User: GrinderCB
These are the most recent forum messages posted by GrinderCB:
Re: "Unfortunately, Google Play services has stopped" error message
Google Play Services is an app like any other, except that it runs in the background and supports other parts of Google. Try these steps to remedy the situation:
Access the Applications Manager in Settings, navigate to the 'All' tab and access the Google Play application in the list.
(1) Clear the cache, then reboot your phone. See if the message stops appearing.
(2) If clearing the cache fails, go back to the app in Application Manager and ...
Re: Verizon overcharging for data usage
Verizon gets lots of calls from people questioning data usage, insisting that "since [they're] not doing anything different Verizon's billing must be wrong, or there must be a defect with the device, etc...blah, blah, blah..." Sometimes a weak rep caves in and gives the customer a new phone plus credit, totally believing the customer's claim but with no evidence to back it up. I guarantee that when the "defective" phone is received it is tested and found ...
Re: PLEASE say it ain't so Verizon!
Verizon, like all other large companies, studies the carp out of everything before making decisions. They collect statistical data, many terabytes of it, set up focus groups, have lots and lots and oh, just scads of meetings to go over things before making any decision whatsoever. That said, if Big-V decided not to sell the S6 in emerald green then you can believe that they studied how many customers they might lose if they didn't sell it, ...
Re: verizon employees
Who loves what? Their Verizon Employee? You married to one, or dating one? Or maybe you're asking if Verizon Employees love something...?
Re: Upgrade/Switch Device
TPTB are likely trying to close the alternate upgrade loophole: two lines, one with unlimited data, the other not, upgrade to a new smartphone taken on the "not" phone but activation selected for later, new smartphone now open for activation, user then swaps the new smartphone into service on his unlimited data line. I haven't seen anything new as to modifications to the T&C's but VZW's closing that loophole fits the circumstances. Since most customers quickly indicate ...
Re: $50 Play Store Credit to Galaxy Note 3 Owners
Exhausted and ended.
Got the following:
"Thank you for your interest in Samsung’s Google Play™ promotion, due to the high level of interest in this promotion we have exhausted our supply of Google Play credits. This offer started 11/5/13 and has now ended under the terms due to exhaustion of supply."
Re: Customer Service very lacking
Fascinating thread here, thought I'd chime in.
Lots said about upgrade policies and business strategies between VZ and AT&T, but customer service is being rated on the poor performance of one bad rep. Giving a cold, unsympathetic response is unacceptable and in my view not typical of VZ's reps. We get plenty of requests for upgrade & replacement exceptions and management has taken away pretty much most of the leeway to get a customer a working phone for ...
Re: Extended warranty vs Insurance
If you go thru VZW's insurance provider, Asurion, then you pay a deductible and you get a replacement phone. Period. Doesn't matter whether it's damaged or defective. But if you do a warranty claim thru VZW you pay no deductible. Upon receipt if the phone is found to be damaged then you get hit with the chargeback. VZW is even able to provide photos pointing out the damage, including one of the shipping box ...
Re: I'm being stalked by Verizon
Not entirely correct. A rep can't simply waive the upgrade fee without supervisor approval. Here's what you do: Have the rep start the upgrade, make sure it's multiple lines because a single line upgrade won't get it done. Make sure you add additional accessories to the order (case, screen protectors, earbuds, car chargers, etc), at least one accessory per line being upgraded. That'll grease the wheels for later. Ask the rep to give ...
Re: Anyway to port a number out and get new number but keep plan
Interesting query but I don't think so. Porting out causes a disconnection in the billing system and you lose whatever plans/features you have. After that, with the number ported out the line can't be reconnected (or so I've been lead to believe) with a different phone number. On the other hand, if you change your friend's number before he goes to another carrier, the old number goes back into Verizon's pool and can't be ported. ...
Re: Verizon overcharging on 3G4G Hot Spot devices
Your hotspot doesn't generate data usage by itself. Data usage is generated by computers, tablets, iPods, etc, that are connected to it, and those are your responsibility. Turning the device off is the only way to guarantee that no data will be incurred, but it's not a requirement as long as you understand which devices are connected to your hotspot and how they're operating. But alas, most of the customers I speak with claim not to ...
Re: Indiana Surcharge Increase
In a word, no. Changes in taxes, government surcharges and fees, etc, are all part of the cost of doing business and are not part of the agreement between you and the carrier. That said, you want out of your contract? Call customer service and complain that you have no service and/or lots of dropped calls at your home address. Not a dead spot on your commute or in your employer's parking lot. AT ...
