Recently, my wife and I went to the Sprint store to get our two two Samsung N400 phones repaired. The repairs were covered because we had been paying insurance on them for 2+ years. We submitted both phones for repair and my wife's was fixed on site. My phone had to be replaced. We filed ticket and they said they would call us.
Before leaving - one of the reps asked us if we'd like to consider getting new phones because we've had ours for 2+ years. After checking out the new phones, I got the A900 and my wife got the Samsung PM840. Before we left, the Sprint rep said we had 14 days to return either phone if we were dissatisfied.
One week later, we decide to return my wife's phone because the ringer & speaker phone were too quiet. And so begins our saga...
1) We visit the Sprint store to 'return' my wife's Samsung PM-A840. She chooses the Sanyo MM-9000 as her new phone. Oddly enough, the manager asked us to purchase the new phone right then - even though they didn't have it in stock. The manager said they would credit us back the original phone purchase amount when we complete the exchange. We purchase her new phone and they tell us to keep the receipt - they will call us when the new phone we wanted arrives.
2) The local store calls us 5 days later to say the new phone has arrived. We ask about the 'repaired' phone and the guy says he'll check and call us back. He never calls back.
3) On 01/12/06, my wife arrives at the Sprint store at 2:30pm. She gets a number and waits 25 minutes to be served. One of the Sprint reps actually took one of their friends before my wife - even though 'Callahan' arrived after she did.
4) My wife explains everything she wants to 'Robert'. She says she is exchanging one phone and picking up the warranty-repair phone. She has receipts for both. She also makes it very clear that she wants the phone numbers transferred from her phone to the new phone.
5) Robert starts working the process. He switches 4 computers and goes to the back repeatedly. Finally, he says the guys in the back of 'no record of it'. My wife gives him the E-Ticket, and he takes it to the back. Robert comes back and says they may give us a new phone because of how long it has taken to have the repair phone shipped. He's waiting for 'them' to decide - whoever that is.
6) He then asks for the receipt of the phone we are turning in (even though we completed the entire exchange process last week when they asked us to purchase the new phone). This leads to another 30 minutes.
7) The 'service guy' comes out and says 'No More Service', and then disappears into the back. Robert never says anything to my wife, so she asks "Does this mean I can't get my numbers transferred?". Robert says he'll have to go and check.
8) Robert returns and vaguely says "we can't do that because the phones are compatible". Specifically, he said the Samsung PM-A840 can't have its numbers transferred to Sanyo MM-9000. My wife reluctantly accepts this and asks for a print-out so she can manually enter them. Robert asks her "You don't have one? I mean, you don't have a spare phone or a list?" He goes to the back for a printout.
9) Upon returning, Brandi reminds him about the warranty-repair phone. He says "Oh... yeah... let me go check on that again". When he returns, he says they haven't decided in the back - so he needs to look it up on the computer. Upon reviewing the account, he says "Your husband has the A900, so he doesn't need the phone anyways... Does he?". My wife says that we're going to give the phone to a family member, so yes - we need it. Robert goes to the back to 'check again' and returns to say "We're not going to swap the phone out since your husband already has one." My wife says "That's fine - how long until the replacement is shipped to us". Robert tells her that they aren't even going to do that now because we already have the A900.
After much frustration and talk, my wife asks for the E-Ticket back on the phone swap. Robert says he isn't going to give her the E-Ticket back. Finally, after threatening to make a scene - he gives the phone back.
Just another day in Sprint paradise... If one phone service could actually get the act together, I think they'd end up ruling the phone market!