Cell phone stores tend to have cameras everywhere for just that reason. Go back and demand to speak to management, and talk to them about the situation.

It sounds like this happened in the shop, in which case they probably have cameras so I reckon you could get the police involved. I don't know if you should threaten them until they decide it's easier to just give you an intact phone, or surprise them so they don't destroy the video evidence or continue selling damaged goods to other people once they'd have gotten rid of you.

Sounds like ATT. I've had a similar experience. crack from the speaker hole to the edge of the glass. common in phones. most switch out the devices. att won't. so I got a refurbished one while paying payments for a brand new one.

At least it didn’t explode.

My uncle got a Samsung something or other from ATT a few months ago and in the store when they opened the phone box the phone screen was cracked from top to bottom and left to right. They compensated him no problem and he even got a discount and free case. So not all ATT stores are assholes. Sorry for your bad luck OP! Good luck!

If you had AppleCare, the problem would have been taken ... wait! Oooooohhh! Never mind.

Usually when i buy a phone they inspect it in front of me for cracks and even put the screen on (maybe for dead pixels?) so you know what you got. In any case as long as you didn't leave the store they don't have a case. Call the cops make it interesting

Maybe she's referring to when she got dropped on her head when she was a kid?

Easy enough to prove. Just ask her to check the security cameras.