Author: Justin

Anyone who knows me knows that my phone selection is usually a carefully made decision based on CNET reviews, other reviews, going to the store, and hours of diligence online. Of course, anyone who really knows me knows that my selection is based on two things-price and size.

This strategy has usually done me adequately in the past. I mean, sure, I wound up with a Windows Phone once, but I quickly paid my $35 restocking fee and returned it. Generally, I haven’t gone wrong.

Enter the Motorola Droid Mini. It was a fine device, generally, for the first 5 months. But when the battery would give me the 15% warning after breakfast with some moderate use, I knew it was time for a change. Combine that with the fact that the device had limited options for customization and control, I was dissatisfied and generally didn’t like me phone. I know, it’s an Android, so I could’ve downloaded an app to do anything I wanted, but who has the time or patience?

Plus, the camera was terrible, and I wanted an awesome camera for my up and coming European tour. But this phone was purchased 100% for business purposes, I assure you.

I decided to get the Samsung Galaxy S7. It’s bigger. It’s not too big for my pocket, though. It’s camera received unmatched support in all the reviews, and it’s battery is the best on the market.

I ordered it at at my local Verizon store, which I’ll call the “Verizon Corporate Store”. They were all out of the device at the store, so being the cool cat that I am, I just said, “No problem. I’m in not hurry, so you can just ship it to my house.” So they did.

Shortly after I ordered it (literally 10 minutes later), I saw the same Verizon phone for sale in Target. The price was the same (Verizon now sells their phones in monthly installments, so it was also $28 per month). Well, the same price except for the fact that buying it at Target would get me a $100 Target gift card. Awesome! Following my Target run, I went back to the Verizon store and cancelled my order. If you didn’t know, the Verizon store is literally across the non-major street (for my local fans, I’m talking the Midway Target).

I cancelled my order, and they completely understood. Well, the shipping process already started in my half hour at Target, so they just told me to refuse the package. I was never able to do so, because the phone returned in mid-shipment.

Fast forward two weeks to April 30. This was the last day of the Target promo. I went to Verizon, and they verified nothing was on my account regarding the phone I never received.

I went to Target. The phone comes in gold and black. After explaining that all my accessories are silver, the Target Mobile associate understood completely why I couldn’t have silver and gold together. It’s like wearing black and brown! Ladies understand (yes, there are probably exceptions to the rule, but I don’t understand them, so I avoid it all together). Guys are thinking, “Huh?”

The black models were in a different Target store. They had some in the new Target Highland store. “Cool,” I thought. I was meaning to check out thatTarget Express anyways, so I there.

Target has limited capabilities in the Verizon system as it’s a multi-platform system (Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, etc.). They weren’t able to pay off the $180 that was left Droid Mini. No problem, there is a Verizon store on Ford Parkway. It’s just a small store with less experienced associates. No problem. I easily could have paid off my device there and freed up my account.

It turns out that my payment wasn’t $180. It was $730!
The payment plan for the phone I never received was on my account! Ridiculous! There was nothing the associate could do. So I called Verizon support from the store’s phone. I talked to a help desk person and quickly escalated it to the Manager level for phone support (anyone who’s called any support lines knows that if you want to get off of the script and solve problems, you need to get a manager. Seriously, if the first level person can solve my problem, I should have been able to solve it myself).

The manager, Anna, finally set all the gears in motion and cleared up my account. She moved the upgrade date forward to today, so there was no payment needed to buy out my phone.

I went back to the Target Express. They tried it on their system, and it still didn’t work.

So I went back to the Verizon Corporate Store to ask them more questions. I’m pretty sure all of the associates at that store know me by now, because I actually did some due diligence on this phone before selecting it. Also, I checked in with them a couple times in the last week or so, waiting for the phone I never received to by returned. I still have to get back the $72 sales tax I paid on the device, but that can be done later.

I finally talked to a guy there who helped me out. He called the corporate line (at the smaller store, the associate just called support and handed the phone to me). He quickly explained the situation with the returned phone. He knew exactly what to do and asked for and received an override. “Override” was exactly what I wanted to hear. Nothing says “Solutions” more that “disregarding corporate controls.” So my balance on the phone I never received was gone.

