GoKawiilEdgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Verizon replaced a customer’s phone after they complained about poor connectivity, giving them a refurbished phone instead of a new one.
The phone allegedly behaved unusually and then got factory-reset on its own, deleting crucial work and personal data.
The owner learned the device was controlled by an enterprise MDM, and that Verizon supposedly sent them a phone from the store.
After several weeks of jumping through hoops, Verizon reportedly informed them that a replacement wasn’t needed in the first place, marked the issue as resolved, and offered a maximum compensation of $400.
The user is now pursuing legal options under California’s consumer protection and privacy statutes.
It’s not uncommon for people to buy a used or refurbished phone from a random stranger, only to realize it’s either stolen controlled by an enterprise MDM (Mobile Device Management) system. But it’s a rather unfortunate rarity when you get locked out of a device you purchased new, even when it has been bought from a reputable company like Verizon. That’s exactly the plight of someone who sent their phone for a repair, received a refurbished unit in return, and then got locked out of what was supposed to be their own device.
How it began Redditor Tcolls86 (a Tom Collery, according to Ars Technica) described the harrowing experience in a lengthy post. After experiencing poor 5G connectivity, Collery, a Verizon customer of more than 21 years, reportedly sent a phone, seemingly a Galaxy Z Flip, for a hardware diagnosis. Verizon support reasoned it by saying it was due to a “software malfunction.” They were informed that this was likely a manufacturing defect, and their phone would be replaced with a new one. Usually, you would rejoice at the idea of getting a new phone without paying for it. I certainly would! But that’s where things started going south for them.
First, Verizon delivered the phone to the wrong address, to the Collery’s parents’ house in New York, instead of their address in California. Then, they found out that it wasn’t exactly a new phone but a refurbished one. After being told that the phone had gone through a “150-point” checklist, they initially conceded and began using it.
Replacement didn’t fix the issue, but made it worse Despite that, their problems with 5G didn’t go away. “If anything, it got worse,” according to them, and another advisor then informed them that the issue was likely due to network extenders in the area, refuting the whole point of replacing the phone. The advisor promised to send them an extender, which never really arrived.
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