Default Dropped my Rezound, only cosmetic damage. What should I do?

[apav]

Hi,

First off pleased to meet you all. New here on the forums.

I am very careful with my phone but today was not a good day for it.

I pulled a muscle in my leg pretty bad, so it is very painful for me to walk or bend down after getting up from sitting. When I got out of my car, my phone fell out of my pocket onto crushed concrete gravel.The case fell off but the phone was alright. I went to bend over to pick it up, but I felt excruciating pain so I accidentally dropped the phone again. Third times a charm right? Nope, I bent down and dropped it again, but this time it hit my foot and bounced along the gravel.

Finally I managed to get the phone (bending down is really a hurdle for me with this pulled muscle.), but I was saddened when I saw the damage. The front has small scuffs and dents on the edge of the phone, on the silver part. The back has a few dings and scratches as well. The screen is alright, thank god there was a screen protector on it, because I only notice a few scratches and very small dings on where the screen hit the road. There also seems to be a minor scratch on the camera lens, although I can't tell when taking a picture if it is affected.

It has been about a month since I purchased the phone, and I am under insurance. What are my options? I'm not sure if I should get a replacement over very minor cosmetic damage, but it bothers me to feel these scuffs on my phone. If I decide to get a replacement, how much will the deductible be? Lastly, will the replacement phone be in similar quality of this phone too (cosmetic damage)? It wouldn't be worth it if I'm getting the same phone really....

Thanks!

 

[cp24eva]

Wow, three times in a row. sorry about your misfortune. Did you have the verizon insurance? I have taken a phone back there before and paid nothing for a LIKE NEW replacement. you should simply call up your local VZW and find out if they want to help you out or stonewall your efforts. And if need be, make a fuss. paying your hard earned money for the phone and the extra insurance....they better replace it. Haha. Good luck.

 

[syndicate0017]

Well contrary to what the previous poster said, I have NEVER gotten VZW to replace a phone for cosmetic damage. In fact, I had a manufacturer defect about 8 months in on my D1 and they noticed 3 scratches on my battery cover and DENIED my claim. So I had to go through insurance. If you go the same route, it'll be 100 bucks for a replacement.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[cp24eva]

The verizon reps can be very night and day. I've needed replacements and had gripes about things and they go over differently depending on the rep, time of the month, star alignment, etc. I've called a few different times on the same subject only to be helped differently each time. give it a shot.

 

[apav]

The verizon reps can be very night and day. I've needed replacements and had gripes about things and they go over differently tdepending on the rep, time of the month, star alignment, etc. I've called a few different times on the same subject only to be helped differently each time. give it a shot.

Do you guys think the customer service people at the actual store would be better than calling up? That way they can see the damage?

Also just thought of this, what if there are little indents on the screen that went through the screen protector?

The screen isn't cracked, but there are little indents on where it hit the gravel. Not sure if that went through the screen protector, but if it did, would that count as actual damage to the phone?

 

[cp24eva]

ya know, I think I'd call the customer service. You COULD say that your phones battery is buggy and that you'd like a replacement. not saying this is what you should do, but it's an option. I returned 2 bionics way. They had some blemishes, but i wasn't even worried about those. I was worried about the reboot cycle i was stuck in. They gave me like new phones free of charge (and free of blemishes)

 

[JeffDenver]

Do you guys think the customer service people at the actual store would be better than calling up? That way they can see the damage?

Also just thought of this, what if there are little indents on the screen that went through the screen protector?

The screen isn't cracked, but there are little indents on where it hit the gravel. Not sure if that went through the screen protector, but if it did, would that count as actual damage to the phone?

Yeah, it would be better than calling IMO. But It is unlikely they will let you warranty it for user-related cosmetic damage. That isnt technically what warrantys are for.

Not saying it couldn't be done though. A really stupid rep might do it anyway, and Verizon has a lot of stupid reps. I do think your chances are better by taking to to an actual Rep.

