Database Users

Sprint Stiffing Pre-Order Customers! (Defective Phones, Rant)

So here's the deal, since I got my Evo the back cover hasn't fit properly - I don't mind too much so I placed a small sheet of paper which gave the back the proper curve and fixed it.
But now I've got a new issue starting to appear - The screen coming loose towards the bottom!
My friend got an Evo and his is flawless, why should I suffer from pre-ordering!?
I work in Chicago, and naturally I went to a Radioshack close to where I actually live - no Evo's, can't help me.
I call Sprint, they tell me go to where I bought it or all the can do is sent me a re-certified phone - that's bull****, the phone is brand new & not even two weeks old yet.
I go to the Radioshack where I bought it - No Evo's, all they can do is call me when one comes in. Also claim they haven't been sent any since launch.
So here it is, I'm a new Sprint customer who just switched from Verizon and they are already leaving me dry. I've got 30 days to cancel all this, yet they don't seem to care enough to get me a new phone.
My phone is brand new and defective, how the hell does Sprint think they can send me some re-certified model!?
Do they have some deal where if they don't send phones back to HTC they get a discount? I mean seriously, if this phone isn't under a manufacturer's warranty against defects it damn well should be!
This also doesn't cover the fact when I preordered, Radioshack told me there was no $10 data fee - not to mention failed to tell me about activation fees and Sprint surcharges!
I asked about it, almost insisting they could be wrong, yet they kept reassuring me there was no charge. I put $50 down on a non-refundable gift card to pre-order, bull**** they didn't know/disclose all costs when I asked! (Their disclosure of costs was "taxes")
If I don't get my NEW phone before 29 days, I will cancel the whole thing and rant anywhere and everywhere until I am heard!
EDIT: Let me put it this way, for all those who don't understand...If Sprint guaranteed me a new phone when there's availability, that would be 100% fine with me, this is not the case, they want to send me a re-certified phone right after I just bought one brand new!
EDIT #2: Here's my logic...the phone is provided by Sprint (to Radioshack), Sprint pays a spiff (to Radioshack), my service is through Sprint (which is paying off the phone), and my contract is through Sprint.
Why does the fact that I bought it at Radioshack even matter!? Sprint is at the core of all of this.
It's like saying a have a 1 year warranty on an Sharp TV that Sears sold me and trying to take care of it through Sears...after that 30 days it's not Sears' problem. The service through Sprint is ongoing and this phone is part of it, how is Sprint not responsible?

You have got to be kidding me with this post right? I guess you assume the magic phone maker ferry is going to make YOU a phone just so YOU can be happy, but everyone else has to wait until they get re stocked because they sold out of all their phones.
Please, just cancel it already, people like this ruin it for the rest of us. How can you not understand that being back ordered means NO ONE is getting new ones right now, they can't just make it appear out of nowhere. Yikes.

lol wow lets give baby what he wants....

Neotelos_com said:
So here's the deal, since I got my Evo the back cover hasn't fit properly - I don't mind too much so I placed a small sheet of paper which gave the back the proper curve and fixed it.
But now I've got a new issue starting to appear - The screen coming loose towards the bottom!
My friend got an Evo and his is flawless, why should I suffer from pre-ordering!?
I work in Chicago, and naturally I went to a Radioshack close to where I actually live - no Evo's, can't help me.
I call Sprint, they tell me go to where I bought it or all the can do is sent me a re-certified phone - that's bull****, the phone is brand new & not even two weeks old yet.
I go to the Radioshack where I bought it - No Evo's, all they can do is call me when one comes in. Also claim they haven't been sent any since launch.
So here it is, I'm a new Sprint customer who just switched from Verizon and they are already leaving me dry. I've got 30 days to cancel all this, yet they don't seem to care enough to get me a new phone.
My phone is brand new and defective, how the hell does Sprint think they can send me some re-certified model!?
Do they have some deal where if they don't send phones back to HTC they get a discount? I mean seriously, if this phone isn't under a manufacturer's warranty against defects it damn well should be!
This also doesn't cover the fact when I preordered, Radioshack told me there was no $10 data fee - not to mention failed to tell me about activation fees and Sprint surcharges!
I asked about it, almost insisting they could be wrong, yet they kept reassuring me there was no charge. I put $50 down on a non-refundable gift card to pre-order, bull**** they didn't know/disclose all costs when I asked! (Their disclosure of costs was "taxes")
If I don't get my NEW phone before 29 days, I will cancel the whole thing and rant anywhere and everywhere until I am heard!
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My situation is similar. I planned on switching from AT&T to Sprint, however, now, I don't know what to do. I have two defective EVOs, bought from Best Buy, and I have called every Best Buy in a 1 hour driving radius from my home in order to locate one (5 or 6 of them), none had any AND they refused to even take down my information to call me when they came in. Basically, they just told me to screw off. I am free to call back whenever I want to check, but they refuse to hold it in store even if I find one. Apparently it's a first come first serve basis, since they already have my money, what do they care?
Best Buy told me to use my warranty, Sprint won't do me any good because I don't want a recertified phone, as mine isn't even two weeks old yet.
And it's sad, because I really like my Sprint service, but I don't have time to screw around driving all over the face of the planet, escalating issues, etc. I just want two working phones, and that's all. I don't want credits, I don't want freebies. I'll even buy two new screen protectors with my own money.
But, 30 days is fast approaching, and once that mark hits they're no longer liable to care at all about my issues, and I have a feeling that's just what will happen.
I'll try over the next two weeks to locate a replacement. Otherwise, I'll just have to cancel (and I feel bad for Sprint, as it's not really their fault).

I understand all that, but where in the contract does it say the 30 days is waved from such circumstances?
Where does it say after 30 days I will still be eligible to trade for a new phone?
You both seem to be missing my point, the contract says 30 days if you have issues or want to cancel, it doesn't mention circumstances such as this.
What makes you think they wont give someone bull**** about the 30 day policy?
I've been ****ed over at least once by every phone provider I've had, I don't put anything past them.

return phone and port out within 30 days, wait for EVO stock to come back in, port back in. You also got free service for the days you were with Sprint anyway so who cares.

themyst said:
return phone and port out within 30 days, wait for EVO stock to come back in, port back in. You also got free service for the days you were with Sprint anyway so who cares.
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Does it effect credit score?

roybotnik said:
You android users are ****ing pathetic. You think everyone should have to hack their phone and superglue the screen on after paying $200 for it. I can see why the poster is pissed. HE BOUGHT SOMETHING AND ITS ALREADY FALLING APART. You have to sign up for a 2 year contract to get this thing and it falls apart in the first few weeks?
If the poor quality of the phone doesn't make everyone return it, then I'm sure the android fanboys telling everyone to 'suck it up' will. This type of stuff is the reason android will never be taken seriously.
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This is not even close to accurate in so many ways. First of all, he isn't complaining that he doesn't like the phone, he's complaining that he has a defective one and they don't have one in stock immediately to replace it.
Second, I guess you should tell that same horrible argument to the iphone, blackberry, porsche, ferrari, lambo, etc. owners that buy their high priced items only to find out there is a problem of some kind. There will ALWAYS be problems. That's why we have warranties and replacements, you just gotta be a little patient sometimes. This whole I WANT IT RIGHT NOW OR I'M GONNA RAISE HOLY HELL attitude is why companies have stopped caring if they fix things or not, there will always be nitwits and numbskulls who complain even if theirs is the only one to ever have an issue. "It's junk, take it back, don't get one, mine failed!" get real, grow up, and go back to apple land so steve jobs can control everything you do.

