KIN users--don't bother looking to Verizon for help if something goes wrong with your phone

[JCorrice]

There is a mechanical defect in my KIN TWOm. The charging port stopped working properly, which is covered under my extended warranty, so I took my phone into Verizon. However, Verizon will not replace the KIN TWOm with another KIN--they will either force you to downgrade your phone to one of their HORRIBLE basic phones that are so inferior it's ridiculous, or they give you the option to pay a ton of money to upgrade to a phone that they will NOT give you a credit towards to make you purchase a smartphone/data plan. The basic phone options they will give you are so laughably awful--My LG DARE that I purchased in 2008 is better than the options the offered me for replacement. So once my KIN 2 finally dies completely, that's what I'm going to have to use until my contract is up. I found a $60 replacement KIN 2 on ebay, and I asked if I could perhaps have some kind of credit or reimbursement (not even the whole cost mind you, just maybe $30-$40 to put towards it since Verizon was unable to replace my phone properly under my warranty), and I was told no, absolutely not, they were offering me a (completely unacceptable) replacement and if I didn't take it the cost of replacing the phone was all on me.

I won't be renewing my contract with Verizon when it's up in a few months. I've been left with no choice by Verizon, which is so incredibly frustrating me. Apparently, they don't care one bit whether or not they have or retain my business, which is so completely different than how the company seemed to be when I signed my first contract over 10 years ago, or even just a few years ago before the smartphone/basic phone wall. I don't understand how this business model works for them because how does alienating a GROWING niche of customers like me who do not need data plans or smartphones (who use tablets or ipads or kindles or whatever for apps and data), and do not want their phone bill doubled by being forced into a data plan they will not use end up making Verizon money? Isn't getting my $55 bucks a month better than getting nothing, even if I'm not paying $90 a month? I would still like a quality phone with a good camera for talking/texting/pictures/video, but I just don't need data. Maybe a few years ago when smartphones were the predominant mobile smart device it made sense, but that's just not he case anymore. You are losing customers, like me, who are simply going to go to a pre-paid phone company with an unlocked smart phone that doesn't require a data plan, or offer much cheaper phone/data plans. There are unlocked smart phones several years old that you can get for less than $100 that are a thousand times better than Verizon's NEW basic phone options. And you can get unlimited data, phone, and texting for HALF of what Verizon charges a single user for the most basic phone/data package.

So why doesn't Verizon want my business? Every customer service rep I spoke to about this said, "I completely understand your frustration, but I can't help you." I want to know why not.

And by the way, you better be sure that I'm going to be ranting about this to everyone I know, and discouraging from moving to Verizon or renewing their contracts. I think it's time to start championing the European/Asian billing model, who pay way less for their bills than we do in the United States because the consumer dictates what they want to the phone companies, rather than the phone companies dictating to the consumer.

[#2]

A) >Comment deleted, stay on topic<

B) They can't replace your Kin2m because they most likely don't have any. You know that phone hasn't been in production for well over a year.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

[JCorrice]

A) >Comment deleted

B) >Comment deleted< I don't expect Verizon to have a phone as old as the KIN in stock. I do expect a replacement or a credit towards a reasonable replacement that does not force me to downgrade to a phone that is worse than my 2008 LG Dare, or credit towards a reasonable upgrade. Neither option was presented to me.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

[bandroid]

Unfortunately, when you have a phone as old as the Kin's, Verizon doesn't have to guarantee they will still carry that phone. In fact, I believe it says somewhere, if they don't have that phone, they will find the phone closest that is in stock. The Kin was one of a kind. Sharp created the phone as a smartphone. But no one wanted it. So they removed the data requirement, and made it a basic phone. Which allowed the phone to have WiFi options.

There are no other phones on the market like this. It's hard to believe you expect them to actually still have this phone. My phone isn't even this old and they don't always have it in stock. There is no guarantee.

I'm not surprised that they told you it has to come out of your own pocket. They provided you with the best option they had, whether it was acceptable to your or not, it's what they could do. Anything outside of that is up to the customer.

[JCorrice]

I'm not unreasonable, and I completely understand that phones become outdated. I wasn't expecting them to have the phone. I would have been ok with a replacement that was a slight downgrade--maybe something with a 3-5 mp camera, losing my wireless because I realize that the KIN was the only phone that had it, etc. But offering a replacement that would be downgrading be below the phone I had prior to the KIN  (My 2008 LG Dare) is reasonable to you? That was not the closet phone to the KIN they had in stock. I would have also been ok with some other compromise, e.g. a discount on an upgrade or a credit towards replacement phone that I had to purchase myself since the phone is no longer supported. My point is that no reasonable solution was offered me.

