LG Chocolate will ruin your life
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LG - Chocolate Cell Phone —
As I go once again to get my 6th LG Junkolate, I reminisce about the insensitive and even rude Customer Diservice people of Verizon. It's problems are intermittent, and invariable do not occur when the Veriz-tron tries to reproduce it. It will randomly call people from my shirt pocket, consuming daytime minutes. The touch keys go from too sensitive to virtually non-responsive. When I'm on the phone with a friend, it will often prompt me to save this new contact, even though the friend is already in the phonebook and their name is displayed on the front of the phone. Then it beeps again and again until I answer the question. It even does this when I'm listening to voicemail! This has been going on for a long time, and so I've been saving the documentation, presented here for your entertainment:My email to Verizon on July 11, 2008:
This LG Strawberry Chocolate is the worst phone ever. First, there was the problem of the buttons not working well. I then learned of a free replacement offered. A couple weeks ago Verizon replaced the phone, and the buttons work better. But now this phone has clearly got a software bug! (I am a software engineer, I know a bug when I see it) When I receive
a call, a screen comes up asking if I want to create a new entry, even though the caller is already in my phone book! It will not allow me to push any buttons without answering the question, and it keeps beeping during the conversation. This also happens when I call voicemail: I clear the question, then each next voicemail I listen to it reappears, beeping
incessantly. It will not allow me to push "7 to erase this message" until I clear the damn new entry screen! This is clearly a bug. I do not know how Verizon could put their name on this piece of LG junk. It's embarrassing. I hate this phone and want a different one; I can't see
being stuck with this for another year.
Sincerely,
Mr. DumpVerizon
Verizon's Response July 12:
Good morning. I am sorry to learn of the issues you have experienced with the LG 8500 Chocolate. My name is Minerva, and I was happy to have the opportunity to discuss your equipment replacement options. As we have discussed, due to the replacement phones you have received online (xxxx) for the LG 8500 Chocolate, I can offer you a new phone.
1. The color you would like for the LG 8550.
2. Any additional accessories you would like to purchase.
3. Whether or not you would like to add Wireless Phone Protection. Wireless Phone Protection is offered at $5.99 per month. Your wireless phone will be protected in case of loss, theft or damage with a deductible of $50.00 per claim.
4. Confirmation of the physical shipping address and contact number.
I trust I have addressed your concerns.
We appreciate your business and thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services.
Sincerely,
Minerva
Verizon Wireless Customer Service
Minerva, thank you for your reply.
I felt you did a good job on our phone conversation today, but I do not feel the sentiments were properly transferred to my my account status. Today I went to the Bloomington Indiana Verizon store to resolve this issue, with all intent that a non-chocolate phone would be available (the Chocolate being the present scourge of my life). After a 23 minute wait for service, I was of course offered the 8550, which I consider an insult given the horror that I have endured (and expressed) thus far. Frankly, anything associated with the word
"Chocolate" is unacceptable. None of that the trauma is your fault: let me say that for the record. However, I was not permitted to change to the Samsung 620 (which is the most viable alternative in a slide phone, in my opinion), priced at $159. You gave me no dollar figure of my limits, and the sales person that served me HAD NO IDEA what my phone was
originally price at, nor what my limits were. After some sort of "closed door" session with her manager, I was offered some $100 version of the Razr that was not anything that I would want. We all know (as forum readers) the reputation of the RAZR. If this the best we can do together, I would like to know the following:
1) What would it cost for me to buy out my current 2-phone personal contract with Verizon?
2) Since, as a Director in my corporation with the power to define the tools of my staff, what would it cost us to make a company-wide edict that we will no longer use Verizon as our provider, but withdraw the other employee phone contracts that we currently hold and go with another provider, just so I can get the phone that I want?
(Yes, I am speaking of a different Verizon account under my control)
I am getting very frustrated that this cannot be easily resolved, as so many of my past difficulties with Verizon have been successfully handled. Please note that this is no
reflection on you or your ability to deal with CS issues, but just perhaps that you have not been given the authority to satisfy customers with the solutions that I am sure you can
easily see are required.
Frustratingly,
Mr. DumpVerizon
Dear Mr. DumpVerizon,
I am sorry to hear that you are considering canceling your service, and I apologize for the difficulty you have experienced with your phone. My name is Jermica, and I am able to assist you regarding the fee that you will be billed for canceling your service. I can understand how frustrating this situation has been for you. I wanted to call you to discuss your concerns, but due to industry regulations, it was too early to call you upon receipt of your e-mail.
According to our records, you accepted a two-year minimum term, which will expire on September 22, 2009 on mobile number (xxxx), and it will expire on October 1, 2009 on mobile number (zzzz). Per the Terms and Conditions of your Customer Agreement, if you cancel service prior to completing your minimum term, you will be charged an Early Termination Fee of $130.00 through your current bill cycle, which ends July 16, 2008. This amount may vary based on the actual date the cancellation takes affect.
I would need to review your other account to see how much you would be billed to cancel on those lines. If you would like for me to review those numbers, please reply to this email with your other account number.
