Best Buy activation of new iPad - issues/scam

Question

Level 1

0 points

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

Reply

Answer 1

Mar 20, 2012 6:46 AM in response to GGandee

You need to take this up with the folks at the Best Buy store you went to.

Reply

Answer 2

Mar 20, 2012 6:58 AM in response to GGandee

unreal - I got the same song and dance. Actually just hung up with Verizon to cancel and now I have to go into a store for a new SIM card. uggggg

Reply

Answer 3

GGandee Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2012 6:59 AM in response to Templeton Peck

I'm getting the issue resolved (slowly) with Verizon. The Best Buy store I went to is 2.5 hours away from my house, so I won't be dealing with them.

I have heard of other Verizon iPad customers not being able to access the Personal Hotspot feature, so I wondered if any of them also had their iPads set up at the store for them.

Also, I seriously doubt that Apple would be cool with retailers tricking iPad purchasers into contracts on a device that Apple has been praised for allowing to be set up with data without a contract.

Reply

Answer 4

GGandee Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2012 7:01 AM in response to yan2000kee

Yan2000kee- yup, that's what I'm going through. Had to cancel with Verizon, trying to get my $35 activation back, along with a new SIM card. I was soooo skeptical when the salesperson told me it would "run faster" if I turned on the data in-store... I should have trusted my instincts.

Reply

Answer 5

GGandee Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2012 7:19 AM in response to yan2000kee

Now, Verizon just called me back. They said that the SIM card cannot be replaced on the new iPad, and that it is embedded. She said that while Verizon is happy to refund my $35 activation and cancel the contract, that I have to now call Apple to address the SIM card issue. Yankee, let me know if you go to Verizon and they fix your issue, or if you are told that you have to call Apple, too.

Reply

Answer 6

Mar 20, 2012 7:49 AM in response to GGandee

"They said that the SIM card cannot be replaced on the new iPad, and that it is embedded."

That is not true. The SIM card is removable and replacable on the new iPad! I have the VZ 4G LTE version and I just popped mine out and put it back in. The SIM has Verizon clearly printed on the top of it.

I have read many posts from folks who purchased from Best Buy and had to pay activation fees. They are using deceptive business practices! Isn't there a law that protects consumers from that?

Reply

Answer 7

Mar 20, 2012 7:52 AM in response to GGandee

Do like others on some tech blogs have done - cancel completely with Verizon. Now, remove the Verizon SIM (yes it has one, and yes it is removeable). Get an AT&T prepaid SIM and use that - several blogs have posted screen shots using a new Verizon iPad on AT&T's (USA) network.

Reply

Answer 8

Ralph9430

Level 7

21,998 points

Mar 20, 2012 7:54 AM in response to GGandee

When you paid the activation fee did you use a credit card? Call you credit card company to dispute the charge. And definitely contact Best Buy as an unhappy customer.

Reply

Answer 9

Mar 20, 2012 7:55 AM in response to GGandee

GGandee wrote:

Now, Verizon just called me back. They said that the SIM card cannot be replaced on the new iPad, and that it is embedded. She said that while Verizon is happy to refund my $35 activation and cancel the contract, that I have to now call Apple to address the SIM card issue. Yankee, let me know if you go to Verizon and they fix your issue, or if you are told that you have to call Apple, too.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/ clearly shows that both the AT&T and Verizon iPads take micro sims but these are for 4G and foreign 3G use in the case of the Verizon iPad. Here in the US the Verizon iPad uses its built-in cdma capability rather than its 3G sim..

Reply

Answer 10

Mar 20, 2012 9:35 AM in response to GGandee

I'm pretty certain that you are able to pop the sim cards out easily, if I remember correctly it even came with a tool attached to the plastic that was holding the quick overview card. Should be able to push it in on the pinhole and pop it right out. Will check when I go home and confirm.

Reply

Answer 11

GGandee Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2012 9:38 AM in response to BobTheFisherman

Verizon is refunding my money, and cancelling my "contract." Turns out it wasn't a binding contract, but rather Best Buy was setting me up to have recurring month to month payments with Verizon for a 2GB $30/mo plan. I imagine that BB is being incentivized to do this, and that is why I was mislead at the store.

I've spent some time with Apple on the phone, and from what I can tell, I think Bob might be right. The woman at Apple said that the card in the SIM card tray is more or less a "dummy card," and doesn't serve much of a function.

At this point, Apple is having me restore my iPad to factory settings to see if this fixes things...

Reply

Answer 12

Mar 20, 2012 9:41 AM in response to GGandee

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Can't believe anyone would be so foolish as to fall for what Besr Buy was pitching.

Reply

Answer 13

GGandee Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 20, 2012 9:52 AM in response to Johnathan Burger

Jonathan- I agree...

Annoying that BB was so strongly misrepresenting, though. To tell me that they were simply turning on the 4G for me, that is wasn't a contract, and that you need to do it in the store because "it'll make it run faster on a different network," is ridiculous. In reality, they gave me a recurring monthly Verizon plan, locked my iPad out of being able to view the Verizon account details/usage, and made it so that I can not use the Personal Hotspot function.

To me, the whole allure of the 4G iPad is that you can prepay month-to-month. The Best Buy I was at was using that to unknowingly sell me a subscription.

Reply

Answer 14

eWagger

Level 1

10 points

Mar 20, 2012 5:47 PM in response to GGandee

Dudes, chill-ax. Try this:

After I had my Verizon data plan set up, I found it perplexing that the Personal Hotspot menu item in Settings wasn't visible as show on many screen caps on many websites. There's a simple trick to try that will make the button appear if it doesn't show up automatically in Settings. Go into General - Network and click the Personal Hotspot submenu item. Now, your menu on the left will add the Personal Hotspot menu item and you're good to go.

Hope it helps!

-Wags

Reply

Answer 15

GGandee Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 21, 2012 5:57 AM in response to eWagger

I went to a Verizon store, and they were able to fix my iPad. Basically, when Best Buy set me up with a recurring plan, they rendered my iPad's SIM card unable to to ever be used with the pre-pay service.

Verizon replaced the SIM card with a new one, and then set it up so that i can purchase pre-pay data directly from the iPad (like it typically comes right out of the box).

eWagger- thanks, I think what you're saying is correct, and was actually the reason I wasn't getting the hotspot to work. I was just frustrated that the pre-pay wasn't working, and I couldn't access my account through the iPad, and must have also attributed the hotspot problem to that situation. Your tip worked.

Reply