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What Happened To Making Customers Happy?

djkoz1978

Not so much a question more of a cautionary tale for future VZW customers.

Here's my story. Back in March 2010 I was in search of a new smart phone to purchase and at the time I was still with Altell (Who was AWESOME BTW!). So naturally since VZW merged with Altell. I figured Altell was really good as far as customer service and was always willing to help out. So I thought VZW would surely be as well. I would soon find out I was so far wrong. My contract was up and I was tired of my Blackberry device and was looking to upgrade to a better phone. A phone that would have just about everything full Internet Browsing Capabilites, Unlimitited Text, Email, Nice Camera, Customization Great APPS, & most importantly System Update Support since Blackberry didn't really have that and if they did it would be sometimes nearly a year before any patches or firmware updates would be pushed to my phone . I thought about leaving and going to AT&T and getting the Iphone, but I figured everyone has an Iphone & I have been hearing really good things about the Android devices.

So I looked at VZW selection of Android phones and started doing research on the Moto Droid and the HTC Eris of course the Droid was feature pack and had great reviews and was a really nice phone, but at the time the price was pretty steep. So I started focusing more on the Eris and everywhere I read a lot of people said it was a great phone and it wasn't as expensive as the Moto Droid. When I bought mine it was $100.00 with a 2yr agreement. Plus it was much smaller than the Droid which is something I really liked over the Droid. So I decided I would talk to a VZW rep and get their opinion on which phone would be better. To my suprise instead of the Droid I was told the Eris due to the fact that 2.1 update was coming which would basically make the Eris have pretty much all the features the Droid already had. Plus I was told that the Eris was still a pretty young phone so I had no worries on the phone being discontinued like my Blackberry phone so there would be support for the phone for a long time to come. I was sold cheaper, smaller, all the features of the Moto Droid & lots of support. Who wouldn't take that deal?

So I go ahead buy my phone online and have it shipped to me. I was pretty excited I was getting me a new phone. The VZW Rep made it sound awesome. I get my phone a couple of days later set it up and off I go happy as a clam. Here's where my story starts to go sour. Within 2 weeks of getting my phone out of the blue when I would turn my phone on. The Custom Screens where you put all your widgets and apps at (the Eris has 5 custom screens to customize) started going to the far left screen and would not stop it prevented me from doing anything with the phone so I would pull the battery out turn it back on and out of the blue it would start happening again. Well I started doing research and this was a common problem with the HTC Eris. The trackball is located right above where you plug the charger in and the charger can damage the trackball sensor or make the trackball stick or hyper sensitive. On mine it got stuck.

So I naturally call VWZ Tech support they have me factory reset my phone they trouble shoot to see if they can fix it and of course they cannot. So they tell me they are sending me a replacement phone for my Brand New Eris that I just payed 100.00 and signed myself into a 2 yr contract with. So I'm ok with this send me a new phone maybe this will work better. I get my phone withing 2 days and everything has been fine for 3 months and 2 days ago it started again not only is the trackball sticking, but when I plug my charger in it changes apps around deletes apps basically goes haywire. The major problem is the last 3 days I really haven't been able to use my phone and I use it for everything I use it for my alarm to wake up to go to work as well. But when I charge the phone I have to pull the battery out put it back in then charge the phone while its off.

So now I'm a little agitated by this phone 2 phones in 5 months same problem. I was also told that when I wanted to upgrade to a new phone when I bought the Eris I couldn't until the last 4 months of my 2 yr contract. So I'm thinking to my self I don't want this to keep happening. I get a warranty replaced phone and 3 months later i'm having to replace the phone again. I mean what's gonna happen when my warranty runs out and this happens for a 5th maybe 6th time is VWZ gonna tell me to go suck it? So I call VZW Customer Service ( what a joke). I explain this is the 2nd time this has happened & that if at all possible that I would prefer to maybe upgrade to a better Droid phone one without a trackball maybe the Moto Droid or the Droid Incredible doesn't matter which as long as I don't have to keep replacing the Eris. I did forget to mention one thing with my BB device I never dropped a call ever since I got the Eris I cannot talk to anyone inside a building even my house bcoz I get no reception I have to go stand by a window or go outside or I will lose the call.

