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I Have 9 more months left on my contract, but for some reason, I am eligible to upgrade, so I think I am goint to do that.
If I upgrade, what will happen to my contract? is it 9 months plus 24 more months? or just 24 months from the day I upgrade?
I also hear many known issues about this phone, so if I buy the phone through wirefly and have issues on my phone, can I still go to t-mobile store to get it exchanged?
Thanks.
a simple call to customer care will give you the most straight forward answer and its 611 on ur dial pad...
Would be just 24 months. Better snatch up that upgrade asap.
Deebo took your bike too?
peekapoo said:
I Have 9 more months left on my contract, but for some reason, I am eligible to upgrade, so I think I am goint to do that.
If I upgrade, what will happen to my contract? is it 9 months plus 24 more months? or just 24 months from the day I upgrade?
I also hear many known issues about this phone, so if I buy the phone through wirefly and have issues on my phone, can I still go to t-mobile store to get it exchanged?
Thanks.
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Click to collapse
Your contract is extended 24 months from the day you start your new contract. If you buy your phone from wirefly then you will not be able to exchange it at a tmobile store, we cannot do returns/exchanges without a T-MOBILE receipt that has the transaction #, Original Transaction date, Phone # of the customer and other information needed to process the transaction. You will have the manufacturers 1 year warranty and whatever return policy they have for wirefly only unless you get the Premium handset protection on you phone line through T-Mobile.
Born_Immaculate88 said:
Your contract is extended 24 months from the day you start your new contract. If you buy your phone from wirefly then you will not be able to exchange it at a tmobile store, we cannot do returns/exchanges without a T-MOBILE receipt that has the transaction #, Original Transaction date, Phone # of the customer and other information needed to process the transaction. You will have the manufacturers 1 year warranty and whatever return policy they have for wirefly only unless you get the Premium handset protection on you phone line through T-Mobile.
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If I bought from TMo, but through customer loyalty, do I have to deal with them or can I go to a corporate store for an exchange?
Sent from the bastard child of Zeus
Through phone and online can not be exchanged in stores
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
If you got it through customer care, you have to go through them. The only way to exchange it in store is if you bought it in store.
TJBunch1228 said:
If I bought from TMo, but through customer loyalty, do I have to deal with them or can I go to a corporate store for an exchange?
Sent from the bastard child of Zeus
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Where ever the phone is purchased is where it must be returned/exchanged to. In our retail stores we must have the original receipt to be able to process a return/exchange for a device. The only thing we would be able to do in the store for a device purchased else where is a warranty exchange through the manufacturer or insurance claim through Asurion if the customer has Premium Handset Protection on their line.
Born_Immaculate88 said:
Where ever the phone is purchased is where it must be returned/exchanged to. In our retail stores we must have the original receipt to be able to process a return/exchange for a device. The only thing we would be able to do in the store for a device purchased else where is a warranty exchange through the manufacturer or insurance claim through Asurion if the customer has Premium Handset Protection on their line.
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I get it and it makes sense. You'd just think buying it from tmo, you'd be able to return it to tmo, ya know?
Sent from the bastard child of Zeus
Certainly that can't be right.
Nevertheless, I have to say my experience getting my bricked phone (my fault entirely) replaced throught the ATT warranty dept went very well.
They even included overnight shipping, didn't require me to ship mine back 1st and included a return shipping label for my crapped out phone. I made the claim Friday and received my new phone Monday 11 am.
Well done ATT.
Congratulations!
What can you advise me to do with my bricked phone? I bought my phone from eBay and I live in Israel. I think that will not be able to replace my phone for a new one. Only if I'll send it directly to LG. But will there be something to do?
Machzelet said:
Congratulations!
What can you advise me to do with my bricked phone? I bought my phone from eBay and I live in Israel. I think that will not be able to replace my phone for a new one. Only if I'll send it directly to LG. But will there be something to do?
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Maybe LG but ATT won't do anything for you unless your a customer. And usually warrenty is not outside of the country you got it from.
Sent from my LG-P930 using XDA App
I think this particular ATT Rep was smoking salmon...I have returned 2 already due to warranty stuff and will probably be selling the next replacement I get...the rep at my local store wasn't overly enthused with the phone and said that was the consensus.
On a lighter note they were very helpful with getting this taken care of and doing so very quickly...
scott0 said:
Certainly that can't be right.
