Hornet Pride In Striking Distance!

There is a difference between a Verizon store and a Verizon Agent…My daughters cell phone was finally at its end, I am surprised it lasted all this time…I guess she has been taking care it.  Since it was an Alltel phone, we were due an upgrade, what better time to take advantage of the discounts offered.

I figure regardless of the discounts I would end up spending 100 to 200 dollars because all the discounts don’t really come true until sometime later…so I saved up.  Hey 200 is a good chunk of cash now days to make, even if it only takes minutes to spend. 

Were out shopping at our local mall here in Amarillo TX this past Friday, a Verizon dealer was there at the right time, they can help me I am ready for my upgrade.

After considering several phones, my daughter opted for  the Blackberry Storm 2, it was at the higher end of what I wanted to spend, but I figure we can share accessories since I had a Black Berry curve, hey at least if  lost my charger I had a backup.

I told the clerk, we want the Storm 2 and I don’t want the display phone.  He told me, no problem we got plenty on the back.  You know where this is going right…He started working right away…sly devil courteous and knowledgeable on the products I felt assured that I was getting a good deal.  After going thru some gyrations on my account, he was finally done. 

We received our phone from the clerk and my daughter noticed it had scratches on the film that protects it…I told her its probably cardboard scratches where is bouncing inside the box.   Then she tells me, “He sold us the display.”  And sure enough we looked down.  And the display phone was gone from the showcase.

Immediately I told the clerk, “Hey you sold me the display phone.” 

No I didn’t it’s a new one, I pulled from down here.  I left my display up here, oh where is my display phone, someone must of have taken it…exclaimed the clerk.

Oh man, the clerk was so busy help us, that his display phone was probably stolen.  He kept looking for it; he reassures us that he had giving us a new phone, and not the display.  We left confident that he had done us right.  Plus it was already closing time at the mall, we need to leave or watch a movie…those were the only options at the time.

My daughter was all excited about her new phone.  Started playing with it and trying different options, since I already owned a blackberry I figure I help her when she asked me and how to surf the internet.  I started explaining about the apps buttons, back button…and how she better not buy anything on it because I will be really upset if other charges show up the bill.

Well as I started to show her how to go online, I notice something.  Her “new” and “not the display phone” had the same surfing history for the internet.  And it’s not the basic yahoo or Google or blackberry site…oh no…It had a pretty unique site www.mitesoro.com which it’s a site I been working for ever to get started to help my wife sell hair bows. 

How does a brand new phone right out the box has my site…I must thank Verizon for putting it there with the 16 GB memory, right.  It was the display phone.

I was not a happy camper.  I had specifically told the clerk I did not wish to have the display phone and in several occasions assured me that I was not receiving the display phone.  I did not have a reason to mistrust him. 

Immediately I told my daughter to stop playing with the phone and to turn it off, I was going to have it exchange tomorrow morning.  It was already too late to back now, the mall was already closed.

I don’t wake up early on Saturdays, so it was not till around 11 that I made to the mall.  There was a different clerk there that morning.  I explained to him what had happen and he was very considerate.  He explained that they would probably be getting more in Tuesday and I could get one of those.  I felt much happier, but …oh yes there is always a butt.  He was going to check to see what was coming in. 

He contacted the store owner and explained the situation. The store owner was not considerate to my situation.  He preached to me that his phones were just like cars and is new.  His phones carry the manufacturers warranty and good new phones.  And it was the only one he had at that store, because they cost him $600.00 and can’t afford to have extra phone hoping that they would sell.

And I did not contest that, I told him I understood it perfectly.   But I specifically requested a new phone and I did not want to have the display phone. 

He continued explaining to me that the phone was new, that there was not a problem with it…and it had a problem later we had the 1 year manufacturer warranty we can claim. And I told him I knew that too. But your clerk did sell me the display phone, he lied to me.

He did not lie to you; he sold you a new phone, the store owner responded.

Yes, but it was the display phone that I did not wish to get it. 

And I was told several times by your clerk that I was not getting the display phone, even though now his display phone is missing.  Or stolen as the clerk continues to claim.

We kept going back and forth on the car comparison and how I received a “new phone”.

I explained to him: “Are you telling me that the business practices employed by your clerk are correct. He misleads me to believe I was not receiving a display phone, after I had told your clerk that I did not want a display phone.”

So we agreed that he sold me the display phone because it was the only one there at the time.  We agreed that the phone was probably in working order and it still carry manufacturer warranty.  But we could not agree on the “I did not want a display phone.”

I told him, “If I fork out $200 bucks for a new phone, I want a new phone. I want the new phone smell.” Not the phone with 100 other people finger smells have poked at it.

Then we went back with car dealership comparison.  How you can test drive a vehicle and when you purchase it, you are buying a car that maybe other people have sat on or test drove.

Yes, it’s somewhat true.  But I responded. “ If your clerk would have been honest with me and told me that the was the only phone left, I would have had the choice to take it, wait till more phone came in, or simply gone to another store to purchase the phone.”

“I was not given the choice. I was lied to” all I wanted was a new out of the sealed box phone.  It’s that too much to ask for.

The store owner did more checking.  And he was not going to get another blackberry storm 2.  He offered a $25.00 discount, which is about 12.5% of the 200.00 or free car charger and rubber case, but that was not really enough to solve my problem.

It was final, “if I can not get a new phone, just return my money.  I will go somewhere else.”  The store owner agreed, but…oh yes…here is where it upsets me again.

All these time, I have been talking to the store owner on the phone.  He is at some other store and not physically present at the time.  So after agreeing to return my money.  He calls back.  He is going to charge me a restocking fee.  $35.00 He tells me that Verizon has told him that he must charge me a restocking fee because I am returning a new phone.

I told him, yes.  I was exhausted of this problem and wanted out the situation already.  I did not want to quarrel with them any longer.

“I am going to take it up with Verizon, just give me proof of the charge.” I responded.

I left with a $35.00 lesson in life.  It is ok to lie; it’s a new phone anyways.

Part 1 out how ever long it takes me to solve this problem.