Warranty Replacement (AT&T)

[BeRich]

Have any of you AT&T users had to exchange your Note 2 for a warranty replacement yet? I've recently (this weekend) noticed the bezel is coming loose around the volume buttons on my phone and I'm wondering what would be the better route to go as far as getting this fixed, so I'm seeking experience of other AT&T customers. So far I've heard to call in to customer service and omit some info (that I've had a case on it), or take it into my local corporate store that also has a service center in the store. The only time I've ever had to do a warranty claim on a phone was with my Torch and the Service Center did a replace right then and there, but the phone wasn't as new as this one is so they had some refurbs handy. And with me leaving at the end of the week and NEEDING my phone on me, I'm hesitant to get a claim started without knowing when I'd replacement?

Advice from AT&T customers? Also, has anyone else experienced this with their Note 2 yet?

UPDATE: I called AT&T customer service this morning. The call lasted about half an hour, most of which was waiting on hold. I explained what was going on with the bezel, how I suspected the adhesive holding it on the phone was coming loose and if it progressed, maybe months down the road I wouldn't have a bezel on a phone I paid $689 for. The rep asked if my volume buttons were working, they still are. He also asked if the phone had retained water damage or had been dropped. Of course not. So he got the ball rolling on shipping me out another white Note 2. I wasn't clear on whether it'll be a refurbished or new unit. And also, the phone was bought on the 16th of November and I did the claim today (February 11th) rather than wait until I returned home the 25th.

UPDATE #2: The replacement unit arrived today and was clearly a refurb--its bezel was in worse condition than my current one is. I called up AT&T. Again. Explained how I was told by the first rep to inspect the unit when it arrived before even using it and I found it to be in worse condition than my own phone. The rep on the phone with me today was also wanting to charge me for shipping this time, which I had no interest in paying, being under warranty still. I explained neither I, nor the account holder were going to be in town if they did the free 3-5 day shipping so he waived the fee and did the 2-3 day shipping. So I'm going to send back the one I received today. I also wasted a trip to a corporate store's service center to see if they'd be of help, seeing as they have units on hand for inspection for exchanges. Before I could even explain what I was there for, the "manager" took my own phone and unlocked it as if he was going to start transferring all my data to this damaged refurb. I get that he probably does this all day long, but come on. The rest of my visit there he wasn't helpful at all and became downright rude when I told him what was going on and even showed him the bezel on the refurb. It's all a big effing headache and I'll think twice before spending almost $700 on a phone when the adhesive or clips or whatever is keeping the bezel in place (I wish it was like the Bold 9000 and actually screwed onto the until itself) on it won't even stay solid.

UPDATE #3: 2nd replacement came in today. I would really like to know what is up with AT&T. While this new unit is impeccable physical condition (it even had that tiny sticker on the top edge of the bezel)...it's the WRONG color. I was sent a Titanium Gray replacement. So I got back on the phone with AT&T just to make sure that if I accepted this replacement, there would be no issues later on down the road seeing as it's replacing a Marble White Note 2. The rep this time was very polite and helpful and told me it would be okay to use this replacement unit despite it being a different color. This gray Note 2's bezel doesn't even feel squishy around the volume buttons, so I'm hoping this one will prove to be pretty solid. In the meantime, I'll be searching for a matching back cover and S Pen, seeing as AT&T only sends out the handset itself and not any detachable parts. All in all, I'm hoping I will not have to deal with ANYONE from AT&T for a long, long time after this.

 

[planoman]

I assume you got it from ATT? An in store exchange is only for the first 30 days. I believe you will have to mail it in or drop it by a service center if you have one close by. I think the turn around is pretty quick. No, I have not seen that bezel coming loose.

 

[Eclipse2K]

Does ATT not send out replacements prior to you sending your phone in? Verizon and T-Mobile will send you a phone before you ship yours in so this down time you speak of seems foreign go me.

Edit: they're just like Verizon and T-Mobile. You could call and ask for a replacement if you prefer that route. I also dont see what a case has to do with anything considering ATT sells cases so those people are just overly cautious. Doesn't hurt to say something but be aware these companies may check the forums while you're in the phone and see your thread. Be honest up front as a case would not cause this.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...%2Flegal%2Fterms.exhibitR.html&token=mc7QGsGv


Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 2.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

You can also ask for the retention dept and say "before I cancel every contract I have with AT&T" and your can get them to send you out a NIB non refurb and probably a credit on top of it. Generally, they don't even make you send back the old phone.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Android Central Forums

 

[GadgetgirL76]

I actually had a similar issue but mine had a gap between the top of the screen and the bezel. It was wide enough to stick my fingernail between it. Initially they tried to say that I caused the damage but I found a forum stating that this was an actual issue, a manufacturer defect. When I went to a corp. store they gave me a brand new one on the spot because I had spoken with CS over the phone and they assured me that it would not be an issue.

sent from my AT&T GN2

 

[joe.kent]

You can also ask for the retention dept and say "before I cancel every contract I have with AT&T" and your can get them to send you out a NIB non refurb and probably a credit on top of it. Generally, they don't even make you send back the old phone.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Android Central Forums

Good luck with this... AT&T has actually quit returning my calls regarding an issue on my device... After the 14 period.. .they don't give a $h!t about you...

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Good luck with this... AT&T has actually quit returning my calls regarding an issue on my device... After the 14 period.. .they don't give a $h!t about you...

Again, ask for the retention dept and you have to be ready to cancel your contract out put up with it. I've been dealing with them for 2 months in a Network issue they insisted at first, was my phone. They did this for me two weeks ago with my S3.

