Buying a car vs. buying a cell phone
I went in to Verizon today to upgrade mine and Beth's cell phones. They have this thing called "New Every Two" which entitles you to a $100 credit toward a new phone every two years. I really needed a new phone since mine has been on the blitz for the past month. Beth doesn't like her phone and we were using the credit as a way to justify a new phone for her since it wouldn't cost anything. After calling customer service twice to ensure I knew the rules of the program and was assured eligibility starting today, I went to the store this morning to get the new phones.
Wouldn't you know they misled me? Of course. I went to the store expecting problems, because, let's face it, buying a cell phone is akin to buying a used car; they constantly try to sell you accesories you don't want and hound you to upgrade to the next best thing. Oh, and they lure you in with this, that and the other offer, only to get there and find things aren't as they seem, ala Verizon.
Now, to their defense, every cell phone company is like this. Even Consumer Reports says so. When we researched new phones and companies two years ago, Verizon came out on top of all the categories, including customer service. As Consumer Reports said, all the cell phone companies are in need of improvement in every category. Verizon scored best among all carriers, but their score was mediocre. Every other company faired worse. So you see, we have a customer service problem with cell service in this country. We're left to deal and hope we can just get through any interaction we have with our respective providers.
Ok, back to upgrading the phones. Both our phones are indeed eligible for the $100 credit. What they fail to tell you is the upgrade can only be applied to one phone. It doesn't matter that I had to pay for both phones in the first place, or that I pay $10 month for the second phone, or that I have a second phone number. Since we are on a family share plan, only one phone can get the credit. You just get to chose which phone to apply it to. Makes sense, really, but why didn't this come up in either of the conversations about eligibility I had with customer service?
That leads me to another problem. When people ask me how I like Verizon, I say I like them. But I offer a warning, too. I say, "I really like the coverage I get, and I think customer service over the phone is really helpful. Do not, under any circumstances, go to a Verizon store. The service is the worst there. If you need help, call customer service. If you need a new phone, order it online." Customer service did not produce as I advertise.
So I broke one of my cardinal rules today, but I didn't want to wait to have the phone shipped to me. I've been without my own phone for over a month and have been using Beth's, only to leave her without a phone all together. I was desperate. Morale of the story is: desperate situations lead to situations you've taught yourself to avoid, only to realize again why you avoided the situation before. It's a tough lesson to learn.
So I have my new phone, Beth does not. But we're going to order her one on the internet in the next few days, when we find the best deal without the credit. Notice: you can now reach me on my normal cell number, Beth officially has her phone back.
Wouldn't you know they misled me? Of course. I went to the store expecting problems, because, let's face it, buying a cell phone is akin to buying a used car; they constantly try to sell you accesories you don't want and hound you to upgrade to the next best thing. Oh, and they lure you in with this, that and the other offer, only to get there and find things aren't as they seem, ala Verizon.
Now, to their defense, every cell phone company is like this. Even Consumer Reports says so. When we researched new phones and companies two years ago, Verizon came out on top of all the categories, including customer service. As Consumer Reports said, all the cell phone companies are in need of improvement in every category. Verizon scored best among all carriers, but their score was mediocre. Every other company faired worse. So you see, we have a customer service problem with cell service in this country. We're left to deal and hope we can just get through any interaction we have with our respective providers.
Ok, back to upgrading the phones. Both our phones are indeed eligible for the $100 credit. What they fail to tell you is the upgrade can only be applied to one phone. It doesn't matter that I had to pay for both phones in the first place, or that I pay $10 month for the second phone, or that I have a second phone number. Since we are on a family share plan, only one phone can get the credit. You just get to chose which phone to apply it to. Makes sense, really, but why didn't this come up in either of the conversations about eligibility I had with customer service?
That leads me to another problem. When people ask me how I like Verizon, I say I like them. But I offer a warning, too. I say, "I really like the coverage I get, and I think customer service over the phone is really helpful. Do not, under any circumstances, go to a Verizon store. The service is the worst there. If you need help, call customer service. If you need a new phone, order it online." Customer service did not produce as I advertise.
So I broke one of my cardinal rules today, but I didn't want to wait to have the phone shipped to me. I've been without my own phone for over a month and have been using Beth's, only to leave her without a phone all together. I was desperate. Morale of the story is: desperate situations lead to situations you've taught yourself to avoid, only to realize again why you avoided the situation before. It's a tough lesson to learn.
So I have my new phone, Beth does not. But we're going to order her one on the internet in the next few days, when we find the best deal without the credit. Notice: you can now reach me on my normal cell number, Beth officially has her phone back.
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