This is my first post and its a rather stupid one too but what the heck, Im trying to help my buddy out here so im going the distance!
So ive got a friend that lives in an area where only VERIZON delivers a 3g signal and right now he is using some crappy flip phone on the UNL. prepaid plan with verizon. He doesnt want a contract but has had VERIZON post paid in the past so i was trying to see if there was a process where an android phone could be used on his plan WITH working internet without having to increase his montly cost but if not then just the wifi feature and better camera etc etc would be worth it to him.
A friend of mine came over one night and used my computer to flash his HTC EVO to be used on Page plus. Could something along those lines be done here for verizon prepaid?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1481126
Search the site for verizon prepaid and see what you find, this was one of the more helpful threads for ideas on what you want to do. You are talking about something called esn cloning or spoofing and it is of questionable legality, so go for it. Damn the man.
Hi,
I've been reading around the NL/WP8 forums here for quite a while and just wanted to share my horrid experience at the MS store at Washington Square.
I'd been waiting and wanting a Nokia WP8 device since the rumors began and with some odd luck suddenly had a work related trip to the US for the first time. On my last day in the US I had a few hours to do some shopping and landed up at Washington Square mall in Beaverton, amazingly appeared before me a MS store :good::laugh: . Went over there, played around with the NL920 & 8x, I was originally a bit concerned after reading so many reviews pointing out the weight issue of the 920. While standing there naturally the sales personal starting chatting with me, I immediately stated I was from overseas and that fact I was very interested in the 920. The first lady mentioned that there's no problem using it overseas, again naturally I was surprised and quite suspicious. I kindly asked if she could verify this with someone "technical", to cut a long story short after about 15 minutes standing there and talking with 3 different MS people, the "higher up" insured me "The AT&T logo is just for sales reasons". Sadly my overseas SIM (& phone) were standard and not the Micro variant so innocently I took their word for it and left there a jolly shopper.
BUT once I got home, replaced my SIM with a Micro SIM via my cell carrier I was amazed to discover that it's locked!
I don't want to sound like an imbecile or an over innocent person, I simply believed what 3 different (and very convincing) sales people told me, it was "just what I wanted to hear" but I still couldn't believe the misleading would be so blatant.
Emailing MS & Nokia was completely and utterly pointless, they didn't even say they'll check it out or even make sure the salespeople are aware of this. They both responded that they basically don't care and tried to blame each other, and just ignored my replies without even a word of response. Such disappointing and non-existent customer service from two companies that really need the consumers to back them.
Just wanted to share this with you people and make sure no one else gets scammed by 'em, it isn't too much fun getting home after 16 odd hours of a long flight and work trip to discover you have a giant wp-Pod (even though it's quite a cool device)..
BTW, really appreciate all the people here trying to find and test out unlocking services and as everyone hoping something new comes up soon.
R.
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised. People in this country (even those who work in the Microsoft Store or other U.S. telecom company) have no idea what the difference is between "unlocked" and "off-contract". They also don't know the concept of frequency bands either.
I was at the U Village Microsoft Store in Seattle, WA a few weeks ago. Just for fun, I asked an employee if the Lumia 920 is pentaband. The employee couldn't answer so he ran off to ask another employee. He started a chain reaction. Pretty soon, 5 or 6 employees tried to answer my question. Eventually they just gave up and said that they didn't know.
This past week at the Bellevue Microsoft Store, I saw a couple looking to buy an unlocked Lumia 920. Needless to say, they had a long discussion with the MS Store employee and weren't really making any progress. Eventually I interrupted and showed the couple my unlocked Lumia 920. I gave them a few options (Negri, GSM Nation, etc.). I also told them that they can go up to a Rogers Store in Vancouver to buy one and have it unlocked for $50.
Moral of the story is to take everything you hear at a U.S. tech store with a grain of salt. Most of the time, they don't know anything. Occasionally, you'll find one who actually knows the stuff, but that's extremely rare.
