Sprint PCS's 2002 new release the SAMSUNG A-500 Vision got millions of peoples attention with its full color screen display and full color video games. I immediately wanted this phone!!! Although the phone is retailed at $300 I think it's worth about 50 cents and I'll explain why...
As soon as I had enough money saved up to purchase this phone and replace the sprint phone I already had, the first thing I wanted to do was play the games!!! Especially the karate game "Ki-Tai" advertised on the sprint commercial. What sprint doesn't tell you is that in order for you to play these "GAMES" you have to purchase EACH game for a minimum of $1 to $5 depending on how good the game is. Then 2 short months after the game is played it EXPIRES and you have to repurchase it!!! THAT WAS THE LEAST OF MY PROBLEMS!!!
I purchased the phone at Best Buy because sprint pcs was supposedly "BACK ORDERED." After purchasing the phone without an optional four year warranty that costed $40 (my stupid mistake), I was left with a one year manufacturers warranty which would replace the phone if it had any defect or problem. FINE!
After playing the game Ki-Tai for only a few seconds, the screen immediately froze! Hmmm odd huh? Being unable to shut the phone off and restart it using the power button, I had to remove the battery. Once the battery was removed I re-attached it and turned the phone back on.
The phone got stuck on the screen which displays the sprint pcs logo w / leaves in the background and would not go to the menu screen.instead, after 30 seconds or so the phone shut off by itself. I once again removed the battery, re-attached it and turned the phone back on which brought me back to the same screen and AGAIN got stuck and shut off by itself.
At this point I became furious. Now I couldn't receive or make any phone calls or have access to my precious video games. HAHAHA! All I could do was stare at a Sprint logo with brown leaves for approximately 30 seconds until the phone would just shut off by itself. I figured it was a defect in the phone so the next day I explained the story to the chubby, butchy Best Buy customer service girl.instead of her trying to give me an explanation, she offered me pretzels that were stuffed in a bag behind the counter. "NO THANK YOU!" I said and asked for a replacement. At first she hesitated and spoke with her boss. However, since it was still within 30 days of purchase they replaced it. Not less then 10 hours later I began playing Ki-Tai again and wouldn't ya know it the screen froze!!! Once again going through the sprint logo and leaf background process. I felt like throwing the phone up against a wall, but I decided to take it to the Sprint specialists and see what the problem was.
After waiting only one hour, the sprint dork dressed in gray smiled in my face and said "Well we don't know what the problem could be." "Maybe it's the cellphone case you've been using?" (Note: I had purchased and used the cell phone case after replacing the FIRST phone that went crazy on me.) I explained to the dork that it wasn't the cell phone case and that they should inspect the phone further. The dumb broccoli head told me he couldn't do that since he found nothing wrong and then proceeded to tell me to take it back to Best Buy where I bought it and replace it again.
The next day shortly came and I was on my way to Best Buy yet AGAIN. Arriving at Best Buy with the phone in it's original packaging accompanied with my receipt I waited on the returns and exchanges line for an hour.
After finally being assisted, I again explained the situation to another employee who had a bad case of rosacia and a bad attitude. She told me that she was unable to return it since it was past the acceptable return date. WELL I FLIPPED! My loud voice and nosy customers staring and gawing at me immediately attracted the attention of the service department manager. He asked me to calm down and said he'd replace the phone for me one last time as a courtesy. WHAT? A courtesy? I DON"T THINK SO! He was gonna have to replace the phone THIS time and ANY OTHER time the phone froze up as this wasn't my problem.
The manager hardly spoke any english and didn't know the first thing about the phone I purchased. I tried telling him it was a problem with the game, but he denied. Well after all the bickering and whining he replaced my phone and what do ya know... The phones ok this time! Maybe its because I never played Ki-Tai again... To this day the phone doesn't freeze anymore and it BETTER NOT OR BEST BUY WILL BE SEEING ME AGAIN!!!
And only after 2 returns I now have a phone that can make and receive calls as well as give me access to playing my precious video games ALL EXCPET FOR Ki-Tai and now I'm happy. Oh yeah, except for the every now and then glitch that gets my heart jumping. (WARNING: If you intend to purchase the SAMSUNG A-500 pcs vision, make sure you buy the optional warranty and never play Ki-Tai!!!)
Good Luck,
Another unhappy Sprint customer
Diana
Rahway, New Jersey
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