So VZW Customer Service (JOKE) tell me the only thing they can do is send me yet another replacement Eris & hopefully this one will be better. Then as I'm talking to her she mentions the Eris has been discontinued and the only warranty replacement phone she has is a USED phone. Who knows who had the phone before or how long not to mention if my 1st 2 phones that were new had this problem the USED phone would definately have the same problem because it has wear & tear already on it. So by this point I'm furious I'm explaining to the Rep that I didn't pay my money and sign up for 2 yr agreement to be given a used phone or be given 2 unfair choices. Either keep my unusable broken phone or have a discontinued USED phone sent to me instead. This is where I get angry folks. This is what my question was in the beginning. What happened to making the customer happy? I'm the one getting the raw end of the deal here. I was conned into buying the Eris with the promise of the support being there. Then within 5 months of me having the phone it gets discontinued & now since VZW doesn't want to correct the problem properly by sending me either a new Eris or upgrading me to a better phone. Should I just accept this situation?

This is unacceptable it's unfair business practices. I paid for a working NEW phone. Not a broken deal with it because we already have gotten your money attitude. I'm not going to be stuck with a subpar phone when VZW can easily replace the phone or upgrade me. I'm at the point now that I seriously considering cancel my contract and never ever dealing with VZW again. So for anyone else out there who might be having the same issue that I am having?

If so please write to VZW to voice your concern. I have and I have already made several complaints. If this isn't correct properly I will never recommend VZW to anyone. Not to buy a phone not to get FIOS not for anything. Sorry for my rant folks just needed to get this out of my system.

Jason

Comments

unknown

Should you put up with this?

You have to, you signed a contract and recieved a phone with a warranty policy that offers a "certified like-new replacement device" in the event of a malfunction. CLN phones are refurbished, but they are not brand new. It wouldn't matter if the Eris was still in production, after your 30 day return window, you'd be get a refurbished device. That's industry standard, but if you don't like it, you can always look elsewhere for better warranty coverage.

Verizon doesn't want you to be happy, they want you to purchase a phone that requires a data plan (their most profitable plan add-on) and then they want you to pay the contract for 2 years. They figure that after that, you'll either have given them a ton of money and stay because of the quality of their network, or you'll have given them a ton of money and leave, which will mean one less customer calling into their CS wasting their precious profit on things like customer service.

If you don't like your Eris, Verizon's not going to do anything for you other than send refurbished replacement units until you are eligible for an upgrade. At that point, you'll be able to buy a subsidized phone in return for another 2-year contract if that's what you want to do. If you hold out long enough, maybe they'll run out of Eris stock and send you a different phone.

In the meantime, you can look for a used phone through eBay or Craigslist and consider taking your business elsewhere. Verizon doesn't care what you do, all they care is that you pay your highly profitable bill. Welcome to Verizon Wireless, you're not a customer, you're an ARPU (average revenue per unit).

i-miss-mayberry

I couldn't agree more. They are all about getting new customers, but once you are under a contract, THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY TO GET OUT OF, you vanish from their customer service radar.

No, wait.... I take that back. They are all about listening to you rant, but at the end of the day, they are not going to lose money no matter what!