If you need advice on the phones to buy, you'll have to take your time to do research on the internet and ask people on forums. Most of us know a lot more than retail employees.
I hope your situation works out though. I would continue to talk to Microsoft since they were the ones with misleading information. I don't think AT&T and Nokia can help you, since they're not the ones who sold the phone to you.
This is what I have heard....>The phone would work overseas. As long as you are on AT&T (or their partner).
try this
You can try calling up AT&T, explain what happened and get the unlock code. If you browse wpcentral forums you can find folks got the code.
hawc1506, I completely agree about the research part but simply after reading a few times that people did get unlocked devices from some stores, and the fact I actually took out my overseas SIM and "waved" it a couple of times, I was a bit too much of a "sucker" and believed what I'd heard.
After I responded to the MS rep via mail they just started ignoring my email, and when I spoke with AT&T (via Skype) they basically said that only if I join them I'll have some hope.
Someone sent me an IM saying I should try post a YouTube video of the story and as much as I'm really against that kind of "child play" I don't think that any other common-sense will work with these companies and every time I fiddle with my shinny micro-pod it annoys me more.
Thanks for you comments everyone , I do hope at some point we all find some reasonable way of unlocking these devices (better sooner than later )
Well in desperation (+ 2 recommendations by people) I decided to YouTube my story both to share and maybe that'll be the miracle that will cause MS/Nokia to actually pay attention to a customer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdRMQ4pC884
Please excuse the poor experience, it's my first ever video and Powerpoint doesn't seem to convert the audio
P.S. I reviewed the forum rules and didn't see anything against my video so I hope it won't be a problem.
As was mentioned, this was a misunderstanding on the part of the store and I'm sorry you had to go through it. Unfortunately, as was also mentioned, it is not common for Americans to purchase devices SIM free/unlocked. As such, most places have no idea what that even means. I ended up in a similar misunderstanding once in Italy several years ago where I'd spent €450 to buy a Samsung Android phone, only to discover that there was a common defect with the screen. I wanted to get my money back, but the common policy in Italy is that one can only exchange for other goods. As such, I was pretty much forced to find €450 of electronics on which to spend the credit. Lesson learnt.
Hopefully you'll be able to get it unlocked or re-sell it on eBay.
I have to start by saying this wasn't an easy decision, but I am a strong believer of standing up for what's right and fighting against what's wrong.
I have been a Sprint subscriber since 2001 and a Samsung customer since way back when the SCH-8500 was in style.
Since the smartphones exploded everywhere I have tried to have the best phone for my budget.
The Galaxy S2 was a great phone, I upgraded to the S3, skipped the S5 and S6 (of course) and had the the S4 'til Samsung put the SD card back in the S7.
I took the plunge and got myself a S7, by far the best Sam phone I had ever own, until Sprint decided that they knew what I really wanted in the form of bloatware.
After juicing the phone, the minute it smelled internet connection, the bloatware started flowing into my device just like just like flies drop into fresh manure in hot summer day in the country side.
Took a few minutes to go thru the list and disable almost all of the extra crap that Sam and Sprint load into our phones, I encountered a repeat offender: Smith Micro's Visual Voicemail (Vvm.apk).
Immediately I tried to disable, force stop, block all permissions, I tried everything short of grabbing my drill and hammer.
4 Phone calls to Sprint, 3 chats online, a visit to Samsung 837 in Chelsea NYC, a useless visit to the Sprint Store on 34th St NYC and another waste-of-time-visit to BestBuy's in house Samsung "Specialist".
...AND a public threat on Twitter to @sprintcare and @sprint the if the app wasn't remove or disable my 15 years with them will be jeopardized, the final answer was the app could not be removed or disabled.
So I decided to stand up for the silent majority and returned the phone and all the perks that BestBuy threw in, including the Gear VR and the 64GB SD Card, enough is enough.
