Nokia Lumia 900, powered by Windows Phone (Photo credit: gui ambros)
I know I should not be whining too much, but I was infuriated. I ordered Lumia 900 through Amazon Wireless, and the order went through as Amazon thought AT&T had approved my phone upgrade. The order was hard to pass since I could upgrade to Lumia 900 from iPhone 4 (not the 4s) for only $20 (actually it would be $56 since one time activation fee from AT&T would be $36). I was so happy and went on with my day as I so expected to be able to play with Lumia 900.
At first I was not even thought about having a phone upgrade since I was pretty happy with iPhone 4. Unfortunately, it turned out that my iPhone 4 refused to charge its battery for couple times already. Then there was this feeling that I was bored with iPhone ecosystem. I had too many useless apps on iPhone that I would never even have time to play around with. Furthermore, I rarely used my iPhone for anything else besides talking on the phone for obvious reasons, listening to music through Spotify, playing chess in spare time (although I’m really bad at chess), and using Flipboard to catch up with technology news. The decision to upgrade to Lumia 900 was easy. First, it was cheap as in $20 upgrade. Second, Lumia 900 could do all the things I had described that I would do with an iPhone. Third, Lumia 900 is a Windows Phone, therefore it’s radically different than iPhone and Android phones in term of operating system. Fourth, Lumia 900 looks gorgeous. Fifth, Microsoft’s mantra for Windows Phone is to be less app centric and more of getting things done. Well, the last point could be a propaganda from Microsoft, but I see it as something I have been doing already anyway… playing less with senseless apps and stick with what matter most.
So, I was so expected to see Lumia 900 to arrive at my front door. A day later, Amazon sent me an email and informed me that they had redirected my would be gorgeous Lumia 900 back to their base of operation, because something had went wrong with my phone upgrade approval. In their email, Amazon told me to call AT&T up for further explanation. I called AT&T, and they told me that Amazon might have ran out of Lumia 900 phone. I was amazed! Could it be Lumia 900 was this hot? On a second thought, could it be Lumia 900 wasn’t a sure deal for everyone, therefore they would not stock enough of these phones and had none in stock when the supply of these phones ran out? Eagerly, I rang Amazon up since AT&T told me Amazon might be able to help me with straightening my problem out since I went through Amazon the first time around for the phone upgrade. Amazon told me that AT&T had sent them a message which to deny my phone upgrade plan. Nonetheless, I spoke with AT&T earlier and they told me that my phone upgrade plan was already approved and all I had to do was to activate the phone when I could receive the phone. I told that to Amazon, but all Amazon could do was to reverse my upgrade plan so I would have my original phone plan again.
I know, my original phone plan was a great phone plan as it had unlimited data option. My iPhone 4 was grandfathered in with earlier phone contract. Still, I was prepare to let go the unlimited data option for a radical change to Windows Phone ecosystem. So, in the end, I have to wait and wait and wait in order for anything to happen. I wasn’t impatient but as a customer I was expecting a lot more from the two giant corporations. I’m curious how came these two gigantic corporations had failed to communicate with each other and let the customer to experience a non-smooth transition in regarding to phone upgrade?
I’m not really an impatient person, but I guess once you got used to super fast deliveries from Amazon you would expect too much from them in the end. Amazon had never failed to deliver anything to me before, but this is the first. Perhaps, once in a while, there will be the first of something which begs me to have an experience of. Amazon was my first choice of ordering smart phone since it would deliver products amazingly fast, and it would be cheaper for me to order Lumia 900 through Amazon. I talked to AT&T and they told me AT&T could only sell me Lumia 900 at $90 something (I forgot the exact amount, but it was $90 something). The choice of ordering Lumia 900 through which party was obvious. Now, I’m crossing my fingers that they would reverse my phone plan correctly so I could once again begin the upgrade process… again… sigh!!!
Do you have a bad experience of ordering a new or upgrade or replacement smart phone with Amazon and AT&T before? Why don’t you share your story with everyone in the comment section, right beneath this post of mine. So, go ahead and post yours OK?
