konceptz
10-12-2004, 12:48 PM
This is all obvious stuff, but this article by RM146 spells it out really well. Read it then go get some discounts!
RM146@rec.com wrote-
This FAQ is in no way authored by Sprint Spectrum, Sprint or Sprint PCS
unless otherwise expressly noted. By reading on, you agree that you are
fully aware of this. I see many questions asked repeatedly about secret
rate plans, and thought an "Unofficial Retention FAQ" was in order. I
have no association (i.e. never been employed or received any
remuneration from them) with SprintPCS and there is a greater than zero
chance there may be errors herein.
My only association with SprintPCS is as a former
customer interested in the vagarities of its policies. I believe
everything to be correct, but use the information at your own risk. This
FAQ comes not from SprintPCS, so it is unofficial, but apparently has
useful information some SprintPCS apologists are upset about being made
public, and one even threatened me with by forwarding this FAQ to
SprintPCS legal. Havent heard a peep from them after 12 months, cause
this FAQ is all true to the best of my knowledge.
What about retention deals? SprintPCS wisely would prefer that customers
not leave, its been reported it costs ~$365 to obtain a new customer in
advertising, support, and phone price subsidies, etc.; so it behooves
SprintPCS to try to retain customers by offering them a deal. However
this is a murky, semi-secret, here-to-fore not fully documented process.
Car Manufacturers often have a $1000 loyalty bonus for folks that buy a
new car that is the same make as their existing one. Those plans are not
secret. Sprint (I believe) could save a lot of grief and help
themselves by switching to a single predictable advertised retention
plan. Bonus 5% extra minutes after first year with Sprint and 2% more
for each additional year might work. Some SprintPCS employees insult me,
but SprintPCS does not keep secret the special deals for new customers,
why should it keep secret the deals it has to retain customers? Ford
doesn't. From what I have read in this newsgroup, I read about customers
SprintPCS has lost because the customer didn't know how to get, didn't
know about or wasn't offered a retention deal, that SprintPCS might have
been happy to offer.....IF IT HAD BEEN ASKED FOR....
FAQ on retention Deals from SprintPCS
Who should I contact?
Outside of a contract call CANCELLATION or go to a SprintPCS owned store
and talk to a manger and try to negotiate a deal. The variability of
deals is truly astounding, and while its been discussed, I'm not sure I
or anyone else has a complete handle on how to get the best deal, other
than its a matter of luck and who you negotiate with, maybe SprintPCS
policies that week, and how well you can negotiate, and your standing as
a SprintPCS customer. Such unpredictability is the reason for this FAQ.
CANCELLATION = 1-866-762-0468 recently reported as 1-866-207-7913,
How do I negotiate?
When buying a car, I always found the best negotiating tactic was:
"I don't think thats the best deal you're allowed to offer me, let me
go think on it.
What works best in negotiating with Sprint?
So apparently with Sprint, you call Cancellation and say "I'm seriously
considering switching to XXXXXXX Carrier because.....; are there any
deals you could offer me to consider to stay with Sprint?" or my cousin
just got a 750 Minute plan for $40/month, and Id like the same deal,
please."
In my case I said (in 2003) (and meant it) "I'm considering switching to
Verizon as my son now has Verizon, and with their deals on 1000 Free
Verizon to Verizon minutes, I'd come out ahead". (unlimited IN"
minutes in 2004). So I got 300 minutes for $30 and 450 bonus minutes on
top of that.
A Sprint employee (Tech Geek) on 9/20/2003 posted the following
suggestions
(spelling corrected)::
They can't cancel you unless you tell them specifically to cancel, if you
say you're thinking of canceling, they won't cancel you.
How long have you been a customer? $97 per month for all 4 lines? I'm
assuming you have 3 add-a-phones.
Use what you know to your advantage. If your bill is always paid on
time and in full, say that. Also, do some shopping around at the
competitors first, if you see a better deal, write it down and who it is
with.
Stay calm, and be polite. If you don't get what you like, say 'thank
you' and call back a few minutes later.
Keep to your "I'm thinking of canceling soon" attitude. Think of
the reasons to cancel, if you're not in a contract, then you have more
ammunition.
Another Sprint employee (o/siris) on 8/7/2003 said: " Or walk into a
store and ask about the "Handset Upgrade Program." You may be
surprised."
What retention deals are available?
Until ~ June 2003 they offered unlimited Vision as a free bonus.
Until May 2004 free Mobile to Mobile minutes went with a 2 year contract,
now it's has to be requested. I had free 7PM nights and free "PCS to
PCS" offered with a new contract. Actually they would charge for the 7
PM nights, and then give me a credit back for it.
In 2003 commonly they offered bonus anytime minutes,
perhaps because it appears you wouldnt use them anyway. Sometimes you
may get a discount on purchasing a replacement phone. As of May 4, 2004
it was reported, the following is being offered:
$40/750 Anytime Minutes 8pm n/w
$50/1000 8pm n/w
$60/1200 8pm n/w
$75/1500 8pm n/w
$100/1800 8pm n/w
$100/2500 8pm n/w
Used to be they offered "Bonus" minutes on top of advertised plans. No
longer apparently.
