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background: i've been a sprint customer for 7 yrs, and have always had at least 3 lines. i've never asked for any retention plan or special treatment, and have always paid my bills on time. i've been understanding and reasonable through all of the overcharges, billing errors, etc over the years.
in August 2005, i called CS and asked about cancelling one of my lines. i was told that the contract on that line would end on Dec 3 2005, and that i could cancel then. so, i decided to wait.
in September 2005, i changed from an older multi-phone plan to a "fair and flexible" multi-phone plan. when i switched, i aked twice if the change would affect my planned line cancellation in Dec 2005. the CS rep said no. i repeatedly confirmed that i would be able to cancel the line w/out penalty in Dec 2005.
in November 2005, while on the phone with CS for something else, i again confirmed twice that i could cancel the line w/out penalty in Dec 2005.
on Dec 3 2005, i called to cancel the line and was told that i could now do so w/out penalty since the contract had expired. i asked repeatedly and the CS rep told me that i would not be charged an early cancellation fee.
i get my bill today, and see a $150 cancellation fee. i spoke with two different CS reps tonight, and both told me that there is nothing they can do and that i have to pay. i explained that i repeatedly asked, and was repeatedly told, that my contract on that line would expire on Dec 3 2005 and that i would not be charged any cancellation fee. no matter how much i protested, they said i had to pay. their reason was that i changed my plan in September 2005 and that all line contracts were reset to a new 2 yr agreement. i was NEVER told that this would happen, and i was specifically told (when changing my plan) that i could still cancel the line w/out penalty on Dec 3, 2005.
so, i was repeatedly lied to, and Sprint refuses to own up. in a very calm and polite manner, after discussing the issue tonight for 15 minutes with CS, i told them that i will cancel all of my Sprint lines if they insist that i pay for this charge. i explained that i had the money but that it was the principle - i refuse to do business with anybody who lies to me and deceives me like this.
i'd really like to remain with Sprint - i love the phones, the service, EVDO, etc. i've got a PPC-6601, a PPC-6700, and an a900. i've spent $1700 in phone hardware alone this year. but i'm not going to be lied to and treated like this. if Sprint doesn't own up and treat me fairly, i'll leave. i don't want to, but i will.
what can i do to fix this? who can i call at Sprint to resolve the issue? i live 5 min away from Sprint World HQ in Overland Park KS, so i can schedule an appointment and discuss it face-to-face if necessary. does anybody have any names or numbers i can try? got any SVP or VP CS nmes? i really want to work this out and stay with Sprint. its the principle of the matter.
TIA,
kw
p.s. i thought twice about making this post because i really do like Sprint. i don't want to cost Sprint any customers, or have a negative impact on the company. i'm at wits end though, and the CS rep was ready to cancel all of my lines tonight.
missdiva
12-12-2005, 09:39 PM
email exec services nicely explaining all this, you will get a call back within 12 hours and someone will fix it for you. always good to get the 'promises' in writing too via ecare.
jkw
12-12-2005, 10:13 PM
thanks, i'll try that. :)
davidg4781
12-12-2005, 11:39 PM
If they do decide to be jerks about it, and you do decide to cancel, remember, all is not lost. You can eBay your phones and get most of your money back. As far as the cancellation fees, for sure the one that should have expired Dec. 3, that, from what I've heard, is a penalty fee. Sprint did not lose any money in the deal and penalty fees are not enforcable. I'm not sure about the other lines when they expire. Sprint could argue that the $150 is to cover the discounted phone costs but if they do that, it should be prorated and if you upgraded after 1 year, the fee should only be $75.
You could also try to meet them half way. Remind them that penalties are not enforcable and that's really what they're charging you. If you want to be generious, which is what I did with Cingular, I offered to pay them the profit they're losing on me, assuming their profit margin is 15% (anything more MIGHT be considered price gouging ;) ). For 3 lines, for me, it came out to about $75. They didn't want it. Had I been recording and really upset with them, I would've cancelled and stuck it to them. They won't sue because that information becomes public and everyone will start doing it.
If you do decide to do that, I'd set up the account with the new carrier first, in case this dings your credit. May be kind of hard to explain this one to the sales rep.
Vocoder4GV
12-13-2005, 06:14 AM
Hmm, well, i must admit, i hear this type of story a lot, sadly, if you do call in, try and work your way up the ladder, speaking to supervisors. You definitely are very respectable about it, i can see, which should help you out greatly at getting someone on your side. Unfortunately, it may just be a matter of getting someone thats in the right mood.
fl00d_pr0z
12-13-2005, 09:21 AM
Well, when you change plans you renew the contract on all your lines... Isn't that clearly stated on the Sprint site somewhere ?
jimbo999
12-13-2005, 09:39 AM
Well, when you change plans you renew the contract on all your lines... Isn't that clearly stated on the Sprint site somewhere ?
