Venting Corporate America

This is my cell phone in the closed position.

This is my cell phone in the open position.

This is the crack in the casing of my cell phone at the hinge, from doing it's job of opening and closing.

Those of you that know me personally know how I resisted this little piece of modern technology. I finally buckled under just last year, tired of waiting for the Social Security implant version I just knew must be coming. I've had my cell phone ten months, and it was every headache I knew it would be and more. So imagine my shock when I realized yesterday, after treating this happy little camper like a precious jewel for months, that the casing at the hinge had a huge crack in it. Not from being run over by a car, not from being dropped on cement from a third story window, but from actually being used. Doing it's intended job. Opening and closing.

Now, I like talking on the phone just as much as any other gal, but I refuse to believe this problem has anything to do with my use of the phone. Looks like a manufacturer's defect to me. Good thing I'm under warranty. A quick phone call to Cingular One debased me of this notion rather quickly. The warranty does not cover the actual phone per se, but only defects on a list provided from Samsung. Hinge crack is not on the list. Hmmm..OK, luckily I am insured at a price of $4.90 a month for problems of this nature. I then call the insurance carrier, and once again I am slapped with the hand of cold, cruel reality. SURE, they can replace my phone housing. Of course there is a $50.00 deductible, the rest paid for by my insurance.

So let me get this straight, I am paying a $50.00 insurance deductible (billed) to replace my phone casing that has an obvious manufacturer's defect. A phone that is still covered under warranty, but not for this defect since the manufacturer doesn't recognize this as a problem.

Cool. I just love being financial fodder under the wheels of the big American Business Machine.

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