Why is Verizon wireless in-store lying to sell accessories?

[john214]

Yesterday I was at a local Verizon wireless store with my wife and kids to buy a phone for my wife.  After waiting for a sales clerk to show up, I left her and my wife alone so my wife could pick out a phone.  Being that my wife already knew which phone she wanted before we got there, I figured there wasn't much that could go wrong.  After about 20 minutes, my wife and the sales clerk come over to where my kids and I were standing with an armload of accessories telling me why we need to spend an extra $100 to "safeguard" the phone. 

I then said I liked the phone, but all of that other stuff is a waste of money, IMO.  One of the items was the screen protector.  I said I didn't want it, and the sales clerk then told me that "If you scratch the screen, it VOIDS the 1 year manufacturer's warranty."  I laughed at it and still told her no thanks.  This is exactly why my wife brought me with her to buy a phone.

I also canceled the entire sale due to this and several of the clerk's other rude comments she made after she realized we were only there for the phone and nothing else.

I'm now looking at the manufacturer warranty from Motorola for the DROID RAZR 4G, and it says nothing about voiding the warranty because of scratches.  It says scratches aren't covered, but they most certainly do NOT void the warranty.

Why was this Verizon Wireless sales clerk flat-out lying to me to get me to spend more money?

EDIT:  We ended up buying the new phone from Best Buy.  Zero used car salesmen there, and when I told them about the problem I had in the Verizon store, they said I wasn't the first person to come there with problems with Verizon sales staff.

[Tidbits]

there is a possibility it can.  Since it uses GG and if it obtains any scratches it is more likely due to dropping the device and it landing on the screen.  I have had that happen to me before when I was in Europe

[john214]

So in that case, your warranty wasn't voided because of a scratch, it was voided because you dropped your phone.

How does buying a screen protector stop you from dropping the phone?

[Tidbits]

Think logically for a minute...

It reduces the chance of the screen scratching...  Which in turn if you ever dropped it screen first and it doesn't get a scratch well...

[B33]

+1

[bnan910]

Think about it..why would any sales person lie to you? To make a sale. If you ever have any questions about purchases, calling customer service is the best way to deal with them. Also, the sales associate could be confused. Cracking the screen does void a warranty. Scratches fall under "normal wear and tear".

[Tidbits]

Not always bnan. You can tell a wear and tear scratch from a dropping scratch.

[mortb · Accepted solution]

We have three big Verizon stores in this area and one smaller one. I've been to two of them on several occasions and each time there are sales reps waiting at the front door to assist you. I've never had one try to cram something down my throat. I have had them make suggestions, which is fine. I could either say yes or no. If I said no, they never got huffy. If they did, I would do exactly what you did...walk out. Truthfully, I think this sales rep was out of line, and I probably would have reported her behavior to corporate. I am very lucky to have two very good stores with very knowledgeable, helpful sales and service reps. The other two stores are probably as good, it's just that the two I go to for help are closer to me than the other two. And I agree with jimfitzgerald, she probably wasn't lying but trying to make a sale. Used car salesmen tactics.

Can't say I've never dropped a cell phone, I'm just fortunate that they lived to work another day.

[Tidbits]

The only time sales reps are pushy from Verizon is when they are 3rd party and not corporate in 99% of the cases.

[demmo86rt]

If this really is the case, you should report the rep to somebody higher up.  I'm quite sure they wouldn't stand for a rep telling you stuff like that just to make a sale, especially in this case where it cost them a sale.