Develop Bugs

ATTN: people who blame brickers for rise of TEP

While I cant say that people that brick havent affected the TEP prices, I can say I think a big part of it is sprints fault.
Today I filed my first TEP claim with sprint since I have been with them (late 09-early 10).
My headphones were cutting in and out so I replaced them, and it still happened. I took it to sprint and they said they dont have many parts for our phone.
They didnt even bother to take it apart they just ordered me another phone. This is a waste of money for something like a headphone jack not working, and just giving me another phone. This is the reason the costs are going up.

fryingpan0613 said:
While I cant say that people that brick havent affected the TEP prices, I can say I think a big part of it is sprints fault.
Today I filed my first TEP claim with sprint since I have been with them (late 09-early 10).
My headphones were cutting in and out so I replaced them, and it still happened. I took it to sprint and they said they dont have many parts for our phone.
They didnt even bother to take it apart they just ordered me another phone. This is a waste of money for something like a headphone jack not working, and just giving me another phone. This is the reason the costs are going up.
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Someone told me since these phones are getting so complex little things like replacing the screens would cost them more than ordering a new phone. I might be wrong tho. I remember sprint loved to take apart my og epic.

_dan said:
Someone told me since these phones are getting so complex little things like replacing the screens would cost them more than ordering a new phone. I might be wrong tho. I remember sprint loved to take apart my og epic.
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Then whats the point of paying techs lol

fryingpan0613 said:
Then whats the point of paying techs lol
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To wipe your phone and say it's fixed.

phatmanxxl said:
To wipe your phone and say it's fixed.
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lmao did that alot when i had a mogul and it kept messing up. Remember though they arent just gonna toss your old phone when u get the new one, it will go to a repair facility to get refurbed then out to the next customer.

Too late now (and it may have voided the warranty trying to fix it), but unless the actual jack was broken, Deoxit probably would have taken care of it.
Love that stuff.
[duh me.. it's a contact cleaner. same stuff that cleans guitar jacks/knobs from all of the bar smoke and spilled beer]

Lol, this thread tickles me.
What do you really think we're going to do with your exchanged phone, just toss it?
Its going back to the warehouse, the jack will be fixed, then shipped to a store. Only difference from it being fixed in store is shipping.
I would be glad if I were you. You know, we could be like Verizon, and say it doesn't warrant an exchange, so instead ship it off to get fixed.
The truth be told, the issue of not having parts for this phone is not a problem, but rather a symptom: sprint doesn't have much money to spend with vendors, and one of the results is that I and all my other fellow techs have had to be very resourceful when it comes to fixing phones; consider we haven't gotten new parts for a phone that is any newer than the EVO Shift
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Stupid double post

squshy 7 said:
Lol, this thread tickles me.
What do you really think we're going to do with your exchanged phone, just toss it?
Its going back to the warehouse, the jack will be fixed, then shipped to a store. Only difference from it being fixed in store is shipping.
I would be glad if I were you. You know, we could be like Verizon, and say it doesn't warrant an exchange, so instead ship it off to get fixed.
The truth be told, the issue of not having parts for this phone is not a problem, but rather a symptom: sprint doesn't have much money to spend with vendors, and one of the results is that I and all my other fellow techs have had to be very resourceful when it comes to fixing phones; consider we haven't gotten new parts for a phone that is any newer than the EVO Shift
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
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I wasnt complaining, it was more just to state that it seems like a waste of money.
Hell even the bricked phones Im sure they could salvage a lot of it, the screen and other parts would be useful.
I guess when I went into the store I was expecting a on the spot fix. Why dont they keep referbs in store?

You know, I had a similar thing happen. My soft keys, or whatever they are, werent working very well, so I figured they would replace the screen. The problem was the ribbon cable on the bottom of the screen that connects to the keys. Instead they gave me a brand new phone.....a new one, not a refurb. It had never been activated before.

TEP isn't going up because of people breaking their phones, it's going up to cover the latest devices being $550+.
Also, what you did isn't a "claim".

Sunsparc said:
TEP isn't going up because of people breaking their phones, it's going up to cover the latest devices being $550+.
Also, what you did isn't a "claim".
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Since you brought up prices, its interesting to point out that I noticed at best buy the retail for this phone is $699 or $749,while the sprint store was $499. I would guess that it is because sprint gets them cheaper because its directly with the manufacturer?
And I said claim because when I looked up the coverage, it says you are allowed up to 3 claims a year I thought. Or is that for like broken screens?
And why wouldn't sprint send my phone for an example to samsung under the 1 year warranty (I think) and save them some money?

Tep is only going up for new lte devices with a full retail price of $549.99 or higher. It will be $11/mo and a $150 deductable. All current phones will stay at $8/mo and only new lte phones with a msrp lower than $549.99 will stay at the current $8/mo with a $100 deductible
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2

A. We do keep refurbished phones, but maybe the didn't have one.
B. We harvest the crap out of returns in your case, we will take it apart and harvest everything but the jack and the motherboard.
C. Lately, it seems Samsung has been doing some of their own refurbished , because they come in a different box.
D. Yes TEP is going up thanks to the phones being more expensive.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Its also not so much the cost of phones going up. Its the amount of devices at that cost level being sold now. The more high cost phones sold the higher the chance if a high cost claim. Like any insurance they reevaluated and adjusted.

