WIND Mobile, ridiculous phone companies, etc.

This past November, I was a lucky winner of a new BlackBerry Bold 9700 from WIND Mobile. I loved my BlackBerry, especially the Festive Cheer plan I had with WIND - which gave me unlimited province-wide calling and unlimited texting for only $25 a month. Sweet deal, right? Well it was, until my BlackBerry broke around March this year.

It's not as if I dropped it and it's completely busted and the screen's cracked, etc. The only thing that's wrong with is is that the trackpad seems to be stuck down for some reason. So, essentially, without the trackpad, the entire phone is useless. I can't navigate the menu, it keeps on randomly selecting things, and it's really, really difficult to make a call or even send a text.

At any rate, a few days after I noticed that the trackpad was wonked, I went  up to the WIND store where I won my BlackBerry, and asked if there was anything that could be done. I relayed to the salesperson the entire story: I won this phone from this store, and now the trackpad seems to be malfunctioning. I was told to return on a later date to speak with the manager.

Not to be deterred, I returned to the WIND store approximately a week later and spoke with the manager. Once again, I told her what had happened: I won this phone from this store, and now the trackpad seems to be malfunctioning. I was put on the waiting list for a new phone, and was told that I would be called when they got a BlackBerry in stock.

A month later (or earlier this week), I called the WIND store and asked if they had my phone in stock. And, luckily, they did! So today, I went up to the store with everything packaged up, ready to receive a new, working BlackBerry - which would make me very, very happy. However, when I got there, I was told that since I won the phone, there was no warranty on it. Therefore, I was not eligible for an exchange.

I'm very, exceedingly, disappointed in WIND Mobile right now. I was led to believe - the whole entire time -  that my phone could be exchanged for a new one. However, it took me three trips - the last which included 3+ hours of travel time - for them to tell me I had no warranty. I've told each person I've spoken to that I won this phone in their contest, but not once was I told that my phone had no warranty on it. I was put on the waiting list for exchange for goodness's sake, and it was not until I came in, ready to exchange my phone was I told that actually, I can't exchange my phone for a new one.

I would have been nice if I was told this the first time I went into the store, instead of the third.

Scratch nice - it would have made things so much easier for everyone involved, as well as saved so much of my time from those utterly ridiculous run-arounds.