[yrusse1]

This is my first post and will be my first BlackBerry. I'm so excited for the Strom. When I first started researching, I was unaware of Verizon's Annual Upgrade policy, so I called customer service (about 2 months ago). I was told that on Dec. 3, 2008, I'd be eligible for an Annual Upgrade. With the Storm's debut quickly approaching, I called customer service Saturday to see if I could upgrade on the 21st when the Storm launches. She told me this was 'do-able' and that I'd have to go to a Verizon store. Today after work, I went by a Verizon store and was told I'd have to call customer service for them to change the dates. I get home and call customer service again and the rep has no clue what I'm talking about and says there is no such thing as an Annual Upgrade. I politely asked him to hold while I powered on my laptop and read to him verbatim what was on their website and he continued to disagree with me. (I know he was just a dumb ***, who doesn't even know his own company's policy), but WTF?

Will Verizon seriously not let me upgrade 11 days earlier? I've been with them for 8 years and my account has always been in good standing. Has anyone else been successful at this?!

[ScandaLeX]

Call them back. You'll get someone different on the phone. This is what happens when calling for information but not being ready to act on it at the time; when you call back you get told something different. This is par for the course with all carriers.

If you're serious about doing it before the 11 days are up, have your credit card ready. Good luck!

[lastraid]

YEs they will most likely let you upgrade that early. If not wait the 11 days

[vatothe0]

How dare they not let you upgrade 8 months and 11 days early!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[schaidshaw02]

I've always upgraded early through verizon and never had a problem with it. I have always just gone into the store the day I wanted to get the phone and had no issues...although I doubt sinnce I just got my 8830 in March they'll let me upgrade to the storm

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[sdmilton]

callback dude. shouldnt be a big deal. find a rule breaker

[dirtyjersey]

they just told me the same thing... i am eligible on december 8th. Im waiting for a call back from a supervisor. If this doesnt work, i will be calling the cancelation department. To let them know that they need to move the 12/8 date up to 11/21 or i will be moving to AT&T for a Bold.

[ShortStop51001]

good luck with ATT, not sure where you're from but att service stinks in my area.

It's 11 days....you seriously cannot wait that long?

[dirtyjersey]

Okay, so, I just spoke with the VZW supervisor. He said that they would be happy to overide this up to one month. BUT that it had to be done at the VZW store, and that the folks at an "Authorized Retailer" AKA my bestbuy pre-order, could NOT do this for me. He said that i should get to the VZW store by 9am to get it.

Futhermore he said that they had 1.2 million storm handsets ready for Friday sale. I could also get this through Direct Fulfillment and have it overnighted. I would get it by 2pm on Saturday.

(Naturally, i cannot wait that long.)

The supervisor said that he would personally call me back Friday afternoon to make sure i got my Storm and to make sure it all went smoothly. If i had any problems that he would do the direct fulfulment then so that i could get it saturday for sure.

That, my friends, is some darn good customer service. Verizon really is the best.

[JRSCCivic98]

Call the supervisor back. They can make the change on their end. As a matter of fact, they can also denote your account as well with anything to overide whatever they want in order to get local VZW stores to make things happen for you. It's the other way around from what he told you on the phone.

[dirtyjersey]

Really? So, you are saying that he can process this so called override now so that the best buy clerks can make the sale. I thought that too, but he made it sound like that had to happen when the upgrade was being made.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[yrusse1]

Okay, so, I just spoke with the VZW supervisor. He said that they would be happy to overide this up to one month. BUT that it had to be done at the VZW store, and that the folks at an "Authorized Retailer" AKA my bestbuy pre-order, could NOT do this for me. He said that i should get to the VZW store by 9am to get it.

Futhermore he said that they had 1.2 million storm handsets ready for Friday sale. I could also get this through Direct Fulfillment and have it overnighted. I would get it by 2pm on Saturday.

(Naturally, i cannot wait that long.)

The supervisor said that he would personally call me back Friday afternoon to make sure i got my Storm and to make sure it all went smoothly. If i had any problems that he would do the direct fulfulment then so that i could get it saturday for sure.

That, my friends, is some darn good customer service. Verizon really is the best.

Lucky you...I tried to go to another store and the guy said I should come by on Friday and see if they'd let me upgrade it then. I tried customer service again and the rep told me how great of a phone it was and that I was really going to love it on December 3rd when I'm eligible for my Annual Upgrade . I give up...12 days and counting.

[JRSCCivic98]

Really? So, you are saying that he can process this so called override now so that the best buy clerks can make the sale. I thought that too, but he made it sound like that had to happen when the upgrade was being made.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

People have been posting all week long on how they are requesting their accounts to be denoted for early upgrade and some are getting it. Depends on who you talk to on the phone I guess.

[deanabmf]

they just told me the same thing... i am eligible on december 8th. Im waiting for a call back from a supervisor. If this doesnt work, i will be calling the cancelation department. To let them know that they need to move the 12/8 date up to 11/21 or i will be moving to AT&T for a Bold.

You would change service because they won't break a rule that you ACTUALLY don't qualify for...hmmm...this instant gratification or i'll throw a tantrum thing seems to be catching on....and for the record I have AT&T and am switching to VZW to get the storm

[jdnlou]

People have been posting all week long on how they are requesting their accounts to be denoted for early upgrade and some are getting it. Depends on who you talk to on the phone I guess.

If I were you, I would call that supervisor back and tell him to ship you the phone. Just because he said you can do it in store doesn't mean that the manager/supervisor in the store will have to honor it. The people that work at the 800 number don't have any more power to make decisions than the people that work at the store. I am a supervisor in a retail location and I know from experience that what they tell you we will do in store is not always true.

Now, having said that, if it's just 11 days I would probably do it anyway assuming your account is in good standing. I only recommend that you call that supervisor back and have him send you the phone because you may run into someone that won't let you do it in store.

I've seen the initial number of phones they are shipping to the stores in this area and I fully expect it not to be enough (I know I was displeased with the amount that my store is getting). With that in mind, it wouldn't surprise me if a manager will refuse to let you get one early if it means they would have to deny a phone to a customer that is legitimately eligible now.

Just my thoughts...