^^ what he said. I work for Sprint too, i run the largest ASC (repair center) in our region, and the way we work is this: if your phone is broke, we attempt to repair it using either Sprint-supplied parts, aftermarket parts, or parts harvested from devices that were exchanged through the Advanced Exchange program- all of this is covered under TEP, but if you don't have it, we then charge you $35. If we can't fix it, we order a replacement. If it's liquid damaged, smashed, spider-cracked, or lost, w refer you to Asurion to file a claim (which is an extended feature of TEP) and then you pay a deductible. If you bricked it, then it's a case-by-case basis (TIP: dont be a condescending a-hole who knows everything, and don't lie to us).
Some phones we simply can't get parts for from Sprint, so we have to order from a 3rd party (e.g. Global Direct), or rely solely on having a harvest-able device on hand. So when we exchange a device for a customer, we hold onto it for 14 days and we use it to harvest parts from part-for-part as needed, then ship it back to the warehouse. We can't stockpile harvested parts, as we are required to replace the parts we take with the defective ones (or else we get charged back).
Whoever said we just hard reset and say have a nice day must've had a bad experience somewhere, because at our store, we take our work pretty seriously. Our goal isn't to be super-techs, but rather make you so happy that you'll take that survey call that's generated a couple days after the service and answer it with a "very satisfied". Our jobs depend on those customer satisfaction surveys (CSAT's), and any response less than a "very satisfied" is a failing score for the particular tech who fixed your phone. Those CSAT survey scores keep us up at night, and is the bane of our very existence. So please, if we fixed your device, help us keep our jobs.
I can't speak for other ASC's, but it wouldn't surprise me if there are a few techs out there who aren't that good, but hey, you get that in EVERY company. Don't go in acting like we need to lick your sack because you're super important and can't be without a phone for the 30 mins we need to work on it. Don't treat us like we're idiots because YOU dropped your phone in a mud puddle. Don't get pissed at us because you forgot your Google account password and expect us to be able to magically figure it out. We want to help you. Help us help you.
But yeah, the price change on TEP is due to the rising cost of the bleeding-edge devices that are coming out, the cost of our Network Vision roll-out, and i am totally guessing here, but to re-coop on the overhead of having unlimited data.

Tep is going up because the iPhone came to sprint. Watch for Verizon double data promo to end once iPhone lte comes out. The phone is a game changer for these networks
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

newalker91 said:
So you work for a 3rd party?
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He must...I definitely enjoy stockpiling harvested parts at my corporate store
Though, seriously, we need to. Sprint has hung us put to dry with a lack of new parts; bins full of harvested parts is the only way to keep under that exchange rate. Especially with HTC touchscreens lately...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

I'm curious, does TEP now cover iPhone? I had the impression when iPhone first came out, TEP wasn't available for it. Then I think a month or so ago, I read rumors that they were planning on having TEP cover iPhone.

sfhub said:
I'm curious, does TEP now cover iPhone? I had the impression when iPhone first came out, TEP wasn't available for it. Then I think a month or so ago, I read rumors that they were planning on having TEP cover iPhone.
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No, not at all. Only AppleCare+ is available for the iPhone. Which is fine by me, the less I have to work on that phone the better.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Best Buy insurance is a SCAM!

The Best Buy employee who sold me the Sprint S3 managed to convince me to drop Asurian, and go with BB coverage. He said it covers EVERYTHING the Asurian plan did, aside from being lost or stolen. I ran through a dozen scenarios, including what would happen if I dropped it puddle literally five minutes after leaving the store. I told him I was worried that since it was such a new phone, Best Buy would not be able to swap it out very quickly.
I was reassured by the salesman, two colleagues, and even the manager on duty, that if there was no stock, I'd simply get a brand-new replacement phone, instantly. In any scenario that required sending off the phone, (maximum of 2-3 days,) I'd have a similar/identical phone as a loaner.
ha-ha.
None of that is remotely true. 8 days after buying my Sprint S3, a friend spilled some water on my phone. When I took it in, they said it would take 30+ days to have it sent off for 'repair.' Since the phone was so new, I was SOL. (The exact scenario I laid out for the salesman, manager, and colleages.) To make things worse, they said that they only cover SOME water damage. If their "non-biased" repairman decides it experienced too much water damage, they simply deny the claim and send your useless phone back. Gee, I bet that Best Buy repair technician is really fighting for me, huh? :/
Now it has been two weeks, and I am still borrowing an old, water-damaged phone from a friend that only manages to squeak out 2-3 hours of stand-by per charge. I have called numerous times, and visited several stores, and I get the same thing. "I'm sorry that the salesman told you those things, but this is in fact our policy--if you read the fine print." YES, I have had a half-dozen people tell me about the fine print, of which I never saw any legal documentation before signing up. I suppose that is partially my fault, but they did not give me that opportunity. I feel that I should have recorded them.
One of my co-workers used to work for Geek Squad and says I just have to wait for them to deny my claim, which can take 30+ days, then I can go in and RAISE HELL, and eventually I will probably get some sort of replacement.
TLDR People DO NOT SIGN UP FOR BEST BUY INSURANCE!!! If I was still using Asurian, I would have had a BRAND-NEW phone at my house the following morning. No questions asked, done deal. Yes, there is a $199 deductible, but with the BB insurance, there's basically a $758 deductible, plus a 30-day waiting period.
Very annoyed at BB right now. I feel 100% conned, and l definitely wish I stuck to the Asurian coverage, which is what my gut feeling told me to do. Learn from my mistake and avoid BB coverage.

Thanks for that info... it makes me feel good about my decision to say no several times to the sales person who tried hard to sell me on it.

I have to say Sprint has done me no wrong in the insurance world. On average I go through two of each of my phones. Sprint replaces them with pretty much no questions asked, although the repair center knows who I am. They know that I hack phones, or whatever you want to call it, and they are cool with it.

