A new update..or at least more clarification on the older updates.
I called CS today to try and find out if the return shipping box was on its way yet. I got a very nice and very chatty rep who kept me company on my drive home in DC "rush" hour. Just coming on to his working shift, he went over the update memo each rep receives at the start of shift, so, from today:
1. Shipping boxes are requested and sent out to arrive one to two weeks after the date a person trades in, exchanges, upgrades (insert term of choice) their phone. If the box doesn't arrive in one to two weeks (calendar days), the person needs to call CS to request a new box. From the time the box is indicated as sent, the owner has 30 days to return the phone or Samsung,.not Verizon, will charge the owner for the full price of the 7. I know form other posts some people have already had their accounts disabled on the 7 so as I told the rep, not sure how Samsung could justify requiring payment for a phone a) with no value and b) that is non-operational. This may be a liability issue in that they want the phones back to make sure no injuries occur. My thought, however, is if the jump point to send the box is a trade-in etc, what about the people who are not going to a store or online to make the change..the rep didn't have that answer.
2. Samsung is no longer requiring the phone be returned prior to fees, taxes etc be credited; these will be applied automatically to all Note 7 purchasers to show in 1-2 billing cycles..meaning months. Taxes, fees, payments already made for the Note 7 will be credited back to the Verizon account as they consider these payments or billing. Refunds, for Verizon purchased accessories and the cost of the phone will be credited back to the original payment method; or most a credit/debit card. For cash payments I am going to guess a check; I didn't ask that particular question. The inconvenience credit will also be applied the same as the taxes, fees etc, within 1-2 billing cycles.
Everything else he indicated is pretty much in line with what posters are seeing. I corrected his misinformation about stores accepting returns, indicating that according to customers, and my own experience, no store is accepting the Note 7 back. He verified that Note 7s are banned form aircraft and if someone was overseas when the recall occurred, those phones will be written off as lost or stolen. He did not indicate the refund status for those phones so people may need to get in touch directly with CS to try and determine their options. I am going to say anyone in that category to keep a hold of your itinerary and ticket stub just to have proof of the travel and dates. A stamped passport may also suffice.
I made some suggestions to improve the dissemination of information being passed to affected Verizon customers and reiterated the frustration of users on the different stores, CS reps and so on passing on different information due to them not getting the latest and greatest information.
...one of the reasons I made note to the rep of why people are so frustrated with different info coming out. They aren't volunteering info just answering direct questions. I happened to get a rep just starting shift so he had to actually go and get the memo to see if anything new applied about the shipping boxes..he just happened to be very chatty and went through the entire memo with me.