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[PixelHenge]

Hi there! Newbie to here- but not to T-Mo or G1.

OK, first off, sorry if this in the wrong forum, and sorry if this was asked before; I DID search but didn't find anything quite like my situation.

OK, so i really need you t-mo guys to help me out here, at best- tell me the REAL policy on orders, pre-orders, upgrade and so on...

So.. goes like this...

I have been a t-mobile customer for about 3 or so years now and NEVER had so many issues in such short a time. Alright, so i ordered my g1 on Sept 23rd, got it Oct 21st. Well, long bit here short, the phone was defective and needed to be replaced - here's where it gets silly. So Friday (Oct 24th) night i call CS and speak with a PDA tech who after some rebooting trials confirms my g1 is SOL. So he tells me to send the phone back under the remorse period and that he is ordering me a replacement.

So here's my situation. My husband is getting out of the army just now and we will be moving - but its the army, i don't have an exact date and location depends on too many variables to know anything for sure until it happens. We will be out of base housing sometime between Nov 7th and Nov 12th (again, depending- no clue really!). So i make this abundantly clear to the tech that if we are doing another order now, i NEED to make sure it gets here prior to the 7th. This is because its base housing, there are more people moving in and out of this block than people going into wal-mart on any evening- the turnover s HIGH. There will absolutely be no one here to forward, receive or refuse the package; and UPS has a BAD habit of leaving packages with no sig because it's base housing (donno- cant fix it). So if this phone arrives after we clear out- i will be major SOL. Some one would be likely to have found themselves a new phone, end of story. I DO NOT have a forwarding address right now, no family, no trustworthy friends or anyone i want to ask favors from and where we will be, even the state, depends on too many things to know the answer. Its a long story, but the point is- if i order this now it has to come here by then or i have to wait, period.

So... I tell this to the guy and he genuinely assures me it will be shipping out NLT the following Tuesday. Again, i reiterate- if your not sure, i can wait to reorder, try a store, maybe even get a PO box- but no UPS to this address. Again, he assures me. So the order is now placed with express shipping.

That following Monday i ship the defective phone via DHL, it arrived there that Wednesday.

Meanwhile...

Monday, no shipping info. So i call CS and confirm the order and once again tell them the situation. The rep says "its in process and should be going out NLT the end of the week, the other rep must have bee wrong about the Monday shipping". Again, i ask my alternatives, just in case and she says i can put in a request to cancel the order if it doesn't go out by the end of the week.

Tuesday, no shipping info. So i call CS to ask about more info. This time I'm told it is on back order and not expected to be sent until Nov 10th (!?#^*#%!!).. OK.. "Well here's here situation..." i say. She basically says the same thing as the Monday person including that the other two reps were wrong. So i ask, "can i cancel this order and get it in store under the same terms? (phone cost added to bill, $170 price point)" She says yes, but she will have to put in a request which could take up to three days. So i say OK, ill give it a few more- don't cancel it yet, let me get hold of some stores.

Wednesday, no shipping info. So i call CS to see if maybe ill get some more info from someone perhaps more knowledgeable. (i know you t-mo guys hate this, but I'm desperate, curse me next time you stub a toe?). This time i get hold of a rep who says the order is in process and he has no idea why it hasn't shipped, and it should have. So i ask about the g1 back order situation i had heard of the day before. He says, yes, they are back ordering now, but it looks like you called just before it on Friday so yours isn't back ordered, it says just in process so it really ought to go out tomorrow or the next day, the other rep was wrong about this particular order. I ask, are you sure? Are you really sure?? like, 1000% super, you'd bet your grandma on it sure? To which he says yes. So i say OK, so i don't need t worry, it will get here by mid next week positively? He says yes. So i hang up somewhat relieved.

