dibbb
join:2003-09-19 | reply to Tarheels Fan
Re: My sister got a similar letter...
It just goes to show that they (and other phone companies) couldn't care less about the customer.
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»myhax0r.net
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jester121
Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
 ·surpasshosting
 ·ViaTalk
| That's the beauty of customers now -- there are plenty of them to go around, and if Sprint and all of its competitors continue to degrade the service they provide, 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. |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | And this type of crap will continue as long as there are no consumer protection laws put into place.
We need reform in a lot of areas in regards to consumer protection; Rebates, for example. These cellphone contracts is another area. |
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menumorut
BE an American.
join:2005-07-04
Queens Village, NY
| said by KrK  :And this type of crap will continue as long as there are no consumer protection laws put into place. Here they have all the flavour (consumer protection laws) you want.
They don't work.
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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 KrK
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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Cogdis
join:2007-03-26
Floral Park, NY
1 edit | I agree with Phattieg that it's a blessing in disguise.
I want one.  |
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