Bob Smith, a frequent poster posted on 5/26/2004:
"I was on a 2000 min. plan, with 2 add-a-phones, Vision, F&CA, N & W @
9:00 PM and my monthly expense was $135 including taxes and surcharges.
I was able to get a 1200 min. plan, with 2 add-a-phones, Vision, F&CA,
and N&W starting @ 7:00 PM for $70 inc. T & S for the 1st 2 months, then
$95 inc. T & S, when the cost for Vision for 2 phones kicked in."
Am I a good candidate for a good retention deal?
Apparently the longer you have been a Sprint customer, and maybe if
you've never been late with a payment, and the more phones you have, and
the more you pay per month, the better chance you have to get a good
retention deal. It also helps to be not on contract, or in the last
month or so of a contract, although not necessarily. Some have said
contract status seems not to count, if you're willing to start a new two
year contract.
Are there any other ways to save?
Yes! If you work for a large company, it may have a deal negotiated with
SprintPCS that will also allow any employee to participate. These deals
offer a discount of 5 to 27% on monthly repeating charges, and discounts
on new equipment purchases. Further, business plans users are never
charged "Activation" fees; and likely have a dedicated SprintPCS
employee in the Sprint business department to handle billing problems,
etc. These discounts would be ON TOP OF any promotional plan or
retention plan, you would contact either your company's Sprint
representative or the Business # 1-888-788-4727
SprintPCS now allows any customer to get new customer deals on a new
phone if you have been using the same phone for 18 months. You get the
discount by rebate however, check at http://www.sprintrebates.com. (Who's computer is this?) Some
have posted about difficulty getting rebates through SprintPCS, others
say it worked fine for them. Some folks swear by (although others swear
at) bargains obtained on eBay when purchasing a phone. Caveat emptor.
Some folks insist one should only buy their phones at Costco, or a large
Department Store (like Mays) as their Satisfaction Guarantee may cover
you when a SprintPCS warranty might not (like with a bleeding screen).
=======
If you experience Dropped Calls, SprintPCS will give a credit each time
that happens. One dials *2, enters 1 (for English) and tells Claire
"Dropped Call Credit"; where upon with no human intervention you get a
50 cent credit on your account. Apparently SprintPCS currently allows
upto 20 such credits per # per month.
===========
If you have a friend that goes with Sprint because of your discussions
with them, SprintPCS will give you a referral credit of $20, limit one
per month. Only in the first 2 months of the new account. Dial #REF; the
person with the new number gets a $10 credit
=========
RM146@rec.com wrote-
This FAQ is in no way authored by Sprint Spectrum, Sprint or Sprint PCS
unless otherwise expressly noted. By reading on, you agree that you are
fully aware of this. I see many questions asked repeatedly about secret
rate plans, and thought an "Unofficial Retention FAQ" was in order. I
have no association (i.e. never been employed or received any
remuneration from them) with SprintPCS and there is a greater than zero
chance there may be errors herein.
My only association with SprintPCS is as a former
customer interested in the vagarities of its policies. I believe
everything to be correct, but use the information at your own risk. This
FAQ comes not from SprintPCS, so it is unofficial, but apparently has
useful information some SprintPCS apologists are upset about being made
public, and one even threatened me with by forwarding this FAQ to
SprintPCS legal. Havent heard a peep from them after 12 months, cause
this FAQ is all true to the best of my knowledge.
What about retention deals? SprintPCS wisely would prefer that customers
not leave, its been reported it costs ~$365 to obtain a new customer in
advertising, support, and phone price subsidies, etc.; so it behooves
SprintPCS to try to retain customers by offering them a deal. However
this is a murky, semi-secret, here-to-fore not fully documented process.
Car Manufacturers often have a $1000 loyalty bonus for folks that buy a
new car that is the same make as their existing one. Those plans are not
secret. Sprint (I believe) could save a lot of grief and help
themselves by switching to a single predictable advertised retention
plan. Bonus 5% extra minutes after first year with Sprint and 2% more
for each additional year might work. Some SprintPCS employees insult me,
but SprintPCS does not keep secret the special deals for new customers,
why should it keep secret the deals it has to retain customers? Ford
doesn't. From what I have read in this newsgroup, I read about customers
SprintPCS has lost because the customer didn't know how to get, didn't
know about or wasn't offered a retention deal, that SprintPCS might have
been happy to offer.....IF IT HAD BEEN ASKED FOR....
FAQ on retention Deals from SprintPCS
Who should I contact?
Outside of a contract call CANCELLATION or go to a SprintPCS owned store
and talk to a manger and try to negotiate a deal. The variability of
deals is truly astounding, and while its been discussed, I'm not sure I
or anyone else has a complete handle on how to get the best deal, other
than its a matter of luck and who you negotiate with, maybe SprintPCS
policies that week, and how well you can negotiate, and your standing as
a SprintPCS customer. Such unpredictability is the reason for this FAQ.