My buddy dropped his evo 3d in water today and we went into bestbuy. They dont carry the evo 3d anymore so it was a pain in the ass from the start. They look up the repair info and say oh it could take 10 to 30 days to get your phone back. Then they offered him a loaner which has a $50 deductible. I stepped in and basically said thats bull****. You claim your insurance is better then sprints? If this was sprint hed only b a day without a phone. I understand hed have to pay a deductible but he needs his phone. I then said if this was sprint hed probally be getting a god damn s2 as a replacement. He acted as if he didnt care so as im sitting there i see this couple both buying a one x and i hear the rep ask if they want the insurance and they both talk it over so i walked over and said excuse me i hate to be nosie but i just want give you a heads up that what hes not telling you is you pay more a month then your cell provider probally charges but then when you have an accident like my friend hear just had and drop your phone in water when you come in they dont exchange in store like they make you believe they offer you a loaner which your insurance dose not cover and is $50 and ship your phone off to a service center with about a 3 week timeframe til when youll get it back. I then went back over to the geek squad ******* and said out of curiosity how much money did this store just lose because of me lol he thrn told my buddy to come fill out his insurance form and told me to wait somewhere else lol
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

Different story for me,
I cracked my Evo 3D screen. I brought it and they took it no questions asked. They told me the new one would be ready in 3 days. It was, and the phone they gave me was basically new. (Used, but in a new housing).

This thread is making me nervous about keeping my bb insurance.

I was also thinking about dropping my sprint insurance, but a story like this makes me think twice! I have never had a problem with sprint and getting my phone fixed. I have had my screen crack and they would send me another phone with no deductible. Maybe it has changed, but I'm thinking just staying with sprint.
Sent from my White Gs3 using tapatalk 2

wow thanks for the heads up! i almost went with it too

Glad I read this
I have had some complaints with Sprint/Assurion over the last decade but once the dust cleared, they always came through. I was thinking of BB insurance but I am glad you cleared it up for me.
Maybe I will go in there and f* with them. Get them to pitch me their sales line, record it and write it down. Then I will present ti to them for a signature and if they say they never said that, I will play the recording.
I ALWAYS record my service calls to Sprint. Once I had a "senior" tech feed me some BS about the cause of my ongoing phone issues. (it was an issue that was the same on three identical phones yet they told me it was a "phone" issue) Finally I transcribed one of the conversations and sent it to corporate. I was sent a brand new White box EVO (with no request to return mine). I was then called by an "Elevated Issue" specialist from Kansas who resolved that my profile was corrupt on the Sprint server.
Problem solved and an extra unlocked EVO that I gave to my wife.

I'm a best buy mobile sales rep, whoever handled your case messed up. I've had two people come in with broken s3 and with both of them I pulled a brand new one off the shelf and gave it to them. I have the S3 my self so i made sure that would be the case.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

I would like to point out that we don't normal pull phones off the shelf right away, most of the time we send out out and a replacement comes in 2 to 4 days. It's only cause it's so new that we give out new in box phones
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

All insurance is a scam....lol. tc
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using xda app-developers app

I bought a phone through Best Buy along with a protection plan/ESP plan. Never had to redeem the Plan with them, but after hearing stories from multiple former employees from Geek Squad and normal salesmen and women, I will never buy anything from Best Buy again, knowing how badly I am getting ripped off. Ive had good experiences with BBuy before, but lets just say Im not a fan by any means ^_^ I did, however buy the protection through Sprint. Being such an expensive device, i jumped on it when the Sprint rep offered it

Liquid_Cool said:
All insurance is a scam....lol. tc
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using xda app-developers app
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Not exactly....but on average all insurance is a losing proposition for the buyer. It has to be for the insurance company to make money. The rule that smart money people go by is to never buy more insurance than you need. If you can afford to absorb the loss, don't insure it. Over time you will pay more for the insurance than you will have paid for the loss.

Could also be hit or miss with replacements and such. Best Buy is in the mist of financial troubles also high up people stepping down.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-buy-chairman-steps-down-134928590.html
Sent from My Epic Ice Cream Sandwich With Sprinkles!!!

I've had nothing but good experiences with best buy insurance. I'm thinking the rep messed up.

BKinney said:
I would like to point out that we don't normal pull phones off the shelf right away, most of the time we send out out and a replacement comes in 2 to 4 days. It's only cause it's so new that we give out new in box phones
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
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Are you saying that best buy doesnt have Sprint GS3 refurbs to give out yet? I cracked my screen two weeks ago but haven't taken it in yet because i didn't want a refurb since i've only had the phone a few weeks..

I just took my AT&T GS3 in to BB last week with a cracked screen. I was told it would be sent out for a 2-3 day "rapid exchange". I was also told that the fact that the device was rooted and running a non-official JB ROM would not be an issue with BB or GS.
I returned the next day with my GS1 to have the service switched over and to send the GS3 back. When the GS guy was processing the return he said it was odd. I asked him what. He said that instead of the exchange, my phone was being sent to Samsung for repair and it would take 10+ days...
Are you saying that they could just give me a new one off the shelf instead of making me wait? Also, do you think the rooted and non Samsung software will cause an issue with the Samsung repair center?
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium

I would think that rooting your device is going to be a problem with Samsung. I've never heard of geek squad refusing to cover a rooted phone but that is up to the manager.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