Nevertheless, I have to say my experience getting my bricked phone (my fault entirely) replaced throught the ATT warranty dept went very well.
They even included overnight shipping, didn't require me to ship mine back 1st and included a return shipping label for my crapped out phone. I made the claim Friday and received my new phone Monday 11 am.
Well done ATT.
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Click to collapse
Machzelet said:
Congratulations!
What can you advise me to do with my bricked phone? I bought my phone from eBay and I live in Israel. I think that will not be able to replace my phone for a new one. Only if I'll send it directly to LG. But will there be something to do?
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Click to collapse
I don't have AT&T so despite living in the USA, I sent my phone directly to LG. (I use an AT&T MVNO, so I don't get support from AT&T) LG repaired it free of charge and mailed it back. So I guess LG does something right.
fishscale28 said:
I think this particular ATT Rep was smoking salmon...I have returned 2 already due to warranty stuff and will probably be selling the next replacement I get...the rep at my local store wasn't overly enthused with the phone and said that was the consensus.
On a lighter note they were very helpful with getting this taken care of and doing so very quickly...
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Click to collapse
what's been the issue(s) with your phones?
Generally, I tend to find local store rep's opinions to be, well, less than they should be. After using this phone for 2+ months I'm unsure why a local store rep would not communicate the benefits of this device as opposed to their lack of enthusiasm for it.
I don't think the phone is so bad...I think there are lots of great things about it. I love the screen, it has the potential to be so quick and snappy and really could be an all around awesome phone...I just realized the fact that updates were going to be a little slower towards this phone and it seemed like making any slight mod (firmware/rom wise) would work but had a much higher failure rate than I think anyone was looking for-hence my looking to move on...
The specific issues with my phone were a short or something that just hard bricked the phone without warning and without any mods...at all. It just turned off one day and nothing could ever, every be done to get it back on. Strange.... the second phone has never been quite right after installing a rom and the boot loops and not being able to reboot was kind of a turn off. Plus the speaker in the earpiece has been a bit wonky so I decided to do a warranty return and then move on from there.
And you're right...some of the reps seem to be way off from what's realistic...you can tell they definitely play favorites and seem to be very partial and unsupportive. But at least they were helpful!
kernelpan1c said:
I don't have AT&T so despite living in the USA, I sent my phone directly to LG. (I use an AT&T MVNO, so I don't get support from AT&T) LG repaired it free of charge and mailed it back. So I guess LG does something right.
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Did you get your repaired phone back? How long did it take? Get me some tips what I need to do, where to send?
Machzelet said:
Did you get your repaired phone back? How long did it take? Get me some tips what I need to do, where to send?
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I called LG Customer Service and told them the device wouldn't power up. (I had done a battery pull and it totally hardware bricked the device.) They had me send it to Stellar Wireless with the Repair Authorization # they gave me. I got it back within 7 business days.
scott0 said:
Certainly that can't be right.
Nevertheless, I have to say my experience getting my bricked phone (my fault entirely) replaced throught the ATT warranty dept went very well.
They even included overnight shipping, didn't require me to ship mine back 1st and included a return shipping label for my crapped out phone. I made the claim Friday and received my new phone Monday 11 am.
Well done ATT.
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Click to collapse
Exchanging in a store during your 30 day buyers remorse period is different than exchanging through warranty. You might have exchanged it several times in store, but to AT&T's warranty department, this is the first time. They keep track of how many warranty claims you make, once you get to a certain point they usually allow you to try something different.
As for AT&T store reps, many of them base their opinions on phones on popularity, return rate, etc. The Nitro/Optimus LTE is an awesome phone, but it isn't very popular saleswise.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
kernelpan1c said:
I called LG Customer Service and told them the device wouldn't power up. (I had done a battery pull and it totally hardware bricked the device.) They had me send it to Stellar Wireless with the Repair Authorization # they gave me. I got it back within 7 business days.
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One problem - I live in Israel, and in my country this device is officially not for sale. So I do not know how and where to call and send the device. I have no idea what to do.
AT&T reps were trained to lie to customers. I had to turn in my SGS2 twice for exchange, and both times I was told I was the first to exchange the SGS2.
Machzelet said:
One problem - I live in Israel, and in my country this device is officially not for sale. So I do not know how and where to call and send the device. I have no idea what to do.
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I would go to the LG swebsite and look for a way to contact them about a warranty exchange or repair.