I will be ordering the Unlocked version of this device which does not include the offending bloatware mentioned above.
Locked-down boot loaders, locked down phones, locked SIM's and on top of that unwanted crapware? F**** no!
We have to unite against this practice, manufacturers and carriers, not to mention the government itself are under the belief that they can decide what the end user wants and needs.
We the people have the power of the purse, we are the paying customer, we have the power.
-Thank you
I'm returning mine solely because of the locked bootloader. If root was available then all that bloatware could be removed. I agree with you, and I hope more people return it. I'm keeping the VR's though, somehow I received 2, both are going on Craigslist today.
Im heading in to bring mine back too. It is complete bullsh!t that the market that buys the most usa gets the locked bootloader. I have about had it with @scamsungmobile they dont care a single bit
you could have just downloaded package disabler which has admin permissions to permanently disable all the bloatware including that stupid voicemail app...
kennypow3rs said:
you could have just downloaded package disabler which has admin permissions to permanently disable all the bloatware including that stupid voicemail app...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After hours of reading I came across Package Disabler and successfully disabled almost all of the crapware that came with this phone.
Eventually, I called Sprint and told them I would be keeping the phone because I found the way to disable the app after they told me it wasn't possible.
I also reiterated that at the end of my contract I will be dumping them after 15 years and going to join "Unlocked" club.
I highly recommend this application to anyone having the same gripes I had.
sarcigon said:
After hours of reading I came across Package Disabler and successfully disabled almost all of the crapware that came with this phone.
Eventually, I called Sprint and told them I would be keeping the phone because I found the way to disable the app after they told me it wasn't possible.
I also reiterated that at the end of my contract I will be dumping them after 15 years and going to join "Unlocked" club.
I highly recommend this application to anyone having the same gripes I had.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good deal man. Im glad you found a solution. I however just joined sprint after being with tmobile for 3 months lol. I was with ATT for 10 years, decided to switch to tmo in november 15, it only took me a few months to realize how crap they are. Worst carrier in the world!! Im pretty satisfied with sprint minus not being able to use the internet while on the phone. LTE is fast and call quality is nice!! I do miss my note 5 though as im not really a fan of the edges and i wish it had an 8 core processor. Last, once i disabled the sprint bloat phone is much better. The end.
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
This link will direct you to the page for pre-ordering the Note 8 if you owned a Note 7 and want a $425 trade-in. This will only work for U.S. customers, and there is an eligibility check.
The eligible devices are:
Note 5
S7
S7 Edge
S5
S6
S6 Edge
S6 Edge +
iPhone 7, 7 Plus, SE, 5, 5S, 6, 6S, 6 Plus, and 6S Plus
Google Pixel/XL
G4
G5
G6
V20
http://www.samsung.com/us/galaxy/note8/Note7Promo/s/Trade-In/
Yep: used it and trading in my iPhone 7+ for $425 discount. My iPhone for the most part just sits in a drawer.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Do your phone have to be paid off?
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
kevin.hannaway.92 said:
Do your phone have to be paid off?
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the V20 and it still technically has $476 on the device payments, but I get a $28/month credit on my account which will pay off the device in the next year and a half. I contacted Verizon directly and asked If I can give the phone to a friend or sell it when I buy the Note 8 and they said Yes as long as the phone keeps getting paid for with the $28/month credit.
xbmoyx said:
I have the V20 and it still technically has $476 on the device payments, but I get a $28/month credit on my account which will pay off the device in the next year and a half. I contacted Verizon directly and asked If I can give the phone to a friend or sell it when I buy the Note 8 and they said Yes as long as the phone keeps getting paid for with the $28/month credit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called tmobile and they said they see its only though Samsung site... I'm going to keep calling for a different rep
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
Going to be an iPhone 5 or s5 for about $75 and do this. Does it matter if the phone is actually on Verizon or not? Or just a working phone?