ScrapMaker said:
The Best Buy employee who sold me the Sprint S3 managed to convince me to drop Asurian, and go with BB coverage. He said it covers EVERYTHING the Asurian plan did, aside from being lost or stolen. I ran through a dozen scenarios, including what would happen if I dropped it puddle literally five minutes after leaving the store. I told him I was worried that since it was such a new phone, Best Buy would not be able to swap it out very quickly.
I was reassured by the salesman, two colleagues, and even the manager on duty, that if there was no stock, I'd simply get a brand-new replacement phone, instantly. In any scenario that required sending off the phone, (maximum of 2-3 days,) I'd have a similar/identical phone as a loaner.
ha-ha.
None of that is remotely true. 8 days after buying my Sprint S3, a friend spilled some water on my phone. When I took it in, they said it would take 30+ days to have it sent off for 'repair.' Since the phone was so new, I was SOL. (The exact scenario I laid out for the salesman, manager, and colleages.) To make things worse, they said that they only cover SOME water damage. If their "non-biased" repairman decides it experienced too much water damage, they simply deny the claim and send your useless phone back. Gee, I bet that Best Buy repair technician is really fighting for me, huh? :/
Now it has been two weeks, and I am still borrowing an old, water-damaged phone from a friend that only manages to squeak out 2-3 hours of stand-by per charge. I have called numerous times, and visited several stores, and I get the same thing. "I'm sorry that the salesman told you those things, but this is in fact our policy--if you read the fine print." YES, I have had a half-dozen people tell me about the fine print, of which I never saw any legal documentation before signing up. I suppose that is partially my fault, but they did not give me that opportunity. I feel that I should have recorded them.
One of my co-workers used to work for Geek Squad and says I just have to wait for them to deny my claim, which can take 30+ days, then I can go in and RAISE HELL, and eventually I will probably get some sort of replacement.
TLDR People DO NOT SIGN UP FOR BEST BUY INSURANCE!!! If I was still using Asurian, I would have had a BRAND-NEW phone at my house the following morning. No questions asked, done deal. Yes, there is a $199 deductible, but with the BB insurance, there's basically a $758 deductible, plus a 30-day waiting period.
Very annoyed at BB right now. I feel 100% conned, and l definitely wish I stuck to the Asurian coverage, which is what my gut feeling told me to do. Learn from my mistake and avoid BB coverage.
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Call 1800 best buy .. or look for the best buy price match thread, there an email for the presidential escalation department. They will be able to help you. They helped me with a similar situation. It contact an attorney, they love class action law suits. The reps told me it's at most a five day turn around. Even if there is fine print since its an oral sale they can be held legally responsible
Sent from my SPH-L710...if some one helps you press the thanks button

Squaretrade Warranty Tale #2

I was pretty pleased with Squaretrade when I had my Note 1, as the turnaround was incredibly fast and the repair work was really well done.
Picked up a new warranty for my Note 2 and sadly had to use it rather quickly after getting the phone.
November 27 I filed a claim with Squaretrade for my broken screen. Dumb mistake, set it on my wallet and it eventually hit the kitchen floor. Really didn't seem like much of a drop, but the cracks were there and I figured I might as well file the claim. Now I wish I waited. Had 2 large cracks on the phone and a small chip on the bottom right of the glass.
Everything went off without a hitch, they emailed me the 2nd day UPS label, and off it went. They received it on the 29th with the standard (potentially) "fixed and returned" within 5 days message. It's been 11 days now. I called last week Friday and was told that they were waiting for a digitizer that was to arrive that day and would have my phone out that night. Was pretty happy with that and waited to receive an email with a tracking number. Nothing.
Back on the phone with them today and I'm getting the same story just different ship date. They received the part on Friday, and would hopefully have it repaired and shipped out tonight. It's a cellphone shop and repair depot (Cellular Fantasy in LA, CA), so I'm wondering if they are just backed up with repairs or they don't work weekends? I was also advised that if I want a tracking number I need to call them tonight to ensure it actually went out this time.
So overall I'm probably looking at 13-14 days without my phone. Had I known about the delay, I probably would have waited a month considering the phone actually functioned like normal despite the large cracks.
Anyway, just putting this out there for anyone on the fence about a Squaretrade warranty. I will update with pics of the repaired phone once I finally receive it.

sodomanaz said:
I was pretty pleased with Squaretrade when I had my Note 1, as the turnaround was incredibly fast and the repair work was really well done.
Picked up a new warranty for my Note 2 and sadly had to use it rather quickly after getting the phone.
November 27 I filed a claim with Squaretrade for my broken screen. Dumb mistake, set it on my wallet and it eventually hit the kitchen floor. Really didn't seem like much of a drop, but the cracks were there and I figured I might as well file the claim. Now I wish I waited. Had 2 large cracks on the phone and a small chip on the bottom right of the glass.
Everything went off without a hitch, they emailed me the 2nd day UPS label, and off it went. They received it on the 29th with the standard (potentially) "fixed and returned" within 5 days message. It's been 11 days now. I called last week Friday and was told that they were waiting for a digitizer that was to arrive that day and would have my phone out that night. Was pretty happy with that and waited to receive an email with a tracking number. Nothing.
Back on the phone with them today and I'm getting the same story just different ship date. They received the part on Friday, and would hopefully have it repaired and shipped out tonight. It's a cellphone shop and repair depot (Cellular Fantasy in LA, CA), so I'm wondering if they are just backed up with repairs or they don't work weekends? I was also advised that if I want a tracking number I need to call them tonight to ensure it actually went out this time.
So overall I'm probably looking at 13-14 days without my phone. Had I known about the delay, I probably would have waited a month considering the phone actually functioned like normal despite the large cracks.
Anyway, just putting this out there for anyone on the fence about a Squaretrade warranty. I will update with pics of the repaired phone once I finally receive it.
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I had horror stories with SqureTrade and my Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tab. There was a well known issue with displays on that device with what looked like wet spots (Newton Ring). Sent back my device a total of three times, and always came back with a replacement screen that had the same exact problem. Wrote Squaretrade corporate of the issue, and they never replied. I am not sure that I will use or recommend SquareTrade again.
I never considered using them for a cell phone, as the turnaround times with no cell phone are not acceptable for me.

