tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
1 edit | reply to Taget
Re: My sister got a similar letter...
said by Taget  :said by tc1uscg :said by Tarheels Fan :Just a couple days ago, for using too much roaming even though they bill it as unlimited. She just purchased a new phone too in February that cost her $150 over the rebate amount. Sprint must be feeling a numbers crunch. Funny, the fine print says if 50% of your minutes are used as roaming, your roaming too much. Think is says if the MAJORITY (51%?) minutes is roaming, it's BYE BYE..If you think your in a area that isn't covered, go with someone who covers your area.. It's like someone buying a snowmobile and living in Tampa..  then going back to dealer and complaining that it's hard to ride in the sand..  A more accurate analogy would be someone buying a snowmobile in Tampa and having the dealer later ask for the snowmobile back so he can sell it for more money in a colder climate. Good one. But when you think about it.. it's no different then what cable does to their HSI.. Too much bandwidth and they shut or throttle you down.. However, back to the "snowmobile". No one made the person go sign up with Sprint. They should have done just a little bit of homework first. And unlike the Tampa snowmobile seller, Sprint isn't having any issues with capacity so dumping a roamer to suck up someone doesn't flow. Text messaging is another gotcha. People go over those 300 a month messages real fast but they thing Sprint (and others I'm sure) are out to rip them off. But it comes down to this.. Having a cell phone is privilege.. Not a right.. The only thing the FCC REALLY cares about is billing. So.. maybe this person has a leg to stand on if they go to the FCC and try the PUC for their state. |
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Cogdis
join:2007-03-26
Floral Park, NY
1 edit | reply to phattieg
I agree with Phattieg that it's a blessing in disguise.
I want one.  |
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phattieg
join:2001-04-29
Winter Park, FL
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to dibbb
said by dibbb :It just goes to show that they (and other phone companies) couldn't care less about the customer. Actually, to me it shows they care. If 3% of your subscriber base has constant problems, and everyone else is ok, then why hassel you with service you hate. They at least release you from your obligations in the contract, and they remove you from the service. If you're either A) too stupid to use your phone, or B) are having numerous issues that prompt you to call more than a normal person would, then I don't see the problem with this. I think it should be this way, and I think more customers should be 86'd for bugging support over issues that are obviously not going away. YOU can think it's poor support, but for me, it shows that Sprint isn't going to continue providing YOU as an individual subscriber with service you don't like, can't use, or want to complain alot about. They are not obligated to keep providing it to you, so it's about time they took that "right" and used it. If you're calling once a month for "credits for lost service" or "issues with your text messages" or anything like that, this is your free card to dump them and switch carriers without being bound to a contract.
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SIPPhone/Gizmo # 17476200648 / PIMPNET Chatline / Ran by Asterisk & Slackware 10.1. |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
USA
| reply to CMoore2004
said by CMoore2004 :Would you want to stick with said company that messes up the bill over and over? If it's a wireless company, you might not have a choice. Most wireless phone companies sign you to multi-year contracts which require you to pay them if you leave before the contract ends.
said by CMoore2004 :Anyways, last I checked Sprint billed each customer once per month. One call per month will not get you terminated, rest assured. Did you read the Consumerist article? One person called every month because they insisted on adding a $10 unlimited text messages fee which he didn't ask for. Then they only would remove $8 of it. Finally, when his phone had technical difficulties and the replacement phone also had problems, Sprint sent him the letter. Basically, it's too much of a bother for them to fix their own billing and technical support problems so they just disconnect people who complain about it. |
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menumorut
BE an American.
join:2005-07-04
Queens Village, NY
1 edit | reply to CMoore2004
said by CMoore2004 : They're in business to make money. If said customer costs more in support every month than the profit on the plan, the customer is costing money. That is so difficult to predict, you make it sound like Sprint dedicated the resources of an entire department to this customer (they have a customer service dept. in place, what´s one more customer to attend?).
It is more like a showoff "you piss us off, we cut you off" or at lest that's how is gonna be perceived by the general public.
It is a bad business practice "to bite the hand that feeds you" in public.
I am certain that this behavior is gone cost Sprint more that they anticipated. I know for one I would not use them (if I have a choice)and advise against using them.
said by CMoore2004 :If they WERE void of real competition, they'd have higher prices and could afford to keep the customer even with all of the annoying calls. I beg to differ.
When a business have a shortage of customers (like with a real and pressing competition), it tends to go to greats lengths of trouble to keep them (not to mention attracting new ones).
Clearly that's not Sprint´s case.
said by CMoore2004 : If I were your bank, I'd just deny access to your online banking account--not terminate your account entirely. I´m so glad you are not my bank, cause I would have sued the oxygen out of you.