Thanks for sharing! I noticed the unlocked version is less expensive than carrier specific. I've never gone the route of unlocked - does anyone know of advantages/ disadvantages of going this route? I'm assuming the updates would come from Samsung rather than carrier but, again, unlocked is foreign to me. Thanks, in advance!
browning said:
Thanks for sharing! I noticed the unlocked version is less expensive than carrier specific. I've never gone the route of unlocked - does anyone know of advantages/ disadvantages of going this route? I'm assuming the updates would come from Samsung rather than carrier but, again, unlocked is foreign to me. Thanks, in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocked meaning you can pop any sim in and it'll work - no carrier bloatware - only samsung's P). No commitments, no contracts.
xbmoyx said:
I have the V20 and it still technically has $476 on the device payments, but I get a $28/month credit on my account which will pay off the device in the next year and a half. I contacted Verizon directly and asked If I can give the phone to a friend or sell it when I buy the Note 8 and they said Yes as long as the phone keeps getting paid for with the $28/month credit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you got that in writing. I was told I would have to pay my device off completely before I was able to upgrade. Here is the copy/paste of the chat:
Chat with us again if you have more questions or sign in to My Verizon to make updates to your account.
Your chat recap
Reference number:
726585455370932013
Chatted on 08/24/2017 at 15:09:38
Verizon
Hi! How can I help you today?
You
I want to know if the previous Note 7 owners who were forced to turn in their phones for other phones will be allowed to upgrade to the Note 8.
Verizon
Welcome to Verizon Wireless Sales chat! With whom do I have the pleasure of chatting today?
You
Stephen
Verizon
It's very nice to meet you, Stephen!
Verizon
Any customer can upgrade to the new Note 8!
You
We were told that if we turned in our Note 7 after the whole exploding battery incident that we would be allowed to upgrade when the new one came out. Is that going to be honored?
Verizon
There shouldn't be any issue!
Verizon
Do I have permission to access your account so that I can better assist you?
You
Yes
Verizon
Which line are we wanting to upgrade?
You
(Blanked by me)
Verizon
You are definitely eligible to get the Note 8 however you still have 17 payments left on the current phone.
Verizon
That would go the same as if you still had the Note 7 on your account.
Verizon
You would have to pay off that balance in order to get a new phone.
You
I know that. They told us that wouldnt affect us and they would waive that. So in other wor4ds Verizon lied again. They told us we wouldnt have to do that. I guess I will be changing carriers since I cant trust Verizon to keep their word.
You
I didnt change phones by choice. I was forced by your company to do so. I was assured by verizon that Note 7 owners would be upgraded at no penalty when the Note 8 came out. So you company lied again.
You
As long as we got another Samsung phone we would be able to upgrade at no penalty to us.
You
This is beyond messed up. Now I am stuck with a phone I never wanted in the first place and cant get rid of it.
Verizon
Stephen, you may of very well been told this. Did you hear this over the phone or in store?
Verizon
I want to guide you to the right place to get this information!
You
Over the phone from a Verizon rep
Verizon
Let me grab you the number to our Customer Care Specialist to assist with this issue okay?
You
When Verizon bricked my note 7 to force me to turn it in.
Verizon
Note 7 from all over the world had to be turned in for the safety of citizens!
You
They even released a press release stating the same thing!
You
Yeah thats bull****. My phone was never at risk to explode. Never even got warm.
You
Only 35 worldwide exploded and they were all in Korea. None in the US. The oneshere were found to be fraud.
Verizon
I understand you are frustrated. Everyone had to do the same thing!
Verizon
Let me get you that number so you can get in touch with someone who can help.
Verizon
Or I can transfer you here in chat, how does that sound?
You
just give me the number. I need a break from dealing iwth you guys.
Verizon
1-800-922-0204!
You
Thank you.
