in store retail purchases of S3

[Fuzion0503]

So i go to a verizon store after work and thought maybe I can get an 32GB blue S3 while I'm there. I wait like 15 min before someone saw me. So I had talked to this girl there and she went back to get an s3 32GB blue, they said that was all they had, brought out all kind of screen protectors and cases which I said I'll buy online since I am usually the type that researches what I buy.

Then i told her I wanted to buy the s3 and keep my unlimited. Started to tell me that if I do I'll lose it. Then I told her well the website said if I do month to month then it will allow me to keep it. Then told me they don't do retail purchases of that in the store. So I said so you only do new contracts (which is apparently only what the store concentrates on) and denies purchases of the retail price to keep unlimited. I also said I'll be taking my services to your webpage.

I mean that is some kind of crap. It's either she didnt know they could do it or can't do it or isn't allowed to discuss purchase of the full price. But I guess the store doesn't want my money. That seems pretty shady if you ask me.

Funny thing was I said the same thing to the large dude who was by the doors that worked there, possibly a manager and he pretty much confirmed the same thing. I see the phone i the box along with accessories and you won't allow me to fully pay for it but only if I get a 2 year under your share everycrap plan? Unbelievable.

 

[crashpete]

I payed full retail and kept unlimited.

 

[dj hidroid]

It's their policy because I was going to pick up my GS3 at my local corporate store and the rep told me that I'd have to order it from the website if I was buying any 4g phone without a new line or an upgrade. I think its BS 2 but I ended up picking up my phone from Ebay and saving some money.

 

[Technified]

I paid retail for mine with no problems as far as keeping my unlimited but I had to stand there waiting like almost 20 minutes to get someone to wait on me.

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[Johnly]

Paid full retail for a 32 gig SG3. Verizon even has a activate later option for you in store, so the only grubby paws on my device were mine. Unlimited data forever....

Sold my 4S, and it was like a nice upgrade price

 

[Fuzion0503]

I guess it depends on the store then. I'm not sure about ebay, since there are so many international ones on there, I just hope they don't say one thing and send me another. like int. version when I need the US.

 

[MERCDROID]

Wow I had no problem at all when I went to buy it. Of course, as soon as I said that I was buying full retail to keep unlimited, they tried to get me to open a new line and get the share everycrap plan. But the store had no such "upgrade" policy that you speak of :-\

 

[Tarpit_Carnivore]

Just call up and order the phone from customer service. They can usually have it shipped overnight.

 

[Roffles]

The in-store employees are typically all a bunch of stooges. They are engaging in deception and you can/should report this to the BBB. Hell, I bet you could get a class-action lawsuit going for this because it's so common.

When I payed full retail for the GS3 at the Verizon store, the assistant was desperately trying to put me in a limited data plan. Unfortunately for him, I was less than a year into my Droid Bionic's 2 year contract so there were no reasonable options for him to try and deceive me.

He kept acting like it was a terrible, TERRIBLE thing to have to pay that much money for a phone. I found that amusing....I mean, not everyone is living on ramen and cool-aid and I simply will not part with my unlimited data plan so it's a moot point anyways.

I have a feeling getting a new phone and keeping my unlimited is going to get harder and harder. I'll probably get the itch to buy a new phone during the 2013 holiday season and I'm definitely going to go through their website in my attempt to avoid stooges.

 

[BBSeattle]

I have to admit, it is funny how they try desperately to convince us that the things they do are for "our sake" versus the reality that it's just another way for Verizon to make money.
Just remember folks, every major decision made by a corporation revolves around their attempt to make more money off of you, the consumer.

A while back every time I went into my local B of A the teller would inform me that my transaction could have been done on the ATM. This went on for months....so why did they want everyone to start using the ATM's more??? I was told it was for my convenience, LOL.
A little while later B of A tried to introduce their new monthly ATM service fee, Ah Ha....question answered.
I also heard through a friend (wife worked as a manager at B of A) that they were planning major layoffs at the branches now that foot traffic was being diverted to the ATM's.
Wow, 2 birds with one stone.....very clever B of A.