Thursday, no shipping info. So i call CS. (are you getting tired of hearing that? I'm getting tired of doing it) So now i get hold of Mr. Leroy. Ahh, Mr. Leroy if only all reps were like you... So Leroy hears my story and tells me that the system is showing my phone is on back order. He says the general guideline is that they will be shipped around Nov 10th, but as far as he knows a lot of those are going out early so there's a good chance i *might* get mine before then. Also that the other reps were wrong about the g1 ordering. Well, i say, might isn't good enough- I'm moving. So i ask my alternatives. He tells me that i can cancel my order and pick one up in a store, being the situation. I ask can this be billed to my bill and will i still get the $179 price. He says absolutely, i just need to make sure i go to a corporate store. He also said he was notating my account in detail, including all of the above and giving instructions about the order cancel and that i am to get the full discount and so on. He said he was not canceling the order, that i should do that while i am at the store and have found a new g1 in stock. So i tell him that i do not live in a 3g area and thus they are not stocked locally, can i have a friend do this on my behalf in Tampa? To which he says yes, lets just add him (Pete) as an authorized user (he also has a line on my account anyway, but it so happens Pete is moving too so i cant use his address for shipping). So we did, account notated.. i hang up. Then get hold of Pete about all that.

Friday, no shipping info, naturally.. Pete calls me from a Tampa store saying the manager won't do it (yes they have 30+ in stock). Why?! He says its a different system than the CS system and he can't change the price, the other reps were wrong. (hu?) He says he CAN change the shipping address for you, do you want maybe i send it to my mom's house? Well, i don't know his mom too well, so not just yet. I say I'll call CS and see what the deal is. So i call CS, explain this whole looong story to the rep, she types some stuff in say s hold on.... ::hello?:: new rep "can i help you?".. So again, i tell the story... she types some stuff in. I ask, about my order status and all that. She says it's on back order, probably no out until Nov 10th (again). So i ask what the deal is wit the store and she says, well i really don't know why they wont do it for you, maybe it's because you're not eligible for upgrade with this pending order. So i say, ya, they were suppose to cancel it. She says, well i really don't know why he wouldn't help you, i see he notated that he couldn't change the price. So i tell her what store Pete was at, she looks it up. She says hold on... Comes back.. says hold on... :::hello?:: NEW REP!?!

Oh, boy, do i got some words for this lady.... rude rude rude. Anyway. So ONE MORE TIME i tell her the whole story up until then. She says yes, your order is on back order. Um, yeah, i know that now. What i need to know is if there is anything i can do about it. Answer:no. Wow thanks, i love you, my hero... No, really. So i ask about the deal with picking one up in a store, she says sure...

You can go in and pay the $399 and then call us and we'll credit that back to your account after you refuse the order you have here. (What the..huh?!) OK, who has $399 lying around, if i did, i wouldn't be in this predicament. Further, i repeat the bit about how I AM MOVING. So I say, i don't have that kind of money but this is what i was told so far...

Well (wait for it...) the other reps so far were wrong.

Um, OK, so can i just cancel my order then- ill just wait for the discount to show back up on my account.

Answer: No.

O...K.... Can i change my shipping address then?

Answer: No.

Can i have a hold put on the order then? I'll just call when i know more..

Answer: No (this is getting old..)

Finally she says "when you place an order we have a script to read. So i know you would have heard this already. We can not guarantee delivery dates, we can not cancel orders, we can not hold orders. I don't know why you're asking, the other reps would have told you this" hahahaha! Oh yes, sure they did.. maybe in your perfect world. (No i didn't really say that...). So i say, "well, that isn't what i have been told so far. Ive been told a lot of things, but this is the first I've heard of that. Listen, i am moving, my husband is getting out of the army because he was injured in Iraq, this was as much a surprise to me as anyone. I cant change it and i cant stay on base after they clear us of housing, i need to figure something out- otherwise i am going to be paying $179 for a phone i will never have and very much need because i in fact DO NOT even have a phone right now, i sold the other one to buy this, and have been stealing my husbands and i am going to need a phone here REAL fast for all the things that moving on short notice involves...." She says "well you can just have someone refuse the package for you.." i say "no i really cant, i don't know anyone here, and even if i did they ed probably move soon as the way things go here anyway...". She says "well, UPS will just send it back then...". I say "no they tend to leave it, its 50/50.. really don't want to risk it". She says "well, you can just contact UPS and have them send it elsewhere when it ships"... ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME? I really and truly don't know where ill be at any given time in the next 3-4 weeks, plus- i WILL NOT have internet to even know when it shipped. Not to mention, the last time i tried that UPS wanted $100 and couldn't even guarantee it would be rerouted. And I'm super low on funds since all this army stuff started.

