Droid X issues + Verizon policies complaint. FED UP

So I've had my Droid X since I think July or August of 2010 and I've had a manual reset done on it 3 times at least and switched to a brand new Droid X and now after all that's been done I'm still having multiple issues. The main one being it randomly restarts all the time and, half the time, the top quarter of the screen is unresponsive. It's laggy, whenever the screen switches to landscape it freezes, the volume for the alarm doesn't even work, etc. I've lived with those same problems for the past few months and now I'm fed up with my Droid X.

I've talked to multiple Verizon reps and my options are to either make a claim to the insurance company (because I'm past my one year warranty) and pay $100 for a new one, which to me is illogical. Why would I pay 100 bucks for a phone I know does not work to my standards to only get the same device for a 3rd time. The other option is that they would allow me to get an early upgrade under the restriction that I cannot get the iPhone 4s or any 4g devices. Maybe I'm just not seeing it but how does Verizon largely benefit from that restriction. I know they signed a contract with Apple regarding the iPhone 4s but for other 4g devices that's their own policy. If I'm going to be stuck with a device for at least another 20 months under a contract I personally would want to get the best device out there at the moment. Why is Verizon restricting us from getting a 4g device? At the end of the day they sold a phone, why do they care if it's 4g or 3g or whatever the case may be? So basically I'm stuck with this piece of crap until my official upgrade is due.

I just think Verizon's implementing a bunch of new bull policies, they've become so picky. For example they got rid of their annual contracts, the 30 day return policy is now at 14 days, and now they won't even let me upgrade to a 4g/4s phone under valid reasons. In most cases, 4g devices are more expensive than 3g devices so I'd be paying more anyways, it's not like everything's the same. My phone is having problems and their solutions as to go about fixing it are few and on top of that, have restrictions.

Anybody feel me?

Accepted answers

Wildman

Since you are lock in a contract and you are wanting to make the change the company really isnt forced to do anything by they gave you a option to proceed...

No matter what device they allow you to get they would be loosing revenue by voiding a years worth of contract payments, if they upgrade you now and you regularly pay 100.00 a month (Example only) that would be 1200.00 and then you buying device at new contract price (Usually 100.00 to 150.00 discounted from retail) that wont cover what is being lost.. If you think about it this also would not include the device you got already (Droid X) at a discounted price..

Let me make it clear I am not defending the company, I am just viewing it from a business angle and upgrading users everytime a customer isnt happy with a device that they already bought and has own for some time just isnt a sound business decision..

The company is in business to make money and no matter what people believ a company does take a hit to supply customer service sometimes and I cant say with all the network work that has been taking effect to bring the 4G network online that the customer is the only on eating the bill..

All comments

Wildman

I feel where you are coming from but when all is said and done you can thank the changes due to users that chose to work the system dry.... A number of users made a habit after they realized that Verizon would allow early upgrades to users with constant device issue, so as soon as they got a device and get tired of the device they would complain about any little bug that they find on the phone until they are offered a free upgrade.. This also falls in the 4G devices areas, a number of users want a 4G device but they dont want to wait for a upgrade and they want a discount on the new device.

Since you signed a two year contract and you have had the device for only a year, if they upgrade you early into a 4G device they would be voiding one year of contract which means they are loosing revenue and then allow you to get the new device at a discounted price they would be loosing again...

The teir plans went into effect also because of users always complaining that being charged for Mobile Hotspot was outragous and used it through other means for free and when it was brought out and acknowledged as stealing they argued that they already had unlimited data so they are using what they pay for when they are not paying for that feature.

tengy

Okay.. but they're giving me the option to upgrade to a 3g device, why not 4g? Aren't they losing money either way then? I'd be paying more for a 4g device anyways. And what's a teir plans? I'm confused about that last paragraph.

Wildman

Since you are lock in a contract and you are wanting to make the change the company really isnt forced to do anything by they gave you a option to proceed...

tengy

Okay thanks for clearing it up. Their restriction still frustrates me.

yellowcanary73

If on a family plan you could add a phone get it through the Amazon 1 cent sale and then cancel the other phone and pay the early termination fee.I was thinking of doing that with my DROIDX which is giving trouble but the Razor I was looking at has some screen problems starting to show up.

droidsw

I don't think most people grasp the concept that these are $500-600 phones that most of us paid $199 for with a two year contract.

If you bought a laptop, camera, radar detector, etc., and a year later better, faster versions were on the market, would you expect Best Buy, or whoever, to give you credit towards a newer model? No, if you really wanted one, you would buy it (at full price, of course).

