My Motorola Nightmare

I have typed in the past about my love of the Moto X and how it is the best smartphone available right now, still better than that Galaxy S6. I stand by that review of the phone - it is amazing and I have nothing bad to say about the phone.

That said, Motorola has provided me with the worst customer service on the planet.

The absolute worst.

They are fucking terrible.

I purchased a brand new Moto X through the Moto Maker. I customized it. I then paid the extra for the accidental damage coverage on the device because I have a small child and I'm a klutz.

Sure enough, about three weeks after I'd purchased it, I dropped it on the pavement and the screen shattered. I called to do an Advanced Exchange (they put a hold on your credit card, send you a phone, and then you send back the old one and they don't bill your card). They said I would have the new phone within 5 days. I honestly believed I would have a tracking number within five days, but not the phone, so my expectations were a little low. I asked if it would take longer because it was a customized phone.

When I built the phone, I was receiving updates on the process of it every couple of days.

We've received your order!

We're building your phone!

Your phone is ready for shipment!

Your phone has shipped! - Here's your tracking number.

After three days of radio silence, I called to check on the status of the phone because something just felt fishy about the whole experience. They told me that everything was on track, the case was open and it was being worked on.

The next day I called back just to see about it, and they said everything looked good. The case was open and everything was on track. I ask if it will take longer to arrive because it's a custom designed phone. I am told very clearly "no."

I asked what they meant by the case was open and came to find out that they look at the exact same screen I look at when I checked out my case online. Yes, the case said "Open" and that the phone was "awaiting shipment." I ask again if it will take longer because it is a customized phone and again, I get "no."

I called again on Friday (Day 5) and was promised that I would have a tracking number by the end of the day. I did not. I called that evening and was told that they couldn't see where my phone was in the system and they would escalate the issue to the warehouse to see if they could figure out what the status of my phone was.

I call back on Friday evening and get told that I need to send my phone in first before they can send me a replacement. I remind them that this is an advanced exchange. They go silent for a moment, then escalate me to somebody who just gives me the same line about the warehouse. I'm also told that it might take longer because it's a customized phone. I tell them that's not what I've been told multiple times.

I chat with somebody online who promises to call me back the next morning with more information.

They don't call by the prescribed time, so I call and get escalated to Repair Escalations. I get the same lines, and then get told because my phone is custom that it takes longer to make than a standard replacement. I then get transferred up the food chain to the manager. I ask for a refund. I am declined a refund because it's past the time period for Buyer's Remorse.

I say this isn't buyer's remorse, this is a company treating me poorly.

This goes on, and eventually they tell me they can get me an X Code that will allow me to just order a new phone through Moto Maker on their website, which they say will be faster than waiting for the warehouse, because the warehouse doesn't have any of my custom build in stock and has to wait for them.

Was I going to get a notice about the fact that it was going to take longer because they were out of stock? Nope, I would just have to wait around.

So, this was on Saturday - a week after the initial drop. They tell me I will have to wait 24 business hours to get the X Code.

Holiday weekend means I won't get it until Tuesday or Wednesday.

I get it Tuesday.

It doesn't fucking work.

The guy who gave it to me, I made him stay on the phone when I placed the order on the Moto Maker website. He makes me read it back to him and put it in five different times before putting me on hold and then coming back and saying "It doesn't work."

Then came the inevitable "Give us 24 hours to make this right."

At this point, I lost my shit a little, though managed not to drop any swears or direct insults as I didn't want them to disconnect.

I later received an email from Marlon Alexander Diaz Castro that said:

Dear Micah,

This email is regarding a pending case about your Motorola device.

To inform you about the x code issue
I am still waiting for the department that provides the x codes to give me an update
I was informed I will be informed as soon as they have fix the error

one more time I do really apologize I will send you an email as soon as I have a resolution

Please call Motorola Repair Escalation Support Team at 1-888-355-8422. Operating hours are Monday through Friday 8am-8pm (EST). Please reference case number ******-****** when you call in.

Thank you,

Motorola Repair Escalation Support Team

That was 38.5 hours ago at the time of this writing.

I called back this morning and was told "it will be another few hours."

At this time, I don't honestly know how to get through to Motorola as a company that they have failed at Customer Service. More than that, they have lost a customer for life.

I don't want to go back to the iPhone, but despite my annoyances at iOS and many of Apple's Practices, I know that I can walk into the Apple Store with a broken phone and walk out with a replacement in minutes. I know that they train the heck out of the customer service agents and that all their customer service centers are located right here in the United States.

As far as I've been able to tell in my research, Apple still ranks the highest when it comes to customer service and right now, that's what's selling me more than anything else.

Never buy Motorola. never. Not even a little.

#MotorolaSucks