New contract.....dodgy phone! Well done Vodafone!

[stevexe88]

Right, I'm new here so please be gentle with me! 

Last week I ordered a new Galaxy Note 10+ 5G as an additional line. Happy days! 
Saturday rolls around and it's delivered. Opening the packaging reveals a Vodafone Branded Box.....hmmm.

I thought this was odd and checked the outside of the box, serial number and IMEI on the end with Sam Note 10+ 5G (Contract) typed in the same font on it. Well says nothing about it being refurbished/nearly new. 

Opened it up and I saw that the phone was rattling around in the box unsecured, in a clear polythene bag. The factory fitted screen protector was missing, the little QR sticker that's fitted to new Samsung phones on the back wasn't there and it had a few very light scuffs...not sure if those are from being banged around in a box though. The OTG dongle is missing but the rest of the accessories are present. Charger cable has a rubber band around it. How odd. 

Called customer services and asked if I'd been sent a nearly new device. She said no. I explained that it's missing it's factory screen protector and is in a polythene bag. She still says I ordered brand new so that's what I would have got and "sometimes we package phones in our own boxes". When I asked her to explain why it's missing accessories, she literally says "it's brand new", asked about the charger cable, no response. She was very careful to say as little as possible about it. I also looked on my invoice and it's said nothing about it being nearly new, but listed under the phone on the invoice was "Vodafone Red Box".

After lots of back and forth, they agree to exchange it by going into store......but not before screwing my order up and cancelling it! So new order placed with sales.

Asked them what packaging I can expect it to be sent in and they say new factory box.

However this experience has made me wonder, can I expect another of these odd 'brand new' phones to arrive in the nearly 2 weeks it's going to take to arrive, despite being in stock and one being earmarked for me?! Or should I assume it was a error or oversight?

Maybe call me cynical but I can't help but think that sending out a potentially used phone instead of a £1400 new one is a little bit underhand. 

Any ideas guys and girls? Thanks in advance.

[Tash]

Oh dear @slickysli, that's a strange one! Have the team been in touch with you today with more info to help in getting this sorted? 

[Racal-Yodafone]

😢

[Cynric]

@Racal-Yodafone Hmmm why are you replying to a lot of 4 year old threads? The OP hasn't posted since 2020 and maybe doesn't even read this forum any more.

[Racal-Yodafone]

Oops, sorry. I did not look at the dates. I was interested in the thread because the same thing happened to me, years ago, with another network operator. @stevexe88 's experience was almost identical. 

I'll check the date next time! I'm also used to being on coding forums where threads are locked, either manually, after an issue is concluded, or automatically after a predefined period based on original post date or time elapsed since anyone posted a reply on an given thread.

I was suffering from insomnia, not an excuse I know, but was obsessed with the story in the thread and never even looked at the date. I think I can delete my posts? I'll go and check.

[Racal-Yodafone]

Hopefully I won't get banned for not checking the dates? 😬 

[Racal-Yodafone]

I don't see a delete button but there's edit. If I edit a post by removing all text, will the system detect that and delete the post? 🙏  I also see a mute button, what does that do, will it hide my post?

[Racal-Yodafone]

I was wrong about there being an edit button, I must have imagined that, sorry. I have also read through a couple of posts in the About the Community section, "How to post in the Community" and "Community Guidelines". I can't find anything in them about how to delete an inappropriate post. I'll keep looking though.

[Cynric]

@Racal-Yodafone Little downwards pointing black chevron in the top-right of each posts has "edit" in the submenu for a time (I can't remember off hand how long) when you can edit. You cannot deleted, but many have typed something like "*deleted*" when they've changed their mind and not exceeded the editing time-out.