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.