Mistaken Upgrade

[InsaneRuffles]

So today I upgraded my phone from a LG G5 to an S8 Plus through Verizon. I originally took my phone there because it was acting up, and they told me I was upgrade eligible, so I just decided to upgrade it instead of repairing it. What I wasnt privy too, and what they didn't tell me, is that the S9+ is a month and a half out from being launched. I mistakenly thought the S8 was just launched (I don't follow phone launches at all), and even said so to the salesperson who didn't correct me. Yes, it is my fault for not doing more research before committing to a purchase, but I did ask what I should choose when upgrading to a samsung, and I feel it is the salesperson's responsibility to inform the customer that a newer model is right around the corner. My question: is it worth it to go back to Verizon and return the S8+ in anticipation for the S9+? Speculation is that it will be the same price as the current S8+, but even if it isn't, the price of the S8+ will definently drop after the S9 releases, making it cheaper to wait a bit more anyways.

Thanks for the help.

 

[mikedt]

So today I upgraded my phone from a LG G5 to an S8 Plus through Verizon. I originally took my phone there because it was acting up, and they told me I was upgrade eligible, so I just decided to upgrade it instead of repairing it. What I wasnt privy too, and what they didn't tell me, is that the S9+ is a month and a half out from being launched. I mistakenly thought the S8 was just launched (I don't follow phone launches at all), and even said so to the salesperson who didn't correct me. Yes, it is my fault for not doing more research before committing to a purchase, but I did ask what I should choose when upgrading to a samsung, and I feel it is the salesperson's responsibility to inform the customer that a newer model is right around the corner.

I believe the salesperson's job is to sell you the current product they've got now, and not put you off and make want to wait for some future product, basically because of something known as the Osborne effect...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect
The Osborne effect is a term referring to the unintended consequences of a company announcing a future product, unaware of the risks involved or when the timing is misjudged, which ends up having a negative impact on the sales of the current product. This is often the case when a product is announced too long before its actual availability. This has the immediate effect of customers canceling or deferring orders for the current product, knowing that it will soon be obsolete, and any unexpected delays often means the new product comes to be perceived as vaporware, damaging the company's credibility and profitability.

The term was coined after the Osborne Computer Corporation, in which the company took more than a year to make its next product available and eventually ran out of cash and went bankrupt in 1985

My question: is it worth it to go back to Verizon and return the S8+ in anticipation for the S9+? Speculation is that it will be the same price as the current S8+, but even if it isn't, the price of the S8+ will definently drop after the S9 releases, making it cheaper to wait a bit more anyways.

Thanks for the help.

No harm in trying I think. IANAL but I don't think you've got any valid legal standing, as it's currently only speculation. It's not like the S8+ is suddenly going to go obsolete whenever Samsung launches a phone. The S9+?, or whatever it's going to be called, might be even more expensive, could be similar price as an iPhone X for all we know.

 

[El Presidente]

We don't have much concrete info on the S9 at the moment so it's hard to say.

If it were me, I'd certainly want the newest option but it depends on what you'll be using your phone for.

 

[psionandy]

Apparently after the s9 is launched this year... the S10 will be launched next year... and probably the S11 the year after that... so you may want to hold on a decade or so.

 

[InsaneRuffles]

I believe the salesperson's job is to sell you the current product they've got now, and not put you off and make want to wait for some future product, basically because of something known as the Osborne effect...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect
The Osborne effect is a term referring to the unintended consequences of a company announcing a future product, unaware of the risks involved or when the timing is misjudged, which ends up having a negative impact on the sales of the current product. This is often the case when a product is announced too long before its actual availability. This has the immediate effect of customers canceling or deferring orders for the current product, knowing that it will soon be obsolete, and any unexpected delays often means the new product comes to be perceived as vaporware, damaging the company's credibility and profitability.

The term was coined after the Osborne Computer Corporation, in which the company took more than a year to make its next product available and eventually ran out of cash and went bankrupt in 1985





No harm in trying I think. IANAL but I don't think you've got any valid legal standing, as it's currently only speculation. It's not like the S8+ is suddenly going to go obsolete whenever Samsung launches a phone. The S9+?, or whatever it's going to be called, might be even more expensive, could be similar price as an iPhone X for all we know.

I got the + because a bigger phone sounded nice and the per month plan was only 3.50$ more. If the S9+ really is expensive then I have no qualms about going with the S9, size is just something extra for me. Most news sources are speculating around the same launch price for the S9 as the S8, but even if they aren't, the S9 is almost certainly going to be below the price of the S8+, so I would be fine going with that.

I just cant justify spending almost the same price on a phone that is a year older than the (soon to be) current model. I'm not accusing the sales rep of dishonesty, but he knew that I was looking for the newest phone of this year, not last year.

 

[Hadron]

But this year's models haven't been announced yet, and won't be in the shops for at least some weeks after the announcement. Sales reps are not always clued-in about the stuff they are selling, so he may not have known any more about the S9 than you do (it's possible he only finds out when they get sales literature themselves). But even if he had known, his job is to sell you what they have to sell, and I very much suspect they will have some commission or target for sales numbers. So you may get a good sales rep who knows the products, knows the release schedules, and is prepared to accept financial loss to themselves in order to give the customer the best advice they can, but you absolutely shouldn't count on that always being the case.

 

[mikedt]

I got the + because a bigger phone sounded nice and the per month plan was only 3.50$ more. If the S9+ really is expensive then I have no qualms about going with the S9, size is just something extra for me. Most news sources are speculating around the same launch price for the S9 as the S8, but even if they aren't, the S9 is almost certainly going to be below the price of the S8+, so I would be fine going with that.

I just cant justify spending almost the same price on a phone that is a year older than the (soon to be) current model. I'm not accusing the sales rep of dishonesty, but he knew that I was looking for the newest phone of this year, not last year.

The sales rep may not even know about forthcoming phones that are not available yet, other than what his employer(Verizon) might give him. Perhaps he's just not interested in smart-phones and the latest techy things at all, any more than say a McDonald's server might be interested and enthusiastic about hamburgers and french fries..

If you only just bought and maybe not happy about it, don't you have a 30 day or so return window to get your money back or a store credit or something?