In regards to the issues with your phone, I've had my Droid X as long as you. Went through three exchanges. My phone is buggy, slow to respond and still requires a reboot from time to time, but I accept that and will decide if that is only this phone, or just part of the Android experience........another thread in itself.

Wildman hit it on the head about people manipulating the system to get early upgrades. Many also played phone musical chairs for the first 30 days, so they could try out more than one phone. Hence, Verizon put the kibosh on that and changed it to 14 days.

Like in grade school, the entire class is being punished for the actions of a few.

tengy

Yeah but shouldn't Verizon give their customers the benefit of the doubt? That is some crappy customer service compared to other wireless carriers.

The number of people who go through the trouble to play "musical chairs" with phones and go for an early upgrade should be relatively small compared to the number of customers that don't. I spent hours talking to a Verizon rep, if my phone didn't have any problems why would I waste my time trying to get an early upgrade? None of my family and friends have played musical chairs or gone for an early upgrade before and I'm the first one in my family who has ever gone for an early upgrade. + We've been customers for years. They have to make some exceptions to their policies based on customer history..

Laptops, cameras, etc. are a completely different case. We're not bound to a contract so we have the freedom to go buy another one without having to pay service for a camera or laptop or whatever the case may be, so that's not even relevant. You act as though I'm not going to pay for a new device and I want one just for the fact that it's "newer." Not the case, my phone is actually having problems and if they're making me pay for a new device I'd want the best out there at the moment if I'm stuck with it for at least another 20 months. If they're losing money either way why are they restricting us...

droidsw

It is TOTALLY relevant. Who says you don't have the "freedom" to buy a new phone?
The phone and the service contract are two different entities.

I hypothesized my theory as to why VZW changed their policy. I don't have a clue as to your motives.

You should have a phone that "works", but that term is a little difficult to define with Android phones because I think you can find issues with the majority of them.

What doesn't make sense is your implying that VZW won't let you buy the "best phone out there". If you pay full price and it's compatible, they don't care and can't dictate which phone you buy.

mortb

tengy wrote:
Yeah but shouldn't Verizon give their customers the benefit of the doubt? That is some crappy customer service compared to other wireless carriers.

I guess you never have been with AT&T. They are the worst Customer Service I've ever had to deal with. Never been with Sprint, but it is claimed that they also have terrible CS. Personally, I've never had problems in my dealings with Verizon CS. I was an AT&T customer, and actually bought out my contract and went with Verizon. Never was sorry.

tengy

Of course I can buy a new phone but I'd be paying full price, like you said. But why would I pay full price when I know I'm going to stay with that phone for as long or even longer than the duration of the contract? I'd obviously want the "discounted" price.

Yeah and Verizon's new policy gives no room for exceptions which I think is making a lot of customers mad. My motive is to get a different phone than the Droid X. And like I've said, if I'm going to be stuck with a phone for at least 20 months, which I plan on doing, then I would want the best one out there.

My phone barely works.. I constantly have to flip my phone from portrait to landscape all the time because a quarter of the screen is unresponsive so I have to put whatever I'm trying to touch in a different position than it was in portrait mode so it responds. And half the time it restarts when it flips and once it boots up again it takes 3 minutes+ for the home screen to finish loading then allowing me to make a call, finish my text, play my music, or whatever I was doing. It becomes the biggest hassle ever.

Yeah, so I've noticed, which is why I'm trying to switch from my Android to an iPhone because whenever an iPhone has a problem it affects way more people than the users of a Droid X (for example) and since Apple only has 1 phone out on the market, they "perfect" it unlike Motorola (for example) who is responsible for many phones out on the market. Whenever the iPhone has an issue it becomes major news (whether on TV or my Yahoo newsfeed) whereas I've never seen news about problems with the Droid X publicized to such a great extent.

And why doesn't that make sense? The "best phone out there" = all 4g phones & the 4S? Yeah... that limits me a lot. And since they're already losing money why does it matter if it's 4g or 3g?

