Sprint Advanced Exchange...New or Refurb?

[blazinazn]

Personally, I used the advanced exchange online and received a brand new phone. With that said, I would just take it into the sprint store and tell them the KB flaked out and they should give you a new one on the spot as long as you have had it under a yr.

Let me tell you about my experience with the advanced exchange:

So I go online and order a new phone. Get it 2 days later. The very next day I send the broken phone back in the self addressed envelope they sent with the new phone.

I track the package via the website they provided me with to make sure they received my phone and they did in like 4 business days. A short while later I check the website again and according to them, I sent back the wrong phone. They claim I sent back a diamond. Um...?

So I call customer service as soon as I noticed them and explained the situation. The first person I talked to didn't even know about the advanced exchange program. Explained my situation and they couldn't help me. It got escalated and I talked with a supervisor. They couldn't figure out why they were saying the phone I sent back was supposedly a diamond. The lady I was talking to saw that I've never had a Diamond activated on my account. So she gives me the number to the warehouse where I sent the phone, no dice. They gave me the run around and told me to call customer service.

I called back in to customer service and got the issue escalated to a manger. She was going to "investigate" the issue herself to get this resolved. She was going to call the warehouse herself and see what the mix up was. She took down my name and number and said she would call me back. She never did, no surprise there right?!

So the next billing cycle I get a $55 charge, which I fully understood and expected because that's what the website said. On the website provided it said that I could be charged up to $200 since I "sent back the wrong phone." So I never got a call back and called sprint back up but I couldn't get in contact with the manager who I was talking to before. So I had to start all over again. I had to rexplain the situation even though my account had tons of "notes." It didn't help...

So the same thing happens again. They give me the run around and toss me around like a hot potato. It gets escalated to a supervisor and I'm suppose to get a callback, never did. this went on for about 2 months, at this point I've spent at least 5 hours on the phone with sprint.

I check my next months bill online and there is a $200 charge on my account. WTF?! So I get on the phone AGAIN. Start the process over, AGAIN. Explain my story, AGAIN. Got the same run AROUND AGAIN. Each time I would call customer service, they would put me on hold for at least 5 minutes so they coudl read the "notes" but I still had to explain what was going on. Why take notes and/or read them!?

Since I was getting the same run around, I went to the Sprint store to plead my case and show all my evidence that I had sent back the right phone with the tracking etc etc etc. Said they couldn't help me at the store since used the online advanced exchange and told me to call retentions.

It took all of 5 minutes TOTAL and the guy I talked to put in a request to have my $200 charge removed. I just looked today, after 2 1/2 months and the charge is gone. I wasn't about to front $200 on their screw up. They were suppose to give me a $200 credit but I wasn't going to pay my phone bill + the $200 charge this month.

So after all the headache, I'd just go to the sprint store. If you do use the advanced exchange, I wish you luck.

[mlr_90]

I can see a refurb if the phone is more than 90 days old. The phone that Sprint sent us was in worse shape than ours. The slide was sloppy and the keyboard had a LOT of use. Our case - the phone was barely a month old and it was new in the box so I think a refurb was unacceptable. If Asurion sends you a brand new phone it is under warranty - for how long I don't know but they will send another NEW phone if there is something wrong with what they sent. I have no problems with refurb items as long as I know what I'm getting. I asked the tech support guy from Sprint what they were going to send and he said a NEW phone not refurbished. Next day there was a refurbished phone sitting at my door.

[Major_Nate]

If you use the online Advanced Exchange option, I believe they are sending new Touch Pros. Link is here:
https://indirect3.sprint.com/apps/ad...&FROM_SPRINT=Y

However, I noticed when I tried to do the online option, it referred me to the local sprint repair center. However, when another person I know did this, it was sending them a new one.

However, for the Service & Repair centers, it was still showing refurb Touch Pros as of yesterday night. I'm checkin daily (or at least every day i work) to see when it'll change to new.

[debarron]

Thanks for all the reply guys! I think I'm going to try the Sprint store over by my work to see if they can replace it there in the store. My bro had the keyboard go out on his TP a few weeks ago and he took it to a repair store. They just received a shipment of new keyboards and replaced his keyboard for free. They guy in the store even told him how the keyboards on these phones going out is a pretty common issue.

