Make sure you know your phone’s return policy
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Caught this story over on Consumerist, and I thought I’d bring it up, since it is clearly an issue in the prepaid realm. When you buy a phone, as when you buy any product, there is a certain window in which you can return said phone. However, since it is an electronic device and the carrier stands to lose money from a return, these periods are usually rather short — 14 days most of the time. Watch out, though, for simple tricks the carriers might play during that period. They might seem generous, but it could hurt you in the long run.
The story relayed on Consumerist is that of a T-Mobile customer. He bought a pair of Sidekicks for himself and his wife, and were immediately discouraged by the short battery life. Before the 14 days was up, he called customer service to initiate a return. However, instead of just saying “okay,” the representative offered to send him a new pair of batteries.
Thinking this was a nice gesture, the man accepted. Hey, they bought the Sidekicks for a reason. And if the couple’s only qualm with them was the battery life, they should be relieved that T-Mobile was willing to work with them on a solution.
But after using the new batteries, the couple found that the same problem persisted. Ah, the catch then was that the 14-day window had expired. Only though a calm, civil, yet strongly-worded email did this customer receive his refund for the Sidekicks.
The problem is, most people (myself included) aren’t assertive enough to take such measures. So the best way to avoid this type of problem is to make sure you get what you want when you call customer service, especially if it concerns a return. Make sure you initiate the return within the window, and don’t let them try to sell you on alternative solutions. Because once you’re outside the return window, you’re dealing with corporate.
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