And she says, get this.... "Well I'm sorry, i know you really want your phone but you're just going to have to be patient".. Dammit, open you're ears, its not that I'm impatient and i really want my new toy- its that my life has suddenly become a ball of chaos and i don't want to loose my upgrade and $179 (add $399 to that since that's hat ill have to pay for another) because you guys cant get your story strait!!!

OK. Terribly horribly sorry that was practically a novel..

But i really need you guys to help me out here and give me some strait info. I've been reading here a while and it would seem that the t-mo reps here in fact know more than a lot of the CS people. I am disinclined to believe even that horrible beast at face value because its always "well, the other rep was wrong..". Granted, she may be right, if so... who wants to get a free g1 at my old door step in a few weeks? But if not..

PLEASE? Is there anything i can do?

Message Edited by PixelHenge on 10-31-2008 11:20 AM

[jkunk1983]

wow. sorry for your situation

[ckol]

ouch... if i were u i would just wait it out... are u moving to a 3g area??

[jkunk1983]

they wont let her cancel it....if u cant send it to a family member or something i have no clue

[jd1986s]

wooooww..you should publish that... lol sorry i had to say it.  hopefully Will chimes in for you, he's a pretty knowledgeable guy. sorry for your loss

[civicstyle2003]

Too long. Did not read. CN?

[aquabum619]

Whoa. Sounds like you have some serious trust issues. Its hard to believe that you dont have a single friend with an address that you trust. And its even harder for me to believe that you think Petes mom is going to steal your phone.

Its obvious  that Tmo is having serious problems in their customer service dept, especially with people who have been involved in g1 preorders. I never liked dealing with customer service reps over the phone, especially having to repeat stories to several different people who dont really care to hear them. Personally, Ive always had better experience dealing with customer service via email. Maybe you should copy/paste your story and email it to someone at Tmo. 

In a nutshell, it soulds like you were in a bind with your living scenario and tried to squeeze your g1 situation in between it, which would have been fine, except you decided to mail it in instead of replacing it through one of the stores. 

However, we should concentrate not on what has happened, but on what we can do.

You have been getting the run-around from different reps.. Have you ever asked for a manager when you called? Get names, ID numbers, log your calls, log names of people and whatever they tell you. If a rep said something to you and you have the conversation logged, there is a great chance that you can hold it against Tmo in case something comes up later in the future. Try to get them to ship it to Pete's mom, since it appears to be your only steady address. I find it hard to believe that Pete's mom, no matter who she is, will try to rip you off after explaining the situation to her. 

Just be patient. These customer service issues take time. We have all been through these situations and they are definitely not fun. You have to be consistent and persistent. Dont lose hope and keep fighing 

[slycon]

Cliff notes:

Her husband is getting out of the army, they are moving and will be out of base housing between November 7th - 12th.  She doesn't want the phone to arrive after they've moved out because there will be nobody to sign for the package and she is worried it might get stolen. Also, she doesn't know where she will be in a few weeks so she can't have ups hold it/redeliver.   A tmobile CSR assures her she'll receive it in time. 

After a week and many frustrated phone calls to customer support, she still hasn't received it. She's told she can have a friend pick it up in store, but the store employee says "no can do".   They tell her she can purchase it for $399 and get a credit for the $179 price, but she doesn't have $400 laying around. The CSR's kept very bad notes (if any at all) on her conversations with them, which caused her more frustration and troubles. 

What are her options to get this phone by November 7th at the $179 price after she's already placed an order for it and it is pending delivery? Remember, she was assured she'd have the phone by that date, she doesn't have anyone that can sign for the package and she doesn't know where she'll be located after 11/7/08.

i hope i did okay 

Message Edited by slycon on 10-31-2008 01:12 PM

Message Edited by slycon on 10-31-2008 01:14 PM

[MtnClimber78]

...couple of suggestions you may want to try.

1.  Call UPS, give them the tracking number and have them hold it for Will Call.  Then go to the distro center and pick it up.

2.  When you find out where you're going to be, if the phone is still in transit, call UPS and put a redirect on it to the new addr.

