Why is it impossible to upgrade to a customized Moto X 2nd Gen through Verizon?

According to a Verizon CS rep I spoke to, it should be possible to use the "Upgrade Device" procedure to upgrade my current device to a Moto X 2nd Gen, and, instead of the black or white 16Gb models available through Verizon, choose "Custom". After checkout, Moto Maker should send me a PIN which will allow me to design my device on Moto Maker, and the device will be associated automatically with my Verizon account.

"Custom" is currently not an option, and previous forum posts indicate that this is not a new problem.

I hear you asking, "Why not just buy it on the Motorola site?" I'm a path-of-least-resistance kind of person about things like this, so I gave this a shot. Motorola wants me to give them my Social Security Number in order to provide Verizon with information with which they'll do a credit check, even though I've already told Motorola that I'm a current Verizon customer and Verizon already knows my credit history. I'm not giving Motorola my SSN; they don't need it.

If this is some sort of conspiracy to drive foot traffic to brick-and-mortars or drive CS calls, then, by all means, maintain the status quo.

Accepted answers

Verizon_Support

andrewferguson,

I definitely want you to get the customized phone you want! When you do select the customizable Moto X, you should get an email, the one provided in our order, from auto-notification@motorolastore.com . Some email providers may redirect this email to your Spam folder. Check there for any emails from this address, also you can add this address to your address book so it will route to your inbox. Looking forward to you having a new device!

SandyS_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

All comments

emg2014

Well, they're not trying to drive traffic to brick and mortar stores because they don't have the 32 GB in the stores. I went in Friday and tried to do a custom moto purchase but they couldn't figure out a way to do an upgrade to a custom moto, only sell one of the 3 types they have in the store (all 16GB).

I totally understand your position on the ssn and credit check, I was offended too but I wanted the phone bad enough to put up with it. Maybe some time later you'll be able to do custom purchase with the 2nd gen like you could do with the 1st gen but it doesn't seem to be possible right now.

Apparently they are completely swamped with orders right now anyway so this might be a way to slow down the custom orders. I got an estimated delivery date of Oct 22 on my Sept 26 order from moto maker. You might check back in a few weeks if you're still interested in this particular phone.

andrewferguson

I had the same issue. I was told I would get a Moto redemption pin after ordering through Verizon and never got one. I called 2 Verizon agents who told me I would. I called Moto and they had no record of my order. I got an email saying my phone was going to ship (not customized by me) and had to cancel the order. If I can't re-order it properly, I will just move on and get something from another carrier.

Why would I be told from two reps I can do something but it didn't happen? Very frustrating process.

MrBeardsley

Update:

I visited my local Verizon store where I was able to pay for my upgrades and was told I would receive emails from Motorola with codes that I could use to customize my phone on Moto Maker and complete my orders. I received the emails on the way home, completed the process on Motorola's site, and my customized orders will arrive this week.

I still don't understand why this couldn't have been started on Verizon's website and completed via Motorola's, but at least I'm getting the phones I want.

andrewferguson

So you are suggesting I need to order the phone in a store? I placed my order online and I believe it shipped out. I called to try and cancel the order as it wasn't what I wanted. Hopefully once the order is cancelled, I can re-order it properly and get what I want.

Verizon_Support

andrewferguson

Hi,

I appreciate that. This past weekend I spend hours getting passed back and forth between agents and was told I would get an email with the pin. I never got an email from auto-notification@motorolastore.com at all. Now unfortunately, the non-customized device apparently has already shipped despite me trying to get assistance for this all weekend. This is exactly what I was worried about. I was assured this would not happen and told I'd be able to customize it before shipping.

I called Verizon this afternoon and ask for the order to be cancelled. The agent on the phone claimed to put a ticket in attempting to cancel it. I understand since the device is already out for shipment, there is no way to stop it. Hopefully the ticket created by the agent will do something productive. I have very little confidence in what agents on the phone have told me. The agent told me (as a backup plan), if I refuse the shipment it would cancel the order and I would be refunded. My fear regarding there is delivery guys are notorious for simply leaving packages at your doorstep and I will not be home to refuse the shipment. If I end up getting the incorrect device at my door, can I return it to a Verizon store and re-order a Moto X and customize it? This entire process has been frustration and exhausting. I suppose the answer was to simply go to a Verizon store but I figured the website would work properly.