[#6]

I am assuming you wanted a non smartphone. Well what they have is what they have. Not many non smartphones are being made. And they have never put a 5 MP camera in a non-smartphone expect for the Kin which was actually a smartphone to begin with. Even 3 MP camera on basic phones are rare. Heck my old LG Ally only has a 3.2 MP camera and it IS a smartphone. My current smartphone a LG Lucid has a 5 MP camera.

[JCorrice]

That is my whole point. Nothing is being done to accommodate customers like me, who are being forced to leave Verizon. Why can't a 3mp camera be put in a basic phone when 4 years ago nearly every feature phone had one? Because Verizon wants me to pay $90 instead of $55 a month, and is now basically telling me to pay up or leave. I know I am not the only person out there that does not need a phone for data, but wants something small to easily share pics and videos with.

[bandroid]

If it's the camera that's really bugging you, buy a camera. You can get a cheap 5mp camera.

Otherwise, it's not Verizon's fault they don't have higher mp feature phones. It's the phones that the manufacturer's are coming out with. See if they will offer you a Hotshot. It's a 3.2Mp.

[JCorrice]

I can't text pics or video with just a camera. I mentioned the Hotshot, and was told no. But it had horrible reviews on cnet so I don't think I'd want it anyway. Once my KIN will no longer charge I'm better off going back to my old LG Dare, which also has a 3.2 mp camera and none of the technical problems of the Hotshot. I could get an ipod touch and use that for pics and texting, but then I'd be carrying around 3 devices just to stay with Verizon, when there are other options out there that are willing accommodate my needs.

There is seriously no solution for me here, which is why I am frustrated with Verizon pretty sure I'm leaving. My choices are to severely downgrade my phone, upgrade my phone at my own expense while doubling my phone bill. That's it. No other solution. I don't think either of those choices are reasonable to me, which leaves me waiting out my contract with my old phone leaving Verizon for something that suits my needs when it's up. I'm disappointed because I've been happy with Verizon for many years, but

Verizon contracts with the manufacturers, and yes, it is absolutely their fault they don't have better feature phones. They make more money off of data than they do voice. They only way to increase their data profits is to get more people to their data networks. They don't want to release decent feature phones because they want me to buy a smartphone and a data plan I don't need. That's just the way it is, and I'm sorry that they have decided that their voice only customers are no longer worth maintaining.

[#10]

JCorrice wrote:

I can't text pics or video with just a camera. I mentioned the Hotshot, and was told no. But it had horrible reviews on cnet so I don't think I'd want it anyway.

The Kin2m is a POS itself. My son had one. Lasted a bit over a year before it went kaput.

[#11]

JCorrice wrote:

That is my whole point. Nothing is being done to accommodate customers like me, who are being forced to leave Verizon. Why can't a 3mp camera be put in a basic phone when 4 years ago nearly every feature phone had one? Because Verizon wants me to pay $90 instead of $55 a month, and is now basically telling me to pay up or leave. I know I am not the only person out there that does not need a phone for data, but wants something small to easily share pics and videos with.

You do realize that Verizon does not make the phones. Verizon can only sell what is made. Your beef is with the wrong company.

[JCorrice]

So you think that phone manufacturers randomly develop phones with no input whatsoever from the service providers ordering and selling the phones? And that the service providers aren't dictating to the manufacturers what types of phones they wish to purchase?

[#13]

JCorrice wrote:

So you think that phone manufacturers randomly develop phones with no input whatsoever from the service providers ordering and selling the phones? And that the service providers aren't dictating to the manufacturers what types of phones they wish to purchase?

No I think the phone manufacturers make phones that will bring in the most money since they do actually SELL these phones to the carriers. Now if a carrier doesn't think it will sell a lot of a certain type of phone then they wont by that type of phone. If carriers aren't going to buy a lot of a certain type of phone the manufactures have no incentive to make that phone. This is basic supply and demand economics.

[JCorrice]

It's also basic economics that if a carrier does not offer a reasonable option to a smartphone (which requires mandatory data plans), then more consumers will purchase the smartphone and the data plan. So it is in Verizon's interest not to order good feature phones from manufacturers, so of course the manufacturers won't make them. Based on the number complaints I've seen about this exact situation around the web, there is certainly a customer base for the phones. But they are not the customers Verizon or the other contract carriers seem to want.

