Verdict - 30 Day Period from Launch

[bdforte69]

To keep or not to keep... for everyone that picked one up on launch day, that is the question. The time to effortlessly return or exchange one is coming to an end this weekend. Who else is in this boat?

Currently, I am on my second EVO (which is now a worthless brick) and waiting on Best Buy to get some more in stock. I picked up my first EVO on launch day, but had to return it due to a broken front-facing camera. After waiting for three weeks to exchange it, I got my second EVO. Of course, then the now infamous brick-laying update got me. I mean, that update put up more bricks than Shaq at the free throw line!

So, now I am faced with the sad reality of do I wait indefinitely for Best Buy to get more and hope that I can "trust" them to honor the 30 day return/exchange policy, or do I go get my money back and upgrade credit restored. Sure, with a black tie or Sprint insurance program you can get a new phone after 30 days, but it will be a much longer process because they will send it off first before handing you a new/refurb.

Friday is my judgement day. I love the EVO and want so badly for it to actually work without any problems. This waiting game has just gotten ridiculous though. It's not because the item is "so hot we can't keep it in stock." It's because Sprint and HTC are now doing damage control, literally. The shipments aren't moving because they are fixing all of the well documented issues.

And before people start saying how they just ordered one here or there, I'm calling bullsh*t. For the past week I have been calling 10 Best Buys within a 45 minute radius and asking to speak with a manager about the EVO. No where has them. The Sprint Stores are 10 times worse. The closest one to me has a 45 person waiting list! I mean WTF?

 

[htcevolee]

I am keeping mine because i feel this is the best phone ive had so far. I love the power, the screen, the cameras, all of it!

I was about to order a new Evo throough Sprint business and it got here in 3 days. So there is a stock of phones out there somewhere.

 

[raqball]

Simple... Do you like the device and the features it offer? If so keep it and exchange it 10 times if you have to... Thats what I plan on doing as I am in almost the same boat as you...

If you don't like the device, the features it offers or if it's to much of a pain for you to go through the exchange process, then return it and wait for the next device that catches your eye....

My .02..

Best of luck whatever you decide...

 

[bdforte69]

Yeah... I'm definitely planning on sticking with EVO. I think I might just get my money back from Best Buy, then order one from Sprint or wherever has them currently available. I think it's the frustration of having to wait multiple weeks, multiple times, for multiple replacements that is getting to me.

 

[RoboMonkey]

Ummm I just ordered min from Sprint this past Tuesday and it's on the Truck will be here today. They have plenty of stock now. Q2 is over the numbers a locked in for them to report sales.

One more thing, it will be my 4th EVO.

 

[CPR]

I was a 3GS user that moved over to the Evo with the intention of trying it for 30 days and then switching to the iP4. I'm much happier with Sprint's service and pricing and the Evo is a great phone. I'm staying with the Evo.

 

[Never!?]

Check with your nearest Sams Club/Cosco's to see if their cell phone kiosks have them in. I work at one and talked to our cell phone people and they scored me one a few days later.

Also, I like their return policies. $100 for 2 years worth of insurance, no questions asked.

 

[asaberan]

I'm keeping mine. Not that I didn't plan on it, but the 30 day return policy helped because I was a bit worried about the size of the device. Yesterday I upgraded an iPhone 3GS to iOS4 for someone and that thing seems tiny now! I like my Evo much better.

 

[Mistawho]

I'm sorry for all your bad experiences. As for me, from day one... 0003 hardware version. I've had nothing but a smooth experience.

 

[hitekalex]

The phone is not perfect but I love mine. I was just having lunch at a tech conference, had my EVO set on the table streaming World Cup match on ESPN via 4G.. Everyone around was amazed at the phone, screen size, etc.

So yeah I am keeping mine.

 

[RoboMonkey]

I'm sorry for all your bad experiences. As for me, from day one... 0003 hardware version. I've had nothing but a smooth experience.

My last EVO 003 was fine until I bricked it doing the update. grrrrrrrr

 

[flyjbaker]

Keeping both of ours for sure.

My advice on where to find one my not be of use to you since it sounds like you are tied up with BB. BUT...Radio Shacks get a shipment every week. Usually a very small shipment(2-4 phones) but they do get them. I live in the Houston area so there are tons of them. Just call around like you did to BB and you can usually get a handle on when they are coming. The folks that work there are very forthcoming about when the next shipment is and how many they will get and how many people are on a waiting list(some seem to allow lists...others are fist come first served). Seemed like all the Shacks in the Houston area got their shipments on Friday.....jus sayin'!

 

[danwlee]

I wasn't even planning on buying one when I got mine. i was in Best Buy so my other half picking up the iphone 4 on launch day when they said they got a shipment of EVOs in. I asked if i could buy one and they said yes. Rest is history.

 

[caramelcarebr]

I'm sorry for all your bad experiences. As for me, from day one... 0003 hardware version. I've had nothing but a smooth experience.

Same here, not a single hiccup. Launch day from Sprint, ironically the purchase was completely spontaneous (the day I decided I might try it out happened to be launch day). Hardware 003.

 

[karong]

definitely keeping mine. Had it since launch day and I was one of the lucky ones. No defects at all. Not saying its perfect cuz the Evo does have its flaws but still the best phone Ive used to date.

 

[jds4000]

9.0 over 10.0 and a KEEPER.