Tidbits

tengy wrote:
Of course I can buy a new phone but I'd be paying full price, like you said. But why would I pay full price when I know I'm going to stay with that phone for as long or even longer than the duration of the contract? I'd obviously want the "discounted" price.
Then do it. It's your choice, and Verizon doesn't have to subsidize devices for a contract to start with. There's always a give and take scenario. They are the ones paying the difference initially.
Yeah and Verizon's new policy gives no room for exceptions which I think is making a lot of customers mad. My motive is to get a different phone than the Droid X. And like I've said, if I'm going to be stuck with a phone for at least 20 months, which I plan on doing, then I would want the best one out there.
Of course not they forked over cash. Try doing that buying a house or a car. Just because a phone is cheaper than those the principle is the same...
My phone barely works.. I constantly have to flip my phone from portrait to landscape all the time because a quarter of the screen is unresponsive so I have to put whatever I'm trying to touch in a different position than it was in portrait mode so it responds. And half the time it restarts when it flips and once it boots up again it takes 3 minutes+ for the home screen to finish loading then allowing me to make a call, finish my text, play my music, or whatever I was doing. It becomes the biggest hassle ever.
Did you try using your warranty? It doesn't seem like you did, and you are just wanted to move to a different device because you have your heart set and looking for a loophole. I still rock my Droid 1 from time to time for old times sake and they both have the same hardware(just D1 has a slower processor).
Yeah, so I've noticed, which is why I'm trying to switch from my Android to an iPhone because whenever an iPhone has a problem it affects way more people than the users of a Droid X (for example) and since Apple only has 1 phone out on the market, they "perfect" it unlike Motorola (for example) who is responsible for many phones out on the market. Whenever the iPhone has an issue it becomes major news (whether on TV or my Yahoo newsfeed) whereas I've never seen news about problems with the Droid X publicized to such a great extent.
Droid X is old in comparison. If the original iPhone had a problem then you'd get the same results. It is long forgotten and often never been news worthy when the original iPhone had problems. The iPhone 4S has a "battery" issue and it's new out there so there will be news about that, but did you hear about the 3GS bug? No? See where I am going here?
And why doesn't that make sense? The "best phone out there" = all 4g phones & the 4S? Yeah... that limits me a lot. And since they're already losing money why does it matter if it's 4g or 3g?
Simple... You want Verizon to pay up for you to get an iPhone which costs an average of $100-300 more than what you would have paid out of pocket for your Droid X when it first came out. Show me a carrier let alone any company out there will to do that, and I will back you up 100%. Apple doesn't even do that, and I have been a customer for years... If you are OOW(out of warranty) and you pay $200 they'll give you a higher device, but your device has to be discontinued. Notice you paid out of pocket to get it...

tengy

Do what? Okay.... and I wouldn't stay with Verizon if they didn't subsidize devices. You're looking at a market where wireless carriers do subsidize devices for a contract, why are you bringing up the fact that they don't have to?

I mean I guess if they want to have customers complaining. If their service sucks (only looking out for "cash") then customers will leave = no business for them. Maybe I'm just not getting what you're saying but I would pay for the car and house for the full price it's selling for. In this case I'm getting a "discounted price" with a contract, I'm not buying the phone at its retail (full) price.

I did try my warranty and now it's over. How can it seem like I didn't? I want to move to a different device because mine is a hassle to use. Okay well that's great, my Droid X on the otherhand is hard to work with.

Okay even when the Droid X first came out I didn't see anything in the news about it, I said "for example." That would apply to pretty much any phone other than the iPhone. I think it's pretty obvious that a device 2 years ago wouldn't appear in the news now, I'm talking about when it first comes out.

What..? Verizon is willing to "pay up" for a 3g device but not a 4g/4s? Yeah, that makes sense. My Droid X was $200 when I got it (which is when it first came out), I could get an iPhone with that money so I don't know what you're talking about. My problem is that Verizon will allow me to get another phone just not a 4g or 4s and like I've said so many times if they're already losing money does it really matter if it's 3g vs 4g? Apple is not a wireless carrier? I am out of warranty and I guess my device isn't discontinued then cause I'm fine with paying $200 for an iPhone just not the full retail prices ($600 or whatever it is). I don't mind paying out of my pocket at the price with the contract? I just wouldn't buy a phone at full price.

droidsw

You want the phone of your choice at the discounted two-year plan price and that isn't going to happen. So this thread is done.

Do other carriers discount phones if you sign a contract? Yes. Those that don't make you purchase a low end phone, usually for $99.

Would most people pay $599 for a phone like the Droid X? I know I wouldn't have. That's why they offer it at a discount and basically pro-rate the cost out over the term of your contract. They bend their own rules, like you want them to, it costs money.

You want to be mad about something, check the resell value for a Droid X compared to an iphone. You can get 4 to 5 times more for a used iphone. That is changing the subject, but THAT, and not upgrade policies, really irks me.

tengy

I wasn't expecting a solution but okay lol. I was asking if anybody had similar problems like me not asking for people to justify Verizon's actions.

droidsw

It's like you bought a car with a 6 cylinder engine and now you want to upgrade to an 8 cylinder. Ever watch The Price is Right? If it's a V6, it's cheaper.

