Upset with Verizon , Verizon Support & Fascinate

[Z4driver]

I purchased a Samsung Fascinate Feb 25, 2011, two weeks later it starts locking up.  I took it to our local Verizon store & got no satisfaction, came home & called Verizon, told them what it was doing, they walk you through the usual steps, take battery out, put battery back in,   FIXED?......NOPE.  A couple days late, using the phone through out the day & guess what?   LOCKS UP AGAIN!!!     I happened to be near the Verizon store, They said "this is a new problem, we've never seen that happen before" at the same time that I was there, another person was there with the SAME problem.  Verizon ordered us another phone. Next day guess what I get via FedEx???   A  CERTIFIED (used)  phone!!  Not happy with a used phone when I just paid $199 & 2 weeks later I start having problems.   So, now I set it up, start using it 3 days ago & guess what?   IT LOCKS UP TOO!!!    I called Verizon about it, they're going to send me another CERTIFIED (used) phone!!    I wanted to speak to a Supervisor, of course no one was available, a note was left asking him/her to return my call, that was 5 hrs ago.  NO ONE has returned my call.

[demmo86rt]

Sounds like you may have an app that is causing your problem.  There are some apps on the Market that either may be incompatible with other apps, the phone itself, or may just be poorly written.  If they did not have you do a factory data reset, you may want to do that, then install your apps one or two at a time, waiting a few days between installs.  This should help you determine which app is giving you the problems.  Also, make sure to actually use the newest app a few times, getting it set up how you like it, before installing any new ones.  To do the reset, go to your homescreen, then press menu>settings>privacy>factory data reset.

[Macii]

Oh... Let me tell you something!!!!  I have the same problem and Verizon took me through the same steps. It's the phone. Three of the people I know that have them have the same problem. Another issue is the battery life. My phone opens about 30 applications (pre-installed) every 15 minutes with the background data, wifi, bluetooth, and GPS off. When I went into the store they called tech support (apparently couldn't do it themselves). They just led them through the same thing I had already done. Well, you should not download Advanced Task Killer or any application related. They have been buggy. But they had me download Task Panel XTR. This is apparently the equivalent that Verizon supports. AND..... If all of this doesn't work they do what is called a hard wipe. Basically set to factory settings but to a more extreme extent than doing it yourself through settings. If all of that does not work it is a hardware problem. With a warranty and insurance they are required to replace the phone under the circumstances.

[mdram4x4]

first, try running the phone stock few a few days with no apps

no facebook, ect

does it lock up?

add things 1 at a time each day or so.  i bet its most likely an app causing your issues.

as far as battery life

thats your task manager killing it

the apps that open, close again, and use no power

the task manager opening, scanning for and closing apps all the time does.

i easily have 70% left on my battery each night after 12-14 hours off charge

this is with moderate usage 1-2 hours surfing during the day, minimal phone calls

[Z4driver]

When I purchased my Fascinate in Feb I didn't download anything for about 2 weeks, it still locked up.  The verizon tech I talked to yesterday had me download advanced task killer, now I notice that people don't like it, so what are the pros & cons with advanced task killer?   I'm waiting for FedEx once again to bring my new Certified pre-owned phone.   Now I'm wondering something else.....since Verizons policy keeps changing, as of yesterday you only have 5 days to get the phne retuned, do I still need to carry insurance on the phone???   What is it going to cover?   Does it stil have the 1 yr warranty on it?  You still have a $99 deductable to pay, so why pay for insurance?

[M91-30]

you get a used phone because they are replacing a used phone. once you remove it from the store, it's used.

advanced task killers are necessary on other phones because they lack a memory manager. the fascinate comes with a memory management program built into touchwiz, and it works really well. uninstall your advanced task manager, they cause all kinds of issues on these phones.

use the program monitor widget that comes with the phone, it also has a task switcher built in accessible by long pressing the home button.

insurance isn't really worth it on a smart phone unless you're accident prone.

[sandystorm]

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M91-30 wrote:

you get a used phone because they are replacing a used phone. once you remove it from the store, it's used.

advanced task killers are necessary on other phones because they lack a memory manager. the fascinate comes with a memory management program built into touchwiz, and it works really well. uninstall your advanced task manager, they cause all kinds of issues on these phones.

use the program monitor widget that comes with the phone, it also has a task switcher built in accessible by long pressing the home button.

insurance isn't really worth it on a smart phone unless you're accident prone.

