Ok, so I got my LG Env3 replaced about 3 times within the last two months, and last week I went in for another replacement, and Verizon said they would send me a Samsung Alias 2. Now, do a quick google on the specs on both. LG EnV3 has a 3MP Camera, Bluetooth 2.1 (supports basically everything under the sun, most importantly obex between phone and computer) and a Web Browser that can play YouTube vids. The Samsung Alias 2 has a 2MP Camera, Bluetooth 2.0 (has most of the same functionality as 2.1 but has obex locked to phones only) and a Web Browser that cant play YouTube and wont load anything else without you yelling at it. The Manager and 3 reps at Verizon said that I would be getting a "comparable" exchange. Last time I checked they cant downgrade you (maybe they think in terms of price, rather then specs? my EnV3 was $99, the Alias 2 is $149) to a lesser phone, so why are they doing this with me? Last time I had to get a replacement like this, it was before the Verizon-Alltel merger (I was with Alltel then) and I actually got a decent phone out of it. I'm going/planning on going in first thing Monday morning and giving the manager a piece of my mind and threatening to sue them (worked in the past with this store). Advice, tips, etc are welcome. [/rant]
I have Alltel (now Verizon) too and my last phone was a Samsung Delve. It kept shutting off, not receiving calls, etc. and I got it replaced three times. The fourth time I went in they told me they were out of the Delve and gave me a choice of two "comparable" phones that turned out to be the Samsung Glyde and the enV Touch. So I ended up coming out of the deal pretty well. I think the phone they give you is based on what they have in the back, so maybe if you waited a few weeks?
No, they have a sheet that they base the replacement off of (which is why you dont get to pick really). Trust me, I've been thru this process before, but I want to know why they are trying to give me some piece of crap that costs more. I actually would have thought they would have said that they would have given me the EnV Touch or something like that, because its the closest to the EnV3 without downgrading me. And, I just got my replacement from Fed-Ex and tested all the stuff listed above. Still doesnt work.
Ok, Update. I'm going to use this as a "worklog" for this issue, so FYI, its getting linked to a bunch of places. So I went to Verizon Wireless yesterday, and had a nice long talk with several reps. I stopped at the corporate store first around 10AM EST and went in and basically asked what they could do for me, to get an actual comprable replacement for my EnV3. They kept giving me the line of them only giving me an EnV3, and just kept taking in circles after about 10 minutes. So I asked to talk to a manager. The sales rep walked over to a woman taking info for people who came into the store (which was no one, we were the only people there at that time), talked with her for a second, and then came back and said that we can either order another Env3, use the Alias2 that had been shipped or buy a new phone at retail. I told them that I was not going to use either a replacement (read: refurb) EnV3 or Alias2, and that I wanted something else. The sales rep told me that those were my choices. So I walked out of the store and went to the Wal-Mart to get a drin and make a phone call to their Customer Service Dept. Customer Service basically told me that they cant take care of anything because I got the phone at the corporate store and I have to take it there to get it resolved. They did tell me what other corporate stores and contract stores (authorized resellers) were in the area. The phone rep said "she was sorry, and that had I bought the phone via the phone I would have no issues getting a replacement of my choice". I thanked her for her time and hung up after the conversation was finished. I went back to the corprate Verizon Wireless store, and as I walk in, the woman who the sales rep said was the manager says "Oh, You're back!". I ask to speak with the manager. There was another sales rep standing behind her (not the same one as I had just talked to previously) and said the manager was in Wilmington at a meeting and she would be back around 12PM. I said thanks and walked out to the car. My grandmother, who was driving me around witnessed this (and everything else that happens this day). I then went to the other side of town to the contract store that the CSR said might be able to take care of me. I go in, talk to a manager and basically tell them whats going on, and they said they didnt know, but they would be happy to assist me. They have a sales rep talk to me and I (in a nutshell) told them that I've had 3 EnV3's with software and hardware issues, and use it for school (have to document stuff with pictures for some engineering classes, etc, transfer files via bluetooth, do homework via mobile web, etc) and that was the main reason in me purchasing the phone in the first place. The replacement, the Alais2 has a lesser quality camera, bluetooth is locked (or has the older revision obex) to phones, and does not support computers, along with a lesser functional web browser. I can access my Java-based class on my EnV3, I cannot on the Alias2. I told the sales rep that instead of another EnV3 I wanted the Env Touch. Next in line in the EnV line, and minus the touch screen, its the same thing. I also told them that since it is a different but somewhat similar phone it will not have the same software issues (the whole UI is different for the EnV Touch, and so far no issues on the "test" phones at Verizon). The sales rep got on the phone and started to talk to a rep with Verizon's Tech Support and see what could be done. I told them I would be willing to pay a little to get the EnV Touch if they were willing to give it to me at a discounted price. The Rep at Tech Support told the sales rep that he would talk to