[kdav78]

I've just found out that for people who go to verizon wireless corporate stores looking to upgrade might get the answer "sorry all sold out" while new customers are able to get the phone in store. Here is the background to what I've had to go through. I went the the local verizon wireless corportate store where I live looking to purchase the phone. However, storm was sold out but they told me that another store (located in 30 Mall Dr W # K38, Jersey City, NJ - (201) 239-4000) has 9 storms available. So, the sales person called the JC store to ask them to hold the phone until I get there... After few minutes the store salesperson basically told me they only sell it to NEW customers not upgrading customer... My response was "WHAT!!" thats ridiculous. I decided to call verizon and basically told the supervisor the story. The supervisor call me back and basically tells me that the store manager told him the store has no storms available.

So, I decided to go to the JC store with my wife, telling her to pretend to be a NEW customer. I went into the store about 5 mins after her pretending to be a upgrade customer. Basically, sales person my wife was dealing with tells her they have about 4 left. The sales person I was dealing with tells me it's sold out. Furious, I called back the supervisor and explained the situation and how they lied to him and me. The supervisor called the store manager directly and after couple of mins I was given the storm. How legal is this? Can they discriminate who to sell to? I will be definiately be consulting my lawyer friends about the legality of this experience.

To all if you who go/went to any verizon store.. I would first act like a NEW customer rather than telling them you're looking to upgrade. Looks like their policy is to be nice to new customers while for people looking to upgrade get the shit treatment.

Has anyone experience this before.

[franknbeans]

shit, that is why i just bought mine off verizon online.

[341EastOf]

That is definitely BS man.

[Thom]

This issue has been discussed already in this forum. Verizon was doing this the very first day Storms were available. I just ordered mine over the phone on 11/21 and had it on 11/24. The VZW stores are trying to get new customers with the Storm since it is still in short supply.

As far as legality, I am not sure. I would imagine it is legal for VZW to do this otherwise they might not be doing it. I am not a lawyer so don't hold my feet to the fire on that one. I just deal with VZW customer service over the phone. I have always had great service this way and only had to wait two business days to get any of the phones I have ordered.

[dwood721]

I try to never deal with the stores anyway. The wife of a buddy of mine upgraded earlier this year from a chocolate to a pearl, then when the storm came out she wanted that instead. VZW customer care upgraded her again and she got the storm for the 2 yr upgrade price. Good news for anyone who sells used cars is that Cellular Sales Reps seem to have taken over the top spot for ripping people off. I used to sell VZW and its one of the reasons I don't anymore. I felt the need to be honest with my customers and they didn't like that too much.

[JSanders]

So... if you get a lawyer, what happens? You already got your Storm. What is your lawyer going to do? Bump his chest against Verizon's floor full of corporate lawyers, lose your account with Verizon...

Maybe you'll feel better, but does it all gain you?

[Shaun]

Let's be clear... this is not a VZW only practice. This has happened to me at AT&T and to friends on Sprint and TMobile.

[akosnitzky]

It is not illegal. Its just a poor/immoral business practice.

[SpectreBlofeld]

I'm sure it's not even a store policy - it's just that there's a high demand and limited supply, and they make more money in commission on a new activation then an upgrade, so they're hogging them for newacts. Unfair but true.

[dwp1975]

Your best bet is to not reward their foul practices with making a purchase. Verizon is messing this device launch left and right.

[WorldIRC]

If a supervisor at "customer service" ever tried to tell me how to do my retail job, I'd be calling my HR department...personally. Store operations are entrusted with the Store Manager. Write to head office next time instead of getting customer service involved with the store.

[dwood721]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Let's be clear... this is not a VZW only practice. This has happened to me at AT&T and to friends on Sprint and TMobile.

This is true. All of the carriers preach about turnover, and how they want to keep customers around. They claim they will do a lot just to keep customers from switching to other carriers. To an extent thats true, the carriers themselves will do a lot to keep you as a customer. That idea hasn't for some reason transfered to the store level. Sales Associates aren't paid well on upgrades, and either are the stores. There really isn't any incentive for the reps to upgrade you. That obviously can start another argument about it being their job and it shouldn't matter about incentive. Lets be real too, money talks. If a rep or store knows they can make $50 plus to add a new customer instead of $5 or $10 for an upgrade this situation is what you end up with.

