I broke my stupid phone!

[Tayl405]

If the sticker on the back of the battery is pink, does that mean I got it wet? I'm so annoyed! I didn't realize how helpless I feel without it. Now I lost all my numbers too....

[Kitty]

Do what I did - buy the insurance and then report the phone broken.

[Morgan81]

If the sticker on the back of the battery is pink, does that mean I got it wet? That's exactly why it's there. A friend of mine used to work at a Verizon store and had people come in swearing up and down that they never got the phone wet...untill he asked them why the indicator was pink.

[Deadend]

The indicator is their brand new excuse not to offer service or honor warrenties. There are two ways to get around this.

1) Much more reliable and easier. Deny Deny Deny. Remember, the so-called "indicator" is nothing more than an excuse for them to opt out of the warrenty. Trying to make you take blame. But you don't need to take any blame - you're the customer! So it turned pink? So what? Not your fault, you didn't put it there!!

Just be completely beligerant, and completely shrewd. The fact that they sold you something that couldn't stand up to the elements is irrelavant to the fact that the stand to loose alot of money if you switch carriers. Remember: they're not interested in being right, they're interested in making money.

2) Condensation. Blame it on this.

"Water Damage" is an excuse they've been using as of late to sell you cheap crap and have an explaination when it brakes. And I used to work with the stuff that's in those indicators. It turns pink over time due to the moisture content in the air anyways (incidently, you can also bake it back to purple at ~100 C) . Trust me, this is a big scam they have going. Use your economic leverage and don't have it.

[labrat2111]

Well I've had moisture issues with my phone and if you want to try and retrieve numbers if it is at all possible there are ways to dry out your phone and bring it back to life. Mine got messed up at one point so it would turn on but any key push gave *'s. So I stuck it in the dessicator at work for a day and that brought it back to working condition although it still had some battery issues but at least I could pull my numbers out and continue to the use the phone until I decide to buy a new one which is pretty much now.

[Morgan81]

The indicator is their brand new excuse not to offer service or honor warrenties. There are two ways to get around this.

1) Much more reliable and easier. Deny Deny Deny. Remember, the so-called "indicator" is nothing more than an excuse for them to opt out of the warrenty. Trying to make you take blame. But you don't need to take any blame - you're the customer! So it turned pink? So what? Not your fault, you didn't put it there!!

Just be completely beligerant, and completely shrewd. The fact that they sold you something that couldn't stand up to the elements is irrelavant to the fact that the stand to loose alot of money if you switch carriers. Remember: they're not interested in being right, they're interested in making money.

2) Condensation. Blame it on this.

"Water Damage" is an excuse they've been using as of late to sell you cheap crap and have an explaination when it brakes. And I used to work with the stuff that's in those indicators. It turns pink over time due to the moisture content in the air anyways (incidently, you can also bake it back to purple at ~100 C) . Trust me, this is a big scam they have going. Use your economic leverage and don't have it.
Once that indicator turns pink, leagally thats proof of neglect and the warranty is garbage and you have no leverage.
Just get the insurance and wait a few weeks and then it won't matter.

[shannon08]

I dropped my old phone in the toilet (it was my 21st - what can I say??) and I took it all apart, left it under my desk lamp (and disinfected it the best I could) it dried out enough for me to use for a while. The light on the display didn't ever work again though. They gave me all that crap about the indicator being pink too, I argued but not enough I guess.

[Deadend]

Once that indicator turns pink, leagally thats proof of neglect and the warranty is garbage and you have no leverage.


Don't be foolish. You're thinking in legal terms when you should be thinking in economic terms. This isn't a trial, it's a business transaction.

Here's your layout to them: Stick by your line of BS and loose hundreds of dollars of my money in the forms of the bills, or honor the warrenty IRREGARDLESS of the lack of legal obligation to do so.

Besides, by claimbing they have proof they're just calling you a lier if you say you didn't do anything. Why do you want to do business with someone that would accuse you like that? Businessess have to put up with customer BS all the time (and it's not really BS if you didn't abuse it anyways, it's their BS). You've got the money, you've got the leverage. That's all that really matters.

[tina1979]

Instead of taking the phone back saying its broke, tell them you lost it. I don't know how many times my dad has lost his phone and only had to pay a minimum fee to receive a new one since he had insurance on it.

My sister did drop hers in the toilet once. She only had to pay 50.00 to get it replaced.

[wordsmith]

I can't COUNT then number of people I know who have dropped phones in the toilet.

[Morgan81]

Don't be foolish. You're thinking in legal terms when you should be thinking in economic terms. This isn't a trial, it's a business transaction.Obviously, you've never dealt with Verizon.
The accidental insurance is like $10 and then you can drop your phone in toilets all you want and get a new one. Much less of an aggravation.

[tina1979]

I had never heard of anyone doing it until she did. Now I know 3 or 4 people. I guess I don't get my phone close enough to the toilet to worry about it. (knock on wood)

[paiger81]

Depends on the cellphone carrier, cause I knocked a drink over on my phone(Sprint), then took it to store. I was able to buy a new phone for $150 and they ended up crediting my account $100 the following month. I had insurance on the phone.

[Deadend]

Obviously, you've never dealt with Verizon.
The accidental insurance is like $10 and then you can drop your phone in toilets all you want and get a new one. Much less of an aggravation.

Ya but that's sort of besides the point with regards to the OP

[analogman]

I disagree with most advice given so far. Labrat has given good advice though :)

One poster says to use your economic leverage to get a new phone. That is misguided. Taylor most likely is under a contract and has to pay for early termination fees if she switches carriers. Or she can pay for a phone line that she can't use for the remainder of the contract.