Re: European travel with Verizon Droid Razor M
Depends somewhat on how long you'll be there and if you'll be using it actively as opposed to just having it available for emergencies. If its the latter you can call Customer Service and get the rates and the availability of discount bundles, which they can email you. Western Europe is something like $1.99/min for calls, $0.25send/$0.05recv for texts and $5/MB for data usage. You can always turn off cellular data in your Settings menu and ...
Re: No coverage at work
Technically they won't waive your contract just because you found a dead spot. If they did then that would make contracts meaningless because there are dead spots all over and no carrier can guarantee service everywhere, especially indoors. If their tech support completes a trouble ticket and their network people deem it to be marginal then ETF can be waived, but only if the trouble spot is your primary account (aka your home) address. Then you ...
Re: What does Verizon CHARGE you???!!!!???
Pego said:
Why is the word CHARGE in capital letters?
Because everyone wants everything for free and everyone resents being CHARGED for anything.
Re: Verizon or Sprint
Go back over your last 3-4 bills and see how many GB's you've been averaging per month. If you're averaging 5-6 GB or more than you're getting the most out of your unlimited data plan. If you're using less then a move to Verizon's current plans won't hurt you. Myself, I average 6-8 GB per month, going heavy on multimedia apps so in the long run its cheaper for me to hang onto my unlimited data. ...
Re: Galaxy S4
We live in a society with a capitalist economy. The bloatware provider pays to get their trial version onto the new phone, sometimes to the manufacturer, sometimes to the carrier, sometimes both. Business deal, plain and simple. Same basic logic as why a factory-built Dell PC comes packed with it but you can build your own PC from an assemblage of parts and have it run cleanly, albeit with no warranty and no technical support. ...
Re: Voice mail notifications
iPhone uses its own voicemail system, different from the carrier-supplied voicemail that all other VZW phones use. If you upgraded from iPhone to an Android then you have to go in and set up the voicemail box all over again. Messages stored in the iPhone voicemail box do not directly transfer over. From the new Android, try dialing *86 and see if you get prompted to setup voicemail for the first time.
Re: Droid DNA Case w/Kickstand
Head on over to www.shopandroid.com and see what's available. From what I've found the Seidio Active is the only case with a kickstand for a Droid DNA. On my DNA it really doesn't add much bulk and the kickstand is well worth it.
Re: ne2, cotracts, and alternate upgrades
Not sure why the phone-only alternate upgrades. People with NE2's were notified by a special mailer to "use it or lose it." Also, expect a new comprehensive policy on phone switching when your chosen phone goes south and multiple refurbs fail to fix the issue. Currently there's no real policy, just a bunch of ad hoc rules. All of these new equipment policies point to the industry trying to tighten up on losses due to ...
Re: "Upgrade at 20 months was never a contract condition..."
The 20-month upgrade was simply a policy Verizon had for the past several years, nothing more. But don't take my word for it - read the actual contract and see if it says anything at all about upgrading at 20 months. And yeah, if you're close to the end of your contract and you whine long enough, loud enough and to the right rep or customer service supervisor you'll probably find someone who'll waive it. Not ...
Re: Grandfathered Unlimited Data
Do the math. Check your bills and see how many GB's you average over 3-6 months. Based on that, figure out what level of GB's you would need on Verizon's Share Everything plans and add up a potential phone bill. Project that out over 24 months and see if the discount is better for you or if unlimited data is better. In my case I have 2 smartphones and a home phone connect, and with ...
Re: Goodbye 20 month upgrades
Upgrade at 20 months was never a contract condition, therefore its not an ETF waiver. Also, the change is not immediate and not the same for all customers. Basically, if you have an upgrade coming in the next few months (based on 20 months) you'll get it, but if your upgrade date is coming sometime this fall then you'll move to the 24-month schedule. If you think about it, you could see this coming, after all, ...
Re: 65 and older plan
Verizon does indeed have a 65+ plan but its not unlimited minutes...there's a plan for single lines and a shared plan for 65+ customers with up to five lines, but the usage is something like 200 minutes plus nights & weekends...call customer service and ask for the details.
Re: Motorola Droid RAZR M
Enjoy. Over the years I've found that the first version of a phone (or most electronics for that matter) are not the best. When version 2.0 appears on the market then you can bet you'll have something reliable. To wit, HTC Incredible 2 was better than Incredible 1. Blackberry Storm 2 was better than Storm 1, PlayStation 2 was better than the original, and so on. I rarely jump on an original release. ...
Re: Honestly
iPhone 5 has larger (read, "narrower") screen, faster processor, iOS6 preinstalled and the big selling point is that it operate on 4G/LTE service. In other words, not much improvement over iPhone 4S, save for the 4G service. Since 4G/LTE is still in development mode with Verizon, to me it makes absolutely no sense to be an iZombie when Verizon dropped the 4 and 4S in price, both of which work well on 3G/EVDO. Verizon is still ...
