Comments for Cheap Package Design Tricks People Into Dropping Motorola Droid On Floor

Cheap Package Design Tricks People Into Dropping Motorola Droid On Floor

2009-11-23T18:48:15Z

The Motorola Droid is a sweet phone, but the box it comes in is a case study in bad package design. Where every other gadget these days comes in boxes with lids, or boxes designed to be opened in a specific manner, the Droid box can easily be opened so that the brand new phone falls to the floor.

]]> C.R. writes,

I got my new Verizon Motorola Droid last week. But when I opened the box, the Droid fell to the floor. Apparently I had the box turned the wrong way. There is now a dent in my phone. It's not a major dent. The phone still works. But it's still not cool that because of a design flaw, I have to live with a damaged phone right from the get-go. I called Verizon to see if they would help, but they wouldn't do a thing. Since the phone is still in working condition, they would not replace it. I then inquired about that 30 day period where I could return the phone if I don't like it. She said that I could do that, but if the phone is physically damaged, I would be billed the full amount for the phone!!!

He also sent us a link to a Droid owners' forum, where he posted his story and found others who had experienced the same. Here are some sample comments from that thread.

This happened [to me] when the rep at the store opened it and I refused that one made him get me another.

*
This happened to me but the Verizon salesperson did it! It was Friday morning, her first droid sale ever and she opened the box upside down and the droid slammed into the side of the desk leaving little dents on each side of the screen.
*
This happened to me at the store when I bought it (actually before I bought it), and it hit the counter from about 2 inches high and proceeded towards the floor.
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This happened to me too, but only 1-2" to my desk. Whoever put the box together is an idiot.
*
The customer rep did the same thing on mine!! luckily it just dropped on his keyboard

"WARNING for new Motorola Droid users!" [DroidForums.net]

Comment from brokebackwallet on 2009-12-19

2009-12-19T16:41:06Z

Ever tried removing Sennheiser earplugs from packaging? Now there is an example of how it should be done. Nearly impossible without having a crowbar, hacksaw and some sacrificed chickens around.

Comment from Distahs on 2009-12-02

2009-12-02T15:58:30Z

I have one and use it a lot. You can do just about anything you can do on an iphone. yes even multi-touch but it is currently limited to specific applications. (I Had an iphone for years but service in southern Idaho was only so-so)

gone Droid. will NEVER go back.
(no really I'm under contract :P)

Comment from PLAAND88 on 2009-11-28

2009-11-28T10:06:12Z

The Palm Pre has awesome packaging too. Even though I knew what was going on it made me feel good about the purchase.

Comment from thistowniswrong on 2009-11-24

2009-11-24T19:39:58Z

@YouDidWhatNow?

Verizon supports tethering, at least on the Blackberry. I was offered the option (For, I think, about $10/month) when I signed up. I passed.

My friend is returning her Droid today. The battery doesn't even last a day.

Comment from kittyt on 2009-11-24

2009-11-24T17:54:10Z

I actually like the packaging, it's a lot smaller than the older cell phones I got. What's funny my older phones are a lot smaller than my Droid. I made sure to sit down on the couch to open mine because I've opened stuff has fallen out of the box. I've dropped my phone a few times but on carpet. So far it still works.

As for the Droid, it's pretty awesome. My boss has an iphone and really likes the Droid. I'd be pretty content with either phone. You also have to like Google if you want the Droid.

Comment from Paul in SF on 2009-11-24

2009-11-24T14:44:50Z

That happened to me too. As soon as I picked the box up my new Droid slid out the other end onto the concrete floor at work. Luckily no damage that I have noticed so far, but whoever designed that packaging should have their head examined.

As far as the commenter who said "Well, since Verizon doesn't give you a sealed box, but rather gives you the phone after everything is migrated, it is the responsibility of the tech in the store to re-secure the phone in the box before they hand it to you. AmIRite?" Not all of go to/went to a brick and mortar store to get our new phone. Mine was shipped to me from the Verizon website.

Comment from Telekinesis123 on 2009-11-24

2009-11-24T07:29:57Z

There really is no way to tell which way is 'up' from the outside of the package, I guess for a newcomer either way looks good.

Comment from WeAre138 on 2009-11-24

2009-11-24T06:08:31Z

I've got a few friends who have it. One likes it, one went back to his iPhone. I played with it and I like it. But I like my iPhone a little more because I am hooked on multi-touch.

