LG Chocolate Phone

My phone ( a Strawberry Chocolate) has been great. I've had it since April.... until the last couple of weeks. It suddenly started shutting off randomly. At first, I thought it might have something to do with the Bluetooth headset (although I've been using that for months with no problems). It always came right back on, though. Until today. Even though the battery was at 3 bars (and had been at 4 before when it shut off), it shut off today and refused to come back on.

I took the battery out and put it back in, put it on the charger... charger said, "Fully charged." When plugged in, it would come on. Would go off just as soon as it was unplugged, though the battery was supposedly fully charged. Took it to the Verizon store, and they checked moisture (nope). Was told that they would send me a refurbished one, which really annoys me. I bought a NEW one a few months ago, and I know that they're going to take this one and 'fix' it and send it to someone ELSE as a refurbished one. I don't want someone else's problems!

Furthermore, the main reason I bought it was because I wanted to be able to use my own music as ringtones, as almost everyone I know can. Turns out Verizon intentionally crippled that feature so that the ONLY ringtones you can add are those you download from THEM, and I'm sure the Chocolate isn't the only phone they did that on. Furthermore, you can't even add music to it (which is one of the selling points) without buying the $40 extra "Music" accessory pack. AND, I couldn't use my old headset because they have a proprietary connection-- you have to buy it from them... and theirs is VERY uncomfortable, which is why I went out and spent MORE money on a bluetooth headset-- which I should at least be able to use on future phones. I should have taken it back right then, except that I really liked the phone itself.

So, now, I thought I was out of luck for two days, because the refurbished one won't be here until Tuesday, and I won't be around to get it (so it may be even longer, if I have to go pick it up). Anyway, the girl at the store got it turned on again. However, though it had been 'fully charged' just a few minutes before and had been OFF, when she got it back on, it said it was only half charged.

Since this happened, I have done some looking on the internet, and I find that this is a VERY common complaint with the Chocolate phones (random shutting off), along with the screen suddenly going white. I NEED my phone for work... at least the one I have is working right now, let's hope it continues. I'm almost hoping the next one is a dud, too, because as I was told, 3rd strike you can get a different phone. Probably will happen right after the year is up, though!! I found lots of people who are on their third, fourth, or FIFTH Chocolate phone. Unreal!! It appears this phone is very poorly designed and of poor quality, even though I like it when it works! I considered getting the insurance this time, but seems to me that I'd be better off using that money to buy a different phone if it comes to it. And I STILL have to figure out how to get my pics off of it, and will have to manually change my phone book over, I guess- which would have been VERY difficult if the phone won't turn on!!

Wondering if anyone else out there has a Chocolate, and if you've had any problems with them (or not). I will probably not buy a new LG phone ever again (I've previously had bad experiences with their battery life, as has everyone I know who's ever had one-- which is why I hesitated before I got this one), and may go with T-Mobile when this contract is up, because of Verizon's attempts to cripple the features of their phones just to get more money from their customers. I also don't like them giving me a used (and probably returned for defective workmanship) phone to replace the new one I bought from them.