The fault in the system was platform-wide (every single customer)not to mention that the glitch broke the law and make the system commit fraud (read again my post: online banking system -is general and applies to everyone -I don´t have a unique system assign to me!).
You would still have denied me access to my online account?
said by CMoore2004 : Do you think they're in the business of satisfying every single customer, or trying to satisfy the majority and making money doing so? I try so hard not to contract services and/or goods from business that are run by people that think like you.
To answer your question:yes, you have to satisfy every single customer (to a reasonable extent possible)make money in the process, and in the same time and most important not tarnish you image (like with this customer)especially in US where a class action suit is so easy to put together.
Your remark about the online banking gave me a insight about where this conversation is going so don't expect me to answer to your posts anymore.
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Give the world changes at a pace it can absorb. |
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CMoore2004
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI
| reply to Jason Levine
Would you want to stick with said company that messes up the bill over and over? Anyways, last I checked Sprint billed each customer once per month. One call per month will not get you terminated, rest assured.
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Sprint Mobile Broadband PX-500 | Windows XP MCE SP2 | Mobile AMD Athlon 64 4000+ | 1.5GB RAM | ATI Mobile Radeon X600 128MB | 120GB HDD |
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CMoore2004
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI
| reply to menumorut
said by menumorut :I am all pro-business but where you draw the line between annoying and discrimination. Take all the clients/customers away and see what Sprint (or any business for that matter) is left with. It seams that some companies forgot why there are in business in the first place. This is the direct result of void in real competition, companies start to get picky about customers. I don't want more laws, but I have been at the end of the stick where my bank wanted to terminate my account because I was complaining about a flaw in the online banking system. It was cheaper for them to terminate my account (they failed) than to fix the problem. Get yourself in such situation and came back and tell us how trilled you are about it. They're in business to make money. If said customer costs more in support every month than the profit on the plan, the customer is costing money. It's not a government agency that's there to benefit the consumer. If they WERE void of real competition, they'd have higher prices and could afford to keep the customer even with all of the annoying calls. If I were your bank, I'd just deny access to your online banking account--not terminate your account entirely. Do you think they're in the business of satisfying every single customer, or trying to satisfy the majority and making money doing so? I've had many Sprint phone calls to support, replaced a data card twice, and my account still stands. Perhaps it's because it's still profitable. Plus, I have referred many customers and not begged them for things for free.
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Sprint Mobile Broadband PX-500 | Windows XP MCE SP2 | Mobile AMD Athlon 64 4000+ | 1.5GB RAM | ATI Mobile Radeon X600 128MB | 120GB HDD |
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menumorut
BE an American.
join:2005-07-04
Queens Village, NY | reply to Jason Levine
Damned if you do , damned if you don´t. |
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jsimmons
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-24
Falls Church, VA
| reply to jester121
said by jester121 :...they'll all have plenty of churn to go around. The people that get mad at Sprint go to AT&T, and who hate AT&T go to Sprint. It's much cheaper to do business that way, think of the marketing dollars they can save. And think of all the cancellation fees and activation fees they've now built in to make money on "churn". 
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."- Albert Einstein |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
USA
| reply to CMoore2004
said by the summary :
it appears that Sprint will dump you as a voice or wireless broadband customer if you call for assistance (or to correct billing issues) too frequently
said by CMoore2004 :You're right. There should definitely be laws that makes them keep unprofitable customers, even though the contract clearly states the reasons you may be terminated. So if my wireless provider insists on messing up my bill over and over I should choose between getting it corrected (and getting myself cut off) or keeping my phone service (and paying the wrong bills)? |
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menumorut
BE an American.
join:2005-07-04
Queens Village, NY
| reply to CMoore2004
I am all pro-business but where you draw the line between annoying and discrimination.
Take all the clients/customers away and see what Sprint (or any business for that matter) is left with.
It seams that some companies forgot why there are in business in the first place.
This is the direct result of void in real competition, companies start to get picky about customers.
I don't want more laws, but I have been at the end of the stick where my bank wanted to terminate my account because I was complaining about a flaw in the online banking system. It was cheaper for them to terminate my account (they failed) than to fix the problem.
Get yourself in such situation and came back and tell us how trilled you are about it.