He didn't renew online...he did it with CS over the phone.
jkw
12-13-2005, 10:20 AM
email exec services nicely explaining all this, you will get a call back within 12 hours and someone will fix it for you. always good to get the 'promises' in writing too via ecare.
i sent an email at 11pm, and at 9am got a reply. they apologized for the situation, told me that i was a valuable customer, and got rid of the $150 cancellation fee. i'm a happy sprint customer again. :)
thanks to missdiva for the suggestion. sprintusers.com always comes through for me. :)
lgmayka
12-13-2005, 10:28 AM
Well, when you change plans you renew the contract on all your lines... Isn't that clearly stated on the Sprint site somewhere ?
No. Here is the pertinent clause in the Terms and Conditions:
http://www.sprintpcs.com/common/popups/popLegalTermsPrivacy.html
---
Certain service, promotional or product offers may require that you agree to or extend a Term Service Plan.
---
Sprint's lawyers have phrased this very carefully in order to ensure its legality. This clause does not state or imply any kind of "automatic" contract renewal. Such "automatic" renewal would probably be thrown out by a court anyway. Rather, this clause states that if the customer wants to take advantage of a particular "offer," Sprint has the right (i.e., the option) to require that the customer first agree to extend his contract.
What this means, clearly, is that:
a) Sprint has to state, to the customer, its decision as to whether to exercise this option. In other words, the rep has to tell the customer that a particular offer requires contract renewal. Otherwise, by default, it does not.
b) The customer has to clearly agree to the contract renewal.
In practice, the situation is much complicated by the prevalence of perjury in modern society. If a case like this comes before an arbitrator, we all know very well that Sprint supervision will instruct or imply that the rep should simply commit perjury by claiming that (a) and (b) were fulfilled even if they were not. And to be fair, customers have also been known to commit perjury.
pegleg28
12-13-2005, 10:30 AM
i sent an email at 11pm, and at 9am got a reply. they apologized for the situation, told me that i was a valuable customer, and got rid of the $150 cancellation fee. i'm a happy sprint customer again. :)
thanks to missdiva for the suggestion. sprintusers.com always comes through for me. :)
what email address did you use?
lgmayka
12-13-2005, 10:31 AM
i sent an email at 11pm, and at 9am got a reply. they apologized for the situation, told me that i was a valuable customer, and got rid of the $150 cancellation fee.
Did you simply go through Sprint's Web site to send Customer Care an email?
I am trying to figure out how other people get such helpful answers from eCare. Is it possible that eCare is empowered to help consumers but not business-side customers? That is the impression I get from eCare--that they can only offer me blithering idiocy, because they are not actually empowered to touch my account.
jkw
12-13-2005, 10:34 AM
what email address did you use?
the ecare address. i just logged in to my account via the sprint.com web site, and then clicked on the "contact us" link in the horizontal menu near the top of the page. i then clicked on the "email us" link in the popup window and filled out the web form.
jkw
12-13-2005, 10:35 AM
Is it possible that eCare is empowered to help consumers but not business-side customers?
i'm a business customer.
tallazzFilipino
12-13-2005, 01:00 PM
email exec services nicely explaining all this, you will get a call back within 12 hours and someone will fix it for you. always good to get the 'promises' in writing too via ecare.
yeah, go thru eCare. have them check tha notes, AND everytime you call to have somethin' done to your account, ALWAYS have tha rep' note tha account for what exactly what was done.
-taF
b|iZZaRd
12-13-2005, 11:46 PM
email exec services nicely explaining all this, you will get a call back within 12 hours and someone will fix it for you. always good to get the 'promises' in writing too via ecare.
whats they email address i have a problem too
fl00d_pr0z
12-14-2005, 07:35 AM
He didn't renew online...he did it with CS over the phone.
I didn't say he did... Read :rolleyes:
LJA
12-14-2005, 08:16 AM
the ecare address. i just logged in to my account via the sprint.com web site, and then clicked on the "contact us" link in the horizontal menu near the top of the page. i then clicked on the "email us" link in the popup window and filled out the web form.
You are lucky.
I wrote to eCare two weeks ago and when I didn't get a reply, then wrote again. Waiting a week on that one and no reply.
:headbang2
Looks like when Verizon goes live in my market tomorrow I will be switching after being with SPCS since fall of 1997 because I can't get any discounts (not even 10% "loyalty") even though I've been a auto-creditcard paying $50/500 flat plan since 10/97. Verizon will give me new phone (mine is three years old), 1500 minutes & unlimited data for $59.95.
I might still bop in here some times to visit but the total lack of service and caring by SPCS has finally gotten to me.
jimbo999
12-14-2005, 09:43 AM
I didn't say he did... Read :rolleyes:
I did read your post. I just fail to see how something posted on the Sprint website (which really isn't btw, as lgmayka pointed out) is applicable when the OP was dealing with CS over the phone.
renizay
12-14-2005, 10:13 AM
personally.. id put in a complaint ( i know right now to you, that doesnt sound like it will accomplish anything but.. believe me, in the long run IT WILL ).. and i would THREATEN to terminate my account PERMANANTLY and if that doesnt do it, which it should, i would just let me contract run out and THEN switch and go to another company.. you been a customer for way to long for sprint to do this... just my opinion! threats go along way, with me anyway hehe =)
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