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Some Tech Reps ARE there to help...

anyoung1984

So a little background first...this may be a little long but I got a happy ending :smileyhappy:

1. Had a Droid Incredible but when an issue came up and I had to jump accounts and was able to choose any ohone a Verizon store rep convinced me to impulsively get the Fascinate ( I usually research phones for weeks before choosing which one I want)

2. Problems from day one included glitchy UI and constant force closes and freezes...Froyo was supposed to fix these mild issues

3. Took over 6 months for Froyo to be released to the Fascinate when we were supposed to receive it in 2 months

4. Froyo MADE EVERYTHING WORSE!!! My phone went into a constant force close/restart that no one could fix...so they sent a refurb

5. Problems with refurb after "maintenance" update was sent OTA

From then on I had the same problems everyone else was having: email issues, not receiving calls/texts, random screenshot captures, freezing in camera mode and randomly taking picks while "asleep", increased battery drain, etc. So I went into the store and was told they were aware of the issues but all the store could do was a hard rest or a refurb. So I took the refurb, hoping...

Alas that hope desintegrated today when I received my refurb and within 3 hours had missed a call from work and 2 texts from friends..not to mention a dead battery by 1pm..after not using my phone all day except to check Facebook twice :smileysad:

So I decide enough is enough and call Customer Service this evening. Apologized in advance for any rudeness then proceeded to not let the rep get a wrod in edgewise till I explained these important points:

a. I am aware it is a software issue not a hardware issue; a refurbed Fascinate ain't gonna cut it

b. No I am not going to do a hard reset; I am aware this does not fix the problems

c. I have scoured the message boards and I am aware the VERIZON is aware this is an issue with multiple(understatement of the century!) Fascinate users

I was asked what I would consider a solution that would make me a happy customer...my response? I wan't a comparable phone as a replacement. I was offered the Motorola Droid X or the HTC Droid Incredible 2...I chose the Incredible 2 as I LOVED my Incredible and adore HTC phones and UI. I believe the kicker was this response from me..."I am fully aware that sofware issues are the respopnsibility of Samsung and not Verizon. However, I pay Verizon for the service to receive calls/texts and now the software has interfered with that service. It is now Verizon's responsibility. What are YOU going to do for me?"

The rep I spoke to was extremely helpful and never once claimed to not be aware of the issues with the Fascinate. In fact, he never tried to get me to do a hard reset or take another Fascinate refurb. Furthermore, he seemed eager to do whatever it took to please me and keep me a happy customer. So maybe it is the luck of the draw...or maybe it is how aggressively you state your case. Either way I am hapy to be rid of the biggest dissapointment I have ever had when it comes to phones. Samsung has lost a customer in me...Verizon I will give another chance. So guys...there is hope!

Comments

crshinn

I had the exact same experience (and used the same techniques you outlined) and love my new Droid Incredible 2. I couldn't be happier.

So long crappy Fascinate!!!!!!!!

SFObrien

VZW needs to send out a company wide memo to all CS reps so they will all be on the same page and offer what you guys got. Its hard to understand why you get a different answer and options with each different person you talk to.

nienie

I had the same thing happen after my mother was able to get a replacement. So I just kept calling and was finally able to get a teir 2 technician to give my options and I ordered the motorola droid x 2. Keep calling and use the key issues that the other poster left. It is in your contract to have a working phone. I threatened opting out of plan (which they lose money on) and switching to another provider company.. I called this number 18009220204...

Ipanaman

I'm finding this all very interesting. I had all of the same problems with my Fascinate that most of you have described; random screen captures, freeze ups, forced closes, etc. All of these started after the latest update. So I took to the Verizon store that I bought it from. The salesperson was puzzled, didn't even know there was a screen capture function, had never heard of the problems I was having. She did a hard reset and lost some of my contacts, most of my latest apps and all of the dates in my appointment calendar. A week later I took it back again because it was still having the same problems, so she ordered another phone. The next day I received my refurbished phone. That ticked me off. I didn't pay for a refurbished phone, I payed $150 for a new phone and if it was defective, I expect it to be replaced with a new phone, not a rebuilt. So I went back to the store.The salesperson informed me that a rebuilt was my only option, that she was on her THIRD REBUILT, (filling me with great confidence) but I didn't see any other options. After another week of problems, and rebuilding my calendar, reloading my lost apps, etc. I got a threatening email from Verizon telling me that they hadn't received my old phone and it could cost me $500. So I called VZW, gave them the tracking number and told customer service about the problems I had been having.They too were baffled, never having heard about any of these problems. I also told her that I was unhappy about receiving a refurbished phone, and that it would be an important consideration when it came time to renew my contract.The only thing she could offer was to let me talk to tech support.I had already been on the phone for almost an hour, so I told her I would do that next week when I had a little more time.Meanwhile I decided to do a little online research, and found this blog. Imagine my surprise to find out that a lot of people are having the same issues, all well documented.So, either the people I have dealt with so far are either incompetent or lying, or both. Anybody that's interested in filing a suit in Colorado contact me, I'm tired of being yanked around. I live in a rural area and each trip to town is a 70 mile round trip, and I'm tired of their games and poor service. I've been a loyal customer for over 10 years and I think I deserve better.

