yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
No. Verizon already refunded all of our payments for the Note 7. This makes all of our Note 7's effectively their property.

If we want to keep our Note 7's, and make it our property again, we may do so... But the refund will be taken away.

For example, why would Verizon refund a Note 7 that was lost? They won't, and will charge that person the full price of the phone.

Verizon didn't have to refund all of our Note 7's upfront. None of the other carriers did. But, since they did, they have the right to recharge us if they don't get the phones back.

You may have "searched and searched" but we are in a very unique situation with our phone manufacturer and our carrier. I highly doubt that any carrier has ever before fully refunded a recalled phone upfront. The carriers are not required to do that, and Verizon was being nice by doing so.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] firewater88:
Just got my second box this weekend, didn't order either one. Disabled all updates and was hoping to keep this one till the S8 came out. My texts have been generic "power down and return phone" ones. Got the email just now saying they would charge me if not returned in 5 days.

Might be to early, but has anyone been charged after this recent push for the returns? If we don't return right away, and they do charge us, what do you think the odds are of getting the refund if we then turn it in?

Spike96- Did you wind up returning phone then?
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Siegfried70:
I called the 800 number on the form in the box and spoke to the lady directly. At first she did not understand at all. I told her I had not upgraded and that I did not want to return the phone, but that I would be happy to go back on a monthly plan. She then began speaking about returning the phone and how it was suppose to be safe, upgrade options, etc.

I again reiterated that I did NOT want to sent the phone in, I had NOT cashed the refund check from Verizon (still on my desk), I did NOT upgrade a phone, and I WAS happy with my purchase. I was under no circumstances returning the phone. She understood at that point and I asked her about being charged the full price. She put me on hold and took about 3 to 4 minutes. When she came back, she said "Ok, no problem". I asked her twice if I would be charged for the full price of the phone and she said "no". We'll see what happens, but if anyone else wants to give them a call or email them as further proof, I would appreciate it.

Sorry I didn't get her name.

---------------------------------------------------------

Here's some more info on the shipping box...

Customer Care-BLDG 17

4801 Mercantile Drive

FORT WORTH, TX 76190

* It was addressed to my device name, which is under a pseudonym (i.e. the nickname you give your device under Verizon settings)

* Customer Support number on the note inside was 800.922.0204. I'd really appreciate a few more folks calling in and reconfirming that this device will NOT be charged full price.

* I just checked and I got an order under my Verizon account for the return box (dated 1/5) that I CLEARLY did not request.

While I don't think that refusing the box will be any grounds for us to argue we were not informed, at least you should not what your getting. The box was addressed to the

------------------------------------------------------------

I also received the email today stating the same "return in 5 or we will charge you". I am almost tempted to call in and say the device was lost, stolen, or confiscated (as it seems that may be a plausible reason). I just don't want to loose this Sim card or go through the hassle of reactivating the phone (which I have heard is impossible now).

OH, and I plan on using the return box as a semi-fireproofing location for my phone while asleep. While I am fairly confident in that this one will not up in flames, it does not hurt to be cautious. Thanks Verizon!
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
I haven't returned my phone yet but I plan to. I'm at college and the fireproof box actually showed up at my house in another state. My Mom is sending up the fireproof box along with my broken S4. I'll switch to my S4 for a few months and upgrade to the S8 as soon as it releases.

WHAT! THAT IS MIND BLOWING! You're telling me I can completely ignore Verizon's threats?

YOU MUST get this in writing.

I'm tempted to call and lie and say I lost my phone to see what happens. If they won't charge you then, they won't charge you ever.

BUT, yes I definitely urge you to get this in stone. You need to have proof just in case they want to charge you down the line.

A similar situation happened when I unlocked the bootloader of my Moto X Pure and Motorola wouldn't respect their warranty when a portion of my screen stopped responding to touch. Luckily, I had proof of a customer service representative saying that unlocking the bootloader would not affect the warranty, and so they had to send me a new phone.

If you do manage to get written proof, please post it here for anyone else who may need it down the line.

Thanks.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Siegfried70:
With the way things work now a days, I doubt they'll send me any paperwork (knowing that I'd post it ;). However, You can bet I'll at least try to grab an Email from them. I'll give them a call tomorrow again and see what I can do.

FYI, if anyone else is interested, try the live chat and see what you can get. Might be useful.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] KingChiron:
I think there's a bigger picture here. Wouldn't it be the property of Samsung? Doesn't the cost of recall fold into what we paid for the phone? Samsung sells to distributors for a price, who then sell to us the consumers for their higher market price. Verizon is just going to turn around to Samsung who is going to have to pay to get the phones recycled and disposed. So aren't we saving Samsung some of the $1.6 trillion dollar cost of disposing 4 million Note 7's by keeping our phone?
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
Yea, it doesn't have to be any official paperwork. For Motorola, a log of the live chat with the customer service rep was sufficient. You just need written proof, it doesn't really matter what form.