After that you can get even more in depth and talk about independent dealers. They may only do new lines on new hot phones when they come out just out of a cost thing. The prices you see on phones are usually cheaper then what the dealer pays for them. They use the commision earned to offset the loss. So if you go in to upgrade and they wont let you, thats because they can't sell the phone that cheap and still make a profit since the com is so low.

Note: I don't agree with stores telling you they are out of a phone when they aren't. At the very least if they only want to sell it to new customers they should tell you that, and not that they don't have any in stock

[rachamphetamine]

To me this doesn't sound like a Verizon policy - just an unfortunate store policy, as mentioned above. If you want to complain, don't get a lawyer. Just write higher-ups with your experiences.

[camping147]

Been to that JC store. They jerked me about when it came out saying new verizon customers get first dibs on the phone. They told me to sign a sheet for people who wanted to upgrade but I just left and went to another store.

[ScottRPriester]

Originally Posted by kdav78

How legal is this? Can they discriminate who to sell to? I will be definiately be consulting my lawyer friends about the legality of this experience.

Get a life, you got the phone

[kdav78]

Originally Posted by ScottRPriester

Get a life, you got the phone

Don't ridicule me... unless you're the loser salesman I've had to deal with. Or you just don't understand the point.

[JSanders]

Maybe he didn't understand the post, so that qualifies him to ridicule you?

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by kdav78

Don't ridicule me... unless you're the loser salesman I've had to deal with. Or you just don't understand the point.

At the risk of sounding like I am ridiculing... can you point to a sales based operation where shady dealings don't take place? If you are being truly honest, isn't the margin of "shady" the very nature of sales? I would have to call my lawyer friends about my mechanic, my car dealer, my doctor, my insurance agent, the natural gas company... (I could go on and on).

If you ask me, invoking the "legal action" card is equally off-putting.

[avdg]

FWIW, I purchased my Storm the day they hit the streets at my local Verizon store [actual stand-alone corp. store, not a kiosk or Best Buy thing]. I've been a Verizon customer for years, so this was done as an upgrade, not a new account. I got one of what was supposedly about 25 phones they received prior to launch...no issues, no hassles.

I'm going to guess that what you ran into was an individual store trying to ration out what few phones they had. Very unfortunate none the less...I would have been quite disappointed had I received the same treatment you did.

Originally Posted by kdav78

I've just found out that for people who go to verizon wireless corporate stores looking to upgrade might get the answer "sorry all sold out" while new customers are able to get the phone in store. Here is the background to what I've had to go through. I went the the local verizon wireless corportate store where I live looking to purchase the phone. However, storm was sold out but they told me that another store (located in 30 Mall Dr W # K38, Jersey City, NJ - (201) 239-4000) has 9 storms available. So, the sales person called the JC store to ask them to hold the phone until I get there... After few minutes the store salesperson basically told me they only sell it to NEW customers not upgrading customer... My response was "WHAT!!" thats ridiculous. I decided to call verizon and basically told the supervisor the story. The supervisor call me back and basically tells me that the store manager told him the store has no storms available.

So, I decided to go to the JC store with my wife, telling her to pretend to be a NEW customer. I went into the store about 5 mins after her pretending to be a upgrade customer. Basically, sales person my wife was dealing with tells her they have about 4 left. The sales person I was dealing with tells me it's sold out. Furious, I called back the supervisor and explained the situation and how they lied to him and me. The supervisor called the store manager directly and after couple of mins I was given the storm. How legal is this? Can they discriminate who to sell to? I will be definiately be consulting my lawyer friends about the legality of this experience.

To all if you who go/went to any verizon store.. I would first act like a NEW customer rather than telling them you're looking to upgrade. Looks like their policy is to be nice to new customers while for people looking to upgrade get the shit treatment.

Has anyone experience this before.

[taeisme]

I ordered mine online and they gave me the run around and finally i got one person to actually send me the phone and I wrote the VZW people an email about how i was treated and they responded with comps and stuff. but they were quite apologetic about the way i was treated.