Comment from allstarecho on 2009-11-24

2009-11-24T06:03:03Z

I soooo want this phone.. but won't touch it as long as it's with Verizon.

Comment from Tabe on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:10Z

@h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes:
Ditto - I had the exact same reaction to the keyboard.

Comment from thenamcam on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:10Z

gee an iphone imitator, but they could not imitate the packaging?

Comment from bohemian on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:08Z

This is quite the money making scam. Sell someone a very expensive phone that breaks right out of the box (literally) with no hope of refund and a 2 year contract!

Comment from floraposte on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:08Z

@diesel54: Most amusing response of the day.

Comment from ned4spd8874 on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:06Z

@thaJack:
I have insurance, but to even do that I would have to pay a deductible. I will not pay a dime for this fail on Verizon and Motorola's part.

Comment from bloggerX on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:06Z

@YouDidWhatNow?: I was thinking about getting the N900...but a bunch of factors prevented me from getting one:

1. Nokia said they're coming out with an improved model next year

2. The 3G bands only operate on T-Mobile

3. $649 (Amazon wants $589 I think) is too big of an early adopter tax for me.

I've heard nice things about the Hero, but I like keyboards!

Comment from lordargent on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:06Z

@h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes:

ditto

I open everything on a table.

Comment from ned4spd8874 on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:06Z

@YouDidWhatNow?:
I heard that tethering is coming very soon.

Comment from h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:06Z

@YouDidWhatNow?: The keyboard issue is what kept me from springing on it. I have an enV2 and I love the keyboard. I mentioned to the kiosk employee that that was a major reason why I wouldn't buy the Droid. I'm waiting for the second generation so any early adopter bugs can get worked out and they hopefully fix the keys.

Comment from Darklighter on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:06Z

@JennQPublic: I'm not sure getting a story on Consumerist is something to be congratulated on (at least, most of the time). It should probably earn sympathies instead.

Comment from YouDidWhatNow? on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:06Z

@bloggerX:

I *really* wanted one. Very nearly just ordered one on line.

However, somehow I managed to act prudently and went to a store to fondle it first. 2 deal breakers for me:

1. Verizon does not support tethering

2. The keyboard is useless to me...unlike other phones that have wonderful keyboards, like the LG Env line, the Droid keyboard is flat all the way across...buttons are not raised at all...and the buttons are perfectly square and right up against each other. I can't type on it.

My bubble burst and I left without a Droid. Hopefully someone will fix these issues in a soon-to-come phone.

Comment from thaJack on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@theblackdog_FeelingRandom: Yes.

Comment from thaJack on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

You do (within the first fifteen days, I believe) have the option of adding the "insurance."

Once added, the only thing you have to do is make a call on your phone so that they can verify it works.

Once you've added the insurance, and made your phone call, go and swap it off for a new one.

Comment from DAK on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@bloggerX: Great phone. Wife says the sound quality on the receiving end isn't too good, but no one else has complained. 2 weeks in, and the novelty still hasn't worn off.

Comment from qwickone on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@bloggerX: The HTC Hero with Google is pretty awesome on Sprint.

Comment from theblackdog on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@ftk: Question about the Google maps navigator, does it provide traffic info?

Comment from Anne Boleyn on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag: Unless you order it online, have it shipped to you, and activate it yourself like I did with my last phone :) Thank the gods that the enV3 (shaddup) has an awesomely-designed box.

Comment from aloria on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

I also opened my Droid box upside down, but was sitting on the couch so it just fell into my lap. Verizon has to take the phone out of the box before the handover anyway, right? Replace the existing phones that got dinged, then just slap a bit of cellophane tape over new phones going out.

Comment from bloggerX on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@aloria: Thanks for letting me know. I'm not a fan of the iPhone either. The only thing holding me back is the monthly bill. I'm on Sprint's SERO service, 30 bucks for unlimited talk/data and text rulez!!!

Comment from JennQPublic on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@ned4spd8874: You bought a Droid? Sucker! I make my own smartphones at home. :-p

Seriously, I hope the cell phone gods smile on you and you always get great reception. Congrats on getting a story on Consumerist!

Comment from dopplerd on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

I bought mine online and when I opened the shipping box found that jostling had caused the Droid box to slide apart and the Droid was just hanging out without a box.