AZSALUKI

let me start by stating that i have been pleased with vzn and they have done right by me. however, i've never really had any problems that required their attention. the eris is a bad product. that's why it's been discontinued. it's a shame that they won't replace them with an alternative, but that would simply cost them too much. like the above post mentioned, you may get lucky....if they run out of refurbs, then they'll have to give you something comparable and hopefully it wont have problems. i stay with vzn because of their coverage. in AZ (north phoenix...almost IN the desert) no other carriers can compare. IF at&t, sprint, or one of the others has fine coverage where you live then i would seriously consider breaking the contract. it costs a lot...but if you figure you can get a nice new, subsidized phone, when you sign with a new carrier than it may be worth it to you? they other option is the ebay or craig's list route. one other option is to buy a refurb device from vzn. the refurbs that they use for replacements are also sold by them. for example, you can buy a certified preowned moto droid for $280. i actually don't mind the "used" devices. i bought an alias II for my wif 3 months ago. she would have NEVER known it was preowned. works great and looked BRAND new. my brother just bought a "used" moto droid. he's thrilled with it. he too would have never known it was not brand new. they don't issue refurbs that have signs of wear and tear. they only issue ones that are in mint condition. also....the refurbs are all tested so you are more likely to get a good device if it is a refurb than if it is brand new. the new devices are sample tested, meaning that only a few out of many get tested. of course you can still get a bad refurb....but i'd take my chances with a refurb over a new device any day. FINALLY....your last option would be to go into a different vzn store, demand a manager, politely explain to him the situation, and DEMAND a different device. my experience has been that the right manager will help you. i've recieved early upgrades....but not on my first attempt. i tried at my usual store and on the 800 #, with no luck. i went to a different store and a very pleasant manager gave me an early upgrade.

ATCross

So this screen malfunction is caused by a trackball mess-up.. hmph.. well im taking my Eris into a VZW store tomorrow, i'll definitely let you know if i recieve similar treatment.

djkoz1978

Oh I forgot to mention I explained that I wasn't trying to be an unreasonable customer. That I would pay the difference on a upgraded device at the 2yr agreement price. I think the Incredible was $100.00 & the Moto Droid $50.00 because I paid a $100.00 for the Eris with a 2 yr contract I haven't given up I plan on continuing to talk to VZW about getting this issue corrected. I appreciate everyone's support for me on this issue. Again I'm not out to just get something for nothing. The Eris overall I mean does pretty much everything I need it to but the problems that I'm having has become more of a headache than it is worth. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will let everyone know what happens or what I plan on doing after I have exhausted all my options.

Oh this issue with the Eris is just the most important issue it's making the phone unusable, but there are other problems with it lately that have added to the frustration. It shuts off or reboots all the time at least 2x a day sometimes when I'm on the phone other times while I'm surfing the internet or I'll pull it out of the holster and it will be shut off and I miss an important phone call. I also turned it on 3 days ago and I was missing 3 of my apps that I had installed they had just disappeared.

Atcross I'm not sure what you're problem is. Is it just all of the sudden on the home screens going to the far left or right and if it does do you hear a clicking sound? Mine will start like clicking really fast and it'll go to the left of the home screens and I try to pull it back but it just sits there and freezes.

luvdogs

Someone mentioned AT&T...NO WAY...if you think Verizon messes around with their customers, AT&T is infinitely worse. Not only will they not help you...but in some cases darn right lie to you. I would go to AT&T if they were the only cell phone company in my area...which I am grateful they are not.

unknown

luvdogs wrote:
Someone mentioned AT&T...NO WAY...if you think Verizon messes around with their customers, AT&T is infinitely worse. Not only will they not help you...but in some cases darn right lie to you. I would go to AT&T if they were the only cell phone company in my area...which I am grateful they are not.

Verizon reps are well-know for lying as well. Don't worry, the entire cellular industry is just there to infuriate and abuse you for the sake of increasing their own profits. They win, you lose, enjoy your service.

Cobjones

I think this might be wrong because the eris has 7 screens.