The balance on the Droid Mini was gone. My account was free and clear.

I went to the close, bigger Target store, the one that only had the gold phones, just to see if they could upgrade before I drove to the Highland store.

It worked!

So I went to the Highland store where they finally were able to set me up right.

“What a waste of time!” you’re probably thinking. It’s true, it was. Especially for only $100, right? Let’s review what my day’s activities got me:
100      Target gift card
180 +   Balance on old device I didn’t have to pay for
75   +   A free wireless charger I’ll eventually use (wasn’t offered at big Target)
———
355 = Total gain I received because I bought a new phone

Point is, I love my new phone, and I saved money.

That’s the story as to why I mostly love Verizon. I’ve been a Verizon customer since 2004. They’re pretty awesome.

Tonight I hosted an event. The event was to go to a theater production, but I said, “Join me for Green Mill before the event.”

I had two people who did so.

The first one was named M. She was a young lady who worked in a nursing home. I didn’t want to date her, per se, but like most nice people, I wanted to know her better.

The second one was named Dick. Now, this is not the same Dick as in the post I Don’t Like Dicks from almost a year ago, but all Dicks are pretty similar.

Instead of joining in the conversation, he pretty much just talked about himself. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate these guys, just trying to get in the good with the girl. Immediately, he sat next to her, and there was physical contact. Because he was ‘joking around’ (‘playing her’).

Unfortunately for me, I can’t stand these people because I really respect women. But it goes on. He kept on talking and talking about himself. Well, M studied abroad, and Dick wasn’t really saying anything relevant, so I asked M more about her job. Nothing big – just cliche Minnesota-nice subjects. Non-threatening.

So when M was telling me about her job, Dick interrupted laughing boisterously. Obviously, M & I stopped our conversation to see what was so funny, and Dick said, “On the way over here, I was thinking about a hilarious story that happened 2 years ago.”

It was a story about when he was doing valet in Saint Paul, dropped keys in a storm drain, and had to ask the neighbors for help. A lady gave him a coat hanger, which he “MacGyvered” (meaning bent) to get the keys.

“Okay. Cool. Decent Story,” thought I.

I asked M more about her international experience, as she studied abroad.

She quickly said it was in Scotland, and she didn’t have much of a chance to go elsewhere. I honestly wanted to hear about Scotland, but she asked, “What about you guys, have you traveled anywhere internationally?”

Naturally, I told her about my upcoming cruise in the Med and my trip last August to Paris, and listed my other European Trips.

At this point, Dick said to me, “You know, man, I’ve seen you around, and I thought you were cool, but you’re not…” He then proceeded to leave.

All I did was shift the focus away from him. Just like the last story about a Dick, he couldn’t handle someone interrupting his game. Instead of taking a shot of hot sauce, he just left.

Unfortunately, since it was only the three of us, the only way I could diffuse Dick is by shifting the focus to M or myself. This made M uncomfortable, and she left soon thereafter.

She missed a really good show.
She thought I was there to meet ladies, and I assure you I was not. Usually, there are more people one which to diffuse the spotlight. But she was uncomfortable after Dick left in a super pissed off mood.

I simply can’t stand Dicks because they are not respectful to anyone else in the conversation and only talk about themselves. Perhaps he had no international experience, but rather than saying, “I travel all over the US, but no where international,” he just left like a guy who couldn’t roll with it.

I will stand by my actions. It’s unfortunate that M felt uncomfortable, but it meant not letting Dick be a Dick, and to me that’s more important. I don’t like that Dicks try to play the ladies.

I’m not smooth like Dicks, but I am genuine, and I know how to treat people and do more than talk about myself. Dicks seem to get upset whenever I ask the lady about herself. This was exactly the same as the last time I wrote about a Dick.

I can spot a Dick from a mile away. Apparently ladies can’t.I feel like it’s my job to diffuse and call it the fact that he’s acting like, well, a Dick.