Sent from my LG-P930 using XDA App
I made a warranty exchange, asking to try and get the new LTE variant and the guy said he'd try to send me one via warranty exchange. Opened the box and this is what came in it. Looking on the back, without the battery says regular t999, is this accurate way of telling? Or do I have to power it on?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Mine shows SGH-T999L under the battery, so you did NOT get an LTE version. I don't think that you would, they haven't be out long enough to have refurbs yet.
Yes what it says under the battery is what you got. They're not gonna replace your T999 with a T999L unless they are totally out.
And even if they were willing to do so, it'd probably only be done for people who are already in markets with LTE. Did you ever verify for sure your area has LTE?
Is that a refurbished or a new one though? Didn't someone say that the refurbs don't come with a battery?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 11:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 PM ----------
Looking at it more, you got the documentation, cables, SIM card.....If that's a nib device I'd say you still got really lucky!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
That's the refurb I got. Back case, cables, battery, headphones, etc. Noticed the power button stuck a little, couldn't tell anything else was wing with it.
And yes, I am in an LTE area. Got another device on the way. Just gonna keep trying till I get it. Check my other thread for the details, this whole process has been going quite well surprisingly
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
I remember the other thread, but it'd help others if you post a link. (Probably should've.just continued posting there instead of a opening new thread)
I think.that's where someone said the refurbished devices don't come with a battery and other parts. I was just curious.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Model number would have the L playa!
Naturesretard said:
I made a warranty exchange, asking to try and get the new LTE variant and the guy said he'd try to send me one via warranty exchange. Opened the box and this is what came in it. Looking on the back, without the battery says regular t999, is this accurate way of telling? Or do I have to power it on?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
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Question, how you guys do warranty exchange? From below after 14 days (CA 30 days).
they will charge handling for the phone under manufacturer warranty
If you recently purchased a new T-Mobile phone
You have 14 calendar days for discounted purchases with an annual plan at retail stores (30 in CA), 20 calendar days for online purchases via t-mobile.com, and 30 calendar days for full price purchases from the date of purchase, to return purchased equipment to the point of purchase.
Equipment must be in good working condition with original contents and packaging to be eligible for a refund of the purchase price. This return policy applies to the purchase of new equipment from T-Mobile or its authorized dealers. Proof of purchase is required.
We may charge a restocking fee. A different return period may apply to accessory purchases. Prepaid cards, software, or games are not refundable.
If your phone is defective and still under the manufacturer warranty
If your phone is defective and still under manufacturer warranty, you can return it directly to the manufacturer. T-Mobile can assist you by providing you with a replacement phone and submitting your phone to the manufacturer for you. This is a service that T-Mobile provides as a supplement to the manufacturer warranty that may come with your phone.
T-Mobile charges a processing fee for this service. If you would like T-Mobile to provide you with a replacement phone and to send your defective phone to the manufacturer for you, contact Customer Care to order a replacement. Please note that when you call, Customer Care will first attempt to troubleshoot your phone issues. For this reason, please make your initial call to Customer Care from a different phone or you may limit the ability to troubleshoot.
isiah said:
Question, how you guys do warranty exchange? From below after 14 days (CA 30 days).
they will charge handling for the phone under manufacturer warranty
If you recently purchased a new T-Mobile phone
You have 14 calendar days for discounted purchases with an annual plan at retail stores (30 in CA), 20 calendar days for online purchases via t-mobile.com, and 30 calendar days for full price purchases from the date of purchase, to return purchased equipment to the point of purchase.
Equipment must be in good working condition with original contents and packaging to be eligible for a refund of the purchase price. This return policy applies to the purchase of new equipment from T-Mobile or its authorized dealers. Proof of purchase is required.
We may charge a restocking fee. A different return period may apply to accessory purchases. Prepaid cards, software, or games are not refundable.
If your phone is defective and still under the manufacturer warranty
If your phone is defective and still under manufacturer warranty, you can return it directly to the manufacturer. T-Mobile can assist you by providing you with a replacement phone and submitting your phone to the manufacturer for you. This is a service that T-Mobile provides as a supplement to the manufacturer warranty that may come with your phone.
T-Mobile charges a processing fee for this service. If you would like T-Mobile to provide you with a replacement phone and to send your defective phone to the manufacturer for you, contact Customer Care to order a replacement. Please note that when you call, Customer Care will first attempt to troubleshoot your phone issues. For this reason, please make your initial call to Customer Care from a different phone or you may limit the ability to troubleshoot.