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Bull if something is wrong right after you buy it it should be replaced with new

[JackBQuik]

Thanks, I must now remove this phone from my upgrade.  Anyone hear of problems with the Samsung Epic?

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Z4driver wrote:

I purchased a Samsung Fascinate Feb 25, 2011, two weeks later it starts locking up.  I took it to our local Verizon store & got no satisfaction, came home & called Verizon, told them what it was doing, they walk you through the usual steps, take battery out, put battery back in,   FIXED?......NOPE.  A couple days late, using the phone through out the day & guess what?   LOCKS UP AGAIN!!!     I happened to be near the Verizon store, They said "this is a new problem, we've never seen that happen before" at the same time that I was there, another person was there with the SAME problem.  Verizon ordered us another phone. Next day guess what I get via FedEx???   A  CERTIFIED (used)  phone!!  Not happy with a used phone when I just paid $199 & 2 weeks later I start having problems.   So, now I set it up, start using it 3 days ago & guess what?   IT LOCKS UP TOO!!!    I called Verizon about it, they're going to send me another CERTIFIED (used) phone!!    I wanted to speak to a Supervisor, of course no one was available, a note was left asking him/her to return my call, that was 5 hrs ago.  NO ONE has returned my call.

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[Smokie11]

Call me crazy but I would expect a used replacement if I bought a used phone, if I buy a BRAND NEW phone that fails 2 weeks later I would expect a new replacement. That's just crazy me, what can I say.

[NuDroidUsrr]

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Smokie11 wrote:
Call me crazy but I would expect a used replacement if I bought a used phone, if I buy a BRAND NEW phone that fails 2 weeks later I would expect a new replacement. That's just crazy me, what can I say.

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  If you buy a car from a Dealer, drive it off the lot, turn around and go to trade it back in, do you think you will get full retail price of what you paid for it? No, you will get paid for it being used. The second you take it out, off, around or anywhere outside the store, it is used.

  Now, that being said, I was in the same boat, and the only thing they sent me was the main phone part without the back, the battery, and the SD card. I was told by the Customer Service person that they inspect the rest of it, and if the screen has damage, it gets replaced before they send it out.  Maybe he was just telling me a story to make me happy, but the phone arrived in great condition.

[Smokie11]

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NuDroidUsrr wrote:

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  If you buy a car from a Dealer, drive it off the lot, turn around and go to trade it back in, do you think you will get full retail price of what you paid for it? No, you will get paid for it being used. The second you take it out, off, around or anywhere outside the store, it is used.

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Well, not quite the same a car and a phone, but since you mentioned cars your example speaks of a customer that is fickle and changed his mind and wants to trade.

If you buy a brand new car that fails to work right after you bought it and the dealer is unable to repair it, by law the dealer has to replace with new car or equivalent of what you paid..that is the law.

[sandystorm]

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NuDroidUsrr wrote:

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Smokie11 wrote:
Call me crazy but I would expect a used replacement if I bought a used phone, if I buy a BRAND NEW phone that fails 2 weeks later I would expect a new replacement. That's just crazy me, what can I say.

---

  If you buy a car from a Dealer, drive it off the lot, turn around and go to trade it back in, do you think you will get full retail price of what you paid for it? No, you will get paid for it being used. The second you take it out, off, around or anywhere outside the store, it is used.

  Now, that being said, I was in the same boat, and the only thing they sent me was the main phone part without the back, the battery, and the SD card. I was told by the Customer Service person that they inspect the rest of it, and if the screen has damage, it gets replaced before they send it out.  Maybe he was just telling me a story to make me happy, but the phone arrived in great condition.

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I agree with Smokie 11 if phone is just two weeks old or less they should send brand new one. It is not a twenty thousand dollar car it is a 600 dollar phone and even so if I bought new car and drove out and engine or trans blew I would make them give me a new one

[Z4driver]

If I bought a new car & had problems with in 2 weeks after using it, yes I would expect to get another  one, especially if it has a KNOWN PROBLEM!!!!!  Verizon is giving us the run around saying "no one has ever complained about  the Fascinate locking up"   That's bull.  That's when the Attorneys come into the picture.   I just got my 3rd "certified" half phone today.  I will wait to download the junk on, we'll see what happens.  Verizon also said they phone had to be back to them with in 5 days now.  I dropped my insurance, the money is better off in my pocket than theirs.

