What is the point of having a smartphone if nothing ever works?

[footballchick66]

Before my GS3 updated to kitkat my apps would crash all the time. My phone updated last week and now the apps work but in what used to be areas with strong steady 4g coverage I have no data. So annoyed. I can turn my data on and without touching it I'll have 4g for a minute and then none before coming back for 5 seconds only to go out again. What am I paying for?  My office doesn't have wifi and I have a large data allowance but what is the point if I can never use it?  I do a lot of travelling and use my phone as a GPS but as I have no no longer have reliable service anywhere even in Philadelphia where it was a constant 4g.  Not to mention the GPS is unreliable as well. Waze is an amazing GPS but to have a phone that doesn't work half the time is frustrating. I should just go back to my old flip phone that lasted me 2 days on a single charge. My phone is due for an upgrade in a few months. Maybe I'll save some money and get something that isn't a smartphone and I won't have to worry about paying for the data and everything else that comes with having a smartphone.

[vzw_customer_support]

footballchick66,

I am glad to hear that your apps are working correctly now but very sad to hear of the issues you are now having with signal. Do you notice you lose signal everywhere on just in certain areas? What zipcode are you in? Have you tried removing and reinserting your SIM? http://vz.to/S7Jf6p Have you had your SIM replaced since this issue began?

LindseyT_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[footballchick66]

I live in zip code 18951 and work in zip code 19132. I am having issues in both areas. I took my phone to the Verizon store and had my sim card replaced. No matter where I go and what I have done it cuts out.  This problem only began two weeks ago when my phone updated to kitkat. It worked great before that. I had service everywhere. I am wasting time trying to fix my phone while my data plan sits not being used. I have a very large data plan that I am paying for with a smart phone that might as well be my old flip phone.

[CountriGal]

How long is Verizon going to let these ongoing problems persist when it is apparent that Kitkat update did nothing to help users actually USE their phones???  I've been doing online research and it is very apparent to me, who also started having problems with reliable phone and 4G service after the Kitkat update ran on my phone, that it is a known issue.  And the solutions given by the Verizon techs do not solve the problems.  I have blown my phone away and went back to factory settings to no avail other than losing all my apps and having to now re-load all of them, because  oh yeah... the google backup didn't backup and restore either.  I have tried all the trouble shooting offered, as have so many others, but no one seems to have stumbled up on the solution.... a new "upgrade" that undoes the issues that Kitkat is giving!  As a long time Verizon customer, I'm seriously starting to re-think my provider since my phone is not usable 90% of my time.

This is not a rhetorical question.... honestly, what is Verizon doing to actually find a real solution to this problem?  When can I expect my phone to start working once more as it did before the 'update' ran?

[#5]

Your device is made by Samsung, Verizon did not  nor will they make cell phones.

Verizon provides Cellular and Data service to a functional device.

Google & Samsung pushed out the Kitty Kat update that made a working device now dysfunctional. Why blame Verizon for something they have not done to your phone?

Every cellular provider is getting hit with these complaints and issues. So good luck at your new provider.

Contact the maker of the device, it is their responsibility not Verizon's tech support to fix a broken device.

Good Luck

[CountriGal]

