Does filing with the BBB really help anything or just waste time?

[CrAz3D]

I bought a phone (LG vx8500, a/k/a "the Chocolate") in August 2006.  Since then I have been through five phones.

First: when I pressed the camera key it turned off
Second: internal screen cracked and leaked, no other damage, maybe I twisted it while sitting one time?
Third: the screen went white one day and every thing was lost
Fourth: same as third
Fifth: same as first
Sixth: .... we'll see, hopefully it makes it to April 2008 (I can renew contract then).  They didn't even bother to give me the new version of the P.O.S., they're sending me the old one.


The last three times I have been in a Verizon store with a problem they have acknowledged that this phone is poor and breaks frequently.

My logic is "Hey, let me use the money I originally paid for this P.O.S. for another non-chitty phone."  Their logic, somehow, is "No."
Verizon representatives have consistently acknowledged issues with this phone but continue to replace my faulty one with a new one which will, more likely than not, also be faulty.  They have knowingly sold me a bad product, I'd like them to remedy this.

Think filing with the Better Business Bureau will help?
If so, what ought I include in the message?  I definitely want to include that I've had several Verizon representatives mention to me that this phone has known issues and that it comes back in frequently.

[Newby]

BBB + Attourney General = they'll fix shit or get fucked. :)

[trust]

call them or go to the store and be a complete bitch, you'll get a similar phone (I got the env)

[CrAz3D]

I just want the money to put towards a voyager ;)

[Chavo]

The BBB has to receive X similar complaints against a company before they do anything about it.  When they do, the company just has to show that they a) resolved the matter with those that filed and b) have taken measures to prevent whatever it was from happening again for the BBB to mark the complaint as resolved.  The customer doesn't have to agree that the matter was resolved, and there is no formal procedure for enforcing any of it.

[CrAz3D]

I don't figure the BBB itself will help, just the fact that I'm expressing my dissatisfaction there will help, I'd hope.

[Killer360]

The chocolate really is a shitty phone. One of my friends has one and he's on his second. I've seen reviews of this phone and their not pretty...

If this one breaks, get a head office phone number or something.

[CrAz3D]

Second?!  AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

FIVE have broken on me.  This is the time I get pissed off, I guess?

They've sent me a sixth, same one, not even the new one.



What I'm going to ask of them:
-My contract is up for renewal 04/22/2008, I'll get a $100 discount on any new phone with their "New Every Two" program
-I originally paid $50(?, or more) for my phone, valued at $150 when it was new (I had the "New Every Two" option when I got it)
-If they switch the phone, the value should be about $100-$150 (Trust's Chocolate was switched out for the enV which is $150 with for the "Two Year Contract" price)

SO, I want to renew my contract now, get the $100 discount, the value of the new non-Chocolate phone that they would give me, and the $50 online discount for the Voyager.
$350 (voyager) - $100 discount - $50 online discount - $150 value of enV switch = I'll pay $50 for the Voyager or cancel my contract and not pay the disconnect fee because they continually and knowingly replaced my broken phone with a phone that had known issues.
Sound like a plan?  I like it, maybe I can get the Voyager for ~$150 or so ;)

[Skywing]

They are running a promotion where you can get the $100 discount + contract renewal early.  (I recently did this to get my XV6800.)  Had to talk to them on the phone to arrange for that, though, and I am not sure whether that only applies to the XV6800 or other devices too.  My contract was also going to be up for renewal earlier than yours as well.

- S

[CrAz3D]

I know that the "New Every Two" is actually every 20 months, is that maybe what you got or did they mention that there was actually some sort of specific promo going on?


ETA: Have you much experience with the Voyager?

[Skywing]

No.  I called them up and they moved the discount date back a couple of months to the day when I called.

[CrAz3D]

hmm, I'll look into that.

Someone else mentioned to me that VZW has a program that if you pay $20 you can renew your 2yr agreement a year early and, I believe, get the discount.

[rabbit]

You should demand a $100 discount for each phone and the emotional damages a lack of a phone so often could have caused (the stress of which in turn caused emotional damages).  You could get some nice shit out of Verizon :P

[CrAz3D]

Trust said one of the VZW rep's had him tell his mom to call in to VZW customer service "and bitch" (Trust said those were the words used by the rep) 'til they got a different phone.

I figure I'll be polite and aggressive in demanding that I be allowed to get the phone I want, the discounts that would be available during renewal and while online, and the value back on my phone that has YET to work properly for more than a few months.  "I've spent hours in those damned stores waiting to be served, time is money...if you're a decent business person you'll know that" etc ;).

Figurin' to haggle it to a reasonable offer.  They've only been offering me unreasonable things, I'll counter with something unreasonable and we can meet in the middle.

[rabbit]

You can probably get them to pay you to take a better phone.  Also, try to get a 1 year contract, not a 2 year.