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Click to collapse
Old thread lol
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
I recently had warranty service on my Note 4 through AT&T. The process turned out to be considerably more difficult - and potentially financially risky - than I expected. There are a lot of things that I know now, that I wish I had known at the beginning of the process. Therefore, I'm writing this summary to help prepare other AT&T customers who need service for their Samsung (and probably other) products.
If you don't care about the back story, just scan for the bolded TAKEAWAY lines below, or skip to the SUMMARY section at the end.
THE ISSUE
I bought a new (not refurbished) Note 4 a few months ago. From the moment I got it home, away from the blazing fluorescent lights and full screen brightness in the AT&T store, I noticed the dreaded pink tinted screen issue. The effect was minor at first, but grew in intensity over the subsequent weeks. It was bad enough within just a couple of days that I couldn't see the right-most digit of my alarm clock app at all when I had the brightness turned way down for nighttime (this would be at the top of the screen, they way it sits horizontally on my stand).
Having had a similar, but more severe, screen issue that rendered my Galaxy S4 unusable, I was particularly sensitive to screen quality and resolved to get this fixed.
MY OPTIONS
I had two primary options for fixing the problem (probably in addition to purchase protection on my business credit card):
1. Samsung warranty: Covers manufacturer defects for one year
2. AT&T insurance policy (well, 3rd party policy that AT&T sells): Covers virtually any kind of defect, damage, or loss, after paying the deductible
I decided to pursue Option 1, for two reasons. Firstly, the problem was clearly (to me, at least) a manufacturing defect. Secondly, the insurance policy had a $200 deductible. So, I stopped by the AT&T store in my local mall to get the phone fixed under warranty. No problem, right? I mean, my parents have had like a half-dozen iPhones fixed or replaced at the Apple store in their mall just by walking in off the street...
AT&T'S PROCESS
I learned my first lesson in the threshold of the door to the AT&T store:
TAKEAWAY 1: AT&T RETAIL STORES DON'T PROVIDE WARRANTY SERVICE FOR THE DEVICES THEY SELL
Huh? Given the aforementioned problem with my S4, I was shrewd enough to ask about the warranty before buying the Note 4. The AT&T person told me that it had a 1-year, manufacturer warranty. This was entirely correct. My mistake was interpreting this to mean that I could go back to the store where I had just bought the phone a few weeks prior and have it fixed under warranty. That's not the case. Instead, the person at the store handed me a business card with the toll-free number for AT&T Wireless support.
I went back home and called the number on the card. The person who helped me was prompt and professional. She logged the details of my issue, and explained the next steps to me as follows:
AT&T sends a new phone body
I swap my battery, SIM card, S Pen, and back cover to the new phone
I repackage my old phone body in the same box and mail it back to AT&T, postage pre-paid
So far, so good. But...
An AT&T person receives and evaluates the old phone
If the problem is deemed to be a manufacturer defect, the process ends for me here, and AT&T ships the broken unit back to Samsung
If the problem is deemed to be caused by physical damage, AT&T ships the old phone back to me, charges me the full retail price of the replacement phone, and I keep both phones!
Say what?! I asked what would happen in the unlikely case that the phone left my hands undamaged, but was damaged during shipping. She confirmed that AT&T would send the broken phone back to me and that I'd be stuck with both the old and new phones - and would have to pay for the new phone.
Dumbfounded, I asked for a way to mitigate the risk of my getting stuck with two phones. She recommended that I go back to my local store and have an AT&T employee inspect the phone, and add notes to my account stating that the phone is not physically damaged. Then, if it arrived damaged at the warranty center, they'd know that it had to have been damaged in shipping. She said that she'd leave my case open in her computer system, and that the next person I spoke with could complete the process after I returned from the store.
That sounded reasonable (enough). So, I went back to the retail store, an AT&T person looked at the phone, concluded that it was not physically damaged, and annotated my account accordingly.
I returned home, called the toll-free number again, and picked up where I left off. The person I spoke with this time reiterated the process to me, and confirmed that if the old phone arrived damaged, AT&T would send it back to me and I'd be stuck with it, stuck with the new phone, and charged for the new phone. "Except in this case", I added, "because the notes in my account said that the phone isn't damaged, right?"
