Everything Data Family + PAM

[wf09]

I was on the phone with sprint for over an hour today. CS, (for some reason Tech Support), and Retentions.
Some of you guys have such crazy discounts, which made me want phone as modem for free. Sprint won't even add it to my plan because I have the everything data plan. Retentions wanted me to downgrade to everything messaging--but they wouldn't match the features and what i'm paying now--or even think of adding PAM. I get a great work discount, and i just joined them a month and a half ago, but do you guys know any way around this? I was shocked when retentions said no to me.

Have any of you guys been able to add PAM to an everything data line, or has sprint matched the features and prices of everything data to everything messaging?

Thanks

[Liquid-X]

I was on the phone with sprint for over an hour today. CS, (for some reason Tech Support), and Retentions.
Some of you guys have such crazy discounts, which made me want phone as modem for free. Sprint won't even add it to my plan because I have the everything data plan. Retentions wanted me to downgrade to everything messaging--but they wouldn't match the features and what i'm paying now--or even think of adding PAM. I get a great work discount, and i just joined them a month and a half ago, but do you guys know any way around this? I was shocked when retentions said no to me.

Have any of you guys been able to add PAM to an everything data line, or has sprint matched the features and prices of everything data to everything messaging?

Thanks

Everything Messaging is not usable with PAM, just like Talk/Message plans are not. ANY of our bundle plans (Simply Everything, Talk/Message, Talk/Message/Data plans, Everything Messaging, Everything Data, SERO, ect) are not usable with PAM plans.

[DiMAn0684]

Hey Liquid-X, could you please provide a little more details on why the plans aren't compatible. I have a SERO plan and thought of getting PAM for occasional use. My understanding was that $15 PAM option should give me unlimited PAM since my plan already includes internet access via "PowerVision" and there're no technical limitation that prevents me from accessing the Internet with my phone being a 'proxy' between my laptop and the Sprint EVDO network.

[rivercat123]

Hey Liquid-X, could you please provide a little more details on why the plans aren't compatible. I have a SERO plan and thought of getting PAM for occasional use. My understanding was that $15 PAM option should give me unlimited PAM since my plan already includes internet access via "PowerVision" and there're no technical limitation that prevents me from accessing the Internet with my phone being a 'proxy' between my laptop and the Sprint EVDO network.

The $15 PAM add-on is only compatable with the $30 Pro Pack and the $30 Blackberry plan.

[Coal]

The $15 PAM add-on is only compatable with the $30 Pro Pack and the $30 Blackberry plan.

Yep.

Problem is, the PAM that "anyone" could use died a while back.

You will NOT get PAM for free, and you basically not get it unless you pay sprint a bit of money for the data packs.

On the BlackBerry part, its your best bet if you need it. PAM is included with BB plans.

[Liquid-X]

On the BlackBerry part, its your best bet if you need it. PAM is included with BB plans.

Only the $39.99 Unl Power Vision/Blackberry plan (Which only includes Internet, BIS and BES, and PAM. No text messaging or anything else). The $30 Blackberry Personal pack does not include PAM, and requires the $15 Buyup, same as the $30 Pro Pack.

[Liquid-X]

Hey Liquid-X, could you please provide a little more details on why the plans aren't compatible. I have a SERO plan and thought of getting PAM for occasional use. My understanding was that $15 PAM option should give me unlimited PAM since my plan already includes internet access via "PowerVision" and there're no technical limitation that prevents me from accessing the Internet with my phone being a 'proxy' between my laptop and the Sprint EVDO network.

In order for PAM to work correctly (In other words, not risk losing access and other stuff) your required to have a basic voice plan, $30 Data Plan, and the $15 PAM. The problem is, the Bundle Plans (Such as SERO and the Simply Everything plan) are not compatable with the device.

The Official reason is that the PAM does not work correctly with the bundle plans, and we cannot guarantee that PAM will work correctly. You either end up losing access and unable to get it to work again, or the system mistakenly charges you for every bit of data you use, and other craziness. As such, Sprint does not allow the PAM addon to be added to things like the SE plan, and your required to have the PAM addon.

