KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | reply to jester121
Re: My sister got a similar letter...
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
i r teh smarts
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·HughesNet Satellit..
| 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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menumorut
BE an American.
join:2005-07-04
Queens Village, NY
| 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
Albany, NY
| 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 | Damned if you do , damned if you don´t. |
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CMoore2004
i r teh smarts
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·HughesNet Satellit..
| 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
i r teh smarts
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·HughesNet Satellit..
| 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
edit:
July 7th, @06:11AM
| 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
Albany, NY
| 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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