swatpup102 said:
This is not even close to accurate in so many ways. First of all, he isn't complaining that he doesn't like the phone, he's complaining that he has a defective one and they don't have one in stock immediately to replace it.
Second, I guess you should tell that same horrible argument to the iphone, blackberry, porsche, ferrari, lambo, etc. owners that buy their high priced items only to find out there is a problem of some kind. There will ALWAYS be problems. That's why we have warranties and replacements, you just gotta be a little patient sometimes. This whole I WANT IT RIGHT NOW OR I'M GONNA RAISE HOLY HELL attitude is why companies have stopped caring if they fix things or not, there will always be nitwits and numbskulls who complain even if theirs is the only one to ever have an issue. "It's junk, take it back, don't get one, mine failed!" get real, grow up, and go back to apple land so steve jobs can control everything you do.
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Read the post edit, maybe it will clear things up for your ignorant mind!

Neotelos_com said:
I understand all that, but where in the contract does it say the 30 days is waved from such circumstances?
Where does it say after 30 days I will still be eligible to trade for a new phone?
You both seem to be missing my point, the contract says 30 days if you have issues or want to cancel, it doesn't mention circumstances such as this.
What makes you think they wont give someone bull**** about the 30 day policy?
I've been ****ed over at least once by every phone provider I've had, I don't put anything past them.
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The thing is, if you are paying for your insurance plan, they will cover it as long sa you have the phone and replace it 100 times if they have to or upgrade you to the next model up. It's a feature sprint is great with and will go out of their way to help you with. If your phone can't be fixed by simple methods in the store, you get a new one. Problem is, at the moment, there aren't any left in stock, so you may have to wait a little bit to get one. If you like the phone except for the hardware trouble, don't sweat it, they'll give you a new one as long as you own in and as long as you have the insurance plan for 7 a month. If you don't, then add it before 30 days and don't worry about your phone ever being defective.

roybotnik said:
U mad?
It's a ****ing phone. I can see why the poster would be pissed. His device (and SO MANY others) failed almost immediately after buying it and now he has no replacement.
It really doesn't matter what you think - in the end it's a horrible business decision by Sprint. They give people the option to cancel in thirty days, then sell people a phone that breaks in 2 weeks. I think the expectation of having it last longer is not extraordinary.
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That has 0 to do with sprint though, this will be HTC's problem. I'm not mad at all, I'm dumbfounded by the ignorance of people that are posting on some of these issues. Anything you buy could have trouble, if the company that sells it to you is willing to stand behind it and replace it for nothing, why sweat it? It's not like they are saying you're screwed haha you have to pay to fix with ti or live with it broke, they'll fix it for him free of charge, they just have to have one in first.
How in the world this justifies a post of how horrible sprint is and how they are stiffing their pre order customers I have no idea, how can you replace a defective item if you have nothing to replace it with?

swatpup102 said:
You have got to be kidding me with this post right? I guess you assume the magic phone maker ferry is going to make YOU a phone just so YOU can be happy, but everyone else has to wait until they get re stocked because they sold out of all their phones.
Please, just cancel it already, people like this ruin it for the rest of us. How can you not understand that being back ordered means NO ONE is getting new ones right now, they can't just make it appear out of nowhere. Yikes.
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either u HELP the OP or just go else where.if u dont have anything good to say jus dont say anything at all,just leave the thread.

GHOST99K said:
either u HELP the OP or just go else where.if u dont have anything good to say jus dont say anything at all,just leave the thread.
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That's pretty uppity to say, considering the OP was worthless in making the post to begin with and flat out wrong in saying sprint won't help their customers. I am def trying to help him, by showing that sprint will fix it as soon as possible and for free, but some people just don't get it.....

The issue imo is people come in with both guns blazing acting like add holes and wonder why it rubs people the wrong way.

swatpup102 said:
That's pretty uppity to say, considering the OP was worthless in making the post to begin with and flat out wrong in saying sprint won't help their customers. I am def trying to help him, by showing that sprint will fix it as soon as possible and for free, but some people just don't get it.....
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You didn't say that even once and nor did Sprint.
I bought a new phone, I want a NEW replacement...that's all I don't care if I have to wait a month as long as I get what I should very well be entitled to (and the current phone doesn't die completely during that month)!
EDIT: Come to think of it you're changing your attitude drastically after seeing other feedback, it disgusts me, you want to put others down and can't take the heat in return.

Neotelos_com said:
You didn't say that even once and nor did Sprint.
I bought a new phone, I want a NEW replacement...that's all I don't care if I have to wait a month as long as I get what I should very well be entitled to (and the current phone doesn't die completely during that month)!
EDIT: Come to think of it you're changing your attitude drastically after seeing other feedback, it disgusts me, you want to put others down and can't take the heat in return.
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Say what?? Tell me, can you do a google search? Can you see sprints insurance policy? Better yet, can you make it to a sprint store and talk to a rep? They will tell you, if the phone is defective and you have insurance on it, they will replace it for you. If it's something you caused, such as losing it or absolutely destroying it, you pay a deductible and then get the phone replace. Obviously you've never been with sprint before, because not only do they stand behind this policy, they do it with 99% of the time no trouble. A quick trip to sprints site and google will verify this.
The attitude towards this issue hasn't changed at all, I simply don't get why someone would state in a thread that sprint is stiffing pre order customers. How can you possibly replace the first run defective issues if you DON'T HAVE ONE TO REPLACE IT WITH. When they come in, you'll get one, it's really not that complicated.

Look guys just my opinion. Don't like it tough.
People that have been doing this awhile know two things:
BuY from a private sprint store and you can run into trouble
Buy from retailer x and if it breaks you can't expect retailer y to fix it
So we act like cheap ****s and buy from retailers that don't have the rebate and we end up being stuck with said retailer should something happen. You can always send your device in to htc for repairs.
if it were me I'd return it, and buy from a sprint corporate store and let it be lesson learned. When you buy **** from third parties and it doesn't work out there can be issues. Sprint can't tell if that device came from ebay, bb or shack. I don't se how they are responsible for fixing what you retailer should fix.
If you want sprint to fix it, buy it from them.
Sprint doesn't make the device so before you start comparing apples and oranges think about it.

swatpup102 said:
How can you possibly replace the first run defective issues if you DON'T HAVE ONE TO REPLACE IT WITH. When they come in, you'll get one, it's really not that complicated.
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I shouldn't have to have an insurance plan to replace a defective phone that's entitled to be replaced in the first place.
I may end up adding it, but it's ridiculous I should even need it for this particular instance!

Aridon said:
Look guys just my I opinion. Don't like it tough.
People that have been doing this awhile know two things:
BuY from a private sprint store and you can run into trouble
Buy from retailer x and if it breaks you can't expect retailer y to fix it
So we act like cheap ****s and buy from retailers that don't have the rebate and we end up being stuck with said retailer should something happen. You can always send your device in to htc for repairs.
I itf were me I'd return it, and but from a sprint corporate store and let it be lesson learned. When you buy **** from third parties and it doesn't work out there can be issues. Sprint can't tell if that device came from ebay, bb or shack. I don't se how they are responsible for fixing what you retailer should fix.
If you want sprint to fix it, buy it from them.
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Sprint retails to them, what the hell do you mean they can't tell where it came from!?
They register the device right in the store on contract, Sprint pays them a spiff...