And use the enter button... wall o' text = hurt.

djkoz1978

So an update to my situation. If you read my rather lengthy original post you already know some of the B.S. that I've been dealing with. So I contacted everyone that I could think of explaining this situation from VZW to HTC to the managers and the supervisors of both. With HTC they seemed more understanding about the situation but they of course said there was nothing they could do. Because they only make the product they don't deal with the Verizon side of it. Verizon of course had the go suck it we have your money and now you're stuck with the Eris but if you like we can still send you a USED 100 point inspected refurbished phone blah blah same noise I've been hearing for the past 2 weeks.

Well after getting the same run around and me getting to the point I almost decided to cancel the account. I gave it one last try only this I called late at night around 2 a.m. Of course VZW pretty much tech support and customer service was closed but somehow I managed to get to the warranty area on the phone. Let me say this first every person I talked to up until this point was a woman btw. Not that gender has anything to do with it other than every woman on the phone was less than friendly and seemed like they were only interested in getting you off the phone as quickly as possible. So when I finally got in touch with the warranty department a man answered the phone this time and was in now hurry took the time to listened to my complaints and situation and was immediately willing to do what he could to get me a new phone other than the Eris.

Well he opens a case and orders me a Moto Droid and got it to where it was gonna be 200.00 bucks to get it and of course I wasn't willing to pay that much. Not even close so he actually say that he will credit the account a 100.00 because of all the B.S. I've had to deal with. Especially with the rude VZW reps. Well unfortunately since it was so late he couldn't put the order through he had to wait until yesterday afternoon. He said as soon as he got to work the next day he would go ahead and place the order and the phone would be at my house by Friday. So I was a happy camper I was getting pretty much what I wanted just to be upgraded and I would pay the difference.So he tells me he would call me and let me know as soon as the order goes through that it should be done by 3:00 pm yesterday. So 3 comes and goes & I don't hear anything from him & I start getting a little nervous worried that he was just saying that to make me get off the phone.

So I call back to the warranty department and explain what was going on & of course there was no order nothing on my account about it other than notes saying that he was gonna try to do that. So now my blood is boiling. Well while I'm on the phone with the VZW rep talking to them about the situation. My call waiting comes in with another call but it's a unavailable call and I don't answer because I don't know who the heck it is so I let the voicemail get it. I get off the phone with VZW TICKED OFF now. Because I just knew that was gonna happen. He screwed me over right? Wrong! While I was on the phone with them he called through to let me know that he did try to order the phone, but they were out of the MOTO Droid. He said that they had the Moto Devour if I wanted that but from what I read that phone is worse than the Eris it doesn't even have 2.1 OS.

So I get him back on the phone and I tell him that I don't want the Devour. Why would I? It's not better than the Eris and I can get that replaced for free under warranty. He agrees and say he is sorry but the only thing I can do is wait another 48 hours to see if they have any Moto Droids. Of course there is no guarantee. So I ask him if there is any thing else he is able to do. He puts me hold and comes back on the phone and asks me if I originally wanted the Incredible. I say yes that's the one I tried with the customer service reps to upgrade me too.

So he puts me hold again then he comes back and says he found a Droid Incredible BRAND NEW and he will give me the same deal as the Moto Droid a 100.00 bucks. And it will be at my house by Friday. I couldn't be more happy he didn't screw me over he called me back he got me exactly what I wanted. So I asked what do I do with the Eris he said I can keep it. So after a few minutes I ask him if he can still replace it under warranty. He says yes so now I'm getting a Semi-new Eris and a Brand New Incredible for a 100.00 bucks. SWEET!!

Sorry for the long story I was just letting everyone know how it went. Thanks for everyone's support.

eddiejt

Sounds like a long process only to get what you wanted in the first place. VZW, WAKE UP! without a customer base, you are not VZW. Yes we want good customer service as well as good phone service. That's what it's all about. I love my DROID and phone service, but you are not the only wireless carrier out there!

mdmatus

VZ customer service sucks!

thomasso51

Great conclusion, but the price you paid in effort made the deal far less sweet. So, the moral of the story??? When you're on solid ground ethically simply keep calling back until you find someone at VZW that cares?

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