his supervisor and call me directly to see what could be done. The sales rep relayed the information about that to me, and said if I dont get a call that evening before the store closed, to come in and they would see what they could try to do. At that point I was like, ok cool. That was around 2PM when we left. I go over to my grandmothers to stay with her (she was driving me around to Verizon) until 6PM, since she said "if we dont hear anything by 6, we're going in and raising hell". So 6PM comes around and we go back, and talk with the manager again (contract store) and tell him what transpired last time I was in there, and he said that normally they dont do that and said that that was them "cop-ing out" to avoid it. He had another sales rep sit down and talk to me to try to resolve this. In short this sales rep a) told me the same thing as the original rep from the Coroprate store and b) could not care less about his job. I dont ask for much when I go into a store to do my business, but at least show some respect and be attentive to what I'm telling you. Businessman to businessman, when you are spinning around in your chair going "uh-huh, uh-huh" and talking to other people when you're servicing me, is just plain f**king rude, and a really bad image for the company you represent. Now, off of that little rant, I'm sure anyone who reads this can guess what happened; same outcome as the corporate store. He told me flatout that no one is going to offer me the EnV Touch as a replacement, because they cant do it. The rep I talked to on the phone before originally coming to the contract store said they should allow me to do an early upgrade because I've had so many phone replacements and they have ALL had the same issue. I tell the rep to do an early upgrade, and I will pay the difference in what the price is. He refuses. He gets on the phone with a tech support rep and has the rep tell me the same thing. The rep then tries to tell me that they (the phones) have the same features. I tell him to pull up the feture comparison list on Verizon's own website. I told him the camera was different, bluetooth didnt work and the other stuff listed in one of the above paragraphs. He said that that was incorrect and I didnt know what I was talking about. I told him flatout, "one has a 3MP camera and the other has a 2MP camera, and you're telling me that they are the same?!?!" He says yes, because they are the same. He also tells me that there is nothing that will be done, either he sends me another Refurb EnV3 or I activate the Alias2 and send in my EnV3. I gave the phone back to the contract store's sales rep at that point (no point in arguing with an idiot). The sales rep tries to talk to the tech rep to see if anything else is available to be done, and then hangs up and tells us what the tech rep said, "keep the alias2 and send in the Env3 or have the warranty dept order another Env3 and send in the Alias2. Your choice." My grandmother has had her commentary during this whole conversation, and finally butts in and says that they can either comp me for time lost and the whole ordeal of me not having a working, functional phone and give me the EnV3 at a discounted rate or that she was going to be calling the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau and lodging complaints with them, and that we would be switching to AT&T or T-Mobile. The sales rep snickered and said, "Ok, well that's your choice...". At that point we walked out. That was around 730PM last night. So, this morning me and mom get up and about and head to the Mall and look at the local AT&T kiosk and see what their plans are. I looked at what phones they had and plans for what would be equal on their network, as to what we have on Verizon right now. I decided to look at an iPhone, while mom and Grandmother looked at traditional phones. The lady there said we would pay about 170 a month for 1400 minutes with unlimited pic/text/web, an unlimted data package for mom and the $30 Data package for my iPhone. I was like cool! We currently pay ~$200+ for 3 non-smartphones, 2 with unlimited data and 1400 minutes with Verizon Wireless. I was pretty hyped. I talked mom into going to the retail AT&T store to look and see what phones they had there and confirm what the kiosk rep said. They confirmed the prices, and mom got hooked on an iPhone. So we looked at what that would be with the extra iPhone, and its still less then what we are paying for Verizon. AT&T quoted $199.97/month for 2 iPhones w/ data, 1400 minutes with unlimited text/pic/web and the usual stuff. So, now we know what we want from AT&T. I would be going with T-Mobile, as they are cheaper, and I had them in the past (before they were T-Mobile, when they VoiceStream) and they were awesome, but they dont have service at my location. In terms of service in my location: T-Mobile > Verizon/Sprint > AT&T. Right now, I'm waiting on some paperwork to get here, but in the meantime, I'm reading Verizon Wireless' TOS and Customer Agreement to see how to get out of my contract without paying the Early Termination Fee. Sorry, but they dont want to do something for me, the customer (customer is always right, no matter how stupid or pathetic the issue), then they are not getting my money; in this case more then $600 for ETF's on 3 lines. If anyway has any idea of how to do this, please PM me and let me know, I will love (and rep) you long time (no homo). And on a closing note, I'm going to keep updating this as things progress. I am also going to start recording the phone calls between Verizon Wireless and me, and video tape the next time I go in to their stores. More to come!
You spent all this time and energy over a phone, when there are people that have to decide who in the family get to eat tonight. It's a phone. If you really wanted all that crap, you'd man up and buy an unlocked phone at full price. Just another spoiled, whiny bitch.
