I reported awhile back that I upgraded my daughter to the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. We had to return her phone because the display was showing a thin green line going down the center of the screen. It initially showed after I took it out of the box, but disappeared the next day. My daughter told me that the display issue had returned maybe a week later. I began to research how to get the phone replaced. Verizon has no real guidance on how to do such a thing...the box contained return instructions (in case we changed our minds about the phone)...it said nothing of if the phone were damaged. There was nothing on their website.
Two days before the two-week return period expired, I decided to bring it in to a local corporate store. They sent me to another store because they didn't have a replacement in stock. I went to the other store and when trying to describe the display issue, they asked me if I were a Verizon employee (the store I initially visited didn't ask me this). I told them, "Yes." They told me I couldn't be helped and that I had to call Verizon Customer Service to get a replacement. Keep in mind that this is two days before the return period expires, around 7PM. I returned home and asked online help for assistance. They couldn't help but gave me a number to call. When I called the number, and after walking through a menu system that was not intuitive, I got someone who began to help but then told me that I'd have to call back the next day during core duty hours because they weren't staffed to assist me. By this time it was 10:30PM.
I called the next morning and they walked me through the RMA process, told me where to get a return shipping label, and also told me that I had to ship it and have it post-marked before midnight that night. I packed up the phone and took it to the local Post Office and got a shipping and tracking receipt, just in case.
That was almost two months ago. I checked my bill last night and the RMA'd phone was charged to me (WTF). I'm pretty sure it's because they received the phone after the two-week return period. I'm awaiting to visit a Corporate store to get it sorted out physically...I'm tired of dealing with phone queues and being transferred (I called several times the first night I was seeking assistance and was disconnected twice).
I haven't had issues with Verizon until now (I'm a long-time customer and employee). When employees buy phones, they receive discounts. Verizon uses a different system to process billing of phone purchases and upgrades than they do with non-employees, but this process is convoluted and isn't documented. I spent a LOT of time trying to determine who to call and when to call. Another thing: If you upgrade online, your two-week return period doesn't start until after you've received the phone (shipping days don't count), so I was within the 14-day period (they've the shipping day in their system). None of this is mentioned anywhere on their website.
If I find that they're going to stick me with the bill after going through all that, I'll immediately withdraw the money to cancel every single line and move to a different carrier. Almost every phone I have on the plan is a Verizon Edge phone (all but one). I'll just pay for the 3 Edge phones and 1 contracted phone...better to do that than to give Verizon $350/month the next 2 years.
I've also ordered a Samsung Gear S watch from Verizon. I bought the watch last night. After seeing my current Verizon Wireless bill, I almost didn't buy this watch. I paid full price ($399) instead of having the watch under contract ($349). Why? Because I didn't want to have to deal with a contract device if I have to leave Verizon over this recent billing issue. As well, the difference is only $50 between the two.
I can't wait for this watch. It is a stand-alone device, meaning it can be used without being tethered to a smartphone (my Pebble needs to be tethered). I can make and receive calls from the phone. I can listen to music directly from the phone, with or without a BT headset. I can get notifications on the phone. I can't do much of that with my Pebble. The con is, I *might* get 2 days of battery life from it and will have to carry a charging cradle and micro-USB cable around with me (I can charge the watch while going to/from work and I can also do it while at work). Functionality-wise, the Gear S is well beyond my Pebble, plus the Pebble was already returned once because of a display issue (the replacement watch has been showing similar issues, though).
I'll review the watch and post it here once I receive it.
UPDATE:
Verizon straightened up the billing for the phones. My wife called them and got it sorted (luckily, I made sure to get receipts when I mailed the phones back to Verizon...had Post Office and UPS tracking numbers and receipts). In fact, one was already in the process of being credited back even before my wife called. Verizon gets a big thumbs-up this time.
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