Neotelos_com said:
I shouldn't have to have an insurance plan to replace a defective phone that's entitled to be replaced in the first place.
I may end up adding it, but it's ridiculous I should even need it for this particular instance!
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That's such a horrible mindset though. you're telling me you should be able to buy a defective computer, or car, or whatever, and with no insurance plan be able to just have it replaced whenever you want?
If you don't want the $7 sprint insurance, yet another quick search would show you that HTC has a 1 year warranty on the phone. you can send it back to HTC, and they'll send you a new one when it comes in stock. Or, you cna do what most people have figured out, and for $7 for the life time of the phone, take it to the local sprint store and get a new one for free. You think you can buy a laptop with no extended plan from the place you bought it and have them replace it for free if it's defective? You have to send it to the manufacturer to do so, same as this HTC phone. Or, add the insurance, and never worry about it no matter what.
I just don't see why this is so complicated! Go ahead and send it back to HTC if you don't want to spend the extra 7 a month, you can do that if you want, just be prepared to be without one for a few weeks, just like any other product that has this happen....
To me, you sound like the type that would go to a car dealer and buy a car, and if it has an issue after the first month or so you DEMAND a new car RIGHT AWAY instead of letting the dealer at least have a chance to look at it and see if it's something that can be fixed without much trouble. I can't stand those kind of people.

nothing here move along

deleted , move along

TLTR !!!!!

I read it. Sorry to hear about your EVO man.
I got my EVO through Craigslist new in box because all the Sprint stores in my area who had them in stock wouldn't sell them to people not adding a new line of service. (Which is another story in and of itself)
When I brought it in to Sprint to activate they let me add insurance and told me that I'd still be covered under warranty for a year. I would be steamed if I was in your shoes too.
Thankfully I have a HW revision 0003 and my EVO hasn't yet to display any of the known issues.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/13/htc-evo-suffering-from-glass-separation-issues/

Just a short while ago I worked as a CSR for AT&T. Your friend got really lucky because 99.9% of the time a broken iPhone, even with a known issue, means you're SOL. In my experience, Sprint is much more flexible.

I mean you guys have any suggestions for me at this point? I know its just a phone and all but damn. i posted this on sprint forums, androidforums.com,xda, ppcgeeks, and of course my phone calls and visits to the repair center at MACOM

You bought the $7 plan for this very reason-- a more-than-likely behaviorally caused ding. (yes I read your post, but look at this from someone else's point of view. You had/used the phone how long before you saw this?)
Pony up the deductable and get a new phone. You realize you're costing yourself way more than $100 in grief and wasted time?
Lastly, just in case this is a defect and a recall is issued, keep your documentation on your calls to CS, claim filed, and out of pocket money. At that point you should be able to recoup your deductible among other things.

illogic6 said:
Just a short while ago I worked as a CSR for AT&T. Your friend got really lucky because 99.9% of the time a broken iPhone, even with a known issue, means you're SOL. In my experience, Sprint is much more flexible.
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Sure, bro. Sure.

00_MACKIE_00 said:
Ok, this is going to be a long post, full of detailed information regarding my purchase of an Evo. I will be posting this on every forum I am a member of and there are alot that I post on.
A buddy of mine contacted me to tell me he had bought an Evo on launch day from Best Buy. He activated it on 6/6/2010 from a Best Buy in Kentucky. He was told " The Evo has push to talk". Well he later found out that it did not in fact have push to talk and he needed that feature for his Sprint business account. He was outside his 30 day "happiness" window so he had to buy a different phone. He decided to put his Evo on Ebay and sell it to try and get some of his money back for his Evo purchase. He let me know he listed it on Ebay and provided me a link to it. I ended up winning the auction on 8/15/2010. I received the phone on 8/21 and received original box, original everything. Even had a cover. Phone looked and smelled BRAND new. I quickly called Sprint to activate it and within 10 min I was sporting my new Evo. Added my insurance/repair $7 dollar fee like I do with all my phones.
All was fine until 9/5/2010, I noticed on the bottom left of the screen over the home button, the screen appears lifted and a little dust had gotten under it. Ok no big deal to me at this point. I do keep my phones in mint condition but I was just going to monitor this situation. 13 days later is when I called Sprint asking for an explanation. I called the customer service line and explained the situation with the phone. They immediately started blaming me for it. I guess maybe they thought I used a screwdriver and lifted the screen, who knows. The girl told me she was in Charlotte, NC and that she had never heard of a screen separating from the adhesive and to go to the repair center.
On 9/17/2010, I went to MACOM here in Florida. A nice gentleman greeted me at the repair window and asked how he could help me. I said well I called customer service and explained to them that the phone screen seemed to be coming up and to pay you a visit so you could investigate. 4 screws later my Evo was in several pieces and then put back together. He asked me where I got the phone so I told him. He looked up my account and said "you’re inside your 30 day window according to the calendar here and you should go home and call customer service back". I told him I had no intention of being given a brand new phone. To me , that would be dishonest and I live by being honest and I teach my kids to be honest to people regardless of the situation. He handed me his business card, said call Sprint and call me back if you have problems. Seems he was trying to push me into a brand new Evo. I lay no blame on this guy; he was trying to do the right thing. He told me he could have it replaced but it would be a refurbished phone which I am ok with.
I arrive home on 9/17 from MACOM and about 7pm I start making some phone calls. I have been upfront with Sprint about the terms of my purchase. The first lady I spoke to said she understood my issue and that she would get someone on the phone to help me after we talked 10 minutes or so. She asked if I minded being put on hold and I said absolutely not. I waited for about 7 or 8 minutes or so and another lady got on the phone from a different department. I had a really hard time understanding what her name was, who she was with, etc etc due to the heavy accent. From what I could understand, she was from advanced exchange it sounded like. She asked for my telephone #, verified my pin and all that good stuff and asks me the reason for the call. I then had to go into the WHOLE story again. 10 minutes later she asked me where I bought the phone. I said I bought it off Ebay from a SPRINT customer, not some random power seller. She then told me well there is nothing she could do and that was there anything else she could do for me. I said I guess not and told her to have a lovely weekend. She then said I could always file a claim with Assurion and pay a $100 deductible for this obvious defect.
After speaking to my wife, I felt I needed to call back. Around 8:30pm or so I called back to customer service and once again explained the situation. I asked her over and over to tell me if I had done something wrong, or this was somehow my fault. She completely denied any knowledge of a screen separation issue and proceeded to tell me she was going to talk to her supervisor about it and placed me on hold. She came back on the line in short time and asked if it would be ok if I received a call back. I said ok and told the lady to have a nice evening. About 45 minutes or so later my phone rings. I go to answer it using the slider and because my screen is acting funny due to part of it being lifted, somehow the call was dropped and she left a voicemail and her name and phone number. I immediately called back off my house phone and received her voicemail. I left a message and asked that she call me right away. I have not received another phone call.
Remembering the conversation with MACOM, I woke up on 9/18, loaded up the kids and drove on over. The same gentleman was there again. He remembered me from the night before. I told him I had called customer service and had gotten nowhere. The tune quickly changed from ordering a refurbished phone to having to call his district manager but however the district manager was off and on his motorcycle for the day and it would be evening before he could have a chance to talk to him and it would be next week before he could get back to me. He was very nice and polite and told me to have a good rest of the weekend and he would get in touch with me.
Now that I have laid out the facts, I am now going to state my opinion on this. First off, Sprint denying the screen separation is a joke within itself. Searching on Google using the search criteria "evo screen separation" shows 6,700,00 results found. How could people not know about it that work for Sprint? The repair guy at MACOM had heard about it, but nobody else? How is that even possible? My next complaint is about the way I purchased it. If I was not tempted by all the Sprint commercials about the EVO and not being able to actually find one in Florida, I would not have had to go buy one of Ebay. I bought it from a valid Sprint customer not some guy on Ebay looking to make a few bucks. Sprint still should honor my purchase and either fix my phone or give me one that works, isn't that what I pay the TEP for?. I guess anyone who is buying either a barely used or brand new phone off Ebay should just stop doing it now before you run into a situation like what I am dealing with. I am a premier customer with Sprint; I have 3 lines as well so I consider myself an important customer. Plus it helps in the years I have had service, I have never missed a payment, been late, or anything. Sprint should not allow you to buy a phone from anywhere and activate it successfully if they do not want to honor an obvious manufacturing defect. This will not cost any money for Sprint to replace my phone because I am sure it would be sent back to HTC as a defect. I am not editing this post until there is a resolution so that the public sees what I have had to deal with. Once Sprint provides a resolution, I will then have this post removed and I will once again be a happy Sprint customer.
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I've had better luck. I was once placed in this exact situation. Brought my phone into Sprint to have it repair the lifting of screen. In-house techs repaired it, no questions asked (or blaming). One hour later, they called me back and issued me a new one, as their investigation determines hardware version 0002 was a manufature defect. Perhaps it's all based on locations, reps, your attitude towards them, etc. Where I'm from everyone one's laid back, reps are always friendly and don't really have to put up with too much of people's ****, because non really gives them **** to begin with. They even accept rooted phones too, where as I read that many other users have to unroot before bringing their phone into Sprint for replacement/repair.
If you don't mind paying a deductable ($100 max), call into customer service and request a replacement.
And to the dude who was previously on AT&T with iPhone, sure buddy. SURRRREEE. If you EVER had service with them, you of all people should know that AT&T & Apple will put you through hell. I should know, that's why I dropped AT&T & the iPhone 2G.