Wrong.
If the old phone arrives damaged, I own both phones. "Why did I just go to the [email protected]#$ing store then?" He said that I shouldn't have, and that the previous customer service rep shouldn't have told me to do so. He said that I might damage the phone after leaving the store, before I ship it back to them, and therefore that the notes in my account meant nothing. He's right, of course.
After a spirited discussion, he made another good point - the warranty is from Samsung, not AT&T. AT&T provides warranty service as a "courtesy" to its customers. For phones with defects, AT&T can send them back to Samsung and get reimbursed. For physical damage, though, Samsung won't accept the phone under warranty. Therefore, AT&T needs some way to guard against getting stuck with a broken phone. Before proceeding, let's pause for another takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 2: AT&T DOES NOT WARRANTY SAMSUNG PHONES, SAMSUNG WARRANTIES SAMSUNG PHONES
This makes perfect sense, and I definitely see the problem from AT&T's point of view. Still, the original unresolved issue persists. So, I asked the guy what I could do to protect myself against the possibility of the old phone getting damaged in shipping. He offered that perhaps the manager at my local AT&T retail store could pack and ship the old phone for me. I agreed to that, and asked what would happen if it arrived broken due to shipping damage. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before.
Flabbergasted, I stated that I was willing to assume the risk of damage during shipping, and changed topics.
Next I asked what would happen if the phone arrived at the AT&T service center intact, but that the person assessing the problem concluded that the pink screen problem was due to damage, rather than a manufacturing defect. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before.
I asked how to determine, definitively, whether the issue was manufacturing-related or damage-related, prior to sending the phone back to the AT&T service center and starting the inexorable process that may lead to me getting stuck with two phones. After all, the person in the retail store who annotated my account said that it was a manufacturing defect? He said that AT&T retail employees are not qualified to distinguish between manufacturer defects and physical damage. Another takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 3: AT&T RETAIL STORE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT QUALIFIED/TRAINED/AUTHORIZED TO ASSESS WARRANTY-RELATED ISSUES
(Makes all you AT&T store employees out there feel valued by your employer, eh?)
Fortunately, the guy on the phone was trained to make these types of assessments. Based on our call so far - and never having seen my phone in person - he says that the pink screen was most likely due to physical damage. With steam coming out of my ears, I told him that I wasn't even going to debate whether the issue with the handset was a defect or damage, but rather would stick to trying to understand the Kafkaesque service process.
Specifically, I said that the previous phone rep who I spoke to said that she thought the issue was due to a defect. So, regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the dilemma is that two different AT&T people made two different assessments about the root cause of my phone's problem. In one case, I could get it fixed for free. In another case, I end up spending over $1,500 for two phones, one of which is broken.
Naturally, I asked what my recourse was if the AT&T warranty center person determined that the issue was due to physical damage, but that I still thought it was a defect. He said I'd get stuck with both phones, same as before. I asked if there was an appeals process. No, there isn't. Next takeaway:
TAKEAWAY 4: IF AT&T SENDS YOU A NEW PHONE UNDER WARRANTY AND YOU SEND THE OLD ONE BACK TO THEM, THE PROCESS WILL RESULT IN ONE OF TWO OUTCOMES, AT AT&T'S SOLE DISCRETION:
A) AT&T DETERMINES THE ISSUE TO BE A DEFECT, AND YOU KEEP THE REPLACEMENT PHONE FOR FREE
B) AT&T DETERMINES THE ISSUE IS DUE TO DAMAGE, THEY SEND YOU YOUR OLD PHONE BACK, CHARGE YOU FOR THE NEW PHONE, AND YOU KEEP BOTH.
Period. End of story. No appeal. No recourse. Just roll the dice and pray that the AT&T warranty person who you've never met and never get to talk to ends up looking at the phone and coming to the same conclusion as you.
Unconvinced that a company as big and mature as AT&T didn't have some reasonable solution, I inquired, yet again, about options. There were two remaining:
1. Send the phone to Samsung for warranty service by mail
2. Take the phone to an AT&T Device Support Center for in-person service
The first option would leave me without a phone for a week or two. But, Samsung wouldn't stick me with an extra phone the way AT&T would.