Unfortunately for B of A the program bombed because way to many B of A customers threatened to jump ship, mark one up for the consumer!

 

[dpham00]

my guess would be that they make commission on 2 year contracts and no or very little commission on full price phones. i also think that they make more commission on androids, because everytime i see someone coming in to buy an iPhone, they try to convince them of how the iPhone sucks and how android rules.

also, i was told that you must return accessories to the store that was purchased from (even though there is no stipulation on the receipt). I was told it had to do something with them not wanting to mix up stock?!?! But then the same manager also told me that I could do an exchange for another item...so it is okay to mix stock, when they make a commission off a sale?

BTW, keep pressing them if you want to buy it in store, I find that after a while, they will tire and yield. I was able to do return to another store after a while of trying ton convince the manager.

Although, honestly, it is easier to buy online, less hassle, and if you need to return, just use the pre-paid label.

 

[Rackness]

It was a corporate store? Wow you may want to place a call to customer service. I purchased my s3 from a corporate store in Maryland and they were happy to sell me the phone and very pleasant and helpful. They did not give me any grief about my grandfathered unlimited or any problems at all. They actually spent some time showing me the phone and set it up no questions asked.

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[Andy847]

I'm pretty much through with my Verizon Corporate store now. I've always used in the past and never had a problem. When I was told at a regular Verizon store I could upgrade a week early as well as at Best Buy, when I went there, they told me no way to do it. I got it early at Best Buy. So that really irked me about the corporate store, guess they don't want my money.

Today I met a guy at the same store to sell my Droid X and afterwards went into the store to buy a car charger and ask some questions about the Verizon home service. I was met right away, the guy was going up to everyone in the store and telling them I'll be right with you, I mean like every five minutes. Obviously didn't want my business. I was going to buy the charger there, since I was meeting someone by the store, but here's the thing. I was at another verizon store earlier in the day to see what car chargers they had. The guy was the only one in the store and answered every question and after telling me about the home service, he offered to throw in the Car charger for nothing if we went with it. The guy at the Corporate store was ready to charge me for the cord and I said, I'll come back after I think about the home service. That will not be happening.

I'm totally turned off by the corporate stores now. Glad I went with Best Buy, but the smaller Verizon Stores, seem to deal with you better. The way I figure it, if they don't want my money there, I'll go elsewhere. Never had these problems before with that store. Really turning a lot of business away if you ask me.

 

[Fuzion0503]

Yeah, I'm not sure if my store is a corporate store, I don't think it was, it was small with the layout of the stoor spread towards the sides of the store leaving the middle of the store open. Pretty much a waste of space. But the way I wasn't able to buy the retail phone in the store sounded exactly like your experience at your corporate store. I just bought it online, Less hassle.

 

[willypguy]

All NYC(Manhattan) VZW corporate stores have been like this for years. They don't allow full retail purchases on any phone unless you are upgrading, adding a line or starting a new account. Which means you would essentially have to migrate to a tiered data plan or a "screw everyone" plan if you bought a phone in the store.

And the worst part is, the Best Buy stores know this, and won't price match full retail.

Online is better. Ordering though customer service is good too.

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[dpham00]

If you are on a legacy family plan with less than 5 lines, you can add a new line of service in stores, purchase a full retail phone on that line, walk out of the store, call Verizon csr and deactivate the new line. Your total charge for the extra line for one day should be less than $2. Doing so would not affect unlimited data plan on your other lines, if applicable. Of course, you could also buy online, but this is for those who must buy in store for whatever reason, and refuse to buy online.

All NYC(Manhattan) VZW corporate stores have been like this for years. They don't allow full retail purchases on any phone unless you are upgrading, adding a line or starting a new account. Which means you would essentially have to migrate to a tiered data plan or a "screw everyone" plan if you bought a phone in the store.

And the worst part is, the Best Buy stores know this, and won't price match full retail.

Online is better. Ordering though customer service is good too.

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