HTH

[Gotthammer]

Wow, it looks like slycon actually read the message, summed it up....doing it all without throwing blame or being overly negative.

Thank you!

[avian2]

**bleep** i cant believe i actually read all of that........

[PixelHenge]

Wow, OK, so sorry to have disturbed your little bunch here. For future reference though, please feel free to NOT COMMENT if you have not or don't want to read the whole thing. I was really only asking for help from the several people here whom i know work for t-mobile. Everyone else, really, i appriciated it- but did anyone learn reading comprihension grade school?

To everyone else, thank you very much your comments- i really didn't mean to sound like i was trying to have a rant fest, but the whole thing is kind of hard to understand without the whole story.

@ aquabum619  -Um no, i don't have trust issues and i don't think my friends mom is going to steal my phone. The point was that i am about 30 and don't want to be asking favors from friends mom's, especially those i do not know very well- unless i absolutely have to. No, i really don't have a single friend with an address who i trust (to no procrastinate and actually ship it to me i mean!!!). That's what happens when you're a military spouse, you move around a lot, loose track of people. Besides Pete i have one other good friend who's mother in law just died- so i will not be asking her for favors. I have one family member- my mom. She will procrastinate and not ship it to me, my dad also died recently, and she has a hard enough time keep track of her own stuff let alone mine.

I have never dealt with t-mo over the e-mail, i guess I'll go that route next. But i was lead to believe this was a place to seek help being it is an official forum, forgive me that i must have been mistaken.

On your nutshell, case in point (reading comprehension) i was not originally in this bind. Nor am i psychic. Yes, i did know my husband was due out of the army, but i did not know the situation would be turning this drastic until after i had already placed the order, further, i did not know prior that i would end up with a defective phone. And like i said, at the time i was assured i would not need to worry about he stores and was told to handle it over the mail as that was my original order. To expand on that, i do not live in a 3g area thus local stores do not stock this phone- and to continue the trend, i am not one to ask for help from friends until after i have tried to resolve the situation on my own.

I am trying to concentrate on what to do.

Um, no offence, but you sound like you have some trust issues on these last points.

@ slycon -BINGO!!

@ MtnClimber78 -Kinda hard to do if i don't know when it's shipping after i have no internet and i don't even know if I'll be in state at that time. And like i said, last time i tried this UPS wanted $100 and couldn't even guarantee the reroute, further, by the time i could get word about it shipping it would already be dropped off at my old address.

@ Gotthammer -THANK YOU!

Ok, back on topic. T-mobile guys? I know you're here, can you set me strait about any of the current policies. Can i cancel an order or change my shipping address? Can i actualy get one in a store? What's the truth here? I really, at this point, just want to know what the truth is here so i can call them back with some facts behind me. If i can do anything at all.

(Everyone else- was it too long? ok, don't read it, dont comment. Want to give me some life advice? please don't, this isn't the time or the place. Want to tell me what i should have done? Too late, it's already done.)

 

[Gotthammer]

Bump!

Seriously, no one knows the correct policies? Maybe you can't go into details, but a yes or no even?

[Will]

Bottom Line: No one on these Forums will be able to provide a definitive answer.

Without accessing the account to read the actual notes, looking up the order itself to see how it was placed, or even filing a research form to track the order's progress, we'd just be guessing.

Based on the information provided, some valid options were already offered. If these aren't viable to the OP, I'm sorry. The best bet in this case is to (once again) contact customer care, find out how the order was placed (new order, exchange order, etc.) and have Care quote the current estimated delivery timeline for that order. Sadly, these times change pretty often, so the date the order was actually placed and the type of the order is critical to providing accurate information.

In the past, I was able to provide shipping times for Presale orders. I was only able to do so because these orders were all placed the same way and were processed the same way. Now we have exchange orders and return orders, each with their own process and fulfillment schedules. Without access to the account and specific order, an accurate answer (or even an educated guess) cannot be provided.

Per the Usage Guidelines, I will not ask for your account information, nor are you to provide it. As such, Customer Care is truly your best option.

[DOYS2008]

I would recommend listening to JediMaster Will.  He is TMo Admin and probably has the best answers for and your situation.  Still all in all I was in

the military and if you need anything shipped to a base or a carrier to deliver to basehousing.  Good luck