Complaint Review: Wireless Advocates at Costco

HTC thunderbolt  from $169.99 to $39.99 with neither promotion ad. nor price match!  Have you even noticed it???

Dear all,

Isn't it nice to buy a new cell phone at a good price? This is the reason that I went to the kiosk at costco to shop. After I made a decision to buy htc thunderbolt before the labor lay for my husband as a gift, I went to costco.com. In a small pop-up window appeared lines of words: "This site you are transferring to is not hosted by Costco. Please review their privacy and terms of use." Don't neglect it! Important notice always come out with SMALL letters!  The biggest mistake I made was that I skipped it, and the drama followed.

On Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, one day before the labor day holidays, I received the new phone and activated it. My husband was delighted for such a gift with a larger screen, 4G and new Sim card. On Saturday morning, I went to costco.com again and shockingly to find out that the price of my phone has been reduced from $169.99 to $39.99 overnight! It is more astonishing to realize that the company does not provide customer service during the weekend. Have you encountered any similar situation as mine. If yes, you might imagine how awful I felt: a sense of being fooled!

On Tuesday, Sept.6, 2011, I called the customer service and they refused to do any price match. The reason was that they have recovered the price back to $169.99. Their attitudes made me feel fooled again! Be careful, this is why the little pop-up window asked you to read their privacy and terms, because they don't do price match. Their privacy and terms allow them to attract customers by reducing prices while neglecting the customers who have paid for it. Yes, you can return it. But you have to do a list of other things and the first step is that you have to call verizon to see if you can deactivate your new phone since you have signed up a contract; how to reactive your old phone; .........

Then I called costco to seek some help, but it was still disappointing. I was told it is important to notice that the kiosk at costco is their vendor! They have different customer service and policy. They seem to have no authority and control of this kind of case. The only thing they can do is to make some documentation and forward to someone in charge. If you go to wireless advocates.com, you will notice that there is no prominent area for privacy and terms at all.

I don't know how many customer have bought the phones at the kiosk, but I was doubting if they have ever noticed this sudden price reduction at all. Actually, If I didn't go online on Saturday, I would not know their promotion and was still happy with the new phone at such a good price.

Therefore, be careful, if you want to order your new phones at Wireless Advocates. You might be the lucky one to get the deal, or the one who feel fooled just like me.