illogic6 said:
I read it. Sorry to hear about your EVO man.
I got my EVO through Craigslist new in box because all the Sprint stores in my area who had them in stock wouldn't sell them to people not adding a new line of service. (Which is another story in and of itself)
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That is actually illegal, they have to sell it to you, I actually did the same and had to mention that it is illegal to not sell it, after mentioning that they budged and sold it to me.
Back on your situation with your EVO, I would recommend posting on consumerist as that is more their territory. They have the phone numbers for executive customer support also, they WILL fix your issue ASAP. http://consumerist.com/2007/05/sprint-sets-up-consumerist-reader-executive-customer-service-hotline.html

tbh, I feel no simpathy since you being "honest" has nothing to do with the situation. You didn't steal the phone, the phone was defective therefore it's not like you were doing anything wrong. You should of returned it and gotten a replacement. There's been hundreds if not thousands of people that have done the same with the screen lifting issue.
Also if you didn't know before, google is based on keywords, it doesn't take the phrase and search for it. About 5million of those results were for the word "evo", other million were for "screen", and so on. Out of those results, only about 20-30 were for the evo issue. I've been doing SEO for a long time, so when it comes to google I know what I'm talking about.
Also sprint doesn't care if you took it apart, or if it came apart by itself, because they will tell you in the end to return it because of the issue. They know people do it, and it's perfectly okay, since you're not "cheating" anyone. The 30 day thing is made for a reason, it's not made for you to screw them over. Also the insurance that you put on the phone is made for a reason.
Either you're not telling the whole story, or you were too ignorant to return the phone.

Btw, side note for you. Check out the app TiKL for push to talk on your EVO.
sent from VooDooPhone

As a Sprint retention supersvisor, let me ask you something which I would have asked you if you were on my call. What makes you think SPRINT is responsible for a phone your purchased from somebody on Ebay wether it be a Sprint customer or not? You are LUCKY they even allow you to use TEP on a phone that was not purchased from them. Now, here's what we can do, make a claim, pay the $100 and have it replaced or go back to the store and speak with the idiot that told you to call in.
Let me put it in perspective for you, when your car breaks you take it to the mechanic right? You don't just call Ford and they fix it over the phone or send you out a new truck to your home. There is NOTHING someone over the phone can do, the repair center has to do it all, granted most the time they send you something over the phone or break policy it's to shut the customer up and get rid of them. The store has to fix it, if they can't fix it, make a claim for you through the warranty or asurion. I really don't understand why this is so hard to understand. And please don't take this the wrong way it is not an attack on you personally, but it is definitely an attack on what should be common sense.

6ixtynin9 said:
I've had better luck. I was once placed in this exact situation. Brought my phone into Sprint to have it repair the lifting of screen. In-house techs repaired it, no questions asked (or blaming). One hour later, they called me back and issued me a new one, as their investigation determines hardware version 0002 was a manufature defect. Perhaps it's all based on locations, reps, your attitude towards them, etc. Where I'm from everyone one's laid back, reps are always friendly and don't really have to put up with too much of people's ****, because non really gives them **** to begin with. They even accept rooted phones too, where as I read that many other users have to unroot before bringing their phone into Sprint for replacement/repair.
If you don't mind paying a deductable ($100 max), call into customer service and request a replacement.
And to the dude who was previously on AT&T with iPhone, sure buddy. SURRRREEE. If you EVER had service with them, you of all people should know that AT&T & Apple will put you through hell. I should know, that's why I dropped AT&T & the iPhone 2G.
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Click to collapse
That is what he said, with AT&T you're **** out of luck

3rd Replacement = Damaged Again... What Gives?!

So, my launch day EVO started collecting dust under the screen on the top left corner and I took it to a local Sprint store to get it repaired. They put a screen that was all scratched and dented on the sides on and assumed I would be satisfied with it. Wrong!
After forcing them to put my old one back (apparently they didn't have any other in store), I called Sprint and got them to send me a replacement phone.
Phone came in and I noticed heavy scratches on the camera and the kickstand was completely loose (would open up by itself). Got them to send me another replacement...
Phone arrived last week with the bottom of the glass completely loose. I could lift it with my nail. Called and after *****ing for hours, I got them to send me yet another replacement...
Phone came in with exactly the same symptom. What's going on? I don't know what else to do from here on out. I know it is technically not Sprint's fault, but this is getting ridiculous. I thought my experiences with the Palm Pre were bad... that was nothing.
Now I know they most likely will not send me yet another phone unless I take it to a store. That's going to be another 5-hour ordeal. Is there any way I can get a new device or a fully-functional refurb? I tried retentions and they said there was nothing they could do. =/

akarol said:
So, my launch day EVO started collecting dust under the screen on the top left corner and I took it to a local Sprint store to get it repaired. They put a screen that was all scratched and dented on the sides on and assumed I would be satisfied with it. Wrong!
After forcing them to put my old one back (apparently they didn't have any other in store), I called Sprint and got them to send me a replacement phone.
Phone came in and I noticed heavy scratches on the camera and the kickstand was completely loose (would open up by itself). Got them to send me another replacement...
Phone arrived last week with the bottom of the glass completely loose. I could lift it with my nail. Called and after *****ing for hours, I got them to send me yet another replacement...
Phone came in with exactly the same symptom. What's going on? I don't know what else to do from here on out. I know it is technically not Sprint's fault, but this is getting ridiculous. I thought my experiences with the Palm Pre were bad... that was nothing.
Now I know they most likely will not send me yet another phone unless I take it to a store. That's going to be another 5-hour ordeal. Is there any way I can get a new device or a fully-functional refurb? I tried retentions and they said there was nothing they could do. =/
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Click to collapse
The only way is with the Asurion process.
If you call *2 and explain the situation they may refund all, most likely part, of the $100 deductible.
I suggest it though.