Milkman00 said:
I had horror stories with SqureTrade and my Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tab. There was a well known issue with displays on that device with what looked like wet spots (Newton Ring). Sent back my device a total of three times, and always came back with a replacement screen that had the same exact problem. Wrote Squaretrade corporate of the issue, and they never replied. I am not sure that I will use or recommend SquareTrade again.
I never considered using them for a cell phone, as the turnaround times with no cell phone are not acceptable for me.
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Well, when I did my Note 1 claim, there was an option for waiting for a replacement to be sent and mail back the old phone (though I opted for repair which was quick). Was really hoping this was going to be the case this time, but I understood because this was a new phone that it was going to need servicing rather than replacement. The turn around is pretty unworkable for me with my job and will make me think twice next time. I'm just hoping they do a good job as this wait has been maddening.
For your situation, did you try leaving a review on Reseller Ratings? They seem to respond to complaints there. http://www.resellerratings.com/store/SquareTrade/sort/likes

sodomanaz said:
For your situation, did you try leaving a review on Reseller Ratings? They seem to respond to complaints there. http://www.resellerratings.com/store/SquareTrade/sort/likes
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I would have thought writing corporate would have done it, BUT what the heck, I will give this a shot.
Thanks

Thanks for posting your story, and I'll be interested to hear your updates. I read your original review of Squaretrade, and your story actually motivated me to get coverage of my Note 2. Well, it was also significantly cheaper to insure it through Squaretrade than through AT&T or Best Buy ($90 for 2 years and $100 deductible is reasonable). I know Squaretrade doesn't cover lost or stolen devices, but that's not why I wanted insurance.
When I first bought coverage, the Note 2 wasn't an option on the website yet. I called customer service and was connected to a well-spoken rep within 30 seconds. He was extremely helpful and recorded my device info and confirmed coverage right on the spot and sent a confirmation email. This was far better customer service than I've ever had when dealing with AT&T.
In the end though I hope to never need to use the insurance *fingers crossed*
Couple questions: Now that you're having your Note II repaired, do you need to purchase coverage again, or do you continue to have coverage but would need to pay another $100 deductible if you file another claim in the future? Also, how stingy are they with the name on the purchase receipt? Although I bought my Note 2 with my debit card, the name on the email receipt was the primary account holder on my family's wireless plan (my father, same last name). I wonder if this may be an issue if I ever file a claim.

UCLAKoolman said:
Couple questions: Now that you're having your Note II repaired, do you need to purchase coverage again, or do you continue to have coverage but would need to pay another $100 deductible if you file another claim in the future? Also, how stingy are they with the name on the purchase receipt? Although I bought my Note 2 with my debit card, the name on the email receipt was the primary account holder on my family's wireless plan (my father, same last name). I wonder if this may be an issue if I ever file a claim.
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Click to collapse
You still have coverage for a repair, but if they send you a reimbursement check, your warranty is done. As far as I understand, you are covered for up to the cost of the device. So if I'm not mistaken, the cost of repairs is deducted from that price (~$600) and continues to dwindle upon each use. Only problem I can see with that is they determine the pricing and never tell you the costs. So this repair + parts might be $300, so if I really have a bad accident causing the device to die in the future, I might be refunded $300 (really $200 after deductible). And ya, you will have to pay another deductible.
The warranties are easily transferable for the life of the warranty, so I don't think you'll run into any problems with names on receipts and such.
My main reason for going with Squaretrade is just like yours: price. AT&T is $200 or $250 for deductible on top of their $7 a month. That's quite a lot for an item that always drops in value as weeks go by and newer, fancier phones come out.

best buy is $240 for two years ($10/mo)and no deductible. not necessarily $240 either. $240 is only if you have the phone that long. its only $180 if you have it for 18 mos...
UCLAKoolman said:
Thanks for posting your story, and I'll be interested to hear your updates. I read your original review of Squaretrade, and your story actually motivated me to get coverage of my Note 2. Well, it was also significantly cheaper to insure it through Squaretrade than through AT&T or Best Buy ($90 for 2 years and $100 deductible is reasonable). I know Squaretrade doesn't cover lost or stolen devices, but that's not why I wanted insurance.
When I first bought coverage, the Note 2 wasn't an option on the website yet. I called customer service and was connected to a well-spoken rep within 30 seconds. He was extremely helpful and recorded my device info and confirmed coverage right on the spot and sent a confirmation email. This was far better customer service than I've ever had when dealing with AT&T.
In the end though I hope to never need to use the insurance *fingers crossed*
Couple questions: Now that you're having your Note II repaired, do you need to purchase coverage again, or do you continue to have coverage but would need to pay another $100 deductible if you file another claim in the future? Also, how stingy are they with the name on the purchase receipt? Although I bought my Note 2 with my debit card, the name on the email receipt was the primary account holder on my family's wireless plan (my father, same last name). I wonder if this may be an issue if I ever file a claim.
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best buys warranty is $10/month or $170 for 2yrs, does not cover lost or stolen, and No deductible.
If something were to happen within the first 7 months where they wont fix, send refurbished phone, or give you credit towards a new phone. Which has happened to my brother you get the prorated amount back from them. He got back $170 from his Black tie plan and they also let him pick any phone that was the same price of the dell streak ( $600 at that time). So he got new phone and the money he paid for the black tie plan back since you get a discount if you purchase 2yrs upfront. Not bad deal if you ask me and with the note2 it seems to be one of the few phones that will last 2 yrs at least or with how fast these phones are coming out you will be covered through the black tie protection.
It beats AT&T's insurance plan including several other out there right now, besides there is no B&M store to bring your device to when you need warranty service and no one to yell at in person when something isn't right.