BlakMajick said:
I hope you got that in writing. I was told I would have to pay my device off completely before I was able to upgrade. Here is the copy/paste of the chat:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you straight out them these payments or are you getting a monthly credit from Verizon that will pay off your device like I am? I came over from Sprint back in February when they revealed the unlimited plans and it was a promotion where I traded in my Galaxy S7 Edge and I got the LG v20 for free with a monthly $28 credit that will eventually pay off the phone. Yes I did multiple chats online and in my case, I can swap out my line with the Note 8 and still get the account credits. I even asked if I could "lend my phone to a friend" and they could use the V20 on their account (I'll be sending it to Samsung to fulfill the $425 off obviously) and he said yes that's not a problem because the installment plans don't put locks on the phones. Here's some text of a chat I had earlier.
Verizon
To give you a reference that your device payment credit will continue please keep this agreement number: XXXXXXXXX. This agreement is based on the active line where you device was linked to. Now, just as long as the line is active, regardless you'll use a different device and just as long you will not pay off the DPA (device payment agreement), the credit will continue.
You
Thank you! I have a few more questions.
Verizon
Yes, what questions do you still have while you have me?
You
Can I lend the LG V20 to a friend of mine, since I will no longer be using it?
You
And he can use it on his account?
Verizon
Yes absolutely he can use it on his own account. As long as the device payment will be fulfilled in 24 months, there will be no problem.
Verizon
Yes you are correct
What sucks is I had to give back my note 7 twice and I am using a note 3 there not going to give me anything for it lol
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA-Developers Legacy app
after 6 phone calls (2 on hold hangups by customer service) 2 calls to samsung and one back to finally a person with a brain in their head, verizon is sending my a note 8 and paying my $264 balance on my s7edge i am also getting the 50% off on the note 8 so my monthly will be getting a $20 credit off each month
2 hrs work but worth it
furfmonkey said:
after 6 phone calls (2 on hold hangups by customer service) 2 calls to samsung and one back to finally a person with a brain in their head, verizon is sending my a note 8 and paying my $264 balance on my s7edge i am also getting the 50% off on the note 8 so my monthly will be getting a $20 credit off each month
2 hrs work but worth it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NICE!
i called in a few times before i got someone who helped me but eventually i was able to get verizon to allow me to use my smartwatch line to upgrade to the note 8 and once i receive the phone i will return the pixel xl and they will cancel out any left over payments then transfer my note 8 to my actual line
busventinc said:
What sucks is I had to give back my note 7 twice and I am using a note 3 there not going to give me anything for it lol
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They can give you $425. They told me to place the order and then give them a call and provide them your order them. They will note the order that you will be sending a note 3. As a precaution I paid with my Amex so if they try to screw me I will file a dispute. I'm not going to trade in my S8 Plus
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
I wonder how I could dispute an issue with Samsung financing...I wanted the 0% instead of my 10% credit card. I don't think they will have issues unless the trade in is in poor condition.
btw, there are folks buying note 7's for 300-400 on craigslist. apparently, samsung is quietly buying them back. i'm meeting a guy in a place with cameras tomorrow to sell mine for 380.
i kept mine - i said bugger off to all those stupid letters and boxes.
and for all those folks who told me i was wrong for ignoring the harassing letters from verizon/samsung: pffft!
i have been using it as a really cool wifi tablet and now it's become my personal trade-in program for the note 8 i just pre-ordered from best buy.
BlakMajick said:
I hope you got that in writing. I was told I would have to pay my device off completely before I was able to upgrade. Here is the copy/paste of the chat:
Chat with us again if you have more questions or sign in to My Verizon to make updates to your account.
Your chat recap
Reference number:
726585455370932013
Chatted on 08/24/2017 at 15:09:38
Verizon
Hi! How can I help you today?
You
I want to know if the previous Note 7 owners who were forced to turn in their phones for other phones will be allowed to upgrade to the Note 8.
Verizon
Welcome to Verizon Wireless Sales chat! With whom do I have the pleasure of chatting today?