Also you can insist Customer Care open an ICU case for you. If they don't do that, post on the AT&T facebook that you are having an issue with Customer Care, they will have you email them, the description of your problems and they can assign you an ICU case.

The retention dept is different that Customer Care and they don't just handle wireless issues.

Sent from my AWESOME Note 2

 

[eadgbe]

Good info and advice there Kelly! OP paid $689, I for one would be extremely pissed my phone was doing this! Don't forget the squeaky wheel gets the oil OP!

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Also, I believe I would just pick up a go phone, if I didn't have an extra phone and send it to Samsung for free repair. They will also check everything, top to bottom.

Sent from my AWESOME Note 2

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Actually AT&T just called me back, they have escalated my issue even further, it is going up to Engineering to have them turn one of the 3 towers in my area to point in this direction. When they turned on LTE, they turned a tower and made service sucky for hundreds and hundreds of us.

Sent from my AWESOME Note 2

 

[ItsaRaid]

I too have had issues similar to Kelly Kearnes. AT&T is very difficult to deal with and it depends who you get on the phone. If you demand that your matter be escalated to ICU level, youll get further ahead. Retention is also a good place. Their soul job is to do whats necessary to retain you as a customer.
A good example is the lack of a comprehensive change log showing adds, deletes, and enhancements in layman dialog (not codes) for the 4.1.2 update or this recent update for security.
I had horrible troubles with a HTC One X, 20 phone calls later I got someone on the phone that was nice. My son received a free S3 and I received a literally no charge GN2. The word and lesson is called PERSISTANCE. If your matter is legit, stand up for what you believe in.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

I too have had issues similar to Kelly Kearnes. AT&T is very difficult to deal with and it depends who you get on the phone. If you demand that your matter be escalated to ICU level, youll get further ahead. Retention is also a good place. Their soul job is to do whats necessary to retain you as a customer.
A good example is the lack of a comprehensive change log showing adds, deletes, and enhancements in layman dialog (not codes) for the 4.1.2 update or this recent update for security.
I had horrible troubles with a HTC One X, 20 phone calls later I got someone on the phone that was nice. My son received a free S3 and I received a literally no charge GN2. The word and lesson is called PERSISTANCE. If your matter is legit, stand up for what you believe in.

Once you get to the right person, high up enough, then they will take care of you. Like I said, I got a brand-new S3, my original purchase was a refurb S3. Then I ended up getting a Note 2, they gave me $50 off the price, so basically I got the Note 2 for a total of $79.99. The 29.99 for my originalS3, the $100 price difference when returning the brand new S3 they sent me, minus the $50 discount. They have also given me 2 months free service, which is about $270 a month, 6 months free of the group texting we have on our account, which is either $20 or $30 a month, plus a flat $250 courtesy credit on top of all that. Not to mention, I've gotten 2 extra gigs of data free for each of the last 2 months. Now I'm able to get them to turn one of the towers back toward me.

It takes a lot of work when you have an unusual problem, but if you don't give up, get it escalated, they will more than take care of you.

Basically they have given me about $1000 in credit.

Oh I also sold the second S3, complete with everything, because the new one was complete with charger, battery, etc for $300. I listed it on Craigslist and had it sold within an hour.

Sent from my AWESOME Note 2

 

[BeRich]

post on the AT&T facebook that you are having an issue with Customer Care, they will have you email them, the description of your problems and they can assign you an ICU case.

This is exactly what I did at one point when all I was getting were rude reps on the phone/in person.

I wrote a long post on the AT&T wall about how my husband and I have been customers for almost a decade, we pay $145/mo for wireless service and are never late paying our bills, not to mention the numerous devices we've bought from their corporate stores at no-contract prices. Between us both, we've only done one warranty claim on a phone the entire time we've been with AT&T and at that time, we had no issues getting a replacement and the employee in the service center gave us no issues at all. But now, with this second warranty claim, I have talked to mainly rude, unhelpful, or misinformed people with the exception being a single rep. I added, I don't know what has happened over the past couple of years, but they really need to work on training their employees in corporate stores and in call centers on better customer service. I received a request shortly after to email them and get it resolved; I had a long discussion with a lady over the phone about my experience.

Needless to say, I would be happy not talking to another AT&T employee for a long, long time after what I dealt with trying to get a replacement Note 2.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

This is exactly what I did at one point when all I was getting were rude reps on the phone/in person.

I wrote a long post on the AT&T wall about how my husband and I have been customers for almost a decade, we pay $145/mo for wireless service and are never late paying our bills, not to mention the numerous devices we've bought from their corporate stores at no-contract prices. Between us both, we've only done one warranty claim on a phone the entire time we've been with AT&T and at that time, we had no issues getting a replacement and the employee in the service center gave us no issues at all. But now, with this second warranty claim, I have talked to mainly rude, unhelpful, or misinformed people with the exception being a single rep. I added, I don't know what has happened over the past couple of years, but they really need to work on training their employees in corporate stores and in call centers on better customer service. I received a request shortly after to email them and get it resolved; I had a long discussion with a lady over the phone about my experience.

Needless to say, I would be happy not talking to another AT&T employee for a long, long time after what I dealt with trying to get a replacement Note 2.

You have to get the right people..there was a girl at 611 that helped me more than anyone, she is the one that gave me the info and proof it was a network issue and not my phones.

If I get someone rude and unhelpful, I either move to a supervisor right away or hang up, call back and get someone else.

Needless to say, I now have the direct number and cell number for someone really high up and if there is anything out of the normal again, I will skip 611 and call her directly.

With an ongoing, out of the ordinary issue, people should ask for 611 to open an ICU case for them and someone higher up will follow the case and get in touch with you.

Sent from my AWESOME Note 2