Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Cell Phones

Cell phones are a wonderful thing, aren't they? I'm so glad I have one, but I could do without all the drama from the cell phone companies.

My previous phone was a big 'ole piece of junk-a-roo! It was a Samsung Slim and it was a flip style phone. When I got it I was replacing my Motorola Razor. It had seen better days, the hinge was just about to break. I was wanting to get another Razor, but they wanted $200.00 for it and I wasn't about to spend that on a phone. So, I told the guy I wanted something that was simple. I wanted to make calls, text and take a few pictures.

Enter the Slim, it was fine for awhile, but not long. I had specifically asked the guy if there was a particular phone that got better reception and he said, "Nah, they're all the same." Hog wash, he didn't have a clue what he was talking about. I could be sitting at a table in the break room at work with 3 of my friends and we all have AT&T and they would all have better signal than me. But, I wasn't about to pay full price for a different phone, so I just had to wait until it was time to renew my contract.

I think it was less than a year after getting the phone that I started having trouble with it. It just stopped getting signal and kept dropping calls like crazy. I went to the phone store to see what they could do for me and since I wasn't anywhere near the date I could upgrade, they replaced it for me. 18 months is the fastest they will let you upgrade after you've signed a 2 year contract.

May 1st is the date I've been waiting for, that was the soonest I could upgrade. Back in March I started trying to figure out which phone I was going to get. My friend Amy had the Motorola Karma and I really liked the looks of it and Motorola is one of, if not the top one for getting the best signal. So, I decided that was the one I wanted. Well, it kept getting closer and closer to May and I wasn't seeing the Karma in that many places anymore. I didn't care that I was getting a phone that had been out for awhile, I'm not that concerned with having the latest or greatest technology when it comes to cell phones.

I was debating about getting the type of phone that would allow me to access Facebook easily and I knew I wanted to upgrade to a full key board for texting. The Karma seemed to fit my needs and they had it in stock at Cuba Walmart and it was free with your 2 year upgrade. Free is a price I like! I had also been considering the Motorola Backflip too, but it wasn't free, and the budget is tight these days. I just desperately wanted to get a new phone.

May 1st was Alexis' birthday party, so on Sunday May 2nd, I went over to Cuba to get my phone. I liked it! It was quite an upgrade from my other one and I was thrilled that I only had to add $10 to my monthly plan to have unlimited data on it. I was a texting fool there for a bit! I liked the full key board, but sometimes I think I could still text faster on my old phone, and the keys on my new one are really tiny, but I'm adapting.

Ross has been eligible to upgrade for over a year now, but he hasn't because he's really particular about what he wants and he hasn't been able to decide. He finally did decide and last weekend he got the the iPhone. It's so cool! I would have so much fun with it, but I don't have the money to spend on a phone like that. Ross used his mowing money to get it, he says he works hard for it, so he doesn't feel bad for spending some money to get a good phone that he'll be happy with. I'm already happy with it because he's texting me more now and I'm more likely to get him to answer when I call!

So, here I am with my little bitty keys on my phone just pecking away and he's got the totally awesome iPhone. I guess he's feeling bad that I went with the Karma because it was the free phone when he spent what he did on his. He tells me that he'll be okay if I want to take mine back and get something else. Well, I jumped at that because Sam's has the Motorola Backflip for $25 and that's totally do-able. I'm only 2 weeks into my new phone, so I know it won't be a problem to take it back. The sales guy made sure I knew that if I got buyers remorse I could return it within the first 30 days no questions asked.

On Sunday, 2 weeks after I got it, I go to return it. I had powered it off and gotten the sim card and my memory card out of it on the way over there. I go to the counter and start the process and the dippy nice lady takes it apart and says, "I can't take this phone, it's had water damage." "Whoa, hold the phone, what? It has water damage?! No way, that's not possible! The first time I even took the battery cover off was today, and it's never even had a drop of water on the outside, much less inside to show water damage on the battery."  So, I asked her what the heck I was supposed to do because I knew that I hadn't gotten the phone wet and I don't want this phone, I've decided on a different one instead. She said, I don't know, but I can't take. I was so MAD, I just about burst into tears right then and there. I had my heart set on getting the Backflip and I had no clue what I was going to do now.

When I get out to the car and start venting to Ross, his response was, "Well, you shouldn't have been so impatient and gotten the first available phone and maybe we wouldn't have this problem." Oh shut-up Ross, why do you always have to be right?

I regained my composure and got on the phone to customer service and explained my problem. Blake was nice enough to understand and believe me when I said I didn't damage the phone. I do have insurance on it, so this is what they are going to do for me. After my 30 days is up, I'll call back and place a claim on it to get it replaced. The $50 deductible is going to be waived. He put a note in my account that I'm allowed to return it after my 30 days so that I can then get the phone I want. Why on earth I have to go through all this is beyond me. If they will let me send in for a new one to take back to the store, why won't the store just take this one back? Oh well, in the end it looks like I'll get the phone I want, it will just take longer.

Now, I'm just hoping that the claim process will be speedy and I can get the Backflip before we go on vacation!

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