Nothing happened to the phone and I really love it. Not quite as polished as an iPhone but very functional. Much more so than the Blackberry it replaced.

Comment from ftk on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@bloggerX: It is sweet. Coming from Blackberry I am missing notification profiles, however there are several free apps that fill that gap (Ear being the one that works best/crashes least). Phone is very fast and i am not limited to just program icons on the screen which is my bigges peeve about the iPhone. Slide out keyboard is a kind of a pain to use, onscreen works great though. Just use the slideout to edit emails and when doing fullscreen ssh or vnc sessions. Synching contacts between multiple services (Gmail, google apps for domain, and corporate exchange) works great and all contact info for identical contacts are merged into a single view when viewing contacts, but are split into accounts when editing. Camera could be faster to focus but is rumoured to be fixed in next software update. Google maps navigator is awesome. No wonder garming and co tanked!

All in all a very cool phone, I dig it.

Comment from ned4spd8874 on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

Not sure why my reply didn't go under They actually sent me the phone via FedEx and I activated it myself.@GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag: They actually sent me the phone via FedEx and I activated it myself.

Comment from aloria on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@bloggerX: Have it. Love it. The only thing that bugs me about it is that the toggle to adjust the ringer volume is really close to the button to re-activate the screen, so I end up making my ringer super loud on accident from time to time. But it's absolutely awesome otherwise. AT&T coverage sucks around here, so the iPhone wasn't ever really an option, but 15 minutes of playing with my friend's Droid was enough to convince me to get one, whereas playing with tons of iPhones didn't wow me.

Comment from Darklighter on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag: Can't you buy it online and have it shipped to you?

Comment from ned4spd8874 on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:05Z

@GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag: They actually sent me the phone via FedEx and I activated it myself.

Comment from VidaBlueBalls on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

This is a whole new meaning of 'dropped calls.'

Comment from pecan 3.14159265 on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

@SacraBos: I could believe that the packaging for the original iPhone was a little flimsy. I have the 3G, and we were surprised at how hard it was to get that little phone out of the box. It's pretty much locked into that egg-carton material casing. You have to wedge your fingers under it and pull. There's no way the 3G and 3GS is falling out unless someone shook the box and dislodged it from the interior packaging.

Comment from bunnymare on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

I would be really bothered if I bought a brand new phone and it dented that easily (regardless of packaging). I use Blackberry's only (provided by work), and they've bounced on my driveway without denting.

Comment from The Cynical Librarian on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

@GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag: I was wondering about this; as I've never had someone give me my phone, after getting the activation taken care of, in the box. It's always been "Here's your phone, here's your box".
I think we have to entertain the possibility of a vast conspiracy.

Comment from Gruppa on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

/this is not the Droid box you are looking for..

Comment from Brazell on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

for the record, so far, there have been zero reports of dropping the box on the floor.

Comment from GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

Well, since Verizon doesn't give you a sealed box, but rather gives you the phone after everything is migrated, it is the responsibility of the tech in the store to re-secure the phone in the box before they hand it to you. AmIRite?

Comment from SacraBos on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

There's a video of someone getting an iPhone the first day, and he walks out of the store to show the camera, opens the box, and the phone falls to the ground.

Looks more likely to happen with the Droid, though.

Comment from msbask on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

I had the exact opposite experience with my Samsung Instinct. That thing was packaged like it was Rolex. I still have the box because I was so impressed with it.

(Needless to say: This post has nothing to do with the OP's actual problem.)

Comment from liljimmynorton on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

The package for the Moto Cliq is exactly the same, when my store got them in I almost sent one to the floor.

Comment from diesel54 on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

@ned4spd8874: We found him! Quick, everyone blame the OP!

Comment from ned4spd8874 on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

Here is a link to a post on droidforums.net about this that I started.

[www.droidforums.net]

Comment from ned4spd8874 on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

Wo-hoo! This is my story!!!

Comment from bloggerX on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

Hey, does anybody here have the Droid? If so, how is it?

Comment from h3llc4t, breaker of office dress codes on 2009-11-23

2009-11-23T22:32:04Z

That sucks pretty hard. When I'm working with a piece of electronics that would make me sad if it got broken, I open it right over a flat surface or on the couch. I'm perpetually afraid stuff like this will happen.