TAKEAWAY 5: YOU CAN SEND YOUR PHONE DIRECTLY TO SAMSUNG FOR WARRANTY SERVICE, WITHOUT INVOLVING AT&T IN THE PROCESS
I don't know how easy or hard it is do work with Samsung, or what their process is if you think there's a defect and they think there's damage, etc... I'll leave that for someone else to explain.
But, this second option sounds good - an AT&T Device Service Center. As it turns out, this is what I was looking for all along! It's a real building, with real AT&T employees, who are qualified to assess warranty issues, and able to repair/replace defective phones. Perfect! The closest one to me is 225 miles away (which took the phone rep 10 minutes to find, because their system is only set up to offer this option if the Center is within 50 miles), but I GLADLY drove down there to get my phone fixed. The person there looked at my phone, immediately judged the issue to be a defect that was covered by warranty, and in 2 minutes had me set up on another Note 4 with a spectacular screen. So:
TAKEAWAY 6: YOU CAN TAKE YOUR PHONE TO AN AT&T DEVICE SERVICE CENTER FOR IN-PERSON WARRANTY SERVICE
TAKEAWAY 7: THERE ARE VERY FEW AT&T DEVICE SERVICE CENTERS, SO YOU MAY NEED TO TRAVEL A LONG DISTANCE TO GET TO ONE
SUMMARY
To summarize the preceding dissertation, AT&T customers with Samsung (and possibly other) phones who need warranty service should know:
The phone's warranty is from Samsung, not AT&T
AT&T provides in-person warranty service, on behalf of Samsung, through Device Service Centers only, not through retail stores
AT&T Device Service Centers are few and far between, so be prepared to travel
Warranty service by mail through AT&T is not a viable option, because you can get stuck paying for two phones, at AT&T's sole discretion, and have no recourse
Oh, and two more:
The pink screen issue is for real - and really obvious when it happens; folks who are adamant that it's imaginary, that we're looking at our screens crookedly, or that we're otherwise obsessing over something minor are just lucky enough to have units with good screens
A good Note 4 screen is AMAZINGLY good - if you have the pink screen issue, go through the hassle to get it replaced; you won't regret it
Some AT&T stores do provide warranty right on sight, for instance I work at one that doesn't have warranty on site but two hours away there is another AT&T that handles all warranty in store. And a one year manufactures warranty is just that, the manufacturer is responsible for the warranty, so you can go through samsung or you can go through att except for Apple products, anything past the 4s is handled by Apple exclusively. With that being said as long as you don't send a device with signs of phisical or water damage you won't be charged for warranty by either company. The nice thing if you're close to a service center is you can get a new phone same day, regardless of which way you go, att or sammy, if you mail it out expect to wait for a phone. Just remember, manufacturer does not mean att, verizon, sprint and t mobile are responsible for the issue, they will do an exchange by mail as a courtesy, not because they promise the device will work with no hardware faults. The only phones att takes responsibility for are the unbranded att phones we sell l, but again that's not in store, unless it's a service center, otherwise there is too much overhead to hold that much inventory reserved for warranty issues.
Here is a link where you can find device service centers for AT&T, its near lower down on the page and will list places by state http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB91429
It will download a pdf with the locations
thanitos said:
Some AT&T stores do provide warranty right on sight, for instance I work at one that doesn't have warranty on site but two hours away there is another AT&T that handles all warranty in store.
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QUESTION: Is this second store considered a "Device Service Center", or is it just a regular, retail AT&T storefront?
According to 1) the guy at my retail store 2) the first customer service phone rep and 3) the second customer service phone rep, only the Device Service Centers are able to do warranty service. Perhaps some are co-located with retail stores, but they were pretty clear to me that retail stores, per se, couldn't service warranty issues.
thanitos said:
Just remember, manufacturer does not mean att, verizon, sprint and t mobile are responsible for the issue, they will do an exchange by mail as a courtesy, not because they promise the device will work with no hardware faults.
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Understood. But, when I buy a drill from Home Depot, they don't send me to Hitachi for service when it breaks. They don't make me drive three states away to an authorized Home Depot service center to have it fixed. I go to the store where I bought it, with my receipt, and they fix or replace it. Same with my tablet from Best Buy, auto recall at the car dealer, rotten fruit from the grocery store, everything I buy from Amazon, even stuff from eBay where I haven't reached an amicable settlement with the seller. They all honor the manufacturers' warranties in-house, or provide equivalent service for the products they sell in the infrequent cases that they prove to be defective.
