Buy a Charge at Costco if you're going to buy one

[shadowdude777]

Costco is a much better deal for the Charge; $250 instead of $300, they waive the restocking fee if you want to cancel your contract within 14 days, and (best part), you can return the phone within 90 days and buy another phone from them and stay on your existing contract. Good idea for those of you who, like me, are reluctant about the Charge; I don't think I'm keeping mine so I'm so happy I bought from Costco.

 

[Redflea]

Costco is a much better deal for the Charge; $250 instead of $300, they waive the restocking fee if you want to cancel your contract within 14 days, and (best part), you can return the phone within 90 days and buy another phone from them and stay on your existing contract. Good idea for those of you who, like me, are reluctant about the Charge; I don't think I'm keeping mine so I'm so happy I bought from Costco.

Copy-cat, I just posted that in another thread.... ;-)

Yeah, my wife is likely going to buy a Charge at Costco tomorrow for those very reasons. Two more benefits:

- Only pay tax on $299 instead of $599 (saves another $25 or so)
- Claimed they provide more accessories w/the phone than VZW stores do

The only down-side on the 90 day return is that you have to exchange it for a phone they have at Costco, which does not include all the phones that VZW has. But still better than the VZW deal by far.

BTW - what are the top reasons you're returning your Charge?

 

[shadowdude777]

Copy-cat, I just posted that in another thread.... ;-)

Yeah, my wife is likely going to buy a Charge at Costco tomorrow for those very reasons. Two more benefits:

- Only pay tax on $299 instead of $599 (saves another $25 or so)
- Claimed they provide more accessories w/the phone than VZW stores do

The only down-side on the 90 day return is that you have to exchange it for a phone they have at Costco, which does not include all the phones that VZW has. But still better than the VZW deal by far.

BTW - what are the top reasons you're returning your Charge?

Oh really? I didn't see your post, I promise, haha!

Yes, Costco provides a car charger, case, and crappy earbuds.

But yeah, that's what makes me apprehensive about keeping past the 14 days; I don't know if a phone will come out within those other 76 days that has what I want AND that Costco carries.

The reason I'm returning is that I don't feel like this phone is very revolutionary. UI-wise, it's barely faster than my Droid 1; it's MUCH slower than my mom's Droid 2 and my dad's Droid X. It just feels laggy. I expect CyanogenMod 7 to make it better because it replaces the horrible RFS with ext4, but still... I dunno. Also, no notification LED really bothers me and I'm hoping the Droid 3 will have LTE because I LOVE physical keyboards, but since the Droid X2 is just 3G, the Droid 3 will probably be as well.

But yeah, Costco really is the best. I ONLY buy electronics from them. Electronics nowadays are just too downright horrible and too shoddily built to buy anything without a good return policy/warranty, and Costco has that covered by selling all electronics with 90 return and all computers with 2 year warranty as well.

Oh, just want to mention: If the phone weren't so downright GORGEOUS, it'd already be returned.

 

[tuanster1119]

Do they offer the Charge without a contract and if so, how much?

 

[jinwons]

Forget LTE in D3. It will be also 3G phone like DX2. The next LTE phone is LG revolution dropping soon later. After that, it's anyone's guess. No one knows when Bionic will return and if SGSII will have LTE or not.

 

[zachd]

you are aware that you will have to pay full price for your next phone after 14 days correct? You will not be able to get your second phone at the upgradeable price You would be better off selling the phone on ebay or even on this forum to someone who is off contract or unable to currently upgrade and make money on it rather than return it to costco

Just saying...

 

[jfoey22]

you are aware that you will have to pay full price for your next phone after 14 days correct? You will not be able to get your second phone at the upgradeable price You would be better off selling the phone on ebay or even on this forum to someone who is off contract or unable to currently upgrade and make money on it rather than return it to costco

Just saying...

Are youh sure about that? That wouldn't seem to make much since.

 

[shadowdude777]

you are aware that you will have to pay full price for your next phone after 14 days correct? You will not be able to get your second phone at the upgradeable price You would be better off selling the phone on ebay or even on this forum to someone who is off contract or unable to currently upgrade and make money on it rather than return it to costco

Just saying...

Please read the post first. Costco has a 90 day no-questions return policy across the board on all electronics. That includes the phones sold at their Verizon kiosk. The only catch is you'll either have to pay an ETF or exchange it for a different phone Costco also offers. Their selection is fairly limited.

Just as a by the way, I went to Costco the other day to ask if they're getting the Revolution, DX2, D3, or Samsung Function (the name of their Galaxy S2 variant). They didn't know about three of them, but they did show me the Droid X2 and said they have them but aren't allowed to sell them yet.

 

[WildH]

Wish I had a Costco within 3 hrs of me!

 

[jfoey22]

Please read the post first. Costco has a 90 day no-questions return policy across the board on all electronics. That includes the phones sold at their Verizon kiosk. The only catch is you'll either have to pay an ETF or exchange it for a different phone Costco also offers. Their selection is fairly limited.

Just as a by the way, I went to Costco the other day to ask if they're getting the Revolution, DX2, D3, or Samsung Function (the name of their Galaxy S2 variant). They didn't know about three of them, but they did show me the Droid X2 and said they have them but aren't allowed to sell them yet.

I think right now the only meaning full phone(s) they don't have is the thunderbolt and the fruit.

 

[Redflea]

you are aware that you will have to pay full price for your next phone after 14 days correct? You will not be able to get your second phone at the upgradeable price You would be better off selling the phone on ebay or even on this forum to someone who is off contract or unable to currently upgrade and make money on it rather than return it to costco

Just saying...

