Conclusion of "Think of the Savings - Cell Phone Edition"

Hi friends! Hope you're all doing well and are safe. We had a massive thunderstorm last night and the neighborhood had some damage. A tree fell down in the neighbor's backyard, bringing some utility cables with it. Their deck and addition have some major damage. Nothing happened to our house, except for a low hanging wire. It appears to be for cable since the electricity and Internet seem to be working fine. We don't pay for cable TV, so there's no way to know for sure that's what's damaged. While thinking about utilities, I thought I would wrap up "Think of the Savings - Cell Phone Edition."

When we left off, I decided to stick with a cell phone instead of upgrading to a smart phone. The plan was less expensive and I knew I wouldn't get full use of a data plan. You might also remember that I was ultimately going to have to pay $50 ($100 up front less $50 rebate) for the phone. Then I saw it for free online and was annoyed. (That was the promotional pricing at the time, the current price is now $50.)

Fortunately I totally lucked out with the Verizon customer service rep. She found a way for me to get the phone for free. At first, the plan was to deny delivery of the phone I had ordered in the store. By not accepting delivery, I would not be accepting the terms and conditions of the phone contract and avoiding a $35 restocking fee. The phone would then be returned to Verizon's warehouse. Once Verizon received the phone, my account would be updated to show that I was still eligible for a free upgrade. Then I would be able to order the phone online for FREE!

Fast forward a few days. My awesome customer service rep was able to reroute the phone back to the warehouse, saving me the hassle of denying delivery. After my account reverted to "eligible for upgrade" status, I ordered the Pantech Crux. A few days after the transaction was finalized, I confirmed that my credit card was credited for the initial charge of $100. Victory!

As for the phone itself, I'm really liking it. The touchscreen is easy to use and I like the way it stores my text message conversations. My only beef is that the battery dies quickly after the phone is connected to a computer. However, a full charge plugged into the wall fixes the problem.

Have you had any crazy weather by you lately? Anybody else have customer service stories (good or bad) they'd like to share?
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Think of the Savings - Cell Phone Edition

Or "What would you do with $50?"

On Monday morning, my cell phone met its untimely death. It decided I had dropped it one too many times. When I opened the cover later in the day, it snapped right off. Fortunately, my two-year contract was up at the beginning of April. So I don't have to pay an arm and a leg more for a new phone. Just an arm and two years.

I stopped by the nearest Verizon store after work to see the current cell phone offerings. Yes, I said "cell phone." Not "smart phone." Since I sit in front of a computer all day and have the Internet at home, there's no need for me to be tethered to my phone for my short commute or on the weekends. Sometimes it's nice to disconnect.

Plus, I had to think of the savings. Even if the phones were the exact same price, I'd be paying $30/month more for the data plan and I don't need a third "computer." If I want to access the Internet on a cell phone, it's only $10/month (about a half hour a day for the whole month). Yes, I would have to pay retail if I want to switch to a smart phone before 20 months, but the savings from not having a data plan should offset the increase. Plus, the price of electronics tends to decrease over time as their use becomes more prevalent.

So I stuck with my basic phone. And this is where things get especially interesting.

From Verizon

At the Verizon store, I settled on the Pantech Crux. It looks like a smart phone, but is a cell phone. After rebate, it should only be $50. Not too bad. But they don't sell that phone in the store. Verizon would order it for me and have it shipped two days later. Not a problem since I can still text and use the speakerphone.

When I got home and showed John the phone on the Verizon website, I see that the phone is FREE. WHAT?!?! It's as if the Verizon store ordered the phone online, shipped the phone to me, and pocketed $50. I could possibly understand paying a little more in the store for the convenience of walking out with a phone, but having to wait the same amount of time seems a little absurd.

So I called the store and then customer service to see if I could get a price adjustment. At first, things seemed futile. Even though I called about one hour after leaving the store, my order had already been processed so there was no way to cancel it. Thanks to some careful working by customer service (I didn't catch her name, but thank you Verizon Wireless customer service lady!), we're going to try a new strategy. I'll let you know how things work out. Hopefully I don't wind up with a Zach Morris phone!


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To be continued...
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