---------- Post added at 06:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------

HA! By keeping our phones, we are saving Samsung the cost of disposal? Did you really just say that?

When we give our phones back to Verizon, Verizon will give them to Samsung. Samsung will then strip down each and every Note 7 for its parts. No, the stripped phones will not reach the full value of a new Note 7, but by keeping our phones we are still certainly hurting Samsung.

Samsung gets money from every Note 7 that it receives, not the other way around.

Now, if you say you'll pay full retail for your Note 7, then that's another story. Of course Samsung would rather have cash in its pockets than have to strip down a used Note 7.

Also, FYI, Samsung offered a full refund if you returned the Note 7 to them. Verizon simply played nice and offered that refund up front. But, Verizon is threatening to take that refund away and I'm inclined to believe them. So NO, "the cost of recall" DOES NOT "fold into what we paid for the phone".
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] planomom:
If you cant it in writing, just let them know you are also recording the call (as are they). Make sure you ask them for their name, rep #, department and say the date/time... and your name, too.

Also, I believe Samsung has reimbursed all the carriers so i dont know why VZW is doing this (charging full price). Are any other carriers? And is it legal for them to do so on a supposedly "defective"/recalled product?!
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
Verizon is different.

None of the other carriers refunded Note 7 owners upfront. The other carriers simply refunded Note 7 owners as they returned the devices. So yes, I do think Verizon has the right to take away the refund if we don't return the phones.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] planomom:
I think you misunderstood what i said. I didnt say anything about Note 7 owners getting refunded /reimbursed by Samsung.... i said CARRIERS getting reimbursed from SAMSUNG. :)
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Bellmont:
I just got the email that I'll be charged full price in 5 days and I've never initiated an upgrade.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
Still, I would expect all US carriers to treat all Note 7 owners equally.

And they all are.

All US carriers (besides Verizon) gave users a refund as soon as they returned their Note 7 to the store.

The upfront refund gave Verizon users an advantage, but it doesn't mean we get to keep the phone unconditionally.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] CarbonMan:
Wanted to throw my 2 cents out there for everyone. I received a box today in the mail, with gloves, to drop it in and send it back to Verizon, or they were going to charge me full retail price for the phone. This was on a little piece of paper in the box.

Little bit of info: I was given the phone for free, from a verizon rep. Totally paid off and everything.

I called Verizon about it, and explained to her where i stand and why im keeping it. She brought up my account info, and saw it has no record in their system and being purchased, just with a plan. She said:

1. if verizon charges anyone full price who has already paid off their devices, it considered fraud.

2. they can charge you the full retail price or equivalent up to the remaining amount left on your bill since you dont own it yet....

Otherwise she said ignore the messages if the device is totally paid off. Goodluck out there
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Bellmont:
I made my decision. I'm keeping my phone even if I'm charged full price. I'm not downgrading to an inferior phone.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
Now THIS makes more sense.

Consider downgrading for 3 months until the S8 is out. If you don't have an old phone lying around, grab an used S4 for $60. The Note 7 is currently the best phone on the planet, but that'll change come April.

There won't be any updates coming through, so you'll be stuck with 6.0.1 Marshmallow forever. Kinda boring...
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Bellmont:
I was pretty disappointed that I'll be charged the entire phone upfront, so I've changed my mind and bit the bullet. I'm tired of this battle.

I went with the v20. There's a $200 visa promo right now, so I'm taking advantage of it, and with the $25 bill credit, that brings the phone down to $447 which is manageable to pay off by the time the Note 8 comes out.

I lose Samsung Pay, water resistance, wireless charging of the S7 Edge, but I gain the IR blaster, audio DAC, slimport HDMI out, removable battery, and the price is much cheaper.

The S7 Edge is simply priced too high at $792 or $692 with the $100 bill credit. It's a horrible deal knowing that the S8 is right around the corner that's going to massively devalue the S7 series.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Woofa59:
First of all no, wrong. Already addressed and you're totally ignoring recall law precedents, it is illegal for them to sell, charge, bill for that recalled item. They also have no legal ground to demand it's return. Verizon already gave up any claim to the Note 7, they cannot take it back. I screen capped it, recorded it and saved my page in PDF in case they try to pull this.

