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Wednesday, July 14, 2004


regenerative limb 

My cell phone is back - God be Praised!

Let me tell you the harrowing story of my cell phone.

I have an lg5250 flip phone with sprint. I've been with sprint for about 3 years now. But K and I have been talking about getting a plan together. My contract runs out in september, so we'll decide then. A few months ago, my 2 year old cell phone began showing its age. The antenna broke off, and more annoyingly, the battery didn't hold its charge for as long.

{aside rant}: my parents got a cell phone that they share about two years ago. most of the time it sits on the charger on the desk in the living room. the only time it gets used is when my mom calls me on sundays. when I told my mom my cell phone was dying, she freaked out a little. "our cell phone is as old as yours, ours is OK. you just want a fancier phone!" she keeps bringing that up. I'm not sure why she can't get it through her head that I USE MY CELL PHONE! I CARRY IT WITH ME EVERY DAY! IT'S GOING TO WEAR OUT QUICKER THAN HERS. and regardless of it's age or use...THE ANTENNA IS GONE AND THE BATTERY SUCKS!{/aside rant}

I didn't want to buy a new phone, since I was hoping to get a new plan and a spiffy new phone in september, so I decided to buy a new battery. Sprint will gladly sell me a new battery for the low cost of $50. Since that is a crock of shit, I decided to do what anybody would do when they want to buy something expensive, but not pay retail price.

I looked on ebay.

I found an lg5250 battery for 99 cents - sounds good to me! I bid and won, and like a good ebayer, contacted the seller (iTrimming, aka Eforcity) right away to square off shipping, etc. With shipping, my total was a little over $9 (rip off shipping, but still cheaper than a store). I sent off my check and waited for my battery. After a little over a week, my package arrived. It was the wrong battery (for the lg5350 phone, the color version)

I emailed iTrimming to let them know, and they said put it back into the mail, "return to sender." (I kept the free "antenna booster" that they sent as compensaton) I started to wonder when they had just mislabeled their ebay ad. Did they really have the right battery? should I find it somewhere else? other ominous signs were the sellers ratings on ebay. Most of the comments were good, but those that were negative complained that eforcity had sent the wrong item, then charged shipping again to send the correct one. crap.

Around this time I had some friends over for dinner. Condensation from someone's glass dripped on my phone and corroded away the connections on my battery. Now my battery was completely dead. Now it was critical I get the right battery.

I send eforcity an email (keep in mind that I keep replying to the original email I was sent, which contains the name of the item and the item # in the subject line) asking if they carried the battery for the lg5250 phone.

this is what I got in reply:

Dear Customer,
Please give us your name, shipping address, item
number, and the date that you sent the return package.
We will locate the returned product as soon as we
receive the requested information. Please note that
the returned package may take up to 10 business days
to reach us.


Okaaaay, Most of the info is in the subject line of the email, but I sent them the info, and again, asked if they carried the correct battery.
This is what they replied:

Dear Customer,
Unfortunately we still didnt receive the return item but once we
receive it then we can process the exchange.

Trong
Customer Service


First of all, TRONG? and second of all, why aren't they answering my question? I don't care if they got the battery back! I just want to know if they carry the right one! I sent them this in reply.

You STILL have not answered my question! I want to know if you carry a
battery for the lg5250. DO YOU HAVE ONE IN STOCK THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE
TO SEND ME WHENEVER YOU RECEIVE THE BATTERY I SENT BACK?
That is my question. Please let me know! Otherwise, I will find one
somewhere else!


Here's what I got back:
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your interest.
Please look for the other items on our auctions we have on eBay. If
you would like to get more items or to get multiple of the same items,
you would have to bid on more of our auctions within 7 days from the
first auction. Make sure you do bid under the same seller account. There
are no combine shipping with different seller accounts on eBay.

You can combine shipping for the items by going to the latest ending
auction page and click on Checkout Button. It would give you a total and
payment method for your items.

S&H would be $5.99 for first item and $1.99 for each additional item.
Canada S&H would be $7.49 for first item and $3.49 for each additional
item.

Thank you.


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

my reply:
Seriously - are you messing with me?

1. did you receive back the item #5702989443, SILVER LITHIUM-ION
BATTERY I sent back

2. do you have the CORRECT batter to send me? ie a battery for the
lg5250 phone that you ADVERTISED, but instead sent me a battery for the
lg5350 phone

THIS WAS YOUR ERROR! Please send me the correct battery!


I decided FUCK THEM and bid on another battery on ebay. $2, plus $4 shipping. Today I sent off the check. What was waiting in my mailbox right 5 minutes after mailing the check to the new guy? The correct battery from eforcity! What was waiting in my email inbox?

Dear Customer,
Please give us your name, shipping address, item
number, and the date that you sent the return package.
We will locate the returned product as soon as we
receive the requested information. Please note that
the returned package may take up to 10 business days
to reach us.


IDIOTS! So now I will have TWO batteries for a phone that I am only keeping until september.

Deep breath....I'm fine

but now I have my cell phone! yay!

moral of story: don't buy on ebay from a company named iTrimmings or Eforcity.

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