You'll probably get a better experience visiting a corporate owned wireless store
Just because the store you entered has signs that say Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile doesn't mean that you are inside a corporate-owned location. You could be browsing a store that is a third-party retailer or an authorized retailer. Based on the discussions and emails I've had with current and former reps, the odds of getting scammed are higher at an authorized retailer. There is a way to find out what kind of store you are heading to before you even get in your car and start the engine.
The major carriers usually have store locators on their websites and they differentiate between corporate and third-party stores. If you have a Verizon account, tap on this link, type in your zip code, and your nearby Verizon stores will show up. At the top of each result, you can see whether a store is a Verizon Company Store or an Authorized Retailer. For your sanity and security, stick with the former no matter what prices you see from an authorized retailer.
Use the Verizon store locator to find out which locations near you are corporate stores. | Image credit-Verizon
If you're a T-Mobile subscriber, tap on this link and type in your zip code in the field on the left side of the screen. On the right side of the page, you'll see a map with "T" pins representing different stores. A gray pin indicates a third-party authorized retailer. All other pins indicate corporate locations including Experience and Signature stores.
AT&T subscribers can find if a store is a corporate location or an authorized retailer by tapping on this link. If you allow the site to get your location it will use your zip code to find nearby stores. Or, punch in a zip code on the line above the "Use my location" link. A list of stores will appear on the left side of the screen. Tap the black box that says STORE INFO & HOURS. Scroll down and you'll see the name of the store with a picture showing what the inside of the store looks like. If the store is not a corporate location, you'll see the words "Authorized Retailer" right underneath the location of the store.
This AT&T location in Peabody, Mass. is actually an Authorized Retailer. | Image credit-AT&T
A current AT&T rep working at an authorized retailer recently posted about a manager who he calls "completely incompetent." Apparently, this manager sends the victims of his mistakes to this rep to fix the errors he has caused. For example, one night this manager was scheduled to close the store by himself when an elderly customer came in seeking to port her number and he accidentally locked her out of her phone. Instead of changing her iCloud account, the manager changed her passcode which means she has no access to her phone.
"This specific incident has never happened before, but I’ve had several customers coming back because of problems with him . the retailer I work for won’t fire him because he lies to customers and he brings sales but as an employee who’s trying to help other I feel really bad about it."-Reddit subscriber Agitated-Cat5150
Sure, this could happen in a corporate store too but based on the stories I've heard, some of the owners of third-party stores are not the kind of people you'd generally want to do business with. And you might have better access to the people who can correct mistakes and want to correct mistakes by sticking with a corporate store.
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