My concern with AT&T is that they don't have my back - especially as a small business owner. I buy a new phone - the most expensive phone that they had in the store, mind you - and as soon as they swipe my card, that store is out of the picture. Subsequently, I have to follow this Rube Goldberg process to fix the problem if something goes wrong 5 minutes later.
I re-read the insurance policy during this whole process, as well, and I have the same concerns there. I haven't been through the insurance claim process, so I can't say first-hand whether it's easy or hard. But, the language definitely doesn't give me the impression that I can just walk into the store where I bought the phone, pay my deductible, and walk out with a new one. Maybe I'm wrong; if you know how the insurance claim process works, I'd be interested in hearing about your first-hand experiences as an AT&T employee.
To conclude, don't take my preceding comments the wrong way. I'm not some hater; on the contrary, I've been an outspoken advocate of AT&T because they've treated me so well. I've had generally excellent experiences with AT&T over the years and, consequently, I've recommended AT&T to many, many friends, family, and colleagues. Based on this experience, though, I'm looking at switching carriers - certainly when my current AT&T NEXT term is up, and possibly before (U.S. Cellular has a deal right now where they'll pay off my existing contract. I had them previously and loved them as a carrier). Having a cool new phone and lots of LTE coverage is great, but what's most important to me is the security of knowing that when something goes wrong, it'll get fixed promptly. That wasn't the case this time, and I don't have confidence that AT&T will be there for me the next time.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to provide some feedback. Have a good day.
If you need to file a claim for insurance, it is done online or over the phone. You do not do in person at an att store.
I've done lots of warranty exchanges by mail with att over the last 13 years and I've never had an issue.
Honestly, I have AT&T and have had my a Note 4 replaced 2 times already. One due to charging just stopping at 35% and the other was a combo of the pink tinted screen and dead pixel in the top left. I went directly through Samsung. Their support is amazing. I went out and picked up a cheap ass Go Phone and activated that while Samsung had my devices. They even offer over night shipping if you want to pay for it. AT&T is just a horrible provider and I've only stuck with them since they were Cingular because they ALWAYS got the top brand phones. Now it seems T-Mobile and Sprint are getting the top brand phones more and more now so after this contract its time to say goodbye.
TL;DL
Always use Samsung warranty over AT&T warranty. More professional and less phonecalls/headaches.
DamageSource said:
I went directly through Samsung. Their support is amazing...Always use Samsung warranty over AT&T warranty. More professional and less phonecalls/headaches.
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I'm glad to hear that Samsung is this good about supporting their hardware. They're definitely not interested in hearing what customers have to say about their software (I have a thread on that topic somewhere around here). If this new Note 4 needs warranty service, I'll definitely call Samsung, in addition to AT&T, to see who has the better support option at that point in time. Honestly, I didn't even really consider calling Samsung for support this time around, because the phone was so new and I just assumed that AT&T would support the products that they sold in their stores.
From looking at the Samsung support site, they only have seven service centers in the whole U.S. I thought AT&T Device Support Centers were sparse, but I'd have to get on a plane to get to a Samsung one. All else being equal, I'd prefer to have in-person service for my devices. Especially for something like the pink screen issue - which drove me crazy, but that my wife could care less about - I think it's important to be able to demonstrate the problem to the service person face-to-face and explain how/why it impacts me. To that end:
QUESTION: Has anyone bought a phone from somewhere like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Costco, etc. and been able to get in-store warranty service/replacement?
I'm asking about service per the manufacturer warranty, not the type of paid extended warranty that Best Buy typically offers on their electronics (though the latter might be an alternative to the AT&T insurance). I'd actually stopped by the local BB to shop for the Note 4, but they said that they couldn't add it to my AT&T business account (despite my having called BB customer service first and confirming that my local store did service AT&T business accounts. Sigh...). Back to the point, I'd be interested in buying from a real store, with real product in-stock, who is willing to provide warranty service right from the retail location.
Anyway, I'm going to be upgrading another phone on this account soon, and I'm open to recommendations about where to buy the hardware (even if it means switching carriers). It probably won't be another Samsung, given the quality control issues I've had with both of my Galaxy products. But it might be. I'm open to alternatives. Thanks for your feedback.
mcmannion said:
QUESTION: Has anyone bought a phone from somewhere like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Costco, etc. and been able to get in-store warranty service/replacement?