End of story right here. If the recall wasn't enough that right there ended the contract and gave away any claim Verizon had to the devices.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
I see what you're saying...

You could be right, I am not a lawyer.

Could you cite an example where something like this recall has happened before?

Or could you link the law that deems it illegal to sell, charge, or bill the recalled item?
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] firewater88:
I think I am going to hold tight with the device and see what happens, then fight it if they do charge me. I bought mine at BB and then swapped sims on my wifes phone (Moto Z- paid in full @ BB). When I did the first exchange at BB, they had a hard time finding any recollection of the phone on my account, cause I gave them my cell, but it was activated on my wifes #. Once the second recall came, VZW cleared the device payments on my bill and the upgrade is now back on my wifes line.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
I kinda want to keep my Note 7 just because it would be soooo cool.

Imagine the phone after ten years...

"Remember that phone that supposedly blows up? I have it right here, fully functioning, after ten years." You'd be one of hundreds to still have a fully functioning Note 7.

It's a piece of smartphone history.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Bellmont:
You could be right that they have no right to charge the bill upfront like this, but I don't have the luxury or will to fight a $1,000 upfront bill that I may not win.

I already sent it in and this is over. Samsung has to do it right next time.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] pego99:
I guess the question is can the charge for a recalled item when the customer does not return the recalled item?
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Dirthawg:
I agree with this. The letter is most likely a scare tactic to get more Note 7's out of stubborn consumers' hands. And after reading the posts here it appears to be working. Those of you that think you can call Verizon and claim your phone was lost or stolen, not going to work, Verizon can see if and when the last time the phone was on their network, and can most likely gain it's GPS coordinates as well.

I intend to return my Note 7 after upgrading to the S8. If by some chance Verizon charges me full price for the 7 I will return it in the provided fireproof box. Verizon would then be forced to reverse that charge. I do have an S5 I can reactivate if absolutely necessary but will ride it out as long as possible as I use my S-pen daily and would really miss it.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] pego99:
I would go back to my note 4
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
Just because a Note 7 was "stolen" doesn't mean it cannot be used by the "thief"!

Also, when you call customer service, there is a 0% chance that they will have all of that information about your phone. Especially your GPS coordinates. Are you kidding me?

That is more FBI caliber. Not minimum wage customer service telephone rep.

Customer service reps are much more limited in the information they have about you/your phone than you think.

Also, why do you think Verizon would be forced to reverse their charge if you send in your Note 7 months later than everyone else?
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] mysmartone:
I sent my Note 7 back to Verizon in the Stericycle box they provided 3 months ago. I verified that they received it several days later. I kept the UPS receipt and tracking info in case I ever have a problem with them regarding the return. I haven't received any confirmation of their receipt, but still get the notices every few weeks to return my Note 7. It always says "if you've already returned it, disregard this notice". The fact that they keep sending these notices with that disclaimer indicates to me that they are NOT keeping track of who is sending their phones back, and they have no intention of charging anyone for them.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
That's some valuable information. Thanks for the reply.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] jjayzx:
They stopped bugging me after I sent mine back.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Dirthawg:
I'm sure they can use cell towers to triangulate the general location of a phone, customer service might not have that ability but somebody inside that company sure does. As for the reverse charge, because they legally can not charge for any device that has been recalled and then returned or my lawyer would be all over them.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] jal3223:
If you acted like that towards me I would do everything in my power to charge you fully. Lol. Good luck now!

More bees with honey as they say.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] serusaert:
hmmm... you have a point, BUT:

1. they are not going to do this willingly as they lose money if they can't get the phone back to samsung

2. they are doing everything they can to mislead and misinform us about our rights and consequences of not sending back the phone

3. this is my 3rd chat and i was nicer the other two

and, yes, i realize it's a person on the other end, but i'm a person too and i don't like what they are doing here.

it seems like they are in a tough spot here and it's not my fault. perhaps it is just their cost of doing biz with samsung and there is simply no reason for me to bear that cost - they have much deeper pockets than i.

my friend, corporations are a kind of evil and truly do not bear good will towards us. they spend a lot of money to predict us and figure out how to use us towards their ends. yes, i know, it is how our world works, but, honestly, we need to wake up to this situation. it is possible to change it.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] raneym305:
I'm right there with you (although, I disagree with the sentiment that corporations, as a whole, are evil). The fact remains that there, technically, is no legal recourse to justify Verizon's demand for full payment for a recalled device. We all have our own self-interest in mind here; and, while Verizon may be in the wrong for threatening to charge Note7 owners, it was Samsung who manufactured the "defective" device, and it's neither Verizon's, nor our responsibility to bear the consequences.