It seems that best buy's insurance would be a slightly better deal if you ever need to file a claim. However I would rather only pay $90 for two years and pay the extra $100 if something breaks down the line. Considering I used my last iPhones case less and never had an incident, hopefully the same will go with my Note. $90 for two years peace-of-mind is basically what I bought.

Got my phone back this morning. I called last night for a tracking number and they said I would get an email within an hour with the information. Unfortunately it never came. Went to work this morning a bit annoyed as I didn't get an email, but received a call that I had an overnighted UPS box waiting for me at home.
Looks like new, so I won't bother with pics. They did all sorts of diagnostics and included screenshot proof (3 pages) of each test they ran. Only thing I am curious about is the battery test conclusion. Since the phone was barely in its second week of use, it was graded as Good rather than Excellent. Just curious what they would consider to be excellent since this is pretty damn close to brand new.
Anyway, besides the long wait (due to being a new phone) and lack of communication towards the end, I am pretty happy with the service. Screen protector and case now applied so hopefully I can keep from paying out another deductible.
*edit* Just a fun side story, but I went to AT&T to get a new micro sim set up, and I was asked to browse around as I waited for someone to be available. Was a bit odd since the store was practically empty besides the 9 employees. A plain clothed Samsung rep was at the store and asked if I was buying a Samsung phone as I was looking at the cases. After informing him I was just waiting for a new sim to put in my Note 2 he spent the next 15 minutes showing me all sorts of features of the phone. Must have been bored as I mentioned a few times I already owned one so selling me further on the features wasn't going to do much. Probably wanted to practice his sales pitch.

Back from the dead.
Dropped my phone yesterday while on the treadmill. It fell, got pulled by the aux cable, then fell a full foot from where it detached. I was thinking, "damn, glad I have a screen protector and case on it." Well, the glass is intact, but it's bleeding internally. Screen is getting worse and worse. Another $100 down the drain to squaretrade.
Or so I thought!
I called them and told them I really didn't want to wait as long as I did last time. They told me I had the option of finding a local shop to repair it at no additional deductible. All I have to do is pay for it, fax them the receipt, and I will be reimbursed as long as it doesn't go over $599. Took all day but found a shop that could have the part in by tomorrow and repaired same day for $360. Fingers crossed. Still impressed.

Sounds like you need an Otterbox Defender case.

scitech09 said:
Sounds like you need an Otterbox Defender case.
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Ya, I ordered the Commuter. Don't want to go through this again.

sodomanaz said:
Well, when I did my Note 1 claim, there was an option for waiting for a replacement to be sent and mail back the old phone (though I opted for repair which was quick). Was really hoping this was going to be the case this time, but I understood because this was a new phone that it was going to need servicing rather than replacement. The turn around is pretty unworkable for me with my job and will make me think twice next time. I'm just hoping they do a good job as this wait has been maddening.
For your situation, did you try leaving a review on Reseller Ratings? They seem to respond to complaints there. http://www.resellerratings.com/store/SquareTrade/sort/likes
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sodomanaz. I wanted to let you know that I finally got around to posting on resellerratings, and THAT seemed to get their attention. They seem to be wanting to resolve my problem now.
Thanks for the advice.

Milkman00 said:
sodomanaz. I wanted to let you know that I finally got around to posting on resellerratings, and THAT seemed to get their attention. They seem to be wanting to resolve my problem now.
Thanks for the advice.
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That's awesome.
For me I just got my phone back today from a local shop. He fried the first screen and had to order another so I had to wait another few days. Shop has sworn never to touch another note 2 though haha. Works flawlessly now and with the commuter, though huge, feels secure like it did when I had one on my note 1.
Anyway submitting my receipt today for reimbursement. Fingers crossed it goes smooth. Gotta say that this warranty has paid for itself multiple times and the lack of deductible on this fix was over the top.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Destroyed Screen

I wont go into details, but honestly first time i've ever completely destroyed a phone.
Short story, fell out of my pocket getting into vehicle.
I've always had insurance and still do, so I took it in to a Sprint store to get it looked at.
Initially the lady that I first went to, saw my phone looked up my account, and said ok its still in warranty, so I'll get you a replacement.
Then some dude came over and told her that she cant do that, and to get it serviced through their equipment protection plan.
Is there anyway this can get fixed without paying the replacement fee/copay?

Sawdizzle said:
I wont go into details, but honestly first time i've ever completely destroyed a phone.
Short story, fell out of my pocket getting into vehicle.
I've always had insurance and still do, so I took it in to a Sprint store to get it looked at.
Initially the lady that I first went to, saw my phone looked up my account, and said ok its still in warranty, so I'll get you a replacement.
Then some dude came over and told her that she cant do that, and to get it serviced through their equipment protection plan.
Is there anyway this can get fixed without paying the replacement fee/copay?
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I wish there was, been in this exact same situation and thought the same thing. Unfortunately Sprint doesn't do that anymore and you do have to go through their equipment protection plan.
Sorry

Nickitt said:
I wish there was, been in this exact same situation and thought the same thing. Unfortunately Sprint doesn't do that anymore and you do have to go through their equipment protection plan.
Sorry
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Bummer, it sucks. It was just a freak thing that both mine and my girlfriends SIII screens broke in the same week. Trying to avoid the $300 for both to be fixed. I'm chatting with Samsung now to see if there is anything they could do for me.