Any help you can provide in this matter is appreciated. I hope no other random things come up during this process as my patience with the whole thing is wearing thin. I am 100% dissatisfied and very disappointed. I really hope the re-ordering/return process is smooth and I am not double charged or anything. Ideally, I simply want to re-order the phone, pay for whatever extra customizations I want and have it delivered or pick it up.

Thank you

P.S. - I have contact Motorola multiple times and they have no record of my purchase and could not re-issue me a pin. It seems there is no connection between Moto X purchases on Verizon website and Motorola's system.

Verizon_Support

andrewferguson,

We want to make sure that you get the awesome device that you are wanting to design. Just for further clarification, did you order the phone through the Verizon Wireless website or through Motorola?

RobinD_VZW

Follow us on twitter @VZWSupport

jessebt

So I just went through the whole process of upgrading to the moto x 2nd gen. and ran into the same problems.

Eventually I got everythine sorted out, so I thought I'd post this here to try and help anybody else who is trying to upgrade.

The problem started with the credit check. I still haven't found out exactly why the motomaker website wants to do a credit check when you are doing an upgrade, but apparently it has something to do with the activation through BestBuy. I didn't want to do it since I'm an existing customer. It didn't seem to make sense.

The way around doing the credit check, as mentioned in other posts, is to order a 'Designed by You' edition straight from Verizon rather then starting at the Moto X website. My first thought was to try to buy it from Verizon online, however when you go to their online store, the only options you get are for either a black or white 16gb model, which wasn't what I wanted.

So, I decided to go into a Verizon store. (You should also be able to call them rather then going into the store, but I don't think there is an online option) The problem with the whole thing is that the whole order process is so different from any other phone and nobody knows anything about it. Every time I told somebody what I was trying to do, they just gave me confused looks, and I had to explain the whole motomaker/designed by you process.

When I got up to the desk, the person who was helping me was eventually able to figure out how to order the correct 'Designed by You' version, though he had to read a manual as he we doing it... Anyways, I paid and left. They told me I should get the Redemption PIN email within 4 days, which seemed wrong, but I just said 'okay' and walked out.

When I went online, I read that you should get the pin within 24 hours, and really you should get it right away. I waited for a day, talking to customer service online several times. I was able to see my order on 'MyVerizon' but when I clicked on order details, it said my order didn't exist. I decided to wait another day to see if anything would process. It was Sunday so I thought the weekend might be the problem.

After another day with no change, I called Verizon rather then the online chat and I was eventually told (after explaining what the motomaker was and after the person I was talking to spoke to a supervisor about the moto x) that the issue came from the store where I ordered it.

So I called the store where I had placed the order and it turned out they had made a mistake. Apparently the Moto X 'Designed by You' is different from other phones. There is an 'Activate' button they have to click after all the order information is put in in order for the purchase and the redemption pin to be processed. Apparently all the other phones don't have the 'Activate' button. He told me I should get the email soon.

Another hour went by and still no email. So I called Verizon back up, explained what the motomaker and the moto x was. They had to go and talk to a supervisor, but then eventually came back with the pin.

The pin they gave me worked fine and I didn't have any kind of credit check.

For me the whole process took 3 or 4 days, but if I had known how everything was supposed to work, I would have probably made it all happen in an hour or two. The main problem is just that the whole custom phone thing is so different from anything else out there that nobody really has experience with the process.

Hopefully this helps someone save some time and frustration.

andrewferguson

Thank you for your response. Hopefully my order has been successfully cancelled and I can try the process again. Or hopefully I'll be able to take the incorrect device directly to a store correctly order my desired device. I will keep the information you gave in mind when approaching any Verizon store.

Thanks and I am glad you managed to get the phone you wanted. Hopefully I will be able to do the same...