Other posters say get the insurance, wait a while, and then say it broke to get a new phone. That is FRAUD! :eek:

I'd say be honest and go and tell them that you broke your phone and would like a new one. Renew your contract and they should give you a decent discount on the new phone.

In the mean time, take the battery out (I hope you didn't try to power it on since it got wet) and let the phone dry. You can try to dry it using a blow dryer but you'd want the heat to be quite low (don't melt anything). After a few days, put the battery in and hope for the best.

[tina1979]

I said tell them its lost, but i didn't say get the ins first. i was operating under the impression that she already had it. She never said that she didn't.

And my dad honestly lost it, until he found it a year later in a briefcase he hadn't used in a while.

[Deadend]

One poster says to use your economic leverage to get a new phone. That is misguided. Taylor most likely is under a contract and has to pay for early termination fees if she switches carriers. Or she can pay for a phone line that she can't use for the remainder of the contract.

No way! Depends on what the termination rules are granted (to quantify the leverage), but I an gaurentee that the couple hundred bucks (or less if you're near the end) to buy out is worth less to them then your bills would be. Nevermind the hundreds they stand to loose if you go to someone else rather than renew your contract.

[analogman]

I said tell them its lost, but i didn't say get the ins first. i was operating under the impression that she already had it. She never said that she didn't.

And my dad honestly lost it, until he found it a year later in a briefcase he hadn't used in a while.

Tina, my post was not directed at you. You did not tell Taylor to commit fraud. Sorry you took it that way.

[tina1979]

its cool. I just thought I should clarify thats all.

[analogman]

No way! Depends on what the termination rules are granted (to quantify the leverage), but I an gaurentee that the couple hundred bucks (or less if you're near the end) to buy out is worth less to them then your bills would be. Nevermind the hundreds they stand to loose if you go to someone else rather than renew your contract.

My understanding is that termination fees are in the range of 200-300 dollars. Depending on what kind of a plan Taylor has (how much she pays) and how much she uses her phone, the company could very well decide to let a customer go. There are acquisition fees for customers but it might be cheaper than giving a phone away.

All I am saying is being honest and diplomatic will probably be helpful.

[paiger81]

Other posters say get the insurance, wait a while, and then say it broke to get a new phone. That is FRAUD! :eek:

You never call in sick to work, when you're actually going to the beach, do you? :p

[analogman]

You never call in sick to work, when you're actually going to the beach, do you?

Nope, never! :)

[Deadend]

My understanding is that termination fees are in the range of 200-300 dollars. Depending on what kind of a plan Taylor has (how much she pays) and how much she uses her phone, the company could very well decide to let a customer go. There are acquisition fees for customers but it might be cheaper than giving a phone away.

All I am saying is being honest and diplomatic will probably be helpful.

mine is $20/month to a maximum of $200. where as my old company (which I did opt from was $30/month with a minimum of $100. So they're not quite that bad.

But the thing is, if you're phone is broke you'll be stuck with that 200-300 anyways to buy a new phone! So it's not really costing you anything to switch carriers (as you could get a contact discount on the new phone from somebody else). Hence, they really don't have that on you.

I was in this position and I did this. I wasn't evenlooking for them to honor the warrenty ( i knew I f*cked the thing up myself), I was just asking for incentive to stay. This example has even more bargaining power "oh come on, you gave me a warrenty and now you're accusing me of something, I don't like that tone".

First thing they did was offer me a $50 discount and a special rate plan. Trust me they barter! That initial offer was one my roomate got to, they're in fact so used to bartering that they've got initial offers already written out under the table from corporate.

[Morgan81]

Other posters say get the insurance, wait a while, and then say it broke to get a new phone. That is FRAUD! :eek:Dude, that was recommended to me BY A SPRINT REP OVER THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE so it's not like 1) they aren't begging for it, 2) I care, 3) it's going to bankrupt them.

[analogman]

This is going to sound quite strange, but here it goes.

I value my reputation and integrity hence I can't imagine defrauding the carrier. Just because their own employees have no morals and are helping the customers cheat 'the man' doesn't make it right.

That being said, if I ever sell out, it's gonna be B I G. :D

[paiger81]

This is going to sound quite strange, but here it goes

Not strange, a little too on the straight & narrow for my taste, but hey, whatever tickles your pickle.

[Tayl405]

Sorry I didn't mean to start an argument! :p

I'm going in tonight - I have Sprint, and I have insurance, but the last time I tried to do anything with it (another broken phone), they said I have to pay $50, and wait for them to send me a phone. I don't even get to pick my new phone. What the crap is that?! I can't wait to get a new phone either since I'm leaving for vacation, so I might just try to pay for it and get reimbursed, if possible.

I hate how disconnected I feel without a phone!

[tina1979]

Sorry I didn't mean to start an argument! :p

I'm going in tonight - I have Sprint, and I have insurance, but the last time I tried to do anything with it (another broken phone), they said I have to pay $50, and wait for them to send me a phone. I don't even get to pick my new phone. What the crap is that?! I can't wait to get a new phone either since I'm leaving for vacation, so I might just try to pay for it and get reimbursed, if possible.

I hate how disconnected I feel without a phone!
thats what happened to my sister. she didn't have an awesome phone anyway so she didn't care as long as she had one

[uscuba2]

what is this "indicator" you speak of? If it's on the battery why replace the the battery and then take the phone in?