[JSanders]

Define "force".

Gun to your head?

[garychan]

Originally Posted by JSanders

Define "force".

I asked if the case & screen protector were optional.

The sales rep said the Tour would only be sold as a bundle.

I could have refused to buy the bundle, but I also did not want to leave the store without the Tour.

I guess I have to work on my bargaining skills

[JSanders]

lol, so they lied to you.

My suggestion would be to drop back by and return the two items you don't want.

[ScottRPriester]

Originally Posted by garychan

Was anyone else forced to buy a case & screen protector from Verizon?

The guy who sold me mine said it would only be sold in a bundle.

I'm sorry, but if you feel you were forced to buy anything, it was your own fault.

[jsntrenkler]

I would return the phone and head over to a corporate store, the inventory levels are good ... They haven't run out.

[garychan]

I'll try to return the case & screen protector after work today.

Originally Posted by ScottRPriester

I'm sorry, but if you feel you were forced to buy anything, it was your own fault.

Yes, I could have simply walked out of the store.

[jlmemt]

You were lied to.
I was barely even asked about accesories. Of course the rep wasn't so good. I obviously knew more about the phone than he did.
I have been dreaming for at least a month now reading everything I could find, what can I say.

[Serpentine009]

Kick the rep in the nuts when you go back...figuratively speaking of course. ;). I wish they had a sleeve for it. My curve sleeve has more miles than a good year and is dog chewed.

[TheBigNewt]

My 8900 came with a RIM leather pouch which is sweet. I bought another RIM one in a different color and it was too tight so I sent it back. Doesn't the tour come with the same thing? I put a screen protector and BSE on mine mainly to protect the back and the top where it sticks out of the pouch. I think the screen protector is overkill.

[garychan]

Originally Posted by garychan

I'll try to return the case & screen protector after work today.

Return successful!

[rambo47]

My Tour came with a belt case in the box, so perhaps Verizon's Tours have less standard accessories. Glad those who were "forced" into buying a case can at least return them! It's a pretty shady practice to foist accessories on a customer. Only the Tour's status as the new hotness lets them get away with something like this.

[jnyost]

Didn't buy anything with mine.

[garychan]

Originally Posted by rambo47

My Tour came with a belt case in the box, so perhaps Verizon's Tours have less standard accessories. Glad those who were "forced" into buying a case can at least return them! It's a pretty shady practice to foist accessories on a customer. Only the Tour's status as the new hotness lets them get away with something like this.

Nope, my Verizon Tour also came with a belt case.

Regarding the bundling, the same thing happened with the Wii when it first came out.

[Flight714]

It depends on the retailer, and also whatever metric requirements are being pushed on the reps at the time. I work at a retailer, and we have goals to meet regarding accessories and all that good stuff. It really depends on who you end up working with at the counter; when the storm came out my boss made people get car chargers and other stuff with the phone and even told them it wasn't bundled in with the price. Personally, I don't give people stuff they don't want, even if I'm bundling it in with the price. I get a lot of crap from other reps in the company for not doing it, but I think it's kinda rude. Anyways, the point is they can't make you get anything extra, no matter what they tell you. From what I hear from people I know working at the corporate stores, there's a bit of that as well but it's much more structured and probably toned down.
As far as whether or not the direct stores are always better than authorized retailers, well, that's a matter of personal experience. Most of our customers like us better simply because we're not as busy and can spend more time with them. Many of them live around the store and know us. If we can match a price, we usually do (again, that depends on the rep selling the phone), so unless direct VZW is selling a product way below what we can do, we'll match it in a heartbeat. There's usually a way around some issue. I don't know how ATT retailers work, but that's a different story, I guess.

[akosnitzky]

I voted no. :-0

[rhans405]

My bundle included a case, screen protector and a bluetooth earpiece. They said it was all a bundle but the cost of the bundle was just a little less than all items totalled together. Their store was the only verizon store in town with the Tour so I had no choice.

[nytilidie914]

Funny you mention this, because i picked up my tour on sunday the guy kept trying to sell my brother and my mom car chargers and silicone cases and all that other crap..finally my mom and my brother were like i guess we'll use one..so they got cases but i love the case that comes with the tour so i didnt want one...my dad also picked up a 8 gb micro sd card for his curve for $30 which i would say is a good price..the guy said they were on clearence so idk..but i must say he did pressure us in to buying some of the cases haha..he kpet telling us how much we needed it..a bit annoying but oh well

[MizLiz]

I don't press easily. My Tour is only a few days old, but my Verizon store sold me just the phone. They offered other stuff, but I told them no thanks, I'd buy from Crackberry.com for half the price. They just nodded and laughed. Quietly.

[bell30012]

I picked up my Tour at a Sprint Store and they didn't offer accessory number one with it. I had to actually look around to find a skin to fit it. I would like a screen protector for mine but alas I will just have to buy it online.

[usblues1965]

I always let them sell me the accessoires. Usually they are "giving" you a fantastic deal on them, and in my expirence deducting that from the price of the phone. when I bought my Curve, I had a sales flyer I had recieved in the mail for the phone for 79.99 with a 2-yr cntract and mail-in rebate. I went to the store to aske bout it. The sales rep proceded to sell me the accessories for the price of the phone and give me the phone for free with a new 2-yr contract. I spent the 149.99 that day in the store. The next day I returned the 79.99 accessories, six weeks later I got the 70.00 rebate. In the end the Curve was free. Dont go getting mad at the accessoires sales pitch, if you work it right you can sometimes save big $ on what you really want. As for the Tour I went to Best Buy to get that for my girl friend. They will price match with the vzw store, and give the rebate on the spot, no waiting 6-8 weeks. We were never pressured to buy any extras.