You
Stephen
Verizon
It's very nice to meet you, Stephen!
Verizon
Any customer can upgrade to the new Note 8!
You
We were told that if we turned in our Note 7 after the whole exploding battery incident that we would be allowed to upgrade when the new one came out. Is that going to be honored?
Verizon
There shouldn't be any issue!
Verizon
Do I have permission to access your account so that I can better assist you?
You
Yes
Verizon
Which line are we wanting to upgrade?
You
(Blanked by me)
Verizon
You are definitely eligible to get the Note 8 however you still have 17 payments left on the current phone.
Verizon
That would go the same as if you still had the Note 7 on your account.
Verizon
You would have to pay off that balance in order to get a new phone.
You
I know that. They told us that wouldnt affect us and they would waive that. So in other wor4ds Verizon lied again. They told us we wouldnt have to do that. I guess I will be changing carriers since I cant trust Verizon to keep their word.
You
I didnt change phones by choice. I was forced by your company to do so. I was assured by verizon that Note 7 owners would be upgraded at no penalty when the Note 8 came out. So you company lied again.
You
As long as we got another Samsung phone we would be able to upgrade at no penalty to us.
You
This is beyond messed up. Now I am stuck with a phone I never wanted in the first place and cant get rid of it.
Verizon
Stephen, you may of very well been told this. Did you hear this over the phone or in store?
Verizon
I want to guide you to the right place to get this information!
You
Over the phone from a Verizon rep
Verizon
Let me grab you the number to our Customer Care Specialist to assist with this issue okay?
You
When Verizon bricked my note 7 to force me to turn it in.
Verizon
Note 7 from all over the world had to be turned in for the safety of citizens!
You
They even released a press release stating the same thing!
You
Yeah thats bull****. My phone was never at risk to explode. Never even got warm.
You
Only 35 worldwide exploded and they were all in Korea. None in the US. The oneshere were found to be fraud.
Verizon
I understand you are frustrated. Everyone had to do the same thing!
Verizon
Let me get you that number so you can get in touch with someone who can help.
Verizon
Or I can transfer you here in chat, how does that sound?
You
just give me the number. I need a break from dealing iwth you guys.
Verizon
1-800-922-0204!
You
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the deal you wanted, let me give you some advice.
It's about three things. One, don't use chat. Chat is impersonal and doesn't allow you to convey appropriate tone. Two, don't get rude or verbally aggressive. Three, you need a strong account. By that I mean like I have been toting a 250-350 monthly bill with Verizon for over 8 years with a good payment history as well.
After a good hour on the phone, and being told multiple times that I would have to pay off the 500 bucks still owed on the S7Edge I never wanted... and politely explaining that I needed someone to speak to that can work outside the usual box of rules they work within.... I finally got transferred to a supervisor who looked at the account, and said okay, I can make this right. He forced the contract as paid in full which pushed that 500 bucks onto my bill, then immediately went in and issued a credit for the same amount. This made my S7Edge paid for in full so I could not only upgrade early but get the same promotion as every Joe off the street that never went through 5 phones during the Note 7 fiasco. So I got it half price still like everyone else. It will be here tomorrow.
That was the kicker I think. I simply explained that if they had A. returned my old paid for Nexus 6 to me (which they said they couldn't do) or if I had the Note 7 still (which had the annual upgrade available), they would have exchanged it for a Note 8 right away no questions asked. So I simply said, I just wanted them to honor the annual upgrade I was entitled to beginning August 2016 when I agreed to purchase the preordered Note 7. They didn't have to pay off the 500 bucks on the S7Edge. But I promise you my approach combined with my logic and my account strength made it happen.
They even added 12gb to our data plan. The supervisor also personally called me the next day to confirm the transaction went smoothly and to be sure I was happy. I have never received that level of customer service from any company. It was truly refreshing.