Re: Data plan switched
The Top Three Lies committed by humans in the history of mankind:
(3) "No, nothing's wrong" by any woman to her boyfriend/husband
(2) "I mailed you people a check last week" told to any bill collector
(1) "I have read and understand the terms and conditions of this agreement" by any customer of any cell carrier
Which one applied to this thread?
Re: What does Verizon CHARGE you???!!!!???
Completely agree. I've analyzed plenty of accounts and some folks save a lot, some save a little and some would have their bills go up if they switched the SE. It all depends on the combination of type of phone and amount of data usage by all. The unsung hero of SE (again, depending on the users) is the unlimited calling and unlimited texting. No more having to worry about whether its past 9pm or ...
Re: Verizon Galaxy Note 2
Yeah I heard Leo Laporte talking about that today ("The Tech Guy" radio call-in show on KFI 640AM Los Angeles on Sat/Sun if anyone's interested). If true, leaks in mid-Sept could indicate a holiday season release. Be interesting to see if either of the big boys runs with the Note.
Re: obtaining a subsidary code
Verizon doesn't sell unlocked phones, meaning you bought it from an unauthorized seller. Verizon is not obligated to provide the code necessary to use it on someone else's network. The Verizon Global Support folks won't do it either unless you're actually a Verizon customer. And all this talk about being persistent and they'll cave will just make you more frustrated because they can't give you something their bosses don't train them for.
Re: Which one do I choose
Strong suggestion: Don't jump on a model because of hype. And don't shy away from a phone because it's inexpensive. Over the years I've found that there's little truth to the idea that "you get what you pay for" when it comes to cellphones. Try this. Go to PhoneScoop's Phone Finder. Select Verizon, available phones, 4-stars or higher. Sort the results by user rating. You might be surprised. Verizon's top 4G ...
Re: Share Data Plan
Simple. DO THE MATH! If Share Everything means your bill goes up then divide the phone discount by the difference in monthly rate and figure out how many months it takes to break even. Also, check your bill and figure out if you're actually getting your money's worth out of unlimited data (Lots of folks refuse to give up UD but in the end barely top a GB or so...). Geez, it's a business deal. ...
Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Phones
You don't have to trust them, just that they're an option customers have. BTW, you don't get a crap phone with someone else's problems. "Defective" phones go back to the manufacturer for review & refurbishment. When complete it's certified to be in "like new" working condition and sent back to the carrier for use for warranty or for sale as a CPO. Interestingly, some 30 to 50 percent of all "defective" phones are found to ...
Re: Share Data Plan
Sounds like you know the answers to all your questions. Terms & Conditions can be changed at every renewal but generally not in between. Verizon also agrees that you don't have to change plans, only if you expect them to give you a $650 smartphone for $200. That's the offer, if you don't like it then don't accept it but don't lay out your own terms and expect Verizon to cave in. You want to ...
Re: Assurion ins question
Strictly speaking and ESN swap doesn't automatically drop your phone insurance, it's the reason for the swap. If either Verizon or Asurion replaces the phone with a same or comparable model then you keep your coverage. If you replace it on your own, even if its the same model, you lose coverage. In any case when your bill arrived six months ago and was a few bucks lower you should've checked it and asked Customer Service ...
Re: Malware question
Most email-based issues originate with the email provider itself, not your cellphone carrier or your home ISP. If you're getting spam from your own email address (your words) then you might check the provider. That said, on the issue of your phone getting an infection theoretically it is possible, so you might consider adding protection. "Lookout" is very popular, as are others. AVG, Norton and Avast all get 4-1/2 stars for their products as well. ...
Re: seriously
Partial to HTC products, but the LG Spectrum provided by my employer is wonderful when it comes to pictures.
Re: How do I interpret signal level readings.
As a general rule, the closer to zero the better. Four bars usually equates to -70 dBm, zero bars or no-service usually occurs around -120 dBm. If you're at -89dBm on down you're probably okay and anything wrong is likely not signal-related. Up in the -90's and that's where signal loss might be a concern.
Re: Contract expiring, what next
Some questions I usually ask: What would you like your next phone to do that the current one doesn't? What do your friends' phones do that you're jealous of? What feature(s) of your current phone do you need to continue and/or improve? Overall are you happy with Android, or might you prefer an iPhone or Blackberry? Are you in an area that is firmly serviced by LTE, or is it EVDO for you until ...
Re: "Best phone in Verizon's line up currently..."
Finding conflicting info on the DINC3. Some search results report Dec-2012 but a contact inside HTC (whose reliability on insider stuff I question) says April. Fortunately I don't really need a new phone but I love my [Original] Incredible and an LTE version would be fabulous for me.
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