FRIDAY THE 13Th of MAY


• On 5/13/11 I bought an LG phone w/Virgin Mobile pay as you go plan at Radio Shack. I also charged $25 to "top up" new airtime for new phone.

• Got on plane to Portland. On arrival, old phone deactivated, new phone messaged that I had no account, please pay up. Took phone to RS in Portland. VERY HELPFUL. Young lady (Lacee) quite brilliant, researched, noted salesperson in Sac. ran the $25 charge on my cc, but neglected to apply it to my phone. Calls to Sac from PDX, she fixed it. I also said, BTW, Sac dude said he couldn't txfr my old phone #'s to new phone-no equipment-go to Metro PCS and pay $5. Had done so in Sac but Metro said, sorry, can't do it. Lacee in PDX (again, brilliant) says no problemo, they're both blue tooth, she TXFRS each and every one of my 156 numbers. Phone works...bye bye PDX and THANKU LACEE, fly back to Sac. Phone works, happy camper.

• MEANWHILE time 4 vacay-2 weeks in Kona-on the Big Island. After 4 days, phone goes DEAD. Take it to Radio Shack in Kona, they pull the back off. Battery has LEAKED into the phone, destroying computer brain...BUT THEY CAN'T HELP ME!! They say, sorry, here's LG's Customer Service #-their product, deal with it.

• LG tells me to mail to Texas. I do so from Hilo. I get home to Sac on Monday June 6. No phone from Texas. The next week, LG ships the phone back in 2 SHIPMENTS (phone in one, battery in the other) I work so FedEx Ground guy leaves notes of 2 attempted deliveries (Even though I left note authorizing him to leave package) so FedEx Ground won't leave the package w/an authorized signature (LG POLICY) so I have to go to FedEx after work to pick up my phone...which is in a box that says, "sorry-this phone was water damaged-we're not responsible”..WTF????

• Back to Radio Shack on Freeport Blvd. LIVID!!! Supervisors are called by phone from the back room….young salesperson says, well KONA should have honored the warranty, they screwed up! Me: “Well they didn’t and I bought it here…that day I spent roughly $500 on the phone and other fun stuff, so just replace the phone.”

• Sales kid goes to backroom to call Manager…..15 minutes later emerges w/a RS supervisor phone number….my complaint has been REGISTERED and BY GOD it WILL be addressed but NO THEY CANNOT REPLACE MY PHONE!! (BTW NO ONE FROM RS TO THIS DAY HAS EVER EVER CALLED ME)

• I call Virgin-they say-oh, you should have called us FIRST-phone under 1 year warranty we will ship out ASAP if LG cannot fix it...so I get home from the Bay Area after being gone for 4 days again with no phone and there is a box with a phone and NO BATTERY!!! I call, "oh you needed a replacement battery??? We thought it was just the PHONE..." Me: "Noooooooo...the battery was the problem and I have it...if I were to stick it in this phone, it would take the brain of this unit as well!! Oh sez Virgin...”we'll ship a battery ASAP”

• ...Me: "Can you please OVERNITE IT??????" I have been without a phone for going on 4 weeks now! Virgin: No problem.

• I get email yesterday, battery shipped-FEDEX GROUND. I call Virgin, "ah...can this be sent overnite?" Virgin: "No, we don't do that..." Me: "But I requested and was told it would"Virgin: "Sorry ma’am, whoever you spoke with didn't know the rules."

• Me: I work and cannot sign for it. Virgin: "Perhaps a neighbor can assist??" Me: "No, not possible. What will happen if a sig is required for the battery and I'm not there? Pick up again at FedEx?"

• Virgin: "No, it will get shipped back to us.”

So here it is July 29th. I have no phone, I have been buck passed and in the middle of three entities of finger pointing, none of which really solved my problem right the first time.

Is it because I’m a woman or because I’m a lawyer? Should I be taking this personally or is this whole system FUBAR for all of these entities???