As for the damage, the only way to be sure is to remove the screen protector. yes, it is possible it is an indentation rather than an actual scratch. If indentations penetrated the screen protector, yes, that would count as damage. But it would not be covered under a warranty. The warranty is only for manufacturer defects.

 

[apav]

ya know, I think I'd call the customer service. You COULD say that your phones battery is buggy and that you'd like a replacement. not saying this is what you should do, but it's an option. I returned 2 bionics way. They had some blemishes, but i wasn't even worried about those. I was worried about the reboot cycle i was stuck in. They gave me like new phones free of charge (and free of blemishes)

I think my best bet is saying there is something wrong with the phone, but won't they check it when I send it in? What if they discover there is nothing really wrong with it?

Also, I told my dad last night and he filed a claim with Asurion. He described that there was just cosmetic damage and the claim was automatically denied because Asurion doesn't cover cosmetic damage. However the claim is now in their system... Will they check that I recently filed a claim for comsetic damage when I call them up for a 'battery" issue? I guess I'm afraid they'll figure it out..

 

[apav]

Yeah, it would be better than calling IMO. But It is unlikely they will let you warranty it for user-related cosmetic damage. That isnt technically what warrantys are for.

Not saying it couldn't be done though. A really stupid rep might do it anyway, and Verizon has a lot of stupid reps. I do think your chances are better by taking to to an actual Rep.

As for the damage, the only way to be sure is to remove the screen protector. yes, it is possible it is an indentation rather than an actual scratch. If indentations penetrated the screen protector, yes, that would count as damage. But it would not be covered under a warranty. The warranty is only for manufacturer defects.

So I would still be paying the $100 deductible. Meh, I guess its worth a shot to say there's something defective with the device and hope I can get it replaced, rather than paying $100.

 

[JeffDenver]

Honestly, I doubt they would warranty it anyway. You could try though. It wouldnt hurt.

 

[JeffDenver]

I think my best bet is saying there is something wrong with the phone, but won't they check it when I send it in? What if they discover there is nothing really wrong with it?

You would think so, but you are underestimating just how sloppy and lazy Verizon is. It isnt just the reps that are incredibly stupid. Stupidity is spread pretty liberally throughout the company.

You might get unlucky and come across one of the few employees that has a brain. But a friend of mine got warranty service on a fully Rooted, ROMED and Overclocked Droid 1. No joke. Miracles do happen.

Also, I told my dad last night and he filed a claim with Asurion. He described that there was just cosmetic damage and the claim was automatically denied because Asurion doesn't cover cosmetic damage. However the claim is now in their system... Will they check that I recently filed a claim for comsetic damage when I call them up for a 'battery" issue? I guess I'm afraid they'll figure it out..

yeah, they might. The solution is to make sure there is more than cosmetic damage. Asurion covers ANY damage...even if it is your fault (read your policy first, but I believe they do cover all damage). "Oops, I ran over my phone. Thats more than cosmetic damage now. Replace please. kthx"

I don't know how involved the process is though. My friend with the Droid 1 got a refurbished one overnighted to him via the warranty. But Asurion might not be that quick.

 

[Laur3nNewm4n]

Depending on how technically handy you are, you could wait until someone starts selling replacement exteriors. I had dropped my Thunderbolt and cracked the exterior case near the charging port, and I bought a replacement outside from repairsuniverse.com and it was super easy to fix on my own. They don't have one for the Rezound yet, but it's still a relatively new device. It cost me about $65. That way you'll get to keep your same phone, but it'll look pretty again.

 

[t35rk]

Live with it. That is all.

Sent from my ADR6300 using DroidForums

 

[Lenagainster]

Live with it. That is all......

Right, and get a silicone case. It will hide the damage, prevent further damage, and if you have a conscience, prevent you from making a fraudulent claim against the insurance company.

 

[apav]

I'm using the plastic shell case I bought from Verizon. Is that ok?