Low/No Signal and battery drain

[andreah1]

I just don't know what to do (indecisive female), not sure if I should just walk into a vzw store and tell them I'm having trouble at home with it constantly switching service strenght and my husband is having less trouble than I? I feel like they'll look at me funny and say too bad. I haven't heard back from the online chat I had on Tuesday. Wondering if I should just chat again and ask to try a new sim card or just give up and live with it?

 

[bbtkd]

I just don't know what to do (indecisive female), not sure if I should just walk into a vzw store and tell them I'm having trouble at home with it constantly switching service strenght and my husband is having less trouble than I? I feel like they'll look at me funny and say too bad. I haven't heard back from the online chat I had on Tuesday. Wondering if I should just chat again and ask to try a new sim card or just give up and live with it?

If you're still within the 14 day in-store warranty and still have the UPC intact on the box, you will be able to go in and swap it for a new one, or even another brand/model. You should not have to convince them of anything, and if you do you have a solid argument. If outside the 14-day return window or if you've taken the UPC off the box to send in rebate, then you will need to get a refurb mailed to you, then you return the old one in the box provided. The store can call that in for you, hopefully they're willing to. My son had to return his for a refurb due to alarms not sounding and the refurb replacement was like new and has been flawless.

 

[GVLBob]

I just don't know what to do (indecisive female), not sure if I should just walk into a vzw store and tell them I'm having trouble at home with it constantly switching service strenght and my husband is having less trouble than I? I feel like they'll look at me funny and say too bad. I haven't heard back from the online chat I had on Tuesday. Wondering if I should just chat again and ask to try a new sim card or just give up and live with it?

I thought that your most recent experience was that your phone and your husband's showed very similar dBm readings. That would suggest that a new S4 wouldn't change your reception.


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[andreah1]

Still in the 14 day window. You are right Bob, yesterday they showed similar dbm readings, today it was acting up again. That's why I'm so indecisive I guess. I'm more inclined to just let it go but I'm the type of person that can't let things go until I'm completely satisfied, it's a really sucky flaw. Just so afraid to get past that 14 day window and have something go wrong and wish I would have done it sooner. I have held off sending in for the rebate because of this. Ticked that it doesn't have as good reception as my crappy bionic. Wishing the person I work with that also has a s4 would let me take hers home overnight just to see, lol.

 

[GVLBob]

Still in the 14 day window. You are right Bob, yesterday they showed similar dbm readings, today it was acting up again. That's why I'm so indecisive I guess. I'm more inclined to just let it go but I'm the type of person that can't let things go until I'm completely satisfied, it's a really sucky flaw. Just so afraid to get past that 14 day window and have something go wrong and wish I would have done it sooner. I have held off sending in for the rebate because of this. Ticked that it doesn't have as good reception as my crappy bionic. Wishing the person I work with that also has a s4 would let me take hers home overnight just to see, lol.

If your husband always gets good reception at home (if he has made enough calls to have a good set of data), I would go get a new phone.


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[Mike.757]

Still in the 14 day window. You are right Bob, yesterday they showed similar dbm readings, today it was acting up again. That's why I'm so indecisive I guess. I'm more inclined to just let it go but I'm the type of person that can't let things go until I'm completely satisfied, it's a really sucky flaw. Just so afraid to get past that 14 day window and have something go wrong and wish I would have done it sooner. I have held off sending in for the rebate because of this. Ticked that it doesn't have as good reception as my crappy bionic. Wishing the person I work with that also has a s4 would let me take hers home overnight just to see, lol.

How close do you live to a VZW store? They will swap out the sim card for you. Then, if the performance is the same, swap out the phone.

 

[andreah1]

From work I'm about a mile from a vzw store, should I just stop in and see if they would do that?

 

[GVLBob]

I would. You could also compare signal strengths to another S4 or to a Moto X if they have one.

 

[mountainbikermark]

From work I'm about a mile from a vzw store, should I just stop in and see if they would do that?

Yes.
If they cop an attitude just remember you pay their salary.

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[andreah1]

I'm definitely stopping in on Monday, I have my phone practically sitting on top of my usb modem, the modem is getting 4g and the phone has 1x. Grrrr.

 

[GVLBob]

I'm definitely stopping in on Monday, I have my phone practically sitting on top of my usb modem, the modem is getting 4g and the phone has 1x. Grrrr.

But the real question is the signal strength on your husband's phone when it is next to yours.

Good luck on Monday. You can't do this on Saturday?


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[andreah1]

I agree, I'll check ours together again tonight. I never did try switching the sim cards (just removed mine and powered up) so will try that quick too. Too busy on the weekend to fiddle with phones but will try to fit it in. Otherwise it will have to wait. Right now my signal strength is going between 99, 101, 120. The usb modem is a steady 84.

 

[mountainbikermark]

84 is excellent that far from a cell. The around 100ish would seem more normal once you factor in your nearby foliage.
If see if your husbands phone is fluctuating like that also. If not there's definitely something with your phone (perhaps SIM card, perhaps the phone itself), not your local cell.

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[andreah1]

I'm happy with the modem, but have to talk to them about that too, keeps disconnecting saying "device not inserted", but we'll save that for another day, lol. Waiting patiently (not) for the hubs so I can steal his phone. He won't be amused. Oh well.

 

[mountainbikermark]

Well try checking his numbers first. The man in him will get curious or want to show you "the right way to switch out a SIM card"
Oh my, you're not married to Tim the tool man Taylor are you? If so, forget my above suggestion and wait until he's asleep

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