That makes no sense...as far as I know, at VZW you can return a phone in 14 day window, pay restocking fee (which Costco doesn't charge), and you just go back to your old phone, no harm, no foul..., why would Costco have a different penalty, they are authorized Verizon dealers.

 

[shadowdude777]

These are Costco's terms:

- Within 14 days: No restocking fee, phone returned, contract cancelled, upgrade restored
- Within 90 days: No restocking fee, phone returned but must be exchanged for a new one or an ETF is charged. Contract is maintained, upgrade remains used.

 

[shadowdude777]

I think right now the only meaning full phone(s) they don't have is the thunderbolt and the fruit.

The TB is better than the Charge in my eyes because of the dev community... we have not a single dev so far.

I couldn't care less about the fruit.

I don't think they carry the Incredible/Inc2, but they are pretty good about keeping the Droid line maintained, actually. They even have the unloved Droid Pro!? I'm just afraid they'll decide not to carry the Revolution, because I really do want it. They said they didn't get the TB because everyone complained about battery. A complaint I have never heard from any of my 3 friends with the TB, just by the way.

 

[addictedtocars]

Costco is a much better deal for the Charge; $250 instead of $300, they waive the restocking fee if you want to cancel your contract within 14 days, and (best part), you can return the phone within 90 days and buy another phone from them and stay on your existing contract. Good idea for those of you who, like me, are reluctant about the Charge; I don't think I'm keeping mine so I'm so happy I bought from Costco.

I confirmed with 2 different Costcos that you have only 14 days to swap models after that for the remainder of the 90 days you can only exchange for same model phone.

 

[shadowdude777]

Interesting, I was told differently... VERY differently. I have to go clarify, in that case. AND possibly return my phone very soon, because I don't think the Charge is a keeper.

 

[addictedtocars]

Interesting, I was told differently... VERY differently. I have to go clarify, in that case. AND possibly return my phone very soon, because I don't think the Charge is a keeper.

So my current thinking is that I may want to wait for a dual core LTE device, but I can get a Charge from Costco and test drive it for up to 90 days, if I decide at that time to bail on it I woudl likely go purchase a DX2 off contract, thus I woudl just transfer my number to the DX2 maintain my plan and return the Charge to Costco for a full refund. From what I am reading on their web site under the terms it seems I can do that and no pay any ETF since the contract is for my service not that I keep the Charge. Thus if the Charge is a keeper I am fine and if not I have a good fail back plan to a DX2 which I'll use until they eventually ship the Bionic.

 

[jinwons]

I confirmed with 2 different Costcos that you have only 14 days to swap models after that for the remainder of the 90 days you can only exchange for same model phone.

That's not true. I actually changed to different phone at Costco after 80 days of purchase.

 

[mmpotash]

Having 90 days to exchange it is a big plus for me... so I bought it yesterday.
So far so good!

 

[jfoey22]

Having 90 days to exchange it is a big plus for me... so I bought it yesterday.
So far so good!

Great but be careful because Costco doesn't always carry the latest phones. For example, currently they do not sell the Thunderbolt or Revolution.

 

[navigatn]

The Costco I went to had a tb dummy phone but it wasnt on display. I wonder if that means they don't sell it.

I would also take advantage of their 90 days exchange policy, but they said if I exchange it for a different phone, I would have to pay full retail price. Which makes no sense to me.

 

[jfoey22]

The Costco I went to had a tb dummy phone but it wasnt on display. I wonder if that means they don't sell it.

I would also take advantage of their 90 days exchange policy, but they said if I exchange it for a different phone, I would have to pay full retail price. Which makes no sense to me.

Oh, I didn't realize they even had a dummy of the thunderbolt. It isn't listed on their website.

I am returning my charge this weekend within the 14 day policy but will ask them about the 90 day policy.

 

[jinwons]

Oh, I didn't realize they even had a dummy of the thunderbolt. It isn't listed on their website.

I am returning my charge this weekend within the 14 day policy but will ask them about the 90 day policy.

Just curious. Why are you returning Charge and which one are you getting after that?

 

[jfoey22]

Just curious. Why are you returning Charge and which one are you getting after that?

First, my intent from day one was to return the phone and Sunday is my 14 day contact return period. Initially, i was going to keep it for the 90 return policy for the exchange, but I am getting nervious nothing I am willing to settle with will be available in that time.

As for the phone, i think it will become really old really quick and I can't see myself with it for two years. Which to be fair, that is probably the case for any phone (shame on vzw for doing away with one year deals). Other than the screen and 4g, it isn't much of an improvement over my incredible.

Some other things I don't like about it are; gps seems slower to find location than my incredible. Overall i feel the UI seems cartoonish, although I am zeam. Still reminisce of cheese wiz. 3g coverage doesn't seem as good as my incredible. Lastly, i don't believe there will be much dev support.


**added, I read this somewhere and agree. Not sure the build will hold up for two years. I have dropped it a few times softly and it already had a few dings. Of course if I was going to keep it I gotten a protective cover.

 

[jfoey22]

Ok, I returned my charge to Costco and asked about the return policy. The associate told me you do in fact get the subsidised price on a new phone if you return within 90 days.

 

[shadowdude777]

Well I already returned my Charge just to be safe but good to know you can indeed get a different subsidized phone within the 90 days. I'm waiting on a phone like maybe the Bionic/Targa/whatever it is now or the Samsung Function if it has LTE.

Oh, by the way, they do carry the TB now. The guy asked me if I was sure I didn't want to exchange for it when I returned the Charge. I said to just cancel the contract so I can think on it.