Almost two weeks ago, on May 12th, Verizon Droid Eris owners across the web rejoiced at the commencement of the rollout of the Android 2.1 operating system. Since then, Verizon has been pushing the over-the-air (OTA) update at random to owners across the country. During that same time, Verizon’s Twitter support account, @VZWSupport, has been responding to questions from customers eager to update or those experiencing problems.
One of the most commonly-asked questions pertained to leaked versions of the Android 2.1 OS that were released just weeks before the official rollout started. Those who had installed the leaks repeatedly asked via Twitter whether they would receive the OTA update – and the answers they received have served as the catalyst for a potential PR nightmare.
Since the OTA update was first announced, @VZWSupport has repeatedly said that those users running leaked versions of 2.1 would receive the update, and not in any uncertain terms. Every time they were asked, the answer was always yes – until yesterday.
On Sunday, a Verizon responder known on Twitter only as ZC began telling users on leaked versions they would not receive the update, going so far as to provide links to “cooked” ROMs for the T-Mobile G1, indicating leakers could use those links to downgrade to Android 1.5 in order to receive the update. This came as news to many leaked version users since to date no way has been found to roll back the Android 2.1 leak. Those who responded to the suggestion with skepticism were eventually told the G1 file might “brick” their phone but, ZC said, the warranty was already void so why not?
ZC’s tweets prompted a flurry of activity on Android forums and generated dozens of responses to @VZWSupport. This morning, in response to those tweets, Verizon rep “NK” continued to say that leakers would receive the OTA update. However, the account also sent out sporadic replies without a rep’s signature stating that no leakers would receive the update. When pushed, NK finally stated that the information they had provided was wrong and the OTA update would not be pushed out to users with any leaked version.
Since then, angry Eris users have bombarded the account, demanding answers and, in some cases, an apology. @VZWSupport, though, simply repeats the mantra that they “never guaranteed” the update to leaked version users.
Right now, Verizon has two issues: the consistently incorrect information they fed users over the past two weeks, and the responses to those customers who were given the incorrect information. Most users of the leaked 2.1 OS didn’t expect Verizon to provide them with the OTA, which is why they asked Verizon Support outright. Imagine their suprise when they were adamantly assured, over and over, that they would receive the update. Those users, who had given up on the months-long wait for an OS that was promised in Q1, thought that finally Verizon had listened to them. That, just maybe, the carrier wanted to make up for the extended delays in releasing the update.
But alas, it was just a cruel joke. To wait until the last day of the update, in the eleventh hour, to pull the rug from under those users is the worst kind of wrong. And to then denounce their “unofficial” software condescendingly – well, that’s just inappropriate. If Verizon knew this update wasn’t going to leaked users, they should have said so from day one. They should have immediately rebuked the leakers and let them know there was no chance of receiving the update. That response would likely have discouraged future leakers and kept the current ones from a vocal assault on Verizon’s Twitter account. Instead, they chose to alienate their most technical customers, those who are the first to try new technology and who spend money on their smartphones – a true customer service FAIL.