Same resons I switched to AT&T. My mother went through at least 3 Palm Treos and a Blackberry in a span of 3 years, and Verizon made her pay full retail for the replacements even though the phone had terrible reliability and she had been paying a $200+ bill for the last 20 or so years. We switched to AT&T last summer and got iPhones, and besides the occasional dropped call or service interruption, I can't complain. It really is a shame, because Verizon has a great network but their Customer Service (if you can even call it that) is absolute crap.
oh cool im on my 3rd ENV Touch and hoping to replace it with something else as it's always the same stupid auto reset problem. that phone ruined LG for me
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i disagree. when a company offers up a product with a defined set of expectations, and said product does not live up to said expectations, that is straight up false advertising. and, this is not the EU - this is america. unlocked phones are not nearly as prevalent here. Verizon is CDMA here, and will not accept unlocked phones on their network. unfortunately, if you travel quite a bit, or live in a low coverage area, Verizon is usually your best bet for stable connection. you may see this as the arrogant ramblings of a "spoiled, whiny bitch" - but if i pay what i pay a month to VZW under the expectation that my (and my wife's) phone will work, and it doesn't, i have the right do do whatever is in my power as a consumer to rectify the situation. sadly, in the US, there is not much law behind the consumer - because the big corporations have lobbyists, and consumers do not. I have had my Dare replaced, and my wife's ENV2 also ... dealing with the VZW corporate stores is a nightmare ... if it wasn't for the 17% corporate discount i get from where i work, i would have jumped ship to a different carrier already. we have not had a land line in over 4 years ... and i don't want to go back to that. i NEED my cell to work ...
If I was on AT&T or T-Mobile (OR O2 or what ever GSM carriers are in the EU) I would have an unlocked phone and not have this issue. Fact is, I dont, because Verizon is CDMA and will only accept phones from Verizon. They have to send me a replacement. I'm not going to go and buy some phone at full retail for it to only be used with one carrier. Jeeze... Yeah, I know what you mean. They havent tried to charge full retail value for the phones, but they wont give me anything else, and I'm paying over $200 a month. I'm going to be switching to AT&T as well. They get better service where I live. tl;dr QFT!!! See, you understand it. I need m cell phone for school and business and they know that, and they are costing me, but they dont care... Also, on another note, I filed a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I'm going to start doing the same with other agencies as well. I want out of this lousy contract... its interesting, because they pulled strings to get me into contract but wont let me out or satisfy me as a customer...
Bumpity Bump... Ok, been on the phone with the Retention Dept and the retention/sales guy is trying to make me pay for a replacement Env Touch. I'm recording this call, I'll post it later... EDIT: Ok, had a Retention "Specialist" offer me another Env3, an Alias2 or an Env Touch at a 1 year contract price and adding an extra year to my contract. I find it interesting that Retention will offer a Env Touch at a 1 year contract price (basically offering it as an Early Upgrade), but no one else will. I declined based on the fact that I am not going to buy another phone just to hope that it works; sorry but they already get over $200/month from me, they arent getting any more from me. I gave the Retention rep and his supervisor an ultimatum of "Replace my Env 3 with an Env Touch free of charge" or "terminate my service with no early termination fees". I'll get the recording up in a little once I condense it down, beware its an hour an 15ish minutes..
Ok, got an email last night from some lady at "Executive Relations", and she wanted me to call today, so I did and she's out of the office. Could have said that you will be out of the office and saved me the hassle. I later get a call from someone in the same building, and I missed the call, they leave a message and say call back. I call back, and they're gone for the day. Their work hours are supposed to be from 8:45AM-5:15PM. I never got a hold of anyone until about 10:45AM, and when I called the second lady back, it was barely 3:50PM. Me and their call center are both on Eastern Time (they are in Atlanta). Needless to say, I'm not happy, as it's another weekend I have to go with a fubared phone. I left a voice message for the second lady to call me back, and lets just say I wasnt happy. I'll post what happens Monday.
Dunno what the laws are in the US, but in the UK you have to have the individual's consent to record a telephone conversation due to privacy laws. When you ring companies up here quite a lot of them have a cut-through announcement telling the caller it may be recorded before you're put through to someone.
I've seen some whack **** posted by you over the years but this is by far the most direct of them all and the aggression is totally uncalled for. Man up and buy an unlocked phone? You should man up and appreciate some people DO have different experiences and exposures in life to you and thus a totally legitimate and different opinion to yours.
Welcome to capitalism. Corporations are designed to be bigger than you, so there is no culpability. Your corporations are now making laws that reverberate over the world. You know you can go to prison longer for "stealing movies" than for punching someone in the face? This is the world people have chosen by laying down and taking it. I for one am happy to see someone fight. Give them hell. -Ash