[Coal]

Only the $39.99 Unl Power Vision/Blackberry plan (Which only includes Internet, BIS and BES, and PAM. No text messaging or anything else). The $30 Blackberry Personal pack does not include PAM, and requires the $15 Buyup, same as the $30 Pro Pack.

Yeah, that hit me after I posted it but at the time I couldnt go back and edit my post.

But yes, on this you are correct.

[Whiteboy182]

In order for PAM to work correctly (In other words, not risk losing access and other stuff) your required to have a basic voice plan, $30 Data Plan, and the $15 PAM. The problem is, the Bundle Plans (Such as SERO and the Simply Everything plan) are not compatable with the device.

The Official reason is that the PAM does not work correctly with the bundle plans, and we cannot guarantee that PAM will work correctly. You either end up losing access and unable to get it to work again, or the system mistakenly charges you for every bit of data you use, and other craziness. As such, Sprint does not allow the PAM addon to be added to things like the SE plan, and your required to have the PAM addon.

See, this is the only problem that I have with Sprint. Nothing against you or anyone else in CS, but they need to actually find ways to make this kind of thing work.

I find it absolutely insane that they put out these phones that have the physical ability to be used as modems, the hardware and software is right there and functional and yet they offer no option to use it legitimately. There are tons of people (including myself) who would be happy to spend a few more dollars a month to use PAM with a SE plan. However instead of them finding a solution to this problem (which would easily make them more money) they just make excuses and say it can't be done... Then people go on to hack their phones and do it anyway but don't pay anything for it.

Like I have said before, I love Sprint and will probably stick with them forever. And this is definitely nothing against the customer service reps, I know they don't have any control over things like this.

[gedster314]

Cool, now I have justification for doing tethering and not having PAM. Thanks, I don't feel so dirty now. ;o)

[YankeeFan01]

oxNARD!


On another note. You should go down to the messaging plan and then tell retentions to add the free vision code, since it includes PAM.

[wf09]

oxNARD!


On another note. You should go down to the messaging plan and then tell retentions to add the free vision code, since it includes PAM.

do you think that they will add free vision to a brand new customer on two separate lines (i've been with them for a month and a half), and is the free vision code still available--i've heard many of the old free features have been blocked from new "everything" plans.

Lastly, do you think they'd throw in GPS and Sprint TV, or do you guys think i'd lose that too?

[Liquid-X]

do you think that they will add free vision to a brand new customer on two separate lines (i've been with them for a month and a half), and is the free vision code still available--i've heard many of the old free features have been blocked from new "everything" plans.

Lastly, do you think they'd throw in GPS and Sprint TV, or do you guys think i'd lose that too?

If your talking about a Blackberry, then yes, you would lose GPS and Sprint Nav, since the "free BIS plan" as people call it does not include it. You also wouldn't be able to use it with an Everything Messaging Plan, since the Everything Messaging Plan and the Talk/Messaging plans are not compatable with PAM.

[wf09]

If your talking about a Blackberry, then yes, you would lose GPS and Sprint Nav, since the "free BIS plan" as people call it does not include it. You also wouldn't be able to use it with an Everything Messaging Plan, since the Everything Messaging Plan and the Talk/Messaging plans are not compatable with PAM.

Do you have any recommendations about how to get two lines with tethering, blackberry service, unlmt txting, and 1500 minutes for less than 130 a month? Perhaps retentions has special plans? Maybe boost two basic plans and put them on one bill?
Thank you Liquid for your responses.

[blake324]

OP- you have been with them for a month. You may not have even paid a bill yet. Are you crazy, no they wont give you stuf ffor free now.

[StarmanDX]

If your talking about a Blackberry, then yes, you would lose GPS and Sprint Nav, since the "free BIS plan" as people call it does not include it. You also wouldn't be able to use it with an Everything Messaging Plan, since the Everything Messaging Plan and the Talk/Messaging plans are not compatable with PAM.