[NuDroidUsrr]

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Z4driver wrote:

If I bought a new car & had problems with in 2 weeks after using it, yes I would expect to get another  one, especially if it has a KNOWN PROBLEM!!!!!  Verizon is giving us the run around saying "no one has ever complained about  the Fascinate locking up"   That's bull.  That's when the Attorneys come into the picture.   I just got my 3rd "certified" half phone today.  I will wait to download the junk on, we'll see what happens.  Verizon also said they phone had to be back to them with in 5 days now.  I dropped my insurance, the money is better off in my pocket than theirs.

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   I am just as upset as you when it comes to that, I had to go through the same process as my original $199 phone would give me an "Error searching for server" when checking for updates. Verizon said there was a bunch of Fascinates that were bad right from Samsung. When they told me that it would be replaced, the tech never told me it would be a certified like new device. I received the phone, and saw the "Certified Like New" tag on the phone and I immediately called Tech Support back up and ranted about the same thing. The tech told me that if the phone I received was not working 100%, and was not acceptable as far as condition, that I could return it. I trusted him and broke the seal, and the phone was fine with no issues.

  I had a friend that had a problem with a car almost from the start. It took him over a year to finally get the manufacturer to replace the car, but by that time he had spent so much money taking it back, getting it fixed again and again, he turned it down and bought something else and just got out of the term of the loan.

 Yes, Verizon is not perfect, but at least I do not have to keep taking it back to the store, having it fixed, spending days without it while they fix it, and spend months upon months waiting for it to be fixed right. I know my last post didn't mention about the problem, but that is what I meant to say.

[sandystorm]

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Smokie11 wrote:
Call me crazy but I would expect a used replacement if I bought a used phone, if I buy a BRAND NEW phone that fails 2 weeks later I would expect a new replacement. That's just crazy me, what can I say.

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I agree with you 100%

[magsgundah]

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Smokie11 wrote:
Call me crazy but I would expect a used replacement if I bought a used phone, if I buy a BRAND NEW phone that fails 2 weeks later I would expect a new replacement. That's just crazy me, what can I say.

---

You can "expect" all you want, but your user agreement says faulty/defective/broken devices will be replaced with refurbished devices.  This is completely, totally, 100% normal in electronics.  Send back a faulty device within warranty period and get a CPO.  

There are definitely legitimate things to complain about Verizon.   This ain't one of them.

From the VZW site:  (http://support.vzw.com/information/device_replacement_program.html)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Device Replacement Program

This guide is intended to show the most common situations you may experience with your device. Not every situation is listed. If you find yourself in a situation not listed, please visit your local Verizon Wireless retail storeor visit My Verizon for further assistance.

If your device experiences a manufacturing defect, you have the following options: 

Age of Device	Guideline
Day 1-14	The device will be replaced at no cost.
Day 15+	The device will be replaced with a Certified Like-New Replacement at no cost (a like unit or one of comparable quality).
Month 13+	If you are enrolled in Total Equipment Coverage or Extended Warranty, your device will be replaced with a Certified Like-New Replacement at no cost (a like unit or one of comparable quality). You may purchase a Certified Pre-Owned Replacement device if you have not purchased a Certified Pre-Owned Replacement device within the past 12 months. You may purchase a new device at full retail cost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have never, in 13 years, had to have a mobile phone replaced.  My husband has had four replacements.  All of his were CPLN (or whatever terminology was in use at the time) and none of them ever gave him any trouble.  They all worked better than the "new" phones we paid for.

For the record, the one CPO replacement I've ever gotten has thrilled me.  I have a Barnes & Noble NOOK.  It's my favorite electronic gadget, EVER.  About three months after I got it (it was a birthday gift) it quit connecting to the computer properly.  It wouldn't necessarily recognize that it had been connected via USB and the computer would give the "Device Not Recognized" error messages.  I called customer service, we troubleshot, eventually determined I had a faulty micro-USB port and they sent me a CPO NOOK.  I sent mine back.  Had there not been a sticker on the box, I would have never known it was CPO.  It works better than my "new" NOOK because three months after getting it, it still works.