I can understand that Verizon did not make the phone.  My satellite provider did not make the dish nor the receiver I use either, but if they malfunction and make it to where I cannot receive their service (the satellite signal) then the satellite provider assists in getting equipment that works.  If it is a software issue, they have more sway with the provider of said software, as the representative and mass user of the software, than individual customers do.  So if Verizon is receiving multiple complaints from their customers, complaints that their customers are unable to use the service that they are being paid to provide, then they can go to manufacturer to request the fix.  Who do you think Google or Samsung is going to listen to more, an individual who received a phone from a 3rd party (Verizon) or the entire company who purchases those items (phones and software) en-masse and thus can more affect their bottom line?  As another example... when you purchase a car and the seatbelt malfunctions, do you go to the seatbelt manufacturer or back to the car maker?  Should each person who has a seatbelt malfunction go to the seatbelt maker or should the car maker issue a recall on all affected vehicles and offer a fix, provided from the seatbelt maker?  When I go back to Samsung or Google, and IF they listen to me and initiate a fix, what priority is Verizon going to make it to get it out to their customers?  Or is Verizon relying upon each disgruntled user to go find their own fix without it affecting them (Verizon) at all?  Other service providers have already started issuing fixes according to my research... and if Verizon delayed pushing this update out for so long (as I've seen complaints that it was), why did they push it with these known issues and not insist before they pushed it out that Google or Samsung fix it first so as not to get these complaints?  Sorry, but Verizon is at least partially responsible for my inability to use their service, as the provider of the equipment and software that I need to be able to utilize their services.  I didn't go out on the black market and purchase this phone, I bought it at a Verizon store.  I have not rooted the phone or in any way done anything other than add about 6 apps to the phone from the way it was provided to me by the store, and their required update - pushed across their cellular and data service - is what has resulted in my phone no longer being functioning.  So yes, while Verizon may not manufacture the phone or the software, they are in fact the provider of said items to me and thus are responsible, and should be pushing back to Google or Samsung to get a fix for their customers.  I was hoping to hear that Verizon was doing just that, but it does not appear to be the case.... Yes, other providers may be having the same issue, but I've seen them working with their customers to get a solution, providing CUSTOMER SERVICE to their customers, and that is all that I and others like me, have been looking for from Verizon in this kitkat fiasco and which they have been failing at.

[LRVassar]

Your satellite comparison is not comparable, and even more to the point, not even true. If you have insurance on your equipment, they will send a technician to repair and/or repair your equipment, which is the same with your phone. If you have insurance on your phone, you can pay the deductible and have it replaced. That said, if you don't have insurance on your equipment, you pay for both, the technician and the equipment. I've had Dish Network for almost 15 years now, and I can assure you that's how it works.

Back on topic, Verizon is doing what they can, aside from swapping out every handset that has received KitKat 4.4.2. Verizon won't, and shouldn't, replace those devices. If anything, Google and your phone manufacturer are responsible. Verizon is only responsible for the service to your device. What your device does at that point is technically not their problem. They are doing a courtesy by even attempting to repair a botched update, such as KitKat 4.4.2.

As previously mentioned, the best option is performing a hard reset on your device. I did it on my own LG G2, and it's operating normally. I've noticed a drop in signal, but I also realize that this is (a) not Verizon Wireless' issue and (b) is temporary as Google is always updating their code.

[CountriGal]

I have completed a hard reset on my device.  Result.  No change.  I have no signal at all sitting in my office, where as prior to the update I had 4G, full bars, no problems.  I'd gladly pay a deductible to get a new phone, but have been told this problem will persist with that phone as well.... and I cannot be guaranteed a new phone but will probably get a refurbished one, still with the kitkat update on it.  This "temporary" problem has persisted for me since mid-May, and since my cell phone is my primary contact number for anything, not being able to get reliable service has been a major issue.  My childcare has this number, my doctors, my bank, and during this "temporary" issue I have missed at least 7 fairly critical (thankfully not life or death!) calls, calls where even the voicemail is delayed by HOURS or DAYS before I get notified of call I didn't get.  I am not able to use my office number for these calls, so must continue to rely upon my cell phone.  And since I performed the hard reset, the notifications appear to be coming in even slower.  I did the hard reset last Thursday.  I just received a voicemail notification this morning at 8:15am about a call that came through yesterday morning at 10am, so yes, this is getting ridiculous.  Pardon me if I get a bit frustrated with the whole "pass the buck" routine.  I am also on Google and Samsung sites trying to get a solution to my problem, which is why I keep coming back to Verizon.... they have more sway with them than I do as they can affect the bottom line more than I can... and all I'm getting all around, from all parties, is "it's not my problem", "wait it out", or "tough luck!".

