A Verizon customer who had stayed with the carrier for more than 21 years says a replacement phone left him facing a loss that could not be undone. After a refurbished device arrived, the handset later reset itself to factory settings and wiped out his personal data.
The case is more troubling because the replacement device was eventually found to be under the control of a Mobile Device Management, or MDM, system. That detail helped explain why the phone kept asking him to contact an IT administrator instead of letting him simply restore access to his accounts.
A replacement that did not solve the original problem
The customer, identified by Ars Technica as Tom Collery, first contacted Verizon because his 5G connectivity was poor. He sent in a phone that appeared to be a Galaxy Z Flip for hardware diagnosis after support told him the issue was caused by a “software malfunction.”
He says Verizon later suggested a manufacturing defect and told him the device would be replaced with a new unit. The replacement, however, was delivered to the wrong address and ended up at his parents’ home in New York rather than his location in California.
When the phone finally arrived, it was not new. According to Collery, Verizon said the refurbished unit had passed a “150-point” checklist, and he continued using it even though the original issue still did not feel resolved.
| Issue | What Collery says happened |
|---|---|
| Initial complaint | Poor 5G connectivity |
| Verizon’s explanation | “Software malfunction” and possible manufacturing defect |
| Replacement type | Refurbished phone, not a new unit |
| Delivery problem | Sent to the wrong address |
The situation worsened after the swap. Collery says the 5G connection became even worse, while a later Verizon advisor suggested the problem might have been caused by a network extender in his area, which cast doubt on the reason the phone had been replaced at all.
Factory reset, missing memories, and an MDM lock
After the replacement, the phone reportedly began showing more security updates and repeated restarts. At one point, it rebooted on its own and returned to factory settings, erasing contacts, photos, videos, and personal memories, including important moments with his grandmother before she died.
Attempts to sign back into Google and Samsung accounts reportedly failed because the handset kept directing him to contact the administrator. Verizon support initially did not understand the issue and told him to contact Samsung instead.
Because the phone also affected his work, Collery went to a Verizon store to get answers. The store manager reportedly questioned whether the device had even come from Verizon and briefly suspected it might have been bought on eBay or stolen.
After further inspection, the manager allegedly concluded the phone looked like a store demo unit that had not been properly wiped. Collery also learned that the device was managed by BricTECH, described as Verizon’s MDM suite provider.
What Verizon offered, and what it would not change
Collery says he spent nearly five hours in the store while also trying to reach several service advisors by phone. A manager reportedly suggested giving him another device while waiting for Verizon to ship a new one, but also made clear the lost data could not be recovered.
Over the following weeks, he says Verizon eventually told him the original phone had actually been fine and never needed replacement. The poor signal was later attributed to his home being in a “Marginal Service Zone,” which Verizon described as an area with weak coverage.
He also says he was told there had been a special plan for customers in that kind of zone, but he was never moved onto it. Later, a service advisor offered a $400 credit for the trouble and told him to file complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the FCC.
After he escalated the matter and waited about a week to reach executive support, Verizon reportedly offered another refurbished phone. At the same time, the company said it had no obligation to provide certain services and no special package for customers in a Marginal Service Zone.
Verizon closes the case
A week later, the agent handling the matter emailed that the situation was “unprecedented” and had never happened before. Verizon also said the customer had already received the maximum compensation of $400 and was not entitled to anything else, while adding that he was free to switch carriers if he wished.
When Collery asked for transcripts of the conversations, he says he was told those records would require a subpoena. In its response to the FCC, Verizon said it “acknowledges the seriousness of the error.”
The company also said all certified devices come directly from the manufacturer and are designed to meet strict quality assurance standards. Even so, the matter was marked as resolved.
Collery then asked for the personal data stored on the MDM-locked device. He says Verizon first said a legal order would be needed to release that information, while he argued that the California Consumer Privacy Act requires companies to disclose personal data they hold.
He also cited the California’s Invasion of Privacy Act, or CIPA, saying it could support $5,000 in compensation. Verizon reportedly offered to waive his mobile bill payments to ease the dispute, but he declined.
Recovery of the missing data now appears unlikely. A uBreakiFix store that Verizon advisors reportedly suggested said the information could not be recovered while the device remained locked by MDM.
Verizon is still said to be searching its warehouse for the customer’s original phone, but no trace of it has been found. Meanwhile, Collery says service remains poor and he still has to drive a few blocks before the connection works properly.