Sawdizzle said:
Bummer, it sucks. It was just a freak thing that both mine and my girlfriends SIII screens broke in the same week. Trying to avoid the $300 for both to be fixed. I'm chatting with Samsung now to see if there is anything they could do for me.
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I was going to say, that will probably be honestly your only hope. You may get lucky and try a different Sprint store. Anything is worth a try at this point it sounds like.

Nickitt said:
I was going to say, that will probably be honestly your only hope. You may get lucky and try a different Sprint store. Anything is worth a try at this point it sounds like.
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Yeah. Will do.
I'll report back on my findings... *if there are any that is lol*

Good luck dude! Hope for the best, expect the worst.

Sawdizzle said:
I wont go into details, but honestly first time i've ever completely destroyed a phone.
Short story, fell out of my pocket getting into vehicle.
I've always had insurance and still do, so I took it in to a Sprint store to get it looked at.
Initially the lady that I first went to, saw my phone looked up my account, and said ok its still in warranty, so I'll get you a replacement.
Then some dude came over and told her that she cant do that, and to get it serviced through their equipment protection plan.
Is there anyway this can get fixed without paying the replacement fee/copay?
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Click to collapse
What exactly got damaged on the phone? If the screen was cracked then due to the policy change about 2 years ago you'll have to go through insurance not sprint. They now consider that physical damage that's not repairable in store. Your out of luck.
I don't remember but is the insurance deductible really 299? In November I chose best buy insurance instead of sprint due to always having issues at sprint. The third party centers were better in my area than the actual retail store but sprint decided to shut down the third party center here. Oh well.
Sent from the Great Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk 4

yankees45us said:
What exactly got damaged on the phone? If the screen was cracked then due to the policy change about 2 years ago you'll have to go through insurance not sprint. They now consider that physical damage that's not repairable in store. Your out of luck.
I don't remember but is the insurance deductible really 299? In November I chose best buy insurance instead of sprint due to always having issues at sprint. The third party centers were better in my area than the actual retail store but sprint decided to shut down the third party center here. Oh well.
Sent from the Great Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk 4
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Click to collapse
The whole thing is busted, the screen is completely trashed, outside casing is beaten up and effed, missing the screen glass in the corners of the screen, and the back will not snap on in places. I have insurance, Just with bad timing I would need to replace both mine and my girlfriends as she had broken her a few days later. Hence the $299 I was saying $150 per phone for the deductable.

Sawdizzle said:
The whole thing is busted, the screen is completely trashed, outside casing is beaten up and effed, missing the screen glass in the corners of the screen, and the back will not snap on in places. I have insurance, Just with bad timing I would need to replace both mine and my girlfriends as she had broken her a few days later. Hence the $299 I was saying $150 per phone for the deductable.
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Click to collapse
Best thing is to pay for insurance replacement. It's better to get a new one then try to repair. Unless sprint will order a replacement at no charge which will be almost impossible. Good luck
Sent from the Great Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk 4

Sawdizzle said:
I wont go into details, but honestly first time i've ever completely destroyed a phone.
Short story, fell out of my pocket getting into vehicle.
I've always had insurance and still do, so I took it in to a Sprint store to get it looked at.
Initially the lady that I first went to, saw my phone looked up my account, and said ok its still in warranty, so I'll get you a replacement.
Then some dude came over and told her that she cant do that, and to get it serviced through their equipment protection plan.
Is there anyway this can get fixed without paying the replacement fee/copay?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I will NEVER buy my devices from Sprint. I always buy at Radio Shack because you can destroy your phone, walk in the store and walk out with a brand new one and not a refurbished piece of **** that Sprint makes you pay $50 more bucks for.

Sawdizzle said:
.... I was saying $150 per phone for the deductable.
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Click to collapse
Sorry to hear about your situation. I don't know of any tips to help.
On a side note, this is why I don't get the insurance. I think it's a total rip off for the most part. People pay around $7 to $10 a month, which works to around $168 to $240 over two years. Not the issue. But then you have play additional $100 to $150 dollars deductible. This works out ok earily in the life cycle of the phone, but towards the end, it's the same cost for a new phone out of contract. And you don't get a choice on the deductible like with car insurance. I think a more reasonable deductible is $50 with the same insurance rate.
Granted, I don't know the numbers of how many broken phone claims the insurance company or Sprint get. It's possible, people, in general, are reckless with them and are having to replace them like underwear. My guess, probably not, and it's just easy money for the most part.

Don't Break Your Pixel! (Digitizer DEAD - any other options for me???)

I've had my Pixel since launch day (lucky me). Bought through Verizion... 128gig XL in black.
Just a word of caution for any out there that feel comforted in having insurance! I broke my Pixel digitizer/lcd (screen is not cracked, but digitizer under it is DEAD) on Friday of last week. I started a claim with Asurion on Saturday, and they said it's on backorder, and i can't choose a different phone or anything...
So I'm phone-less at the moment and in limbo waiting for Asirion! Anyone know of any other options I can pursue? I was in a chat with an Asurion rep and they said "the average wait time for backordered phones is 3-7 days" they added they would follow up every 48 hours... But go figure - no follow up yesterday...
I'm also wondering if that backorder estimate is for "ALL backordered phones" and doesnt relate directly to the Pixel? (The Pixel could be longer???)
Any other options/things I should do? Luckily I have a wifi tablet i've been limping along with...