Oh, and as to your statement that my satellite comparison was not true....  about 5 years ago, my receiver received an update on it's software, which caused issues in receiving signals.  I notified the provider of my "error code" and they informed me they were aware of the issue and were working with the software providers to fix it and would push the correction out as soon as it was available.  I did not have a tech come into my house, no equipment was replaced or repaired via someone coming into my home, and no cost was every charged to me... yet the equipment was back "online" within the hour (I was told they pushed out the older version to "undo" the broken update) and when the update was sent back out, it was fixed so as not to cause that disruption again.  I know my home was not the only one affected, as the customer service rep stated that were receiving numerous calls on it and he already knew of the issue when I started the call, was able to tell me what actions they were taking, and a timeline for the then hopeful fix.  So yes, it actually is comparable and true.  This may not be something you experienced, but I can assure you that it is something I experienced... and in fact it may have affected your receiver but was not noticed by you for a variety of reasons (work, not using the dish during this time, etc) and so you were unaware of the software update, screwup, re-set, and subsequent "fix" that all took place without anyone coming into the homes themselves.  I do not know and do not presume to say it did or did not affect you or apply to you, and I do not presume to say you yourself are correct or not.... but I do know what I experienced and it is remarkably similar to what I am experiencing now with this phone.

[LRVassar]

It's unfortunate you are having an issue. Service is never guaranteed, and it's stated in your contract. That said, it's not a Verizon Wireless issue. You can change your device to say, an iOS device, and you probably won't have an issue.

If I were in your situation missing many of these important calls, I would have already purchased another device on my own dime.

[#10]

I believe you received a good answer from LRVassar I will also point out that if you bought the phone at Best Buy or Walmarts or BJ's they would not repair the update for you. They give 15 days to return and exchange a defective device.

The phone you purchased was working when purchased. It was the Google and Samsung update that messed up your device, not Verizon Wireless.

As to the seat belt analogy, your coverage under warranty covers the seat belt for 3, 5, 10 years depending on the maker of the car. After that time you pay to have it repaired. As was mentioned the phone has a 1 year manufacturer warranty, not a one year Verizon Wireless warranty. As a courtesy to its customers as with other cell providers they handle the exchange under that warranty or you buy supplemental insurance and go through them.

The degradation of your cell service is caused by the device. The same cellular and data services are still available but your now updated OS device is not connecting or functioning properly.

In your way of thinking the Google and Samsung can just push out OS updates and it then becomes Verizon's problem. This is not the case.

Good Luck

[footballchick66]

If this is a problem with my phone then I will gladly take this up with Samsung. But right now I am paying for a service I can hardly use and I am frustrated because I use my data on a regular basis for directions and gps. I just want to get this sorted out. My phone isn't due for an upgrade until November. If I can't sort this out I am going to go out and buy an inexpensive gps and reduce my data plan to 2gigs because it would be cheaper that way. I just need to know what the situation is.

[footballchick66]

If this is a problem with my phone then I will gladly take this up with Samsung. But right now I am paying for a service I can hardly use and I am frustrated because I use my data on a regular basis for directions and gps. I just want to get this sorted out. My phone isn't due for an upgrade until November. If I can't sort this out I am going to go out and buy an inexpensive gps and reduce my data plan to 2gigs because it would be cheaper that way. I just need to know what the situation is.

[rcschnoor]

It would be cheaper that way regardless, which is why I prefer using the GPS in my car. It also has a bigger screen.

One thing you may want to look into is storing your directions on your phone when you have an available wifi signal. Google Maps lets you do that for those times when there is no cellular service available. Of course you must have the current version of Google Maps.

[footballchick66]

I use Waze for my GPS. I like the social aspect of it. The traffic information is more up to date and I know when to expect brake lights. If waze sold a standalone gps id be happy but it doesnt work that way.

[gurase]

You can't use turn by turn directions without a data connection even if you have the whole area cached.