 

[Shawnz]

I was on the fence because Sprints coverage isn't all that great where I need it to be which is also hammering the battery. I was weighing getting the Droid X but for the money, EVO wins hands down.

I'm stick'n around.

 

[Rob_A]

I knew I was keeping this thing for 2 years on June 4th.

No problems at all either (build 2)

 

[JoshUng]

Keeping mine. I have absolutely no problems wit the phone itself. I figure if some of the issues pop up that others have had I can just exchange it via warranty. Assuming the phone works as its supposed to (which it has for me so far), I have no complaints.

 

[RoboMonkey]

Before I read forums I never knew phones had issues. I bet there were tons of things wrong with my G1.

 

[damewolf13]

Yeah... I'm definitely planning on sticking with EVO. I think I might just get my money back from Best Buy, then order one from Sprint or wherever has them currently available. I think it's the frustration of having to wait multiple weeks, multiple times, for multiple replacements that is getting to me.

This is probably your best bet. Sprint has the best priced plan/features for the money, and at this time, Evo is the best phone anywhere. It is just unfortunate for all of us as well as Sprint that this first update was flawed.

 

[tomemail]

Ordered mine from Sprint Tele-Sales yesterday and its on the truck for delivery today ($12.00 extra for next day).

 

[drexappeal]

To keep or not to keep... for everyone that picked one up on launch day, that is the question. The time to effortlessly return or exchange one is coming to an end this weekend. Who else is in this boat?

Currently, I am on my second EVO (which is now a worthless brick) and waiting on Best Buy to get some more in stock. I picked up my first EVO on launch day, but had to return it due to a broken front-facing camera. After waiting for three weeks to exchange it, I got my second EVO. Of course, then the now infamous brick-laying update got me. I mean, that update put up more bricks than Shaq at the free throw line!

So, now I am faced with the sad reality of do I wait indefinitely for Best Buy to get more and hope that I can "trust" them to honor the 30 day return/exchange policy, or do I go get my money back and upgrade credit restored. Sure, with a black tie or Sprint insurance program you can get a new phone after 30 days, but it will be a much longer process because they will send it off first before handing you a new/refurb.

Friday is my judgement day. I love the EVO and want so badly for it to actually work without any problems. This waiting game has just gotten ridiculous though. It's not because the item is "so hot we can't keep it in stock." It's because Sprint and HTC are now doing damage control, literally. The shipments aren't moving because they are fixing all of the well documented issues.

And before people start saying how they just ordered one here or there, I'm calling bullsh*t. For the past week I have been calling 10 Best Buys within a 45 minute radius and asking to speak with a manager about the EVO. No where has them. The Sprint Stores are 10 times worse. The closest one to me has a 45 person waiting list! I mean WTF?

I'm in the similar boat as you, but I'm not thinking of exchanging for anything but the EVO.

Here's the thing, you said you're on your 2nd EVO? What date did you have that replaced? Best Buy's return policy starts from the day that you picked up the device. I confirmed that when I went back on Tuesday night (after my 2nd phone bricked from the software update).

The Best Buy I originally went to allowed me to put in a pre-order for the white one and indicated that my order was a "Priority Exchange." Since they didn't have any EVO's to replace my bricked phone with, they felt bad because they also couldn't give me a loaner (only way I could get a working phone was to do an exchange for a blackberry or moment or hero, but I wasn't about to mess with the transactions I already had in place). Their "loaner phone" policy apparently only applies to phones that have the BB service plan and that particular phone needs to be "shipped out" for repairs.

SO, even though I originally purchased my phone on June 4, I got a "replacement" phone 21 days later on the 24th, so that means my "new" 30 day exchange end date is 7/23. In the meantime, I'm just gonna keep checking back with all the Best Buy's every day, in case they get any in stock (so I won't go phoneless). I originally was told that July 7 would be the release date for the white EVO, but I was mis-informed because I was told yesterday, 7/11 is the release date.

I tried the closest Best Buy 10 minutes after opening and the mobile department was already swampped. Frustrating not having a working phone, but nothing else I can do.

The only "alternative" option I had was to go to Sprint because I was also told Yesterday (from the Phone Tech Support) that HTC shipped out a bunch of EVO's to Sprint because it was their fault that the software update caused so many phones to be bricked. So Sprint stores "supposedly" has EVO's in stock, purposely to replace phones that were bricked from the software update. The reason I didn't move forward with that was because it would've voided by Best Buy 30 day exchange, so I chose to wait.

 

[0837s]

I'm in the same situation as you are. My 2nd Evo is the phone that I have now, and its bricked. It double updated itself and we all know the story from there.

I'm currently using the HTC Incredible on VZW's network. After I got the Evo, I was able to trade my Moto Droid for an Incredible (plus a little bit of cash), so I have the Evo and Incredible.

I like the Evo and the features of it. I'm not quite sure about Sprint's coverage/roaming, but I haven't been able to use the phone this entire week, since its a brick.

I like the Incredible, but I'm not 100% sure why. When the Evo worked, I found myself migrating over towards the Incredible when I went to make calls- not sure why. The only problem with the Incredible is that I got it from a friend, so it has no warranty and is not insurable, so i'm not sure what to do.

Same as you, I have to make up my mind by Friday evening, period.

 

[damewolf13]

My last EVO 003 was fine until I bricked it doing the update. grrrrrrrr

You didn't brick it. HTC/Sprint did!!