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My brother only buys from Best Buy and he says that they replace the unit in store right there if it's in stock and if not you can go to an alternative location and pick it up if it's close by for you.
it is done online or over the phone. You do not do in person at an att store.
I can tell you from experience that Costco does replace phones. It is a 3rd party company that runs the phone kiosks in Costco warehouses and Costco themselves paid for a phone exchange for me because when I exchanged my S3 it was not on sale at the price it was on a Black Friday when I purchased it.
I have had AT&T phones for over 10 years & have exchanged defective units by phone/mail through AT&T too & never had a problem. AT&T normally sends a refurb rather than a new unit but as long as it works I'm satisfied.
Hey all,
I would really appreciate your advice...
I've had my Verizon G4 for less than a month.
My wifi completely crapped out and I'm getting random reboots. I'm 99% it's a hardware issue.
I've loaded the latest 13b update but doesn't fix anything...
My question to you all is this... should I send it back to Verizon for Warranty Like New Replacement or Send it back to LG Directly for Warranty repair?
The reason why I ask is because I did drop the phone once and it nicked the corner of the phone slightly (see attached pic).
If I send to Verizon, what are the chances they'll charge me the $300 damage fee?
The rest of the phone is pristine...
I know if I send back to LG, they'll just send it back to me as is...
Everyone's thoughts would be appreciated...
Thanks in advance
joel32137 said:
Hey all,
I would really appreciate your advice...
I've had my Verizon G4 for less than a month.
My wifi completely crapped out and I'm getting random reboots. I'm 99% it's a hardware issue.
I've loaded the latest 13b update but doesn't fix anything...
My question to you all is this... should I send it back to Verizon for Warranty Like New Replacement or Send it back to LG Directly for Warranty repair?
The reason why I ask is because I did drop the phone once and it nicked the corner of the phone slightly (see attached pic).
If I send to Verizon, what are the chances they'll charge me the $300 damage fee?
The rest of the phone is pristine...
I know if I send back to LG, they'll just send it back to me as is...
Everyone's thoughts would be appreciated...
Thanks in advance
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Click to collapse
You don't send to VZW, they will ship to you first within the 12 month warranty period or anytime if you have Total Equipment Protection Coverage and provide a pre-paid shipping label in the box for you to send it back within 5 days which is really 30 days. This is the exact wording in the info in Certified Like New Replacements which you will get when the phone is shipped to you:
"WARRANTY INFORMATION
If your device has been subjected to neglect, misuse, liquid damage, software or hardware alteration, or unreasonable wear and tear, it is not eligible for a replacement under this program. Do not return the damaged device to us or you will be charged up to the full replacement value of your replacement device, which may be in excess of $500, even if you subscribe to an Equipment Protection Program. Instead, return the replacement device to us in the box in which it came. If you have equipment protection, contact your provider to discuss replacement options for damaged devices. For more information, visit verizonwireless.com/damageddevice"
The damage fee is not $300, it's basically the full retail price of the phone which is around $600. If you have insurance, you might be better off using that instead as it's $150 but remember that if you make 2 claims within a 24 month period, they will cancel your insurance.
If Verizon Wireless sends you a phone, you are not obligated to keep it as you just need to either send back your phone or what they sent you. If you find anything wrong with the replacement, then you call Verizon Wireless Level 2 tech support directly without going through the Level 1 or customer service and they will ship another phone to you. When you receive the new replacement, you ship the previous replacement back and then at the end, you either end up with your old phone or you ship back the last thing they shipped you.
Just a quick update...
I decided to send back to LG vs sending it to Verizon since I didn't want to deal with the possibility of Verizon charging me $500 bucks for some minor dings that had nothing to do with the hardware issue.
The only downside is that you will be without a phone for 2 weeks. Here's the run down...
-Mailed out on Tuesday.
-Arrived at LG following Monday.
-Repaired and Shipped back Tuesday (That was a quick turn around...)
-Scheduled to arrive this Friday.
What's nice about sending it to LG is that my IMEI doesn't change. If I went the VZ route, they would have given me a refurb with a different IMEI. Because the VZ refurb IMEI doesn't match the IMEI on my original receipt, LG will not honor warranty since there's a IMEI mismatch. This wouldn't be much of an issue if I stick with VZ for the entire year.... however, with all the cell service deals going around, I'm sure I'll be jumping the VZ bandwagon...
Hope this post helps others...
Thanks