If they try to shove me with a refurb, then I'll try the Asurion route to see if they'll send me a "NEW" TP.

[cmajewsk]

Originally Posted by blazinazn

Personally, I used the advanced exchange online and received a brand new phone. With that said, I would just take it into the sprint store and tell them the KB flaked out and they should give you a new one on the spot as long as you have had it under a yr.

Let me tell you about my experience with the advanced exchange:

So I go online and order a new phone. Get it 2 days later. The very next day I send the broken phone back in the self addressed envelope they sent with the new phone.

I track the package via the website they provided me with to make sure they received my phone and they did in like 4 business days. A short while later I check the website again and according to them, I sent back the wrong phone. They claim I sent back a diamond. Um...?

So I call customer service as soon as I noticed them and explained the situation. The first person I talked to didn't even know about the advanced exchange program. Explained my situation and they couldn't help me. It got escalated and I talked with a supervisor. They couldn't figure out why they were saying the phone I sent back was supposedly a diamond. The lady I was talking to saw that I've never had a Diamond activated on my account. So she gives me the number to the warehouse where I sent the phone, no dice. They gave me the run around and told me to call customer service.

I called back in to customer service and got the issue escalated to a manger. She was going to "investigate" the issue herself to get this resolved. She was going to call the warehouse herself and see what the mix up was. She took down my name and number and said she would call me back. She never did, no surprise there right?!

So the next billing cycle I get a $55 charge, which I fully understood and expected because that's what the website said. On the website provided it said that I could be charged up to $200 since I "sent back the wrong phone." So I never got a call back and called sprint back up but I couldn't get in contact with the manager who I was talking to before. So I had to start all over again. I had to rexplain the situation even though my account had tons of "notes." It didn't help...

So the same thing happens again. They give me the run around and toss me around like a hot potato. It gets escalated to a supervisor and I'm suppose to get a callback, never did. this went on for about 2 months, at this point I've spent at least 5 hours on the phone with sprint.

I check my next months bill online and there is a $200 charge on my account. WTF?! So I get on the phone AGAIN. Start the process over, AGAIN. Explain my story, AGAIN. Got the same run AROUND AGAIN. Each time I would call customer service, they would put me on hold for at least 5 minutes so they coudl read the "notes" but I still had to explain what was going on. Why take notes and/or read them!?

Since I was getting the same run around, I went to the Sprint store to plead my case and show all my evidence that I had sent back the right phone with the tracking etc etc etc. Said they couldn't help me at the store since used the online advanced exchange and told me to call retentions.

It took all of 5 minutes TOTAL and the guy I talked to put in a request to have my $200 charge removed. I just looked today, after 2 1/2 months and the charge is gone. I wasn't about to front $200 on their screw up. They were suppose to give me a $200 credit but I wasn't going to pay my phone bill + the $200 charge this month.

So after all the headache, I'd just go to the sprint store. If you do use the advanced exchange, I wish you luck.

Thanks for the story - we've all had our customer service nightmares with different companies, haven't we?

[Dr.8820]

Originally Posted by debarron

I think I'm going to try the Sprint store over by my work to see if they can replace it there in the store.

if you do this, you're going to get a refurb. the only way(i just found out) of getting a new one is through asurion.

[raiderfan247365]

Originally Posted by DexterDawg

Seriously guys, there are no more problems with refurb phones as there are with new phones. I think this is such a stupid whine.

Furthermore, isn't the broken phone used already?

you obviously havnt had your share of refurbished phones... For those of us who have dealt with numerous exchanges and swap outs, it has been a problem.

[blazinazn]

Originally Posted by cmajewsk

Thanks for the story - we've all had our customer service nightmares with different companies, haven't we?

OOOh yeah. I've always heard horror stories with Sprint but never experienced it myself. Ironic think is, I convinced my friend to switch to Sprint because of the cheaper plans and improved customer service and then this happens

Completely jinxed myself there.

But overall, I love sprint, they've been good to me and I've been with them for over 8 years. I'm willing to let this incident slide but I just hate how they made a simple problem such a headache. But you live and you learn.

[htcman724]

i had to return mine 2 times and got a new one both times.

[JSMZ]

Sprint touch pro replacements are JUNK. and to all those who say otherwise, your morons.

http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/sho...62#post2133162