Stratosphere Cracked and Huge Disappointment with Verizon

[darthvt]

So I just joined the slew of customers who were cheated out of 200.00 for buying a stratosphere that the screen cracked within two months of me buying it. The insurance is a rip off so I never have bought it. Samsung is chargin 119.00 to fix the screen. Other retailers are charging almost as much if not more to purchase a new screen I have to replace myself. What a crappy product. Under two months I haven't even finished paying for it and the screen cracked in 50 places. I did drop it about a foot but are you kidding me that there is nothing that can be done for customers?? What a rip off Verizon. I have been a customer since 2005 and before smart phones I thought Verizon was a quality customer care organization. Since I started the droid with a cracked screen and now a stratosphere with the same problem, I think I will find a company who is willing to give actual customer care when a screen cracks in two months. This is a rip off and a scam. Verizon should really look into a recall or something. The phone was actually cool and worked great until the crack. Huge disappointment. If verizon can't start having better customer service I think when my 22 month contract ends I will definitely look elsewhere. Oh ya, and funny thing too, Verizon service is terrible in the D.C. VERIZON CENTER when you go to see a sporting event. Maybe that is just representative of customer service now.

[Dave-in-Decatur]

OK, no one's said this yet, so I'm just going to. Meaning no offense, and trying not to sound sarcastic, if you can find a cell phone provider that will respond to your breaking the screens on two different phones (at least one of which you acknowledge dropping) by saying, "Sorry, our bad, here's a new screen for free" ... just please let us all know.

[notarep]

Sooo, you want verizon to replace a phone that you broke? What smartphone can fall and not break?

[commonsense101]

few million out there and yours just breaks suddenly

seems legit, here have a $500 phone

[demmo86rt]

You do realize the screen is glass, right?

[darthvt]

Just in case you missed it

Dave in Decatur  - Considering how many people have either had their phones cracked without doing anything, and Im pretty sure Im not the first person of the millions of owners to drop a phone one time and have it break. Im clumsy and happy to admit it. But the fact that 100s of other people are having problems with their screens after one month or two and they didn't even drop it makes it look like a poorly produced product. I don't expect to have to get new phones. I expect Verizon to sell better products for the price they are charging so they don't break with a tap.

Notarep

Yep, I expect a new phone when a 500.00 phone cracks the first time I or anyone else drops it. Im pretty sure if I go to buy other products from elsewhere they usually don't break after a month or one use. Anyone out there have kids that used and broke their phone? Hmm... ya, Im the only one. Are you guys Verizon reps or something?

Commonsense101... nice tag... do you know how to read other blogs or just mine because Im apparently the only one to ever complain about a verizon smartphone being too cheap to stand up to simple damage?

demmo86rt.... really?

[demmo86rt]

Yes, really.  The iPhone 4S has a glass cover around the whole body and all of a sudden people were surprised when it cracked when dropped.  That's what glass does.  Next time you may want to look into getting a phone with Gorilla Glass.

[PJNC284]

Even Gorilla Glass isn't invincible. It may be a little more resistant to cracking/scratching but people put way too much faith in it.  Had an OG Droid that cracked near the soft buttons after it decided to faceplant on the driveway.  Also had a Fascinate that somehow managed to get a hairline scratch eventhough it was babied the whole time.  Did have the case/holster combo so I suppose a dirt or something could have scratched it while I was sliding it into the case.

As for the OP, phones generally don't just crack on their own.  I suppose some can crack due to excessive internal/external heat but the majority are the fault of the user which Verizon shouldn't be held responsible for.  I seriously doubt any carrier is going to foot the bill when it's clearly the user's fault so good luck with that one.  I'd invest in an Otterbox or similar case if you want the extra protection from falls, water, etc.

[Dave-in-Decatur]

I acknowledge there are problems with Strat screens cracking, mostly due to exposure to cold weather. A quick search of this forum will find any number of threads on that. However ... you did drop it. Maybe the phones should be made to withstand a drop or two (in fact I've dropped my Strat maybe 3 times, though fortunately never on a very hard surface, and so far without cracking it) -- but they don't promise us that, and we really aren't able to hold them to a standard to which they haven't committed themselves.

I agree with PJNC284, if you know you have a clumsiness problem (so do I!), a sturdy case would be a good investment.

[darthvt]

I agree with you guys that no carrier is going to fit the bill when I drop and bust my phone. My point is that for 500.00 I think they could come up with a product that doesn't break on the first drop. For example, prior to smart phones breaking all the time, I had a motorola razor for about two and half years that never cracked or otherwise broke. I also had an LG chocolate for almost two years, also that never had the kinds of problems with cracking when dropped. I will look into getting the case or going back to old school phones for clumsy people. Thanks for the info.

My point is simply that it is hard to believe for the price they are asking/we pay, plus a two year contract, and loyalty, Verizon ought to have a better standard. Why can't we as customers ask them to have a better standard and expect a better quality product? Obviously I am in the minority here and most people seem to be just fine getting ripped off but I think Verizon can sell products that are slightly more sturdy even when someone drops them. Again, I am certainly not the first person to drop a phone and have it break the first time.