You just don't understand what WARRANTY means do you??

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I work in a wireless store I see a lot of folks who come in with broken/non functioning phones and then frequently get pissed off at me when I tell them the damage is *GASP!* not covered by the manufacturers warranty on the phone.

For example:

- If your buddies, while drunk, decided to take your phone for a swim - that's NOT covered!

- If you accidentally ran over your phone - that's NOT covered!

- If your kid knocked your phone into a glass of coke - that's NOT covered!

- If your now EX girlfriend, in the midst of an argument, snapped your flip phone into two pieces - that's NOT covered!

- If your dog chewed up your antenna - that's NOT covered!

- If your nephew decided to throw your phone off a 5th floor balcony - that's NOT covered!

There are more, but basically I get so tired of CONSTANTLY explaining to customers that warranties only cover defects that happen through NORMAL use of the phone, ie if your main display stops working after six months for no apparent reason.

Despite my efforts, a lot of folks still think the warranty is this magical thing that will allow them to come into my store and instantly replace their phone no matter how badly they've messed it up.

Sorry to give you a reality check people, but it just doesn't work that way.

[Gazza]

But it still makes me laugh when i hear this

SC: I broke my phone, gimmie a new one

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

But it still makes me laugh when i hear this

SC: I broke my phone, gimmie a new one

I think I am at the point where that makes me cry rather than laugh.

[Bramblerose]

you TEASE. we need the complete list! Note it as you go for a couple weeks- we need to laugh near your pain!

[TheComputerError]

My previous phone (a flip phone) broke quite a while ago. The hinge had broken and thus the flip part wouldn't stay open. Normally this would be covered under warranty, but, alas, I was outside of the timeframe on the warranty and wasn't eligible for a new phone credit yet. Whatever did I do?

I sucked it up, paid the "repair" fee and got a functioning phone. Since it would have been a pain in the ass for them to repair the hinge, they just replaced the phone (it was cheap, really cheap).

Four months later, I became eligible for a new phone credit. So, I got a new phone. And, now, I'm rocking a phone with no moveable parts.

[wraiths_crono]

LOL phones, recently I learned that "replacement plan" does not cover theft LOL.

[been_there]

I'm suddenly understanding why the rep at my wireless store looked like he wanted to hug me when I handed him my husband's thoroughly-dead phone and said, "I inadvertently ran this through the washing machine. I'm an idiot. Can you show me any phones that are currently on sale, because there's no saving this one..."

[Kiwi]

One of my mums coworkers snapped his managers phone in half during a temper tantrum

it was a work phone, so he damaged government property!

all he got was a verbal warning, mum said her manager told the IT guy to take it back to the phone company and tell them it "just snapped"

lovely.... theres your tax dollars hard at work folks

[thehippie777]

My old roommate would constantly throw fits and end up smashing her phones into pieces. She had Verizon's insurance & they cover it no matter what if you have their insurance (one phone per year) if you bring it what's left. Good thing, too. She went through 5 phones.

[Small town hell]

I work for a wireless company too. I always tell the customer I really recommend insurance so I don't here back from you again unless you need help with a claim or it's time to renew a contract. It's not because I want to make that little extra vertical sale it's piece of mind, my mind, not to have them come back in yelling at me.

I've gotten people convinced that I can tell when a phone's been dropped because of the indicator spring has been broken. You know the one on the back of the phone beside the water indicator????

I do hate it when I send a phone in for warranty for software issues (motorola) and they send it back because it has a scratch on the camera lens protector. That makes for a very very happy customer.

This is my first post but I've been lurking for awhile. You guys are a riot to read after a long day!!!

[Chromatix]

Oddly enough, I once had my newish Nokia replaced under warranty. It had stopped actually transmitting or receiving sound during a call (rather important feature, that), probably because it had hit the floor a few times over the year. But I took it in for repair, and they replaced it without charge.

I assume they thought they could salvage the other one, but it would take longer than it was reasonable for me to wait. I got a firmware upgrade out of it, but lost the contacts and software I'd installed.

[CarcinogenCrunchies]

"I inadvertently ran this through the washing machine. I'm an idiot. Can you show me any phones that are currently on sale, because there's no saving this one..."

I have a Tracfone, and I did this with it once. When I called their sales center, I told them flat out that it was my fault, and I just wanted to buy another of the same type of phone. I don't think it was even still under warranty, but they sent me a new one for free. I was very (pleasantly) surprised.

[Sarlon]

I remember the one time I had to call in for my phone to be replaced on warrenty... I was working pizza delivery...

I had apperently set the phone on top of my car, put the pizzas on the back seat of my car...got into my car....drove around SEVERAL sharp turns for nearly 2 miles, then when making a slight right around a curve in the road...the phone flew off my roof..into the road....and got run over by 3 different cars before I could go and salvage it. Now keep in mind this was a little $20 phone that came with the plan we I signed up for it.

The phone call went somethig like this..

ME:
AR: AWSOME rep...

Me: Hi...yeah, I was calling because my phone got damaged...

AR: Alright, let me pull up your account...now...just for our records...tell me what happened and I'll start the process for you.

Me: (in VERY sheepish tones) tells what happened.

AR: ......(I KNOW she was trying not to laugh I could hear her...) Alright...well lets see....ok you are elegible for (can't remember for the life of me what she said, and thought it sounded like what I got orginally)....does that sound ok?

Me: Sure thats great...I still can't believe how stupid I was for doing that! Thanks so much and have a good day.

2 weeks later (about when the agent said it would arrive), a brand new phone that was a leaps and bounds upgrade from what I had broken, arrived.

[Mike Taylor]

I work in a wireless store I see a lot of folks who come in with broken/non functioning phones and then frequently get pissed off at me when I tell them the damage is *GASP!* not covered by the manufacturers warranty on the phone.

For example:

- If your buddies, while drunk, decided to take your phone for a swim - that's NOT covered!

- If you accidentally ran over your phone - that's NOT covered!

- If your kid knocked your phone into a glass of coke - that's NOT covered!

- If your now EX girlfriend, in the midst of an argument, snapped your flip phone into two pieces - that's NOT covered!

- If your dog chewed up your antenna - that's NOT covered!

- If your nephew decided to throw your phone off a 5th floor balcony - that's NOT covered!

There are more, but basically I get so tired of CONSTANTLY explaining to customers that warranties only cover defects that happen through NORMAL use of the phone, ie if your main display stops working after six months for no apparent reason.

Despite my efforts, a lot of folks still think the warranty is this magical thing that will allow them to come into my store and instantly replace their phone no matter how badly they've messed it up.

Sorry to give you a reality check people, but it just doesn't work that way.

Service Plans and Replacement Plans typically don't cover abuse, either. However, that hasn't stopped customers at my store from attempting to do so.

[taxguykarl]

I have a Tracfone, and I did this with it once. When I called their sales center, I told them flat out that it was my fault, and I just wanted to buy another of the same type of phone. I don't think it was even still under warranty, but they sent me a new one for free. I was very (pleasantly) surprised.

I too have TracFone. When mine crapped out and deleted the minutes I had they replaced the phone with a new one which had more minutes (about twice as many) as I had.