mattykinsx said:
The only way is with the Asurion process.
If you call *2 and explain the situation they may refund all, most likely part, of the $100 deductible.
I suggest it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought Asurion sends out refurbs sometimes though?

ffolkes said:
I thought Asurion sends out refurbs sometimes though?
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Click to collapse
I've only received brand new replacements.
I've never heard of them sending out refurbs.

mattykinsx said:
I've only received brand new replacements.
I've never heard of them sending out refurbs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That might not be a bad idea after all.
UPDATE: I just spoke to what appeared to be a thug on the other end of the line at Sprint's Tech Support. A nice thug at that. After decrypting our conversation through his strong ebonics, I understood that he created an eTicket (which I received online already) and told me to present it to the store clerk where I will be handed a brand new device. Is this possible? On the ticket it states:
Description of Issue:
Battery Damaged/Swollen/Cracked
Battery Won't Charge
Which is nothing related to my issues and will be apparent when they see it. I sounded skeptical but he assured me that it would work. For me to bring all my stuff (box if I have it, cables, manuals, etc) because I will be handed a brand new one when I get there. I'm still skeptical but I guess we'll have to wait and see. Anyone experience something similar?
Also, he told me I can go to an affiliate store for this (doesn't have to be corporate). Should I even bother? I feel they're less prone to handing me a new device.
I really hope it works out as I don't want to go through the hassle of unrooting and erasing my phone to see that nothing happened.
Finally, will a corporate store have newer phones than affiliated stores or vice versa? If I'm getting something new, I want it to be brand spankin' knew to make sure they worked out all the kinks.
Thanks again!

akarol said:
That might not be a bad idea after all.
UPDATE: I just spoke to what appeared to be a thug on the other end of the line at Sprint's Tech Support. A nice thug at that. After decrypting our conversation through his strong ebonics, I understood that he created an eTicket (which I received online already) and told me to present it to the store clerk where I will be handed a brand new device. Is this possible? On the ticket it states:
Description of Issue:
Battery Damaged/Swollen/Cracked
Battery Won't Charge
Which is nothing related to my issues and will be apparent when they see it. I sounded skeptical but he assured me that it would work. For me to bring all my stuff (box if I have it, cables, manuals, etc) because I will be handed a brand new one when I get there. I'm still skeptical but I guess we'll have to wait and see. Anyone experience something similar?
Also, he told me I can go to an affiliate store for this (doesn't have to be corporate). Should I even bother? I feel they're less prone to handing me a new device.
I really hope it works out as I don't want to go through the hassle of unrooting and erasing my phone to see that nothing happened.
Finally, will a corporate store have newer phones than affiliated stores or vice versa? If I'm getting something new, I want it to be brand spankin' knew to make sure they worked out all the kinks.
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's about the setchiest thing I've ever read lol

mattykinsx said:
I've only received brand new replacements.
I've never heard of them sending out refurbs.
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Click to collapse
All depends on stock. They will most certainly send out Refurbs. But they send new too.
Dust under screen doesn't sound so bad now, does it.

mswlogo said:
Dust under screen doesn't sound so bad now, does it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dust under the screen means that the screen is coming apart.
Eventually that will lead to touchscreen failure or something of the kind.
Getting that fixed is more preventative.
Plus, you pay $200 + for a device, you don't deserve to have a sub-standard device.

OT: what exactly made the guy a thug?
Sent from the void...

wuclan48 said:
OT: what exactly made the guy a thug?
Sent from the void...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The numerous dawgs, yos, and the holla at the end?!
Nobody answered my questions, is it possible that this is legit and I'll be getting a new replacement tomorrow? Why wouldn't get give me some crap someone returned recently?

akarol said:
The numerous dawgs, yos, and the holla at the end?!
Nobody answered my questions, is it possible that this is legit and I'll be getting a new replacement tomorrow? Why wouldn't get give me some crap someone returned recently?
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Click to collapse
Lol.
He must have been from the dirty south. I've called a lot of times and have gotten funny characters.
What he told you is BS. Why would a. authorized retailer such as Best Buy take a new phone out of their inventory and give it to you?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I see... you must not be from an urban area or around a young people much. Thug implies criminal. Speaking ebonics does not. Some people might take offense to that characterization fyi.
Sent from the void...

wuclan48 said:
I see... you must not be from an urban area or around a young people much. Thug implies criminal. Speaking ebonics does not. Some people might take offense to that characterization fyi.
Sent from the void...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OP. Just edit your post to ''ghetto''.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

wuclan48 said:
I see... you must not be from an urban area or around a young people much. Thug implies criminal. Speaking ebonics does not. Some people might take offense to that characterization fyi.
Sent from the void...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, apparently he might just be a criminal according to the sketchiness of this situation and his alleged connections with stores. I guess the term would apply then.
I don't see thug as being derogative anyways. Have you not watched TV much? It's everywhere.
Anyways, if I give someone that works for Sprint and has access to their system my eTicket number, do you think they might be able to explain what it means and how it would be handled at their store?!

OP: I understood, and I LOL'd
Taking offense at ignorance just confirms it....

Back on topic...
Welcome to the world of refurbs.
Call customer service, ask to talk to Account Services. Tell them you will cancel your account if you dont get a brand new replacement. Tell them you are tired ot dealing with crappy refurbs, and dont have the time to keep going back to the store.

Go to a sprint store, tell them there's a ticket in the system. Before you do call sprint back an have them code the ticket correctly. When you go to the store don't tell them what the issue is, just say there's a ticket and have them pull it up. Once they do that the store is subject to a survey, they won't want you to give them a bad survey so they will fully fix or give you a fully functioning device.
Sent from your favorite carrier, black and yellow!

DirtyShroomz said:
Go to a sprint store, tell them there's a ticket in the system. Before you do call sprint back an have them code the ticket correctly. When you go to the store don't tell them what the issue is, just say there's a ticket and have them pull it up. Once they do that the store is subject to a survey, they won't want you to give them a bad survey so they will fully fix or give you a fully functioning device.
Sent from your favorite carrier, black and yellow!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or so I thought... I called a rep from the store a bit ago and explained to them the situation. Basically, they told me that I would still have to wait for them to attempt a repair and if not possible, they would send me a refurbished device.
What's the f'ing point of having this eTicket in the first place? I could go there without anything and they would proceed in the same manner. This is really getting annoying... The local store is always extremely busy and getting out of there with 3 hours is unrealistic. I'm tired of wasting time dealing with this simple fix.

akarol said:
Or so I thought... I called a rep from the store a bit ago and explained to them the situation. Basically, they told me that I would still have to wait for them to attempt a repair and if not possible, they would send me a refurbished device.
What's the f'ing point of having this eTicket in the first place? I could go there without anything and they would proceed in the same manner. This is really getting annoying... The local store is always extremely busy and getting out of there with 3 hours is unrealistic. I'm tired of wasting time dealing with this simple fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The eTicket tells everybody how many times the phone has been checked or submitted to be checked so when customers call and say "I've had this phone replaced 3 times!!!" Sprint can say "No you haven't". They will ALWAYS have to look at/troubleshoot the phone before any exchanges are made.

