Best Buy activation of new iPad - issues/scam

I wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this. Currently, I can not get the personal hotspot feature to show up on my Verizon iPad (does not appear under "Settings"), and I cannot access my Verizon account data (get message to call Verizon to inquire about my account). I think that Best Buy seriously misrepresented themselves in order to sell me a Verizon contract.

I bought my Verizon iPad3 at a Best Buy, and when I was there, the salesperson asked me if I was going to set up the Verizon month-to-month service, and I said yes. She said that she could do that for me while I was checking out. I said "can't I just do it from the iPad as soon as I leave the store?," and she responded "yeah, you could, but it will run on a different network, and won't be as fast." I questioned her, and she said that this is what their managers are telling them. At any rate, I let her activate the $30 2GB data for me. I also asked her if this was a contract, and she said no.

Long story short, I realized this morning that I cannot access my Verizon acct (get error message) from my iPad, nor does the Personal Hotspot feature show up in my settings. I called Verizon, and they have just told me that the Best Buy salesperson signed me up for a CONTRACT, not a pre-pay, and that they also charged me a $35 activation fee. I had Verizon immediately cancel the contract, and that, in turn, made my SIM card no longer work. Verizon is now having me take my iPad to a local store where they will have to replace my SIM card, and hopefully I can get it working again.

I am frustrated to say the least with this experience. Best Buy managers instructing employees to tell them that if they turn on the data for the customers in-store, that it will run FASTER (and on a different network??) than if they activate it directly from the iPad? Also, not telling me that they are charging me a $35 activation fee to set up a $30 data connection is ridiculous. Has anyone else experienced this?

iPad (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + 4G (VZ)

Posted on Mar 20, 2012 6:33 AM

20 replies

eWagger

Level 1

10 points

Mar 21, 2012 8:13 AM in response to GGandee

Would you mind marking my post as "This solved my question," then please?

Thanks GGandee - glad it helped!

-Wags

zebohunt

Level 1

8 points

Apr 10, 2012 10:09 AM in response to eWagger

As to Best Buy saying "it will run better....." I did just learn this from Best Buy.

(I was surprised to find that if you pre-pay, there is no Verizon $35 charge. If you get billed, then there IS a charge.)

Today they told me that when you pay the activation fee and thus pay bills monthly (rather than pre-pay), you get to use Sprint towers--i.e. don't hit roaming areas==and so get better coverage. I had asked "why would anyone want to pay $35--why not just do the pre-pay)

kaned07

Level 1

0 points

Apr 10, 2012 1:01 PM in response to GGandee

It is not best Buy charging the activation fee. It is Verizon and AT&T. I work for Best Buy, when you activate an iPad outside of a Best Buy or an Apple store or Verizon or AT&T you get a pre-paid coverage map. Also, the activation fee is from the carrier not the store. Look on your bill it says Verizon or AT&T. Not Best Buy. get your facts straiht before you complain. Best Buy does not charge these fees. The carriers do.

zebohunt

Level 1

8 points

Apr 10, 2012 1:11 PM in response to kaned07

I agree, it is not Best Buy charging the fee (I have the receipt and bill to prove it)

But is it true that the cellular coverage you'll get is different? I asked the Best Buy rep on the phone "why would anyone choose to pay the $35 when they could just pre-pay?" She said 1) the cellular coverage is better (Sprint towers, less roaming), and 2) some people prefer to pay by bill, after, rather than to prepay."

I question whether #1 is true

GGandee Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 10, 2012 1:16 PM in response to kaned07

Hey Kaned - get YOUR facts straight before you post. The issue is this, after specifically asking the BEST BUY rep why she needed to activate the iPad for me, rather than me do it when I got home she said, "cause it'll run faster, that's what our manager is telling us to tell people." I also asked if she was signing me up for the prepay plan, and she said she was.

She also said it didn't cost anything for Best Buy to do it - that it was exactly the same as if I did it myself, except that it would run faster.

Why would the Best Buy managers be pushing Best Buy reps to do more work, push these activations on people, take iPads out of the box, and spend the time to activate them? I'm pretty sure it's because they're getting compensated by Verizon to do so. I realize that Verizon is assessing the fee, but Best Buy was clearly misleading me, and pushing me to do so.

You're not even getting the main point of the original post, so GTFO. Best Buy was misleading by acting like they were turning on the Apple/Verizon pre-pay feature, but in reality were charging a $35 Verizon activation fee, and putting the iPad on a month to month plan. NOT what I wanted.

Zebohunt- you're cool, and after doing a lot of research, I think that what you are saying is what the Best Buy rep meant to say (more towers and coverage if you are on a month to month plan rather than prepay).

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Best Buy activation of new iPad - issues/scam