[#15]

JCorrice wrote:

It's also basic economics that if a carrier does not offer a reasonable option to a smartphone (which requires mandatory data plans), then more consumers will purchase the smartphone and the data plan. So it is in Verizon's interest not to order good feature phones from manufacturers, so of course the manufacturers won't make them. Based on the number complaints I've seen about this exact situation around the web, there is certainly a customer base for the phones. But they are not the customers Verizon or the other contract carriers seem to want.

Well then those people can go to prepay companies that offer basic phones. I'm not sure of the law that states Verizon is obligated to offer basic phones at all or offers a service that has a lower profit margin that Verizon feels comfortable with.

[MankatoMN12]

Kin TWOm is the worst phone ever... you should be happy that a Dare was offered

[JCorrice]

The Kin twom isn't without its faults--my Dare was less problematic in terms of random bugginess. But it was the only choice available that wouldn't downgrade my phone when my contract was up nearly 2 years ago, and overall it's worked well for me. I use my phone for calling, texting, pictures, and video, and that's it. And occasionally the WiFi in a pinch, but I mostly use other mobile devices for data.

Verizon didn't offer me the Dare--that's the phone that I purchased 4 years ago, before my KIN. That's the problem. I understand that with current buying trends there may not be a huge demand for feature phones and that's why they aren't offered. I understand that Verizon wants to force customers into data plans because that is how they make most of their money. But when Verizon can't fulfill their warranty obligations reasonably, the least they could do is offer me a credit towards an upgrade. Something, anything, that acknowledges that the situation sucks, and is kinda screwing me over, and that they still want my business.

[JCorrice]

Wow, the board censors the word "s*cks"? Weird.

[#19]

JCorrice wrote:

The Kin twom isn't without its faults--my Dare was less problematic in terms of random bugginess. But it was the only choice available that wouldn't downgrade my phone when my contract was up nearly 2 years ago, and overall it's worked well for me. I use my phone for calling, texting, pictures, and video, and that's it. And occasionally the WiFi in a pinch, but I mostly use other mobile devices for data.

Verizon didn't offer me the Dare--that's the phone that I purchased 4 years ago, before my KIN. That's the problem. I understand that with current buying trends there may not be a huge demand for feature phones and that's why they aren't offered. I understand that Verizon wants to force customers into data plans because that is how they make most of their money. But when Verizon can't fulfill their warranty obligations reasonably, the least they could do is offer me a credit towards an upgrade. Something, anything, that acknowledges that the situation *****, and is kinda screwing me over, and that they still want my business.

What upgrade would you do? To a smartphone with a data plan? Verizon offer many smartphones for free plus the $30 upgrade fee. So smartphone for $30 is better than you Kin2M that's for sure.

The point is Verizon replacement policies are very clear. You knew what they were BEFORE signing up for service. Or you should have known.

[JCorrice]

Yes, I would upgrade, even though I don't want to. If I'm going to get a smartphone, I would not want one of the free ones, which is why offering a credit would have also helped resolve the situation. At the very least, I want a credit the money I paid for my extended warranty for the past two years that they are unable to fulfill according to THEIR end of the contract.

And yes, I was aware of Verizon's replacement policies. The warranty clearly states that Verizon will provide me with a replacement or comparable phone. They have not offered me a comparable phone because they no longer offer one. That's why I'm frustrated and upset that they will not work with me on this.

[#21]

JCorrice wrote:

Yes, I would upgrade, even though I don't want to. If I'm going to get a smartphone, I would not want one of the free ones, which is why offering a credit would have also helped resolve the situation. At the very least, I want a credit the money I paid for my extended warranty for the past two years that they are unable to fulfill according to THEIR end of the contract.

And yes, I was aware of Verizon's replacement policies. The warranty clearly states that Verizon will provide me with a replacement or comparable phone. They have not offered me a comparable phone because they no longer offer one. That's why I'm frustrated and upset that they will not work with me on this.

A) As was said even the free smartphones are much better than the Kin2M or any replacement phone you would have gotten so why you say you refuse to get one is disingenuous. If they had another kin2M to give you then you would have been perfectly happy with that, but you REFUSE to get a free smartphone because its' beneath you even though it's better phone?

B) I suggest you re-read their replacement policies. Also if you are still under warranty that means you got the kin2M within the last year which was well late into that phone's lifecycle. To even expect that there would be any kin2m left a year alter is a bit rediculous.