I've had mine replaced twice and was able to get a new phone. But Jesus Christ was it difficult. They will only give you a brand new phone if the store agrees to it (they have to be reimbursed by Sprint) or if Sprint themselves, agree which is usually a special case.
Here's what you do:
Call up Sprint customer service, explain to them the situation. Don't expect it to go anywhere. Just keep escalating the issue. After you get as high as you can go, call Sprint's Executive Hotline Number: 703-433-4401
Tell them the same thing. 99% chance they will tell you that they can't just give you a brand new Evo. Ask them for a case number and then write it down somewhere. Then, email [email protected] telling them what's going on, and be sure to include your number, account PIN, and the case number (if you have one). This is Dan Hesse's email addresses. He reads the emails, but they are mostly answered by his secretaries. They will call you back on a weekday probably during the same week. You'll get a call from "_________, from the Office of Dan Hesse". Explain to them the situation and be sure to detail your frustration with getting the issue solved and how this is not how a company should handle things.
Also, one of them women that called me back said that refurbished doesn't necessarily mean that the phone is opened up, gutted, and the parts are replaced with working ones. She said that some of the phones are just those that are returned because of the 30 day guarantee and then just put back on shelves. She also said that the only things that are fixed are the things that are written down by the repair specialist in the store, which is stupid because they only write down 1 problem even if there are multiple issues with the phone. Obviously, there is an issue with quality control.
It will take a while, but this is what I went through, and they were able to work with the store near my house to give me a brand new Evo, in exchange for the store getting 2 refurbished phones from Sprint. It's a white 0004 with no issues at all. They will probably tell you that you need to take the phone to a repair center again to have it looked at (the one you have on you), but tell them you've spent way too much time on this issue and you just want it fixed ASAP. If you have a preferred store, let them know which one it is.
PS: Ask for a new white one. Because the white ones were initially only offered at Best Buy, so the ones that are in the Sprint stores now are mostly 0004s, and they have no issues.
Hope this helps,
Frederick

Asurion is terrible

I filed a claim 6 days ago and they have yet to ship my device. I am getting really frustrated with their service and will never get insurance through them again. This is the 6th time I have recieved the below email:
Dear Valued Customer
We understand how important your phone is to you and our goal is to get you reconnected as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to supply constraints, we will not be able to ship your replacement HTC EVO today.
We are committed to working together with Sprint and other suppliers to procure these devices quickly, and will keep you updated daily on the status of your order.
Rest assured that as soon as these devices are available to Asurion, we will immediately fulfill your order. You can expect an email from us each day with information on your order until it ships; or you can always get the most up-to-date status at anytime by going to www.phoneclaim.com/sprint and tracking your claim online.
We apologize for the delay.
Regards,
Customer Satisfaction
Asurion Insurance Services

not their fault. htc evo's are sold out atm in most stores.
last time i checked, they were sold out online as well.

How can you hate a company for not having any stock? It really isn't their fault.
Now the real problem is they are charing for something they cannot provide. If anything, ask them to reimburse a month of insurance.
Sounds a little like fraud to me.

Agreed! I'm in the same boat. The crappy part is..what are we gonna do? They have what we need and complaining to Sprint won't really do much. I do know that reverting back to a windows mobile device is a pain in the @$$!

Last-Chance said:
not their fault. htc evo's are sold out atm in most stores.
last time i checked, they were sold out online as well.
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Click to collapse
Actually it is their fault. I pay for the insurance with the understanding that I would get a device the next day and they are not meeting their end of the deal. That is most certianly their fault.

tgrgrd00 said:
Actually it is their fault. I pay for the insurance with the understanding that I would get a device the next day and they are not meeting their end of the deal. That is most certianly their fault.
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I agree with this, they could at least offer a loaner or some other way of compensation,not just be "your SOL till we get more EVO's"
I bet they'll still want that $100 deductible too.

Bielinsk said:
How can you hate a company for not having any stock? It really isn't their fault.
Now the real problem is they are charing for something they cannot provide. If anything, ask them to reimburse a month of insurance.
Sounds a little like fraud to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I work for a production company so I don't want to hear about not having something in stock. If we don't have something in stock you know what happens? We lose customers and money. In our business that is unacceptable and almost NEVER happens. On the RARE occasion that is does happen the customer gets the product for FREE including shipping.
We value our customers and guarantees that we offer. Of course we also keep adequate inventory based on history and forecasts etc. Needless to say my insurance money will not be going to asurion in the future that is for sure.

I'm getting this message:
Thank you for checking the status of your claim. We know how important your device is to you.
We are doing all we can to obtain your device so that we can ship it to you as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we still do not have your device in stock. It may take 7 to 10 business days from the time you completed your claim until the device is available. We will send you a tracking email as soon as it ships from our warehouse.
Please remember, for the most up-to-date information continue to check back here, on www.phoneclaim.com.
Note: The update displayed above is the most current data available. Our automated phone system and customer service representatives access the same information.
I miss my Evo. Good thing I have some old Sprint phones laying around and I at least have something to make calls/texts with.

rugedraw said:
I'm getting this message:
7 to 10 business days
www.phoneclaim.com
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Click to collapse
Hey rugedraw...Yea I get the same thing when I check my claim online. What I posted above is what I get in my email everyday.
When I submitted my claim it said 5-7 days. It better not be 7 - 10 days now. Problem is there isn't anything we can do. I've called everyone and they all tell me to gfy.

agreed, not their fault. I've been quite impressed with them over the years. im sure if you want they will downgrade you and you can get a shift and i don't believe the agreement states you are guaranteed a replacement next day, even though that's how it usually goes.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

They told me 7-10 days off the bat when I called them last Thursday. I agree that they should do a better job of forecasting and keep more stock of the phones, and I also agree that there is nothing we can do but wait. I went to Orlando this weekend to take my kid to the Disney parks, and I missed my phone terribly on that road trip. It was torturous! lol

I've never had to file a claim in my life until I created a Family Plan. I recently had to file a claim for an HTC Evo Shift which was dropped in water by a person on my account during the first 30 days. I called insurance and it took them a week and a half to send a phone.
Reps try to sell you a dream in the store and say you get a phone shipped overnight no waiting whatsoever. I know it's far from the truth but I never imagined it would be that slow. The first claim on the HTC Shift replacement I had to fax an affidavit and my ID which I did promptly.
I think it's ridiculous and they already charge $2 more than AT&T does for the same service. It was a big deal because the user of that phone speaks Spanish and we constantly communicate back and forth since he needs rides sometimes. I hope I never have to go through it again. I'm keeping insurance on my lines for safe measure and hope they fix their way of doing business.