Once your Customer Agreement expires, your wireless account will continue to be billed on a month-to-month basis until you call to request cancellation of your service or receive a discount toward the purchase of new equipment. If you are still interested in canceling service, please contact our Customer Service Department at 800-922-0204 or airtime free from your wireless phone (*611). For security reasons, we need to speak with you to
verify specific information. If you are intending on porting your number to another carrier, your Verizon Wireless service must remain active until the port is complete to ensure your wireless number(s) remain available.
I would be happy to discuss alternatives to closing your wireless account. For example, you could complete a transfer of service to a party who is willing to accept a minimum one-year customer agreement. I would like to offer you a different model of a new phone at no additional charge. You will be able to exchange your phone for a phone of equal or lesser value. Your Equipment Eligible Upgrade (EEU) and New Every Two (NE2) upgrade date will be extended 20 months from the date of the exchange replacement. At this time, the Samsung 620 is discontinued, and we no longer offer it through customer service. Based on the phone you currently have, I would
like to suggest one of the following phones:
1. LG-VX5400
2. Samsung u340
3. Samsung Juke
I have sent you a separate email with information on each model so that you may compare them. Once you have decided on a phone I will be happy to place an order for you. Regular delivery time is 5-7 business days. Please respond to this email with your selection, and your shipping address. We value your business and appreciate the opportunity to continue as your wireless service provider. Thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please reply to this e-mail.
Sincerely,
Jermica
Verizon Wireless Customer Service
Thank you Jermica, for responding to my dilemma. However, with all that I have endured in trying to resolve this issue, I fear that you do not have the power to do so either.
As you may know, I have been (via my company) a Verizon customer since before the existence of Verizon (when it was GTE MobileNet). In other words, we are approaching a 20-year relationship. I have remained with Verizon for all this time because of the outstanding Customer Service.
As a Marketing Director, I know that 70% or more of our success in a free market society is enjoyed because of repeat business. And that longevity within a business relationship is very important to both the customer and the vendor. Let me also say that I have no desire to start a new relationship with another vendor, and would be inconvenienced to so. And this is especially true in the effort required for a change in the many Verizon phones within my company to another provider. Even so, these things happen.
I am currently on business in San Fransisco for the rest of the week, and continual aggravation in dealing with something so fundamental as getting a working phone is not high on my list of pleasantries. I have some difficulty in resolving the
following discrepancies in our discourse:
1) I have been offered the newest Chocolate (priced at $189), by
Minerva in previous voice and email discussions. At this juncture,
anything associated with the name "Chocolate" is absolutely
unacceptable. I stated this in my previous email to Minerva.
Why I cannot change to a Samsung 620 (priced at $159 and
offered in our local Verizon store) is beyond comprehension.
2) Stating that the Samsung 620 is no longer offered, and yet
one can be purchased with a new account at the largest and
most popular Verizon store in Bloomington, this does not add up.
How can you not be on the same page with your affiliates?
3) Given that the only slide-type phones you offer (excepting the
"discontinued" Samsung 620) are the hideous Chocolate series,
how can I get an acceptable phone? I want a slide phone. AT&T
offers one for $49. And it's not made of chocolate.
4) You have not addressed the cost factor involved for my other
company account: Is it the same price for any Verizon account
to be ended early, as you have quoted for my personal 2-phone
account? I have a lot of phones to replace if we are unable to
resolve this single-phone personal issue, and I need to prep the
Finance dept if this is the way things will go. I will do it if
I must, but I do not like dealing with many different companies
for the same kind of services when it can all be done with one.
(Actually, $130 is less than I thought it would be, and is quite
acceptable if I cannot resolve this issue with Verizon.)
The bottom line is two-fold:
A) I do not have time to continue to fight about this.
B) When the phone that I want is IN STOCK, and ON THE SHELF at YOUR authorized Verizon store, and lower in cost than the phone you are offering me, then telling me that the 620 is discontinued and telling me I can't have it, is petty and counter-productive. I would fire a CS person that had such little vision.
Reality Check:
THIS SAMSUNG 620 PHONE IS AVAILABLE and OFFERED BY YOUR OWN STORES FOR LESS THAN "THE SCOURGE OF THE WORLD", THE CHOCOLATE SERIES!
Earth to Verizon... Earth to Verizon...
Please have someone (with sufficient power and rationale) contact me at (xxxx) (a Verizon Cellphone number) to resolve this issue and end this folly.
Perhaps we are near our last exchange on this predicament.
At least I am. Or perhaps I am just a customer.
One of many.
Expendable.
Frustrated Regards,
Mr. DumpVerizon
There are more emails, but space here is limited.
Well I could see that emails to Verizon CS did no better than calls. And in unified alliance with respect towards Customer Screw-vice, the Verizon stores have proven equally indifferent. A word of caution:
Replacing the same model of phone 6 times in one year doesn't give you the right to a different model; you must have three exchanges within a 90-day period.
It seems to me that every 2nd or 3rd LG Junkolate they give me will work ok for 4-5 months, then starts to act up after the 90 days is past. I just will keep doing it until September, I guess. Then it's over...
Hey Verizon, can you hear me now?
Good.
LG - Chocolate Cell Phone is not recommended by DumpVerizon
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