My beloved Note 4 had intermittently had the charging issue - wouldn't charge, intermittent buzzes if powered off, beeps if up - finally quit charging altogether. I've had the total equipment protection since I bought it new, so I went to the local VZ store where it was examined and verified the defect. I was told that another would be sent and to return the non-working one using the return label enclosed with the new one. As that was the exact outcome that I was hoping for, I went home pleased at how smooth it went.
When I got home, however, I had an email waiting confirming the new phone was ordered. problem was, it was for the wrong phone. They were sending a Galaxy 4 to replace my Note 4. I called the CSR that I saw originally, explained the mistake, and she said that she would cancel that one and put in an order for the correct phone. She indicated that it might be a bit, but she would call when it was done. After a little more than an hour, I still hadn't heard anything and I called VZ to check on the status. After researching the issue, the person I spoke with indicated that the order had not been canceled, but she had her supervisor to do so. As they store had already verified the defect, I decided to go back there to follow up on getting a new phone - at this point, I assumed it had just been a case of a new employee, a busy night and an honest mistake.
When i reached the store, I ask for the original CSR I had spoken with and was told that she was ill and was unavailable, so I explained the situation to someone else. They took the phone, verified yet again the defect, and came back saying that the issue was verified and that a replacement phone would be sent out. When I asked her to verify that they would indeed be sending the correct phone, she then stated that there were no more Note 4s available and that they had ordered an s7 instead. I immediately asked that they cancel the order as that was not what I wanted: a replacement Note 4. The next several minutes was her trying to get me to accept a phone that I didn't want or need. I have a few critical
requirements: replaceable battery, removable micro SD, a stylus and a screen at least the size of the Note 4. When I wouldn't agree to a substandard replacement, she had her manager to come over at which time the whole process repeated - constantly ignoring what I asked for and trying to get me to commit to either settling for an unwanted phone or paying list price for a new Note 8. When it became evident that no progress was being made, I told them both that all I wanted at this point was verification that both orders had been canceled.
At this point, I was not thinking that would be a problem and had not thought through the implications. The manager said she would handle it and dissapeared in the back of the store. I stepped outside to wait, looked at the copy of the receipt I had originally been emailed for the Galaxy S4 to be sent and noticed that it had printed on it: "...return your defective Samsung Galaxy S 4 in White Frost. If it is not returned within 5 days you will be charged up to the retail price, which may exceed $500." As I was have a very defective Note 4 - in charcoal - that would be quite hard to do. Getting ahead of myself a little bit, the receipt for the second phone they ordered had the exact same wording, except it requested me send
my defective Galaxy S7 Black 32GB instead. So, completely on their own initiative, two different VZ employees have obligated me to potentially pay charges of over $1000.00 if I don't perform the impossible feat of returning two phones that I don't even have.
At this point, I called verizon and spoke with a gentleman there asking if he could help verify the orders were canceled as the store did not seem willing. He seemed quite upset that this had happened since, according to him, it was very much against store policy to order anything without a customer's explicit (and written) consent. After quite a while - he truly seemed to be trying to find a way to help - he said that the status of the first had been changed to "shipped" and he could do little about the second as there was not a good way for him to communicate with the shipping department.He offered to speak with someone at the store - as he was doing so, the manager was leaving with her coat and purse. I turned and
started walking toward the CSR that had first spoke with (who had gotten the manager involved) and she walked past me to another customer while shooting me a bird. At this point I told the VZ person that I was on the phone with that if he wanted to speak with someone at the store he could call them as I didn't seem to be having much luck. I was able to get a hard copy of the second receipt before I left; the VZ rep called me back and said the the person he spoke with at the store tried to implicate the original person - they were new, etc. and that there wAS not much else that he could do.
Since then, both packages indicate that they are still due to be delivered. I have spoken with FEDEX and they said they will be redirected back to the sender which may or may not happen. And I
A) As far as I know, completely liable for not only two phones I didn't order, but two phones that I don't even have.
Still have a defective Note 4 and no indication from VZ that anyone with them gives a care about that. Paid several hundreds of dollars for a completely useless TEC plan. So, the plan now is go by the police department tomorrow after work and file a report. Anyone here have any similiar experiences or advice? I'm especially curious about how often the "order without customer's permission" thing happens. The corp CSR I spoke with said it is very much against corporate policy (and the law, I would imagine) so is it just my local store?