Complain about the things Verizon actually does wrong, not this crap.  

[Smokie11]

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magsgundah wrote:

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Smokie11 wrote:
Call me crazy but I would expect a used replacement if I bought a used phone, if I buy a BRAND NEW phone that fails 2 weeks later I would expect a new replacement. That's just crazy me, what can I say.

---

You can "expect" all you want, but your user agreement says faulty/defective/broken devices will be replaced with refurbished devices.  This is completely, totally, 100% normal in electronics.  Send back a faulty device within warranty period and get a CPO.  

There are definitely legitimate things to complain about Verizon.   This ain't one of them.

From the VZW site:  (http://support.vzw.com/information/device_replacement_program.html)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Device Replacement Program

This guide is intended to show the most common situations you may experience with your device. Not every situation is listed. If you find yourself in a situation not listed, please visit your local Verizon Wireless retail storeor visit My Verizon for further assistance.

If your device experiences a manufacturing defect, you have the following options: 

Age of Device	Guideline
Day 1-14	The device will be replaced at no cost.
Day 15+	The device will be replaced with a Certified Like-New Replacement at no cost (a like unit or one of comparable quality).
Month 13+	If you are enrolled in Total Equipment Coverage or Extended Warranty, your device will be replaced with a Certified Like-New Replacement at no cost (a like unit or one of comparable quality). You may purchase a Certified Pre-Owned Replacement device if you have not purchased a Certified Pre-Owned Replacement device within the past 12 months. You may purchase a new device at full retail cost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have never, in 13 years, had to have a mobile phone replaced.  My husband has had four replacements.  All of his were CPLN (or whatever terminology was in use at the time) and none of them ever gave him any trouble.  They all worked better than the "new" phones we paid for.

For the record, the one CPO replacement I've ever gotten has thrilled me.  I have a Barnes & Noble NOOK.  It's my favorite electronic gadget, EVER.  About three months after I got it (it was a birthday gift) it quit connecting to the computer properly.  It wouldn't necessarily recognize that it had been connected via USB and the computer would give the "Device Not Recognized" error messages.  I called customer service, we troubleshot, eventually determined I had a faulty micro-USB port and they sent me a CPO NOOK.  I sent mine back.  Had there not been a sticker on the box, I would have never known it was CPO.  It works better than my "new" NOOK because three months after getting it, it still works.

Complain about the things Verizon actually does wrong, not this crap.  

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Hi, glad you like used replacements, thats ok by me. Just curious in the above guideline where I highlighted, what do you suppose you get: new or used, it is not spelled out like the other examples  below it. I don't know, but I am sure you do.

[magsgundah]

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Smokie11 wrote:

Hi, glad you like used replacements, thats ok by me. Just curious in the above guideline where I highlighted, what do you suppose you get: new or used, it is not spelled out like the other examples  below it. I don't know, but I am sure you do.

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I imagine the replacement, since not spelled out, is at their discretion.  Likely they provide new devices sometimes most of the time.  OP didn't actually say 14 days.  He said "two weeks".   "Two weeks" to consumers is anything short of 21 days.  He might have a case if it was 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 days - but again - since they don't spell out new, he probably doesn't.

Regardless, you'd get the same refurb replacement anywhere.  If you don't like "used" replacements, maybe you shouldn't buy any electronics.  

[ladybell]

Whatever, the one time I had to replace this device. I went back into the store and got a brand new device right out of the box, swapped and on my way in minutes.  Sorry you are having trouble.

[PJNC284]

And the changes keep coming. Looks like Verizon is taking a page from Apple's book and telling their customers how they want it. Good bye 1 yr contracts. http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/07/verizon-discontinuing-1-year-contracts-after-april-17/

[Z4driver]

I don't appreciate this comment Mags what ever your name is. you said "There are definitely legitimate things to complain about Verizon.   This ain't one of them."  When I'm on the road & for some reason I have an emergency, I need a phone that works!!!!!!    I've been a customer with Verizon since 2004, never had any problems until now.  I have another problem with Verizon, ever since 2005, I had them block premium texting, ever since I got this new phone, I get text messages saying to go to a certain web site & pay $9.99 for junk.  I have called Verizon numerous times to make sure I'm blocked, they say yes, but I still get these stupid texts everyday starting at 7 AM!!!!!!!!