In any case, I was skeptical about going to a reseller. Usually, there are horror stories about a…read morereseller getting the setup wrong, and when you call the carrier, they have to fix things. Still, I had hopes.
The last time I tried Verizon in June 2012, they barely had 3G data service, probably because it was overwhelmed. Their LTE network in Dayton was maturing but overloaded. I gave up. Today, my Sprint (Sierra Wireless Tri-Fi) mobile hotspot would not connect, even though my phone was fine. I'd had enough.
I went to this store knowing that Verizon had improved a great deal since mid-2012. The store had only one mobile hotspot on display. I believe that Verizon has 4 at the moment. (1 star off for not having everything available.) When a salesperson was unoccupied, I asked about them. They had two in store, neither of which matched the one on display. Chaos or good luck?
As I asked Armeta questions, she did her best to answer them, finally getting both units from the back. One was the hotspot I used in 2012. I chose the other, simply because it was newer and probably had better battery life, given that LTE chipsets have improved since 2012.
We worked through a bunch of questions and set up, and the price seemed reasonable. They have a 14 day return policy, but the day you take the device counts as 1 of the 14. Use it immediately to see if you like it!
She asked me about device insurance and it would be $8 per month with Asurion and I would have to wait to have a replacement mailed to me, or I could pay $60 for the life of the contract, which is much cheaper than $192 for 24 months.
After it was working and I signed the paperwork and paid, she sent me on my way.
I got home, tried it, and it worked once. It wanted to update itself (at my cost, most likely), and froze at 48%. I powered off, powered on, and resumed the update. It still didn't work. I went back to the store with everything, including my computer and tablet.
Just like the TV problem that didn't happen with the repairman there, it worked fine. After I returned home, it was still fine, thankfully, but Armeta was just as gracious and helpful when I returned.