---------- Post added at 01:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:03 PM ----------
furfmonkey said:
after 6 phone calls (2 on hold hangups by customer service) 2 calls to samsung and one back to finally a person with a brain in their head, verizon is sending my a note 8 and paying my $264 balance on my s7edge i am also getting the 50% off on the note 8 so my monthly will be getting a $20 credit off each month
2 hrs work but worth it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They offered me the same deal initially, to pay half the remaining balance on my S7Edge. I said no thank you and called back and started over again with someone else who sent me to a supervisor who paid off my phone in full, all 500 bucks... .
serusaert said:
btw, there are folks buying note 7's for 300-400 on craigslist. apparently, samsung is quietly buying them back. i'm meeting a guy in a place with cameras tomorrow to sell mine for 380.
i kept mine - i said bugger off to all those stupid letters and boxes.
and for all those folks who told me i was wrong for ignoring the harassing letters from verizon/samsung: pffft!
i have been using it as a really cool wifi tablet and now it's become my personal trade-in program for the note 8 i just pre-ordered from best buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that's a shame! I too ignored everybody and kept my Note 7, it takes a full charge thanks to software blocking the charging update that makes it a brick. Also, as predicted, T-Mobile was not able to cut us off if you were paying your bill, so I've had full service this whole time. I, however, won't be selling this to anyone, it's going back to Samsung for a full refund! There is no expiration date on that recall! That's $850.00+ and use of a free phone for a whole year! I'll use an iPhone 5 to get the Note 7 owners discount.
neyenlives said:
I got the deal you wanted, let me give you some advice.
It's about two things. One, don't use chat. Chat is impersonal and doesn't allow you to convey appropriate tone. Two, don't get rude or verbally aggressive. Three, you need a strong account. By that I mean like I have been toting a 250-350 monthly bill with Verizon for over 8 years with a good payment history as well.
After a good hour on the phone, and being told multiple times that I would have to pay off the 500 bucks still owed on the S7Edge I never wanted... and politely explaining that I needed someone to speak to that can work outside the usual box of rules they work within.... I finally got transferred to a supervisor who looked at the account, and said okay, I can make this right. He forced the contract as paid in full which pushed that 500 bucks onto my bill, then immediately went in and issued a credit for the same amount. This made my S7Edge paid for in full so I could not only upgrade early but get the same promotion as every Joe off the street that never went through 5 phones during the Note 7 fiasco. So I got it had price still like everyone else. It will be here tomorrow.
That was the kicker I think. I simply explained that if they had A. returned my old paid for Nexus 6 to me (which they said they couldn't do) or if I had the Note 7 still (which had the annual upgrade available), they would have exchanged it for a Note 8 right away no questions asked. So I simply said, I just wanted them to honor the annual upgrade I was entitled to beginning August 2016 when I agreed to purchase the preordered Note 7. They didn't have to pay off the 500 bucks on the S7Edge. But I promise you my approach combined with my logic and my account strength made it happen.
They even added 12gb to our data plan. The supervisor also personally called me the next day to confirm the transaction went smoothly and to be sure I was happy. I have never received that level of customer service from any company. It was truly refreshing.
---------- Post added at 01:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:03 PM ----------
They offered me the same deal initially, to pay half the remaining balance on my S7Edge. I said no thank you and called back and started over again with someone else who sent me to a supervisor who paid off my phone in full, all 500 bucks... .
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Click to collapse
After this I waited until the next day an called. I told the nice young lady what the situation was and she put me on hold. She came back and told me that I would still have to pay off the phone. I told her that would not be financially feasible because I owed $586 on that phone and I pay $521 a month on my bill every month (Have Me. my mom, my son and my wife on my account plus a few other devices). I told her that if I would be required to do that then I would explore my options of going to another company and having them pay off all of my stuff and then I would only have to worry about getting the phone. She put me on hold again for about 7 minutes and when she came back she told me that they were going to pay off the remainder of my phone. Problem solved.