The "free BlackBerry plan" (at least the one discussed on SU) DOES include Sprint Nav.

[Coal]

The "free BlackBerry plan" (at least the one discussed on SU) DOES include Sprint Nav.

Actually technically it doesnt. At some point it will stop working without it being paid for in some way or another.

[Technoid]

I get this question all the time in ATS. If you know the way we used to put on PAM it is easier to follow the logic and also if you know how our software we use for provisioning the acct works it helps understand the issue. When we select a price plan, the basic first step in setting up an acct., the program auto populates the features related to that price plan. So if you have a plan that includes internet access/vision the system will populate the acct agreement page with the proper SOC codes ( SOC = feature/service code ) for the services in that plan. If we come in and try to add on the vision pro pack it would double up the vision SOC and the system rejects the change. In the past we would replace any vision plan SOC you had with the $45 dollar PAM SOC. It would give you all the services of the vision pro pack plus the PAM feature. Now we just add the equivalent set of features with two SOC codes. One for the pro pack and one for the addon PAM feature, still totally $45. There is no way to add an existing feature to an acct for the software stops it. When we try it kicks us back with error that that feature already exists. This is at least part of the reason they chose not to offer the combination of Everything plans and PAM. Some devices don't support PAM, this is mostly unrelated issue. If your device supports it you just need the correct plan such as Talk 900 with the Vision Pro Pack and the PAM Addon. Totalling 104.99 MRC. Just a tad more than simply everything but with 900 minutes.

[Whiteboy182]

I get this question all the time in ATS. If you know the way we used to put on PAM it is easier to follow the logic and also if you know how our software we use for provisioning the acct works it helps understand the issue. When we select a price plan, the basic first step in setting up an acct., the program auto populates the features related to that price plan. So if you have a plan that includes internet access/vision the system will populate the acct agreement page with the proper SOC codes ( SOC = feature/service code ) for the services in that plan. If we come in and try to add on the vision pro pack it would double up the vision SOC and the system rejects the change. In the past we would replace any vision plan SOC you had with the $45 dollar PAM SOC. It would give you all the services of the vision pro pack plus the PAM feature. Now we just add the equivalent set of features with two SOC codes. One for the pro pack and one for the addon PAM feature, still totally $45. There is no way to add an existing feature to an acct for the software stops it. When we try it kicks us back with error that that feature already exists. This is at least part of the reason they chose not to offer the combination of Everything plans and PAM. Some devices don't support PAM, this is mostly unrelated issue. If your device supports it you just need the correct plan such as Talk 900 with the Vision Pro Pack and the PAM Addon. Totalling 104.99 MRC. Just a tad more than simply everything but with 900 minutes.

And there is the problem... many of the people on everything plans that want to add PAM are using the Instinct. Which as you know must be attached to an everything plan. Obviously the Instinct supports tethering judging by the number of people that do it though. Currently there is no solution to this problem other than to just not tether your Instinct, or do it and hope you don't get caught. What else can we do?

[Technoid]

To be honest, I have just figured the Instinct couldn't be tethered. I need to read more in here to see what all is really going on on the customer's side. Most of the calls I get where someone gets and error 67 when tethering I find they are tethering without PAM and they may have been able to for quite a while but can't all of the sudden. Somehow our system can see if your are using internet sharing and when it does you must have a username in our system with "modem" in it, otherwise you fail authentication with error 67. Not sure why it works for some people for a while and then stops. Still trying to figure out how our system could tell that a device is being tethered. Not that I would share that info. I don't personally blame anyone for doing it if they can, I am not a judge, but I do consider it theft and never support it on calls. We don't do anything though, like make a note in acct or report it, we just can't help fix it.

[Technoid]

Just a note on the sprint nav feature. If you have the feature as part of your plan in our system, whether by error or not, you can go to the Telenav web page and try to sign up for free trial and when you put in your number at some stage of the sign up it recognizes that you already have the service. It is useful sometimes to use Telenav's system this way to see if a customer is properly provisioned for Sprint Nav.