3G phones are soon to be obsolete. They need to move them. 4G are their bread and butter. They aren't going to give you one on a discount, until your upgrade date.

Don't get me started on the Android App Market. It's the biggest problem with these phones. No regulation. Anybody can write apps. It's a guessing game which apps cause problems.

Cody21

As far as Android market -- It's user beware. That's why there ae user comments. If anyone just downloads anything at their whim without seriously looking at user experieinces (or <50 downloads), then you get what you get. Personally I like the Openess of Android vs. iPhone ... but I also run AntiVirus software and am overly cautious about what I install & always ALWAYS check the Access Requirements of the APP I'm installing.

And as far as the running line of this thread - that anyone should expect/demand that a company upgrade their purchase to a better/later product after initially buying it July 2010, well, that's a parallel universe, IMHO. If you can actually figure out how that can be done - and for FREE - a lot of us might be in on that. I'd love to upgrade to 4G for Free after 14 months of having this. But alas, will wait until my upgrade in 2012.

Tidbits

tengy wrote:
I wasn't expecting a solution but okay lol. I was asking if anybody had similar problems like me not asking for people to justify Verizon's actions.

Much like you are trying to justify you wanting a new phone?

Here's the deal man as I pointed out. If they make the exception for you then they need to make an exception for everyone. This is serious revenue. If they do it once they may have to do it twice, three times, 4 times. When the policy was more relaxed in the 1990's this happened a lot, and this is why the policy was changed throughout all carriers. People abused it back then like no tomorrow. This is why I understand they made the policy more strict due to people abusing it.

As I pointed out... You Droid X back then was $449 without contract, and the phones you want costs $649/749/849 without contract depending on the size you want, or manufacturer. You still haven't "paid" back your old phone, and expect them to subsize another device.

droidsw

Cody21 wrote:
As far as Android market -- It's user beware. That's why there ae user comments. If anyone just downloads anything at their whim without seriously looking at user experieinces (or <50 downloads), then you get what you get. Personally I like the Openess of Android vs. iPhone ... but I also run AntiVirus software and am overly cautious about what I install & always ALWAYS check the Access Requirements of the APP I'm installing.

Cody, if it was only that simple. Yes, an app with jokes shouldn't ask for access to your email, (one example); but most apps want/need access, to the SD card, internet, etc., and I don't feel comfortable with that, but if you deny one app, what about the next one and the next one? You won't have any apps installed. I used to mock the iphone's closed market, but now I would gladly pay for apps that I knew were safe and wouldn't cause issues with my phone. I haven't installed any new apps in weeks, maybe months. Lately, my phone has been acting like.....a Droid X......buggy and glitchy (more than usual). Did one of the previously non-problem causing apps just turn rogue? (I don't think I've even had an update in a week, so that can be ruled out, too). So, I bounce back and forth between blaming apps and the O.S.

Cody21

Not saying it's "Simple" ... but yes, these more open systems like Android just seem to require a person to be a bit more aware, or savy with their use of the phone ... I once heard that the iPhone was meant more for "soccer moms" - not to demean soccer moms .. but I think the point is you really don't have to give the iPhone a lot of effort to configure, manage, etc because it is a LOT more locked down to prevent problems. ... and all of the APPS are ONLY those apps that Apple approves of ... soit really boils down to a choice -- having a phone with SPECIFIC FEATURES that you want. For me, in July 2010, it was the DROID X -- and is still really perfect for me. Love it. I don't experience the issues that others seem to be having ... for whatever reason. (other than that stupid auto-reboot after power down ... but I now just put it in SLEEP mode at night.)

of course, YMMV.

peace out.

droidsw

I also referred to users of those phones as soccer moms and high school girls and honestly, a lot of them are.

But, there is a difference between being savvy and expecting a phone to work (with the apps in this unregulated market).

I will take "doesn't take a lot of effort" to the ENDLESS troubleshooting, resets, battery pulls, etc.

This argument is old. We've beaten that dead horse and it was made into dog food months ago.

Yes, some have had few issues and swear by Android. Good, congratulations.

As for my experience, and my desire to have a phone that simply works without all the endless troubleshooting, maybe the soccer mom phone will be my next one.

That's months away (unless I can pull off that early upgrade, like the OP wants).

i3oblsme

does anyone else feel like as soon as 4G phones came out...your droid, and its 3G service became ultra slow and super frustrating??? I think they weaken the signal strength to try to force us to "upgrade." sometimes it wont even connect to anything when i have full bars... please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this!!!

joets185

You are not alone in that thinking. My DROID was always faster on the web before 4g became available. Now it really is a dog.