You’ll probably get a better experience visiting a corporate owned wireless store

Just because the store you entered has signs that say Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile doesn’t mean that you are inside a corporate-owned location. You could be browsing a store that is a third-party retailer or an authorized retailer. Based on the discussions and emails I’ve had with current and former reps, the odds of getting scammed are higher at an authorized retailer. There is a way to find out what kind of store you are heading to before you even get in your car and start the engine.

The major carriers usually have store locators on their websites and they differentiate between corporate and third-party stores. If you have a Verizon account, tap on this link, type in your zip code, and your nearby Verizon stores will show up. At the top of each result, you can see whether a store is a Verizon Company Store or an Authorized Retailer. For your sanity and security, stick with the former no matter what prices you see from an authorized retailer.

If you’re a T-Mobile subscriber, tap on this link and type in your zip code in the field on the left side of the screen. On the right side of the page, you’ll see a map with “T” pins representing different stores. A gray pin indicates a third-party authorized retailer. All other pins indicate corporate locations including Experience and Signature stores.

AT&T subscribers can find if a store is a corporate location or an authorized retailer by tapping on this link. If you allow the site to get your location it will use your zip code to find nearby stores. Or, punch in a zip code on the line above the “Use my location” link. A list of stores will appear on the left side of the screen. Tap the black box that says STORE INFO & HOURS. Scroll down and you’ll see the name of the store with a picture showing what the inside of the store looks like. If the store is not a corporate location, you’ll see the words “Authorized Retailer” right underneath the location of the store.

A current AT&T rep working at an authorized retailer recently posted about a manager who he calls “completely incompetent.” Apparently, this manager sends the victims of his mistakes to this rep to fix the errors he has caused. For example, one night this manager was scheduled to close the store by himself when an elderly customer came in seeking to port her number and he accidentally locked her out of her phone. Instead of changing her iCloud account, the manager changed her passcode which means she has no access to her phone.