getting next model up. It does suck for you for now not having cases. Maybe if you contact them they'll also now send one new case for free.

 

[aztec12]

Even if I had to buy a case for the phone I would have been happy with the upgrade. There are plenty of cheap cases.

 

[mesocyclone30]

Even if I had to buy a case for the phone I would have been happy with the upgrade. There are plenty of cheap cases.

Yeah it's kind of neat. just a minor annoyance. And I was surprised. I didn't pay attention to the email that it said the GS 21 Plus. I got a same case for for the plus. but i just realized i need a bigger holster. I still need a screen protector. any idea what is a good one at Amazon that works with the fingerprint reader? The one i had for the other phone didn't work so well even with the extra sensitivity turned on.

I posted about it because I am curious of other's experience.

 

[VidJunky]

Perhaps it depends on which insurance you have but this is normal for Asurion. They seem to regularly switch models when they run out of a specific model or don't stock a model. They turned my HTC in to a Samsung a couple of years back. I haven't seen them maintain the model and just upgrade the specs like this but it's one of the joys of Samsung I guess. So many spec upgrades per model. I haven't seen many post about it recently but just a couple of years ago I seem to remember several mentions of people not getting the same phone they filed a claim on. In my case though, switching between models, I don't feel like they got the value right. My U12+ was my first 1K phone and they replaced it with an S9, not even the Plus, but it was for my son who lost the other so I wasn't too upset that he wasn't getting the best phone. A touch of consequences to teach a lesson. It hurt me personally though, knowing that it wasn't an even trade.

I remember a while back a member having an issue, filing a claim and getting the option of a two year newer device or a different brand all together. I don't remember which way she went but I think she posted here to ask which was the better deal or perhaps it was to humble brag that she was getting a better phone. Either way I'd say this is a very common practice.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

4 years employed at Verizon, it doesn't happen often but it's standard procedure that if a direct replacement isn't immediately available give them an equivalent or better device.

Once saw a guy with like a 3 or 4 year phone still carrying insurance with the extended warranty get a significantly newer phone for free.

 

[mesocyclone30]

Perhaps it depends on which insurance you have but this is normal for Asurion. They seem to regularly switch models when they run out of a specific model or don't stock a model. They turned my HTC in to a Samsung a couple of years back. I haven't seen them maintain the model and just upgrade the specs like this but it's one of the joys of Samsung I guess. So many spec upgrades per model. I haven't seen many post about it recently but just a couple of years ago I seem to remember several mentions of people not getting the same phone they filed a claim on. In my case though, switching between models, I don't feel like they got the value right. My U12+ was my first 1K phone and they replaced it with an S9, not even the Plus, but it was for my son who lost the other so I wasn't too upset that he wasn't getting the best phone. A touch of consequences to teach a lesson. It hurt me personally though, knowing that it wasn't an even trade.

I remember a while back a member having an issue, filing a claim and getting the option of a two year newer device or a different brand all together. I don't remember which way she went but I think she posted here to ask which was the better deal or perhaps it was to humble brag that she was getting a better phone. Either way I'd say this is a very common practice.

thanks for the reply.

 

[mesocyclone30]

4 years employed at Verizon, it doesn't happen often but it's standard procedure that if a direct replacement isn't immediately available give them an equivalent or better device.

Once saw a guy with like a 3 or 4 year phone still carrying insurance with the extended warranty get a significantly newer phone for free.

thanks for the info.

 

[mellohidy]

Oh my god same problem!! Except they sent me a crappier phone LOL