Smokie11

Verizon is a large company with many employees, to expect every representative to know every detail of every phone they make is not reasonable, what you ARE entitled to is the service you pay for monthly and the NEW product you purchased to work properly.

The level of satisfaction you receive is in the direct proportion to what YOU will tolerate, Verizon will NEVER implement an across the board NEW replacement or exchange for NEW COMPARABLE phone policy. So what determines what you get is directly related to YOU and what you tolerate. I wish we lived in a perfect world where everything is fair, but we don't.

So if you ALLOW Verizon to exchange your NEW phone for a USED one, that was what you let them do to you, Verizon will NEVER give you anything more than the absolute minimum they can get away with (what you allow) I am not trying to defend Verizon nor am I trying to put down those good people that settled for the minimum Verizon offered them.

I am trying to help, document your problems, be polite but unflexible when you demand satisfaction on your terms, know exactly and without hesitation exactly what will make you happy and deal with the selling end of the business, not the repair end, do not fail to walk into a crowded Verizon store and demand to speak to the store manager and speak JUST loud enough for prospective customers to be aware of your level of dissatisfaction and spell out what will make you a happy customer again, never cuss, never behave or act physically aggressive. Stand your ground politely and refuse to leave that store until the manager has agreed to your terms. Good Luck. :smileyhappy:

SFObrien

Some reps are extremely knowledgeable while others don't even know what day it is. However, the problems with Froyo and the Fascinate should have been discovered in testing, a level way above your average sales rep.

BlackBerry just recently got caught forcing software on carriers whether it was ready or not. Could Samsung be doing the same thing?

nickjr

nienie wrote:
I had the same thing happen after my mother was able to get a replacement. So I just kept calling and was finally able to get a teir 2 technician to give my options and I ordered the motorola droid x 2. Keep calling and use the key issues that the other poster left. It is in your contract to have a working phone. I threatened opting out of plan (which they lose money on) and switching to another provider company.. I called this number 18009220204...

Thanks for that phone number

jimde

A replacement product may be a great way to go, who reimburses us for the accessories we have purchased for the fascinate?

jimde

It is becoming apparent that neither Samsung nor Verizonwireless give a rat's behind about the problems we are experiencing with their fascinate hardware/software nonphone. As long as we continue to pay our bill they have what they want. They know that they hold the high hand - if we don't pay our bill because of lousy service, they canjust turn off everything in our account.

So we will continue to get lip service from them. I'm not sure any other carrier is any better, or maybe a little more customer satisfaction oriented, but I think that I will find out when this contract expires. I am sorry to say that - I have been a Verizonwireless client since the very early 90's - but it's obvious that we don't matter.

This community thread started on 6/11. We have been assured that they are aware of the problem and that the problem has been referred to samsung.Having been in the hardware/software business for 20+ years I know that a fix shouldn't take a month to fix - if the concerned parties really care about fixing it.

SFObrien

jimde wrote:
It is becoming apparent that neither Samsung nor Verizonwireless give a rat's behind about the problems we are experiencing with their fascinate hardware/software nonphone. As long as we continue to pay our bill they have what they want. They know that they hold the high hand - if we don't pay our bill because of lousy service, they canjust turn off everything in our account.

So we will continue to get lip service from them. I'm not sure any other carrier is any better, or maybe a little more customer satisfaction oriented, but I think that I will find out when this contract expires. I am sorry to say that - I have been a Verizonwireless client since the very early 90's - but it's obvious that we don't matter.

This community thread started on 6/11. We have been assured that they are aware of the problem and that the problem has been referred to samsung.Having been in the hardware/software business for 20+ years I know that a fix shouldn't take a month to fix - if the concerned parties really care about fixing it.

One of the mods stated on here that a fix was delivered from Samsung on 6/30 for testing. Maybe that mod can give an update?

SFObrien

jimde wrote:
A replacement product may be a great way to go, who reimburses us for the accessories we have purchased for the fascinate?