That sucks, and from what you just explained your only other options are to get a loaner phone or something like that. the reason they can not replace your device with another device is because the device is unique being that it is googles first device and that you have the xl (the more expensive model), and the 128 gig (the most expensive model) if the device is back ordered than you really are unfortunately out of luck, they would not be able to offer you a lesser device and they can not offer you anything better or comparable, because nothing exists.
my recommendation for you my good sir would be to take advantage of Google finally opening a sales portal that has a dedicated customer service staff. the customer support for the pixel and other google products is awesome. i could tell when i contacted them that they are trying to be on par with other major companies in regards to accountability and customer service standards. i would call them up and complain like crazy. tell them you bought the most expensive phone they sell, bought all the ancillary products that were sold such as insurance to protect your expensive investment and now you are out of a phone. tell them you don't mind waiting but can not do so without a phone, you need your phone for work and life. From here just tell them you will not require a full refund if they in turn send you a nexus 6, tell them it can be refurbished and you will send it back to them once your device is replaced. They will have to bend, they have no other option, its google who has massively underestimated the supply and demand of this device, they are the reason that all companies with access to selling these devices do not have them stocked.

Following up - I think I have very good and exciting news to share. There's a 1:1 support I filled out online, and they literally called me within like 2 seconds of hitting submit and i was connected to someone.
They directed me to www.ubreakifix.com/google -- as their official partner. I called the location closest to me (like a 20 min drive from my work) and they said they can likely replace it in 45 minutes on lunch!
If all goes smoothly, like i expect (they were very nice to talk to) - I'll report back and will likely end up dropping insurance. This should only cost $149 ($50 cheaper than insurance deductable) - and I'm throwing money away monthly for insurance!
Game = changed if all goes smoothly on lunch today!

stanleybb50 said:
Following up - I think I have very good and exciting news to share. There's a 1:1 support I filled out online, and they literally called me within like 2 seconds of hitting submit and i was connected to someone.
They directed me to www.ubreakifix.com/google -- as their official partner. I called the location closest to me (like a 20 min drive from my work) and they said they can likely replace it in 45 minutes on lunch!
If all goes smoothly, like i expect (they were very nice to talk to) - I'll report back and will likely end up dropping insurance. This should only cost $149 ($50 cheaper than insurance deductable) - and I'm throwing money away monthly for insurance!
Game = changed if all goes smoothly on lunch today!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
let us know how it goes!

alobear said:
let us know how it goes!
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FIXED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Took about an hour and cost around $160. ($40 cheaper than insurance!)
Definitely dropping insurance today.
I asked about Galaxy phones (my wife has an s7) and he mentioned that they are much more expensive to fix screens... (Just FYI). But they do repair any phone. I think the good prices on Google products have to do with the relationship/partner agreement they have with Google.
Very cool and two thumbs way up to both Google support, and www.ubreakifix.com!

I'll add that i literally can't tell the phone was taken apart. Very solid work. No marks or any indications of any sort.
Just fantastic. Very excited! I thought i was going to be without a phone for a long time there... lol. Was starting to look into other options like buying a cheap used phone and sellling it when i finally got another pixel.
Dropping insurance and canceling that claim I started with Asurion!

sweet that's nice to know. I have one close to home and when I went to get my s7 edge fixed it was pricey around 3-400 dollars. but it's nice to know if anything happens to my screen I can get it replaced.

I have dealt with them before and getting stuff replaced doesn't void the warranty. I personally will keep insurance until more parts are available. They couldn't fix my water damage pixel xl (i got it working myself)

alobear said:
sweet that's nice to know. I have one close to home and when I went to get my s7 edge fixed it was pricey around 3-400 dollars. but it's nice to know if anything happens to my screen I can get it replaced.
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That sounds like the price he mentioned for Galaxy's. I assume the edge screens are the big cost there... My wife has a standard s7 - i should ask approx what that would be.
chapelfreak said:
I have dealt with them before and getting stuff replaced doesn't void the warranty. I personally will keep insurance until more parts are available. They couldn't fix my water damage pixel xl (i got it working myself)
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Good to know. Very good to know. Maybe I'll add the insurance back on... lol

Don't drop insurance... Because although they can fix phones... They can't make them appear out of thin air if yours is stolen or lost... Just use them if it's physical damage... But I'd have the insurance for when/if the worst happens.... Just my .02¢

I don't know if it has changed, but I use to use asurion exclusively for all my devices, and I stopped using them when I found out all of their replacement devices are actually refurbished devices. Just pointing it out because if this is still the way they operate, it would explain why the device is on back order.

I cancelled asurion and went with SquareTrade. They have a solid repair program and it is $4/month over 3 years.

spectrematrix said:
I cancelled asurion and went with SquareTrade. They have a solid repair program and it is $4/month over 3 years.
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Click to collapse
Very interesting... I'm liking what I'm seeing on their website. I always get a new phone every year, so I would just buy their yearly plan. Doesn't help with stolen? Or does it?
nique0201 said:
Don't drop insurance... Because although they can fix phones... They can't make them appear out of thin air if yours is stolen or lost... Just use them if it's physical damage... But I'd have the insurance for when/if the worst happens.... Just my .02¢
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Good points. Worth noting that I ended up NOT dropping Asurion. But the SquareTrade idea is intriguing.

Does not..

I didnt think the insurance was optional if bought thru verizon? It was just added to my acct, nobody asked me if i wanted it or not. Not that i mind, i have used it twice before on diff devices and had a replacement within two days (not the xl obviously).
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

spectrematrix said:
I cancelled asurion and went with SquareTrade. They have a solid repair program and it is $4/month over 3 years.
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Click to collapse
How do you score $4/mo?
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

MeetFace said:
How do you score $4/mo?
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Called in and asked what deals they had.

uBreakIFix is legitness. Took my wife's Pixel from first pic to second. Someone else picked it up for me, I'll see what that is on the bottom tomorrow. I'm going it's the light...