You guys are making me think I should just drop the insurance.
Between the $100 deductable, monthly fee and 10 day turn around it doesn't seem worth it and horror stories of refurbs.
I only ever keep a phone a year and HTC should cover defects for the first year.
I have never lost or dunked a phone. But I have dropped a few, but never bad enough to replace.

gqstatus0685 said:
I'm keeping insurance on my lines for safe measure and hope they fix their way of doing business.
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Click to collapse
If you keep giving them your money they will have no reason to fix their way of doing business. I know I am going with someone else for my next phone purchase...that is for sure.

Gee, didn't any of you people hear about the big earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant failure in Japan. Where do you think most of the chips for the phones come from?? Sony has 4 of their main plants shutdown. No automobiles are getting made. **** ain't going to get shipped if they can't make it. Maybe you should be more careful with you phones. Evos are out of stock everywhere. Its time to stop your whining!

mswlogo said:
You guys are making me think I should just drop the insurance.
Between the $100 deductable, monthly fee and 10 day turn around it doesn't seem worth it and horror stories of refurbs.
I only ever keep a phone a year and HTC should cover defects for the first year.
I have never lost or dunked a phone. But I have dropped a few, but never bad enough to replace.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, if you dropped your phone in a lake and had to get a replacement, you wouldn't mind paying the full retail price for a replacement instead of paying the deductible? This is why it is called "insurance". It covers what the manufacturer doesn't cover such as accidental breakage, lost or stolen phone, etc... I have it just for the piece of mind that if I do lose it or drop it in a river/lake, that I just pay the $100.00 and get a replacement instead of paying $500+ for a new one.

cruise350 said:
Gee, didn't any of you people hear about the big earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant failure in Japan. Where do you think most of the chips for the phones come from?? Sony has 4 of their main plants shutdown. No automobiles are getting made. **** ain't going to get shipped if they can't make it. Maybe you should be more careful with you phones. Evos are out of stock everywhere. Its time to stop your whining!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This
Sent from my Evo, ho!

cruise350 said:
Gee, didn't any of you people hear about the big earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant failure in Japan. Where do you think most of the chips for the phones come from?? Sony has 4 of their main plants shutdown. No automobiles are getting made. **** ain't going to get shipped if they can't make it. Maybe you should be more careful with you phones. Evos are out of stock everywhere. Its time to stop your whining!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel for the people over there...I really do. But it isn't my problem that Asurion doesn't have phones and I am not a happy customer. Besides we have a plant in Japan that is operational so it is not everywhere that is shut down. I might have a little patience if Asurion came out and actually said this is the problem...as of now I have had no explanation as to why they don't have my device. Just speculation from people like you.
Oh and it is easy to say to be more carefull with my phone. I babied that sucker and made one mistake and now I can't get my phone replaced by the company that I paid to replace it. Just hope you don't make that one little mistake. I will stop whining when I feel I have been made whole for what I have paid for with my hard earned money.

This is what really irritates me about customers. I understand that you bought a $500 device (in your mind, but you paid $200 for it). Yet at the same time, YOU damaged YOUR device, no matter if someone else did it or not.
When you filed the claim, you agreed to the terms. Yes, it says they will ship the new or comparable device to you overnight if supplies are available. You affixed your initials stating that you understand those terms, but decide to whine when it seemingly goes south.
Of course, I'd like to be able to fix every single customers phone and would love it if no one ever had to deal with Asurion again. It's more money in my pocket for the repair/exchange, plus it's a lot less hassle. At the same time, you get what you pay for. You pay the $7 a month for minimal inconvenience so that you won't have to pay full price for a new one.

In my case, the phone slid right out of the holster and onto the sidewalk. It wasn't even a "mistake" in the sense that I didn't drop it myself by being clumsy. Sometimes, **** happens. That's what we have insurance for. Not everyone has a back-up phone they can use like I did and a loaner is the LEAST they can do.
The whole Japan thing is just plain ridiculous. What does Japan's situation have to do with the refurbished phone they are going to send me? Are the phones for Asurion being sent to the eastern coast of Japan to be refurbished and then sent back to US for distribution? No.....they are getting broken phones from people like us, slapping a new screen/LCD on it, and sending it back to people like us. The parts to fix my phone are available on eBay from US sellers. The only people that would be affected by the Japan situation are people buying new phones; not people needing replacements.

Sprint Repair store (Very Troubling)

I just want to get a bead on what is going on here.
I was window Shopping in the Sprint store this morning & a guy had an OG EVO with a faulty charge port.
Before I go on, note the following:
1.I'm not sure of what insurance plan he had (it could be either TEP+Asu, or just Asurion) so this is where I need your help in clarification. But he definitely has insurance.
2. This particular Sprint Store has the Repair Center.
3. I didn't see a repair tech chime in on the conversation. (Odd as usually the repair techs themselves tell you what can or can't be done. Duties & Policies change so you never know here.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He explained this issue to the floor reps & the floor rep told him that they would have to refer him to Asurion ($100+) & get the phone repaired or possibly replaced that way as he claimed it was physical damage.
This customer was no newb (assuming, sounded like he had a clue & a goal anyway) to how this works & explained that he knew this was a common issue as at least two people he knew of, had that same issue with the charge port failing. He did not mention their experience on getting this issue resolved. He called it a defect & it wasn't from him abusing or dropping the phone, which he happily showed in great condition. (I agreed, silently).
They talked back & forth- in small circles getting to this:
The Floor Rep (who sounded very sure of this) said there was nothing this Sprint store could do, they couldn't fix or get him a new/refurb phone because it was technically still considered physical damage.
This went back & forth for about 10 more minutes & the customer was pissed. (Didn't curse or get childish) but he was disgusted that we would have to pay $100 for a manufacturer defect & that the Sprint "repair" center couldn't help him.
He rode on this wave of anger & promptly asked to cancel his service with Sprint. The floor rep easily complied to start the process. (Me thinking: WTF Idiot rep, get the manager!) I face-palmed after that & I left while they were going over the termination.
Now my question/s:
Was the rep right about what they couldn't do for that time of damage/defect? Was this the result because the customer lacking the TEP portion of his insurance?
Are some repair centers more capable than others for this type of damage?
Has some portions of coverage been removed recently aside from the "rarely charged for" $35 screen repairs?
Question for Sprint employees/ former employees: What options can you use to deter a customer from leaving in a situation like that? I feel the rep could've at least put up an inch of a fight to assist in a situation like that or request aid from a manager.
Excuse any spelling or editing errors.

I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that the sprint rep just wanted to show him who the boss was. I've never had any problems with the tech stores here repairing anything from broken screens to broken power buttons. Unless you bring your phone in two pieces or has been physically damaged they should warranty it out.

IMHO
The rep, IMHO, was incorrect for arguing with the customer over what was physical or man. defect. Being a Sprint TC, we are usually asked to go out and inspect the device, open it up and see whether the soldering points are intact or not. you can spot the difference rather quickly when it comes to defect or physical. The rep should have either gotten a TC involved or better yet a manager involved immediately. Most customers, and i mean that with all due respect to both parties, would much rather hear the reasoning from someone who is supposed to know what they are talking about. for some reason customers that i talk to seem to leave in a happier mood after speaking with me over the issue. I have had to step in during a heated discussion between a rep and a customer over issues like this, and I'm not even a lead, just a simple TC. Personally, I think it tends to sound a little more official from the person hired to actually WORK on the devices rather than hear from someone who simply sells it. We spend more time on our job opening them open and inspecting them, just like the reps spend their time selling customers on the device. just my opinion, I'm not looking to start a feud by any means

your response sounds more like a regular store experience for me..

