Yes, I agree that your particular circumstances do suck.

At the least, AT&T should let you return the phone & get out of your contract.

That would give you the option of either getting another phone from AT&T & enter into another 2 year contract with them or go elsewhere.

Just how long have you had that phone?

Another option (& the real reason I responded) is that when people upgrade their phones, they sometimes have a perfectly good compatible phone that they no longer have any use for.  Ask your friends & relatives.

You can then just put your Sim card in the replacement phone.

I have had the glorious expeience of having this phone less than six months!

As I've spoken to more and more AT&T elk, they are hard nosed about the issue. I spent an hour this morning

transfering and arguing with various departments, all with the bottom line solution of paying full cost or

skimming a particular store's deals at Radio Shack, Best Buy, et. al.

Translation- screw you, customer! You do the leg work!

My next step is to contact Pantech, and write AT&T VP of customer relations, and CC that to any executive I can find.

And yes.. I  am very well aware this is a board for AT&T. I want them to know!

Also CC your local Better Business Bureau.

There are also other similar State & Federal agencies (but their names escape me at the moment).

CC them ALL & note that in every letter you send to ANY AT&T employee / officer.

They hate it when problems like this get out to those agencies.

Local TV stations & newspapers sometimes have Sections / Coverage for problems like this that simply evade resolution.

Seek out as much publicity as you can (outside of AT&T).

Hi Carrie. AT&T used to, in limited circumstances, replace a phone with a similar model after so many exchanges. I'm not sure if they still have that policy, or if they killed it. You can try to make a claim directly with the manufacturer, and see if they'll swap you out for a different model. 

But let's be clear here. You contract with AT&T for phone service. They handle warranty exchanges with/on behalf of the manufacturers as a courtesy. You can always change the model of phone you're using, but you're only going to get a discounted phone once per contract period. You can find a lot of perfectly good and serviceable phones on eBay or Craigslist at reduced prices. Used phones won't have the same warranty coverage as new, but you could ask your homeowner's or renter's insurance about an electronics rider to cover things like your cell phone.

I've heard more than a fair amount of negative press about Pantech.

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adelaide2726 wrote:

 

 

Hello. My name is Carrie.

 

Pantech Pocket Droid was replaced twice, both times with similar and even worse malfunctions.

 

I have already visited the warranty store in my area about 3 times, spoken to Customer Relations at least 5 times, on-phone warranty department, you name it.

 

The result?

 

AT&T will only replace the same make and model, if I want a different make/model phone, I must pay full price for that phone. As I understand this policy, I must pay for a new phone at any retail outlet.

 

This is outrageous. Suffice it to say, since I'm "locked in" a 2 year contract, I'm forced to use AT&T.

Is this correct?

 

Warranty, and other replacement policies may be standard, but it is poor thinking and puts the burden on the customer

For a defective make / model. This is my first experience with an upgrade phone, and it has been unacceptable.

I had no idea that Pantech was a lemon, and I will never buy this brand again.

 

AT&T fails to have a replacement quantity policy- so that means, no matter how many times this phone malfunctions, is inoperable for hours on end at various intervals, I must get a replacement of the same make and defective model.

 

Thank you.

 

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Sorry, but that's not going to happen. If every warranty replacement is equally bad, there might be state "lemon law" protection. But AT&T is under no obligation to tear up someone's contract, or give them an early upgrade because the user chose a phone with poor build quality and didn't bother to return it within the buyer's remorse period.

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Steven1357 wrote:

Yes, I agree that your particular circumstances do suck.

 

At the least, AT&T should let you return the phone & get out of your contract.

 

That would give you the option of either getting another phone from AT&T & enter into another 2 year contract with them or go elsewhere.

 

Just how long have you had that phone?

 

Another option (& the real reason I responded) is that when people upgrade their phones, they sometimes have a perfectly good compatible phone that they no longer have any use for.  Ask your friends & relatives.

 

You can then just put your Sim card in the replacement phone.

---

Hello @adelaide2726 I understand this is a frustrating situation. Send me a private message with your account number, full name on the account and the best number to reach you at. I'm happy to look in to the situation for you. 

Thank you,

ATTJulieCS

AT&T Community Specialist

Defective phones, or any electronic device do not show their true defective colors until after the "30 Day Buyer's Remorse/ Poor build quality" has expired or whatever unfair advantage contract there is.

How can any consumer know what makes/models are lemons? I'm supposed to have the gift for foresight?

AT&T may not be obligated to tear up a contracts, or upgrade- the whole point is to be satisifed with both the phone and the service. They have me lock, stock and barrel in a two year contract, so the phone part is not part of the equation? That does not make sense. That's like having car insurance without a car.

Well, you haven't provided any detail on what exactly went wrong with the phones. You said that subsequent replacements had similar or worse malfunctions. What exactly is going on with the phone, and what troubleshooting did you undertake to fix it? 

A little research might help you? There's a whole Pantech forum here, tech blogs like Engadget, and tech web sites like CNet & ZDNet. Much of what I've seen regarding Pantech has been bad, and as a result I would think twice before using their phones.  

AT&T has provided you with their rememdy to your defective phone. They'll replace your Pocket with another Pocket. Clearly this phone either isn't well made, or isn't well-suited to the everyday wear & tear it experiences as you use it. And no, the phone part is not part of the equation that is your contract with AT&T. If you dropped your phone in the lake, you would still be obligated to maintain service even without a phone. AT&T would be under no obligation to provide you a replacement phone.

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adelaide2726 wrote:

Defective phones, or any electronic device do not show their true defective colors until after the "30 Day Buyer's Remorse/ Poor build quality" has expired or whatever unfair advantage contract there is.

 

How can any consumer know what makes/models are lemons? I'm supposed to have the gift for foresight?

 

AT&T may not be obligated to tear up a contracts, or upgrade- the whole point is to be satisifed with both the phone and the service. They have me lock, stock and barrel in a two year contract, so the phone part is not part of the equation? That does not make sense. That's like having car insurance without a car.

---

I just had the same rotten experience regarding an HTC Freestyle that I got for my 10-year old daughter for when she is at the bus stop or a school event. We are fortunate that the ATT major service center is in West Palm Beach, right near where we live. Our experience with this service center has always been positive. We brought the HTC in shortly after buying it and they indicated that it was a battery short and "fixed" it, continued to have the same problem and brought it back again and they gave us a new phone (same Model), continued to have the same problems and brought it back today and were told that there was nothing they could do for us - they are always nice and their "hands are tired." I had to order another line today and I must say, it's always a pleasure dealing with ATT when I am upgrading or purchasing a new line. I told the sales tech about my problem with the HTC thinking it would be a relatively simple matter to replace the phone with another simple messaging phone (it's not like I was asking to replace an Iphone, which is a whole 'nother story). He put me on hold on and off for about 45 minutes before sending me on to the warranty service. I got a very nice rep at the warranty center reading from a script, who asked me to check the phone which I did not have on me. Send my son outside to get it and it turns out, she was asking me to check for water damage! Long story short, I spent 2 hours only to be told that my best option was to take the upgrade from another line and get another phone. Unacceptable, frustrating, disappointing. I won't be upgrading that line, I will be canceling it and letting the 4 other lines cancel as they come up as well.

"... it turns out, she was asking me to check for water damage!..."

Are you saying there is water damage? Or why couldn't it be replaced under warranty?