Can You Hear Me Now?

Answer is NO!

The other day we had a post on technology and kids and not too long ago we had one on whether or not we could do without certain pieces of
technology.  I had no idea at the time how timely those two pieces would prove to be.

Last week I know I wrote about how Chorizo has morphed into a devil dog.  Well, Tuesday night hubby and I went to the American Idol concert and when we got home I was downloading some pictures and videos from my cell phone and I set the phone on the sofa while I had the back off taking the microchip out for the pictures.  Of course “devil dog” knocked my phone off onto the floor.  I picked it up and it was still working so I breathed a sigh of relief.  When I finished transferring the pictures I snapped the battery back in place and hooked the phone up to charge since it
was flashing red (almost completely dead).  I let it charge overnight.

The next morning I checked to make sure I didn’t have any messages or missed calls then unhooked the phone from the charger and took the
battery off to put my spare battery to charge since it was dead too (I took a lot of pics and videos because I forgot my camera).  I replaced the back and hooked it up and nothing…. The light didn’t come on to show it was charging or anything.  Finally the Verizon logo came up on the screen and then the HTC logo and there it stuck.  It stayed there for like 10 minutes.  I unhooked the charger took the back off, battery out and replaced it all again.  It did the same thing! I tried about a half dozen times taking the battery out and replacing it and it still wouldn’t work. I finally gave up.

I wasn’t feeling well Wednesday so I didn’t want to go to the Verizon store that day and I know they usually only take 24 hours to deliver your replacement phone if they can’t fix it so I figured I’d just take it on Thursday and have my phone by Friday and in time for the weekend.  Yeah, that didn’t quite happen.

Thursday I had to go with #3 up to her apartment to make sure everything was out and to see what was left to be cleaned.  I decided to go to the Verizon store while she was getting ready and then she could just meet me there.  I really was thinking it was going to be a quick in and out and they would be able to factory reset it like they did when I was in Virginia and it froze up on me.  No such luck.

First the girl behind the counter tells me that if it doesn’t go past the sign on screen that they can’t factory reset it.  Then she tells me “Well, you have a couple of options here.  Actually you have three options. #1 – you can pay full price for a new phone  #2 – you can sign a new two year contract and get a new phone at a discounted price or #3 – you can put in an insurance claim and use that to replace your phone.”

Me:  So how much is each of these options going to cost me?

Verizon girl:  Well a new phone is going to cost you about $500.

Me:  And the discounted phone?

VG:  About $500.

Me:  Wait, HOW is that a discount?

VG:  Well, all the phones are about $500 and you’re not eligible for a FULL upgrade so you’ll just get a little bit off of it.

Me:  That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense…. So how much to use my insurance for a replacement?

VG:  $50.

Me: Well, that seems like a no brainer!  I’ll do the insurance.

VG:  Ok, I’ll get you the number and you can call them when you leave.

Me:  Well, since my phone is not working that’s gonna be kind of hard to do.

VG:  Oh, yeah, I forgot. You can call them from here. I’ll dial the number for you.

This is no longer dealing with Verizon but  Assurion, their insurance company.  So she hands me the phone and the very first recording says they are experiencing extended wait times.  After what seemed like an eternity I get a series of questions to which I have to press 1 or 2 for yes or no.  Did I get the phone wet?  NO  Did I drop the phone? NO  Did I lose the phone? NO  after several prompts it gives me a claim number and tells me it will transfer me to a customer “service” (I  use that term loosely) agent to complete my claim.  The Assurion girl comes on the phone and asks
me a couple more questions and then says “I’m sorry, it looks like you are NOT eligible to use your insurance for this claim.  Looks like you will need to purchase a new phone.” And her voice sounded so self assured like she was proud of herself for having thwarted a claim, which really pissed me off!

Me:  I’m sorry… What did you say?

AG:  Well, since your phone was not lost, stolen, didn’t get wet or dropped then it’s not eligible.

Me:  I don’t know WHAT happened… it just stopped working,

AG:  Right, that sounds like a mechanical problem with the phoned itself and we don’t cover those types of claims and since you’ve had your phone for a little over a year Verizon doesn’t replace them unless it’s within the first year so looks like you need to purchase a new phone.

Me:  Wait…. It DID get knocked off the sofa the night before but it still worked afterwards.  Do you think that might be connected?

AG:  So now you’re changing your story?  I thought you said you didn’t drop it.  Are you just making this up now so you can make a claim?

ME:  NO… I just said I didn’t drop it. I didn’t.  My dog knocked it off the sofa onto the floor but since it still worked I didn’t think it was
connected but if you’re forcing me to say that I dropped it order to place a caim then I guess maybe it was connected. I’m not a technician and since the hone won’t even turn on they can’t say what the problem was, but it WAS nocked off the sofa the night before.

AG:  Well, FINE!  Now we have to start a new claim!

Me:  Why can’t we just se the one we already started?

AG:  Because I already maked it not dropped so we have to start over.

She then put me on hold for several moments only to come  back and tell me that my phone is no longer available and they will have to “upgrade”
it to the next model available.  Then she  puts me on hold again for several minutes.  Then she comes back and tells me that the replacement phone is  backordered and I won’t be able to get a replacement for 3 to 7 working  days.  WTH???

I ask why she can’t upgrade again and give me the next model up and she tells me that she is not allowed.  She has to wait to see IF they get any of the replacement in sometime in  the next 7 working  days before they can  do anything else.  She tells me that if  and when the replacement phone becomes available they will attempt to contact  me via telephone 3 times before they void the claim.  I remind her that my phone does not  work.  They will have to contact me at  home.  Then I asked why they can’t just  send it… why do they have to contact me first and she says its policy.  She then asks to speak to the Verizon agent  who verifies they do not have the replacement phone in stock either.  Then she asks me “is there anything else I can help you with?”  I know it was mean anduncalled for but I said “Well, I don’t see where you have helped me at all  yet….”

AG:  Well, is there  something else you’d like me to do?

Me:  Yes, I’d like you  to send me a replacement phone TODAY.  I  pay almost $10 per month per phone and you’re telling me I have to wait a week  for a replacement phone?  I don’t think  that’s fair. I think you should FIND me a phone however you have to and send it  to me tomorrow. I don’t think I should have to go the weekend and most of next  week without my phone.

AG:  Well, we don’t  KNOW how long it’s gonna take.  We might  get one in today and we’ll send it out to you right away if we do.

Well, it’s Saturday evening and I haven’t heard a peep from  them yet.  I can’t believe how naked I  feel without my phone.  I’m almost afraid
to leave my house!  What would I do if I  had an accident or an emergency?  I feel  so lost!  But oddly, on the other hand…  when I was out running errands today it was almost freeing knowing that I wasn’t  at anyone’s beck and call until I got home.  No one could interrupt my little escape.
Of course that feeling dissipated as soon as I was at Borders and couldn’t  remember the names or authors of the books I wanted to get and had no phone to  text or Google it with!  Let me tell you  how life is without my cell phone.  QUIET!  And that can be a good AND
a bad thing.