After being a loyal Verizon customer for many years, I find myself in a situation where I feel disappointed and compelled to move our four wireless lines to another carrier and our TV/Internet/Phone service from FIOS to Comcast. It's not something I want to do...Verizon has been mostly great before now and I consider myself loyal...but I really don't have a choice at this point.
I recently purchased a Droid Turbo 2 to replace my aging (and loved) Droid Maxx. There are two things that I require in a mobile device: good sound quality while in my home office and simultaneous voice and data when I am mobile. Sadly, my new Turbo 2 is providing neither even though my Maxx handled both quite well.
The primary issue is Verizon's move to VoLTE (Advanced Calling) to allow for simultaneous voice and data with any newer phone. I have a Verizon network extender in my home office which is required in order for me to have decent quality phone calls. VoLTE is not compatible with the extender, so Advanced Calling must be inactive while I am at home. But to have simultaneous voice and data while outside, I need it to be active. That means that I would need to constantly switch Advanced Calling on and then off as I move about. This is not a reasonable solution, especially since I tend to start calls in my office and then move to my car (or vice versa).
Second, even while connected to the network extender the voice quality on the Turbo 2 is very poor (not sure why). About every other call I am being asked to repeat myself or to hang up and call back to try to get a better connection. Ultimately, I cannot use the Turbo 2 for my business phone.
I contacted Verizon Customer Support on several occasions to ask if they would be willing to accept a return of the phone for a full refund. Unfortunately, I had just missed the 14 day return window by three days...mostly because with business travel the severity of the limitations and voice quality issues did not become apparent until that time. My bad on missing the window…I wish that I had timed my phone delivery to not occur just prior to a lengthy trip. However, I never assumed that the Turbo 2 would give me issues. My prior Droids met my needs in every way and I thought this one would as well.
Verizon's answer has been consistent...there is no solution except paying off the $524 remaining on the phone and either buying something new or reverting back to my Droid Maxx. There is no extending the return window by three days and no creative solutions. In other words...they are not willing to help.
I understand fully that Verizon's return policy is 14 days. But given my track record with them (many years of business, no prior returns, four phone lines on two accounts plus a very expensive FIOS package) I was hoping that they might make an exception by three days. Especially given that my reason for needing to return the phone is because it simply does not work for me as a phone... as opposed to a personal preference type of reason.
What really disappoints me is that Verizon is offering up to $650 to pay off early termination fees and device payments to lure customers away from the competition. In other words, if I had this same exact situation but with T Mobile, Verizon would throw money at me to bail me out and sign me on. But since I am already a loyal customer they are not willing to do anything, not even accept a return a few days late.
Ironically, my solution lies in moving my business to T Mobile, who will reimburse me to pay off my Turbo 2 (up to $650) when I sign up for a similar plan for less money. Since I feel somewhat scorned by Verizon at this point, I plan to move my wife's and daughter's accounts (for a total of four lines) from Verizon as well. And take my FIOS business and move it over to Comcast.
I really don't want to do this, but I cannot feel good about taking a $524 bath (or maybe less, if I can resell the Turbo 2) to go back to my old phone. I don’t want to switch, but Verizon chooses not to help. For that reason, I feel that I must move on. Very disappointing.