CANCELLATION = 1-866-762-0468 recently reported as 1-866-207-7913,
How do I negotiate?
When buying a car, I always found the best negotiating tactic was:
"I don't think thats the best deal you're allowed to offer me, let me
go think on it.
What works best in negotiating with Sprint?
So apparently with Sprint, you call Cancellation and say "I'm seriously
considering switching to XXXXXXX Carrier because.....; are there any
deals you could offer me to consider to stay with Sprint?" or my cousin
just got a 750 Minute plan for $40/month, and Id like the same deal,
please."
In my case I said (in 2003) (and meant it) "I'm considering switching to
Verizon as my son now has Verizon, and with their deals on 1000 Free
Verizon to Verizon minutes, I'd come out ahead". (unlimited IN"
minutes in 2004). So I got 300 minutes for $30 and 450 bonus minutes on
top of that.
A Sprint employee (Tech Geek) on 9/20/2003 posted the following
suggestions
(spelling corrected)::
They can't cancel you unless you tell them specifically to cancel, if you
say you're thinking of canceling, they won't cancel you.
How long have you been a customer? $97 per month for all 4 lines? I'm
assuming you have 3 add-a-phones.
Use what you know to your advantage. If your bill is always paid on
time and in full, say that. Also, do some shopping around at the
competitors first, if you see a better deal, write it down and who it is
with.
Stay calm, and be polite. If you don't get what you like, say 'thank
you' and call back a few minutes later.
Keep to your "I'm thinking of canceling soon" attitude. Think of
the reasons to cancel, if you're not in a contract, then you have more
ammunition.
Another Sprint employee (o/siris) on 8/7/2003 said: " Or walk into a
store and ask about the "Handset Upgrade Program." You may be
surprised."
What retention deals are available?
Until ~ June 2003 they offered unlimited Vision as a free bonus.
Until May 2004 free Mobile to Mobile minutes went with a 2 year contract,
now it's has to be requested. I had free 7PM nights and free "PCS to
PCS" offered with a new contract. Actually they would charge for the 7
PM nights, and then give me a credit back for it.
In 2003 commonly they offered bonus anytime minutes,
perhaps because it appears you wouldnt use them anyway. Sometimes you
may get a discount on purchasing a replacement phone. As of May 4, 2004
it was reported, the following is being offered:
$40/750 Anytime Minutes 8pm n/w
$50/1000 8pm n/w
$60/1200 8pm n/w
$75/1500 8pm n/w
$100/1800 8pm n/w
$100/2500 8pm n/w
Used to be they offered "Bonus" minutes on top of advertised plans. No
longer apparently.
Bob Smith, a frequent poster posted on 5/26/2004:
"I was on a 2000 min. plan, with 2 add-a-phones, Vision, F&CA, N & W @
9:00 PM and my monthly expense was $135 including taxes and surcharges.
I was able to get a 1200 min. plan, with 2 add-a-phones, Vision, F&CA,
and N&W starting @ 7:00 PM for $70 inc. T & S for the 1st 2 months, then
$95 inc. T & S, when the cost for Vision for 2 phones kicked in."
Am I a good candidate for a good retention deal?
Apparently the longer you have been a Sprint customer, and maybe if
you've never been late with a payment, and the more phones you have, and
the more you pay per month, the better chance you have to get a good
retention deal. It also helps to be not on contract, or in the last
month or so of a contract, although not necessarily. Some have said
contract status seems not to count, if you're willing to start a new two
year contract.
Are there any other ways to save?
Yes! If you work for a large company, it may have a deal negotiated with
SprintPCS that will also allow any employee to participate. These deals
offer a discount of 5 to 27% on monthly repeating charges, and discounts
on new equipment purchases. Further, business plans users are never
charged "Activation" fees; and likely have a dedicated SprintPCS
employee in the Sprint business department to handle billing problems,
etc. These discounts would be ON TOP OF any promotional plan or
retention plan, you would contact either your company's Sprint
representative or the Business # 1-888-788-4727
SprintPCS now allows any customer to get new customer deals on a new
phone if you have been using the same phone for 18 months. You get the
discount by rebate however, check at http://www.sprintrebates.com. (Who's computer is this?) Some
have posted about difficulty getting rebates through SprintPCS, others
say it worked fine for them. Some folks swear by (although others swear
at) bargains obtained on eBay when purchasing a phone. Caveat emptor.
Some folks insist one should only buy their phones at Costco, or a large
Department Store (like Mays) as their Satisfaction Guarantee may cover
you when a SprintPCS warranty might not (like with a bleeding screen).
=======
If you experience Dropped Calls, SprintPCS will give a credit each time
that happens. One dials *2, enters 1 (for English) and tells Claire
"Dropped Call Credit"; where upon with no human intervention you get a
50 cent credit on your account. Apparently SprintPCS currently allows
upto 20 such credits per # per month.
===========
If you have a friend that goes with Sprint because of your discussions
with them, SprintPCS will give you a referral credit of $20, limit one
per month. Only in the first 2 months of the new account. Dial #REF; the
person with the new number gets a $10 credit
=========