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Give the world changes at a pace it can absorb. |
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Taget
join:2004-07-29
| reply to tc1uscg
said by tc1uscg :said by Tarheels Fan :Just a couple days ago, for using too much roaming even though they bill it as unlimited. She just purchased a new phone too in February that cost her $150 over the rebate amount. Sprint must be feeling a numbers crunch. Funny, the fine print says if 50% of your minutes are used as roaming, your roaming too much. Think is says if the MAJORITY (51%?) minutes is roaming, it's BYE BYE..If you think your in a area that isn't covered, go with someone who covers your area.. It's like someone buying a snowmobile and living in Tampa.. then going back to dealer and complaining that it's hard to ride in the sand.. A more accurate analogy would be someone buying a snowmobile in Tampa and having the dealer later ask for the snowmobile back so he can sell it for more money in a colder climate. |
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Corehhi
join:2002-01-28
Bluffton, SC | reply to dibbb
It's the A-Holes that screw everything up. If I were ATT I would do the same. There are real issues and then there are BS people who call constantly trying to get free stuff. Same A-Holes who always try to get a free desert. |
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Steve B
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA
| reply to tc1uscg
Re: Consumerist RTFA...
I already hear about problems with combining the billing system. If that is the cause of these billing errors of people getting booted, then wtf is Sprint booting them for? The first 30 days don't mean nothing will happen on day 31 and over. The whole gotcha thing is true. Like I said either here or on another forum, the people involved don't exactly expect things to get done legally, but they are expecting to hurt Sprint in the court of public opinion which could be just as bad. |
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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
| reply to Steve B
said by Steve B :Having SERO or any other plan has nothing to do with it. It is a plan that Sprint offered and agreed to give customers. Go over to Sprint Users to see where the crap storm that Sprint is going to get started from. If Sprint keeps messing up the bill, which they have been notoriously known to do, a customer has a right to call in until its fixed, no matter how many times it will take and not have to worry about their account getting terminated. Oh.. just wait.. they are "combining" nextel and sprints billing system. I can't wait to see what kind of shxx-Storm this is going to create.. Went through it with Excite @Home and Comcast.. But just the same.. If people would read the WHOLE TOS (terms of service), they can avoid most of the gotchas. Heck.. Sprint is kind enough to give you 30 days to do it before your locked in.. so there isn't no excuse for the "gotchas".. Lots of people start second guessing when a new phone comes out or a "friend" got a better plan and they want it to.. Here's a thought.. why doesn't Sprint just give everyone free service and a phone? People will still find something to bitch about. Here's one more thought.. Hang up the phone and keep your mind on the road..  |
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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
1 edit | reply to Tarheels Fan
Re: My sister got a similar letter...
said by Tarheels Fan :Just a couple days ago, for using too much roaming even though they bill it as unlimited. She just purchased a new phone too in February that cost her $150 over the rebate amount. Sprint must be feeling a numbers crunch. Funny, the fine print says if 50% of your minutes are used as roaming, your roaming too much. Think is says if the MAJORITY (51%?) minutes is roaming, it's BYE BYE..If you think your in a area that isn't covered, go with someone who covers your area.. It's like someone buying a snowmobile and living in Tampa.. then going back to dealer and complaining that it's hard to ride in the sand.. |
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Steve B
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA
| reply to Matt
Re: Consumerist RTFA...
True, you can't please everyone but, not everyone is like that. Sprint has been known to be shady before. They will only waive the ETF and bring any balance to zero. That's it. The issue with your statement is that you assume everyone is how you describe and that is not the case and not all of them have SERO. Don't forget there is more than one person involved in all this. |
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The Monkey
I like bananas
Premium
join:2000-10-08
New York, NY
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to CMoore2004
said by CMoore2004 :And it's a contract the customer agreed to. Have you read it? Yes, it's a contract, but that certainly doesn't mean all of it is enforceable. It's a contract of adhesion and these boilerplate agreements will be construed against the drafter in cases of any ambiguity.
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The Monkey |
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Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
 ·North State Commun..
| reply to Steve B
said by Steve B :The problem with what you're saying is that Sprint agreed and willingly gave the customers what they wanted. All Sprint had to do was say no. Customers have the right to get the best deal and if Sprint gives it to them even though they know they shouldn't give the freebies away....then Sprint should take responsibility. SERO = Sprint Employee Referral Offer
The people on the forums begged, borrowed and stole Sprint employee email addresses to get it.
Heck, they reduced his balance to 0, waived the early termination fee and offered to assist him move to another carrier. That's pretty generous. I've worked customer support for a Big Blue company and there were some customers who you had to simply tell to buzz off and doing everything possible to help them. The old adage definitely applies, "You simply can't please some people."
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Oh I'm so creative and all my programs are so easy to use ... |
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Steve B
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA
| reply to CMoore2004
Yeah actually, I have but, just because something is in writing, doesn't mean its not bad business practice. Nothing may not be done in court if it goes that route but, Sprint will be crucified in the court of public opinion which could be just as bad. |
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