Mistakes are a part of doing business (hell, they're just a part of living life) and are typically to the detriment of those who make them and to the benefit of someone else. Samsung made the mistake of loose oversight and subsequently manufactured a phone they could not confidently stand behind (and, in my opinion, made the mistake of kowtowing to media scrutiny, largely propagated by supporters of competing manufacturers, by implementing the global recall). And Verizon, if “Casey” (the rep you spoke with) is to be believed, made the mistake of entering into an agreement with Samsung in which they are financially liable for every Note7 until it is returned to Samsung.

I'm not one to claim entitlement to something for nothing; however, surrendering my Note7 is of no benefit to Samsung, and forcing me to pay for an unsupported device is both an unethical and illegal method that Verizon is using to recoup their losses.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
Has anyone gotten back to you, after the "internal discussion"?.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] serusaert:
no, not yet. i will post here when they do. i'm hoping that they:

1. refund the payments

2. refund the taxes (but that's complicated as i got it from a small affiliate store)

3. agree that i can chose to keep it

4. don't hotline it

what i expect them to do is to try to ignore or deflect the request.

i've got a note 4 en-root from ebay and that's my backup plan until the note 8 is released.

btw, any free non-binding legal advice would be great as this is very much a legal issue.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
Yes, I agree that more likely than not, your request will simply be ignored. I'll be surprised if someone contacts you.

I'm confused as to why you are being charged monthly payments, though. Did you buy your phone from Verizon? I chose the monthly option when I bought the phone as well, and Verizon refunded all my previous payments and they haven't charged me anything further. This was back in October. Everyone else had their refund processed already as well...

Why are you still being charged?

Did Verizon just start charging you again because you did not return the phone within 5 days of receipt of the fireproof box?

Also, I think there is an EXTREMELY small chance you'll get hotlined. Almost all of the Note 7's that were in the wild have either been returned or rendered useless. You and I are a part of an extremely rare breed. I'd guess only a few hundred left on Verizon. Really doubt Verizon would hotline for us few.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] serusaert:
yes, the crux of this is the fact that i am still being charged monthly while others are not. i believe it has to do with my phone purchase path being somewhat of a corner-case. i got it from a small affiliate store and i went thru the same store to do the replacement note. that's why i'm on PHE and can't unlock or root (sucks).

is suspect that eventually they will get around to dealing with accounts like mine but i'm getting sick of waiting, especially in the face of these coercive tactics.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
HAS ANYONE kept their phone past the five days of receipt of Verizon's threat letter?

If so, any sign of being charged?
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] whoofit:
Just chiming in to say I/m still enjoying my 100% Note7 here on Verizon. I have not been hassled in any way by them. They have returned all payments including taxes. All I get is the weekly ATTENTION: message from Samsung.

I think, at this rate, I may even skip the N8 and wait for the N9......
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
I agree.

My only worry is trying to fly with the phone.

I'm aware they stopped making the Note 7 announcements on airlines, but if they catch you with it today, will they confiscate it?
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] whoofit:
I don't know. I don't fly unless going to the tropics for vacation. If I do that in the next year or two I'll just grab one of my old phones.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Dirthawg:
Got my letter and box on Jan 9th. Business as usual. Only get the weekly text messages.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Spike96:
Were you ever able to get any concrete proof of a Verizon rep saying they don't intend to charge?

I tried the live chat today with no luck. The rep told me I'd be charged a "non-return fee" if I choose not to return the device.

I tried telling her it was illegal, but she didn't know how to respond, she just kept saying Verizon would be charging a "non-return" fee. She did say that there was no set date when Verizon would be charging non-returners.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] ars0n:
The best part about this ****, is they are sending these boxes to return them, via ups/fed ex or other, they simply leave the box infront of your door.

Crazy, I have so many thiefs in my area.. I am sure I will never see the box.. =]
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] Brttclne22:
Just got the text saying they would disable my phone on the 30th... I feel screwed over by this whole situation.

I traded my S6 in for a 300 dollar credit for this device so I dont have a old phone to go back to. Now they're basically forcing me to change to a year old S7 2 months before the new line of Samsung phones are out.
[Verizon Note 7  Questions & Answers] zman2107:
Just got the same msg FREE VZW MSG: Reminder: Your Samsung Note7 has been recalled due to an overheating risk. Because your safety is important to us, your Note7 will stop working on or about 1/31/2017. To prevent this service interruption, please immediately upgrade to a new device by visiting your original place of purchase. In addition, to avoid being charged for your Note7, please return it to the original place of purchase within 5 days. For more information, please visit go.vzw.com/note7faq