Hypeo said:
I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that the sprint rep just wanted to show him who the boss was. I've never had any problems with the tech stores here repairing anything from broken screens to broken power buttons. Unless you bring your phone in two pieces or has been physically damaged they should warranty it out.
Click to expand...
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Yeah same here, I never had an experience like that. But it's been since the HTC Hero (2 years ago) that I've flexed my TEP. At this very store.
And then the sight of this floor rep allowing a current subscriber to leave without any counter-action. (IMHO: is worse than some random would be customer leaving). You don't have to be in retentions to save a subscriber.
I always have the golden rule of try trice (with different reps/stores) before deeming a crap policy as fact. But this guy was understandably baffled at how useless his experience was that led up to him cancelling.
dgomez720 said:
The rep should have either gotten a TC involved or better yet a manager involved immediately. Most customers, and i mean that with all due respect to both parties, would much rather hear the reasoning from someone who is supposed to know what they are talking about.
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Exactly. When he 1st came in explaining his visit, I thought he would log & direct him a TC.

dgomez720 said:
The rep, IMHO, was incorrect for arguing with the customer over what was physical or man. defect. Being a Sprint TC, we are usually asked to go out and inspect the device, open it up and see whether the soldering points are intact or not. you can spot the difference rather quickly when it comes to defect or physical. The rep should have either gotten a TC involved or better yet a manager involved immediately. Most customers, and i mean that with all due respect to both parties, would much rather hear the reasoning from someone who is supposed to know what they are talking about. for some reason customers that i talk to seem to leave in a happier mood after speaking with me over the issue. I have had to step in during a heated discussion between a rep and a customer over issues like this, and I'm not even a lead, just a simple TC. Personally, I think it tends to sound a little more official from the person hired to actually WORK on the devices rather than hear from someone who simply sells it. We spend more time on our job opening them open and inspecting them, just like the reps spend their time selling customers on the device. just my opinion, I'm not looking to start a feud by any means
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I agree with you, as a customer it does sound more official to hear the response from the person who is paid to actually work on the devices. A lot of people view salespeople as just that, salespeople. Someone to sell you something that you probably don't want or need, not someone to fix something that you have already bought and need repaired.
However, from a customer's point of view, he also may be arguing over the fact that it is for things like this in which he bought the insurance to begin with. If I'm spending $8 per month for God knows how long, the last thing I want to hear is "No, we won't repair your phone." In that case, Sprint could really do a better job of educating its customers as to what the insurance really covers. Most people view it as the equivalent of the add-on service plan that you can get at Best Buy or everywhere else, which basically will get your device fixed or replaced (or some money back) if your device fails after the manufacturer's warranty runs out. Apparently that isn't the case with TEP, however that's not how the salespeople sell it. I was in a Sprint store last month with my Dad upgrading his phone, and the sales rep offered it to us by saying "If anything goes wrong with your phone, bring it in and we'll repair it."
He had to backpedal when I started asking him questions about fixing water damage and extreme gross physical neglect...
BigJohn

Same exact thing happened to me. I called Sprint and still no luck. I eventually had a screen problem and the store replaced the phone for me.
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

I think that is a prime example of ignorance and lack of care for customers. I have been to many crappy sprint stores who have done similar things. Fortunately I have found a sprint store in my neighborhood who treats their customers with respect and are mostly knowledgeable. Tbh that customer should have escalated it to talk to the manager or just go to another sprint store.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

The repair stores are filled with 1 good person to fix phones and 5 idiots. They all depend on 1 tech to actually fix things, and when they can't, the only solution to their problem is.. uh.. Ill have to have u call Asurion. Idiotttts.

This is exactly why the reps in my store immediately hand off any problem phones to a tech. They ask qualifying questions but never argue with the customer. It's up to the tech to determine what's wrong with the phone, and if necessary, "argue" with the customer.
I always explain TEP with a car analogy. You pay an insurance premium on your car in order to carry coverage. If you wreck your car, you pay a deductible and have it fixed.
Evo charging port is a very sensitive issue. I've had some that are obvious physical damage yet the customer still argues and calls me a liar.

So what does TEP actually cover?

cmsjr123 said:
So what does TEP actually cover?
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Ability to get upgrades every 1 year instead of every 2 years. That's about it.
Sent from my EVO

I find that going to an authorized retailer with a repair center works better, I went to a sprint store and they wanted me too buy this or that, battery, etc... Went to a reseller and they replaced my uninsured phone for $35, under faulty USB charger. Also try to go on days they aren't slammed with customers so they can give you the proper attention..

mbaseball3 said:
Ability to get upgrades every 1 year instead of every 2 years. That's about it.
Sent from my EVO
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Seriously?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

DirtyShroomz said:
Seriously?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
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Lol, yeah! I envy everyone else here with their success stories. Sprint stores do chit here for their customers! I'm on a 6 line business plan and they say sorry can't help you any time I walk in to a repair center. We been with sprint since a little before Nextel merger; how ever many years ago that was. I have yet to get a phone properly taken care of even with our insurance. I feel that when they see that there is an issue in device and that they should fix, they just point me to asurion. They never help. Feed us excuse after excuse. Anyone in the orange county area of California have good repair center experiences? Won't be surprised if all responses are No!
Sent from my EVO

mbaseball3 said:
Ability to get upgrades every 1 year instead of every 2 years. That's about it.
Sent from my EVO
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Umm, absolutely not.

Hmmm
I've had my share of issues with the Sprint store where I live. Almost from the time I got the phone I was having issues with it and all they were willing to was a factory reset. They actually let me sit in the store for over an hour (with my two year old son) the last time I went. After we were both tired of sitting I got up and asked the tech about it. He told me "Oh yeah, well the screen is locked and I couldn't get into it" I was floored and pissed off. Someone could have asked me considering I told them I would wait. After that I decided it was time for me to figure it all out on my own.

mskeys2xx3 said:
I've had my share of issues with the Sprint store where I live. Almost from the time I got the phone I was having issues with it and all they were willing to was a factory reset. They actually let me sit in the store for over an hour (with my two year old son) the last time I went. After we were both tired of sitting I got up and asked the tech about it. He told me "Oh yeah, well the screen is locked and I couldn't get into it" I was floored and pissed off. Someone could have asked me considering I told them I would wait. After that I decided it was time for me to figure it all out on my own.
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Wow
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

mskeys2xx3 said:
I've had my share of issues with the Sprint store where I live. Almost from the time I got the phone I was having issues with it and all they were willing to was a factory reset. They actually let me sit in the store for over an hour (with my two year old son) the last time I went. After we were both tired of sitting I got up and asked the tech about it. He told me "Oh yeah, well the screen is locked and I couldn't get into it" I was floored and pissed off. Someone could have asked me considering I told them I would wait. After that I decided it was time for me to figure it all out on my own.
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We have data preservation sheets for that, which all customers are required to sign. It includes a place to draw your pattern lock or write down any other codes.

Well it would have been nice if someone had asked/told me that when they took my phone. I like just stop talking and give me my phone back before I am unable to control this urge to punch you in the face.