I doubt that will ever happen. I thought about that also before I requested something else. I have cases, extra battery/charger, car charger, etc.

I decided instead of having to buy new accessories to try other options (can't mention on this site) with the phone and see if it helps. Well it does. Phone still not perfect but alot better than stock.

JasonSCarter

Verizon has the fix most likely and is either testing, or repacking it to add some more bloatware to the phone before they deliver the update. Hoping it's not the bloatware stuff.... :smileyindifferent:

In reality, I hope this fixes the problem, and I also hope something to improve the battery life is part of the update as well.

ibm360

Well I started to miss calls and called VZW right away. Whole transaction lasted 15 minutes and a X2 has been shipped to me.
Now all I need to do is sell my accessories.
Any takers?

anyoung1984

So for anyone interested I posted a new topic that goes into much more detail, but the long and short of it is apparently there has been a newly integrated policy that allows Fascinate users to get a different model and Samsung is behind it. My new post says it all but just thought I would update everyone on this post :smileyhappy: Of course take it with a grain of salt as we know how info/communication Verizon varies at customer service.

unknown

anyoung1984,

I am glad to hear you had a good experience with tech support in getting your phone replaced. I understand how frustrating this issue with the Fascinate has been, and don't want anyone to feel like we are unaware of the issue or not doing anything about it. We are still working on the update. At this time I don't have any further information on the details of the software update, just that we are still testing the resolution. I cannot resolve everyone's issues individually and would recommend anyone having these issues, especially issues with missed calls, to contact tech support at 800-922-0204 option 3 for further options.

jimde

I have had a similar experience with a Technical Support Coordinator at Verizonwireless. I had gone to the Verizon store and was told that, yes, I could trade in my Fascinate for any one of 3 different phones. I opted for the Samsung Charge. I was then told that it was out of stock at their warehouse and that I should contact tech support because they had access to all warehouses. I called tech support and after listening very patiently to my litany of woes with the Fascinate the Coordinator attempted to order a Charge for me. She found that the swap could only be done at the local level. She then offered the contact the local Verizon outlet to find an agent who would order the phone for me. She would call me back when she had arranged to have the order placed. 20 minutes later I received a call from her verifying that the phone was going to be ordered and to expect a call from the local agent to verify that the phone was on it's way. Received the phone yesterday.TALK ABOUT ABOVE AND BEYOND

There is one caveat to this story. The phone shipped without a SIM card. When I contacted Tech Support regarding this oversight I was told that I only needed the SIM if I were going to travel outside the US. Finally wound up at the local store to have SIM installed. New phone up and running and I love it.

A suggestion to anyone going this route: I used my digital camera to take pictures of my home pages and then, by going to Market, tapping menu and then My Apps Iwas able to get a list of all the apps I had acquired. I took page by page pictures of the list to make easier to rebuild my new phone.

maryl

jimde wrote:
I have had a similar experience with a Technical Support Coordinator at Verizonwireless. I had gone to the Verizon store and was told that, yes, I could trade in my Fascinate for any one of 3 different phones. I opted for the Samsung Charge. I was then told that it was out of stock at their warehouse and that I should contact tech support because they had access to all warehouses. I called tech support and after listening very patiently to my litany of woes with the Fascinate the Coordinator attempted to order a Charge for me. She found that the swap could only be done at the local level. She then offered the contact the local Verizon outlet to find an agent who would order the phone for me. She would call me back when she had arranged to have the order placed. 20 minutes later I received a call from her verifying that the phone was going to be ordered and to expect a call from the local agent to verify that the phone was on it's way. Received the phone yesterday.TALK ABOUT ABOVE AND BEYOND

There is one caveat to this story. The phone shipped without a SIM card. When I contacted Tech Support regarding this oversight I was told that I only needed the SIM if I were going to travel outside the US. Finally wound up at the local store to have SIM installed. New phone up and running and I love it.

A suggestion to anyone going this route: I used my digital camera to take pictures of my home pages and then, by going to Market, tapping menu and then My Apps Iwas able to get a list of all the apps I had acquired. I took page by page pictures of the list to make easier to rebuild my new phon

It is refreshing to hear about the excellent customer service you received. Be sure to let VZW corporate know about about your positive experience. No, I do not work for nor have I ever worked for VZW, but when I receive excellent CS from someone who went above and beyond, I always let their superiors know about it. :smileyhappy:

jimde

I did, in fact, obtain the eaddress of the CS Tech's supervisor. I sent him a note commending not only his subordinate, but also himself for fostering an atmosphere that allows for the type of attention I received.

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