# Sprint Customer for over 10 Years.. This is what I get..



## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

When Sprint got the new iphone 4s, I decided that I would like one and bought it and brought in a line from another cellular provider as they didn't offer the iphone 4s at the time. I first attempted to place this order online from Sprint's website which was running a promotion of free activation when order is placed through the website. The website however, instructed me to call in as something was wrong with the checkout process on their site. When I called in I told them this, and I was told that since I was a 10 year plus customer that they would have waived it for me anyways. I was promised that it would be waived.

A month later I notice that my bill for 1 month had nearly $200 in extra charges. I wasn't sure why, and after looking over it I saw that in addition to the line I had added that was to be a shared plan with the new number I brought from an outside cellular, I was charged a single line plan as well. So in other words, they had one line on a shared plan that requires at least 2 lines, and the number I already had was still being charged as it's own line. So it appears that when they placed my order for the iphone with new plan, they didn't enter it correctly in their systems, and I was being charged the individual line and share plan together. The shared plan was to bundle both lines together, and I guess they thought that I'd rather have a share plan to only 1 line which makes no sense as that is the point of a shared plan. Great. Now I have to call Sprint and explain why my invoice is incorrect.

I call up Sprint on the weekend. A great way to start my day. I am told by all the reps that I spoke with that there were no notes of my activation fee being waived, and that they would not honor it. This caught me off guard, and I have been told that this would be waived and couldn't believe that they would deny this, after the flood of errors already made within 1 month on my account, all of which are their fault. This to me, is unacceptable and I request a supervisor immediately. I then get a woman that would not honor my activation fee waive again, and I request to speak with her supervisor. She told me that he was in a meeting and would call me back within 2 hours. I of course never receive a call.

I call back the next morning. I again explain my situation and am told that my account appears to have been setup incorrectly and that it will be fixed. I again inquire about the activation fee, and the girl assures me that will be no problem. Okay. Now I'm getting somewhere. For some reason, she then transfers me to a supervisor. The supervisor tells me that there is no evidence of a promise to waive the activation fee. I inform her that Sprint has already made several errors on my account in one month's time. She says there is no proof of the credit. Well, next time I will record our conversation.

I call back immediately, this time with a voice recorder app running on my phone. Once a rep answers my call, I notify her that she is infact being recorded. She promptly transfers me to a supervisor. I then notify the supervisor, that she too is being recorded. She refuses to tell me anything other than her name, which shall remain nameless. I ask her why there is a problem and she said that she will release the call if she is being recorded. She hangs up.

I call back again, but this time without the recording (it was worth a shot). Once my call is answered, I explain my situation (again). She looks over my account and informs me that it is riddled with errors and that she would gladly fix them (finally!). She then transfers me to her supervisor. This is by far the most rude Sprint rep yet. I explain to him my situation, and let him know that I am upset with the whole ordeal. He then in a very rude and mocking tone says that he won't honor the credits to my account. He says the activation fee is a valid charge. I then tell him to transfer me to the disconnection department. He again using his mocking tone of voice, tells me fine I will. This of course infuriated me and I told him to do it. He did. The only request that was fulfilled. Gee, thanks Sprint.

As I wait while on hold I come to the conclusion that I will report him to his supervisors as a farewell gift on my part. Lord knows he deserves it. When a rep answers the phone, I told her to disconnect the account. She asks me to explain why. I told her, and she then did the whole scripted apology that is written inside her cubicle. And then does the process of making sure that if we get disconnected what number to reach me at. I tell her that my current Sprint number may not yet be active, as AT&T may not be able to get it turned on that quick (I was angry!). After looking over my account, she quickly understands the problems. She immediately waives the fee. I was stunned. A Sprint rep that is willing to correct the errors that they made? Couldn't be. I was wrong. She was nice, and even gave me the information needed to identify the supervisor that transferred me. . I even requested to speak to her supervisor to let him know how pleased I was with her, (I think her name was Ruby). Needless to say, he has been reported. Directly to the Sprint Web department who says they have identified him and am informed (by email), "that necessary action will be taken to ensure that the incident like this should not be repeated in the future".

NOTE: MY INVOICE DOES NOT REFLECT ANY CHANGES, AND IS STILL INCORRECT
NOTE: THIS IS NOT MY FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, OR EVEN TWENTIETH PROBLEM WITH SPRINT

Here is my most recent response. I plan to update this as the situation unfolds.

I am still not satisfied with this. This supervisor was not the only rep that treated me this way. He just happens to be the only one that can be pin pointed with an ID. I had only two Sprint reps that were polite. The last woman that I spoke with, and the girl that was under supervision by the supervisor that I reported. Other than that, I was not treated with respect and have a very negative opinion of Sprint. However that supervisor that was in the reported ID was the worst. I had to go out of my way to find out who he was so I could report him. And just to point out, I could tell that I was routed to call centers within the US. I expected better treatment and understanding from someone within the country. I've had a better overall experience with the foreign call centers. That is how bad I feel about this. Mind you there has been absolutely no compensation offered to me for this. I am in the process of finishing my report over this experience, and will gladly forward you the forums that I plan to make this public. Just to note these are a few of the sites:
http://www.overclock.net
http://www.toms.com
http://www.techpowerup.com
http://www.sprintusers.com
http://www.crackberry.net

These are the forums in which I am an active member. I plan to visit ALL of the major cellular forums and watch dog groups as well. You have wronged me for the last time. I will not tolerate this, and I hope this goes to somebody in your company that takes this seriously. You have lost the respect and loyalty that I have provided by giving you my money every month, and the recommendations that I used to give. Good day.


I have sent an email to dan@sprint.com and received this:
Thank you for taking the time to write me.

A representative from my office will be contacting you.

Once again, from all of us at Sprint, thank you.

Dan Hesse
CEO
Sprint

No real response yet.


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## claylomax (Jan 30, 2012)

This is why I use "pay as you go".


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

claylomax said:


> This is why I use "pay as you go".



That may be what I end up doing eventually.  But that is a last resort to me, as I would like all the features of a subscription based phone.


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## lilhasselhoffer (Jan 30, 2012)

Pay as you go is not a great option in the USA.  In Europe I loved it, and it worked well.


That said, Sprint over the phone is a joke.  You really need to go to one of their stores in order to get decent service.

On another note, you can record someone without their consent.  While this may be unacceptable in court, it is very acceptable as leverage toward a resolution.  Additionally, the pre-recorded statement that they make about calls being monitored allows you to monitor calls.  

Best of luck.  All cell phone companies have moved towards being jerks, as their service is a "necessity" in modern society.


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

lilhasselhoffer said:


> Pay as you go is not a great option in the USA.  In Europe I loved it, and it worked well.
> 
> 
> That said, Sprint over the phone is a joke.  You really need to go to one of their stores in order to get decent service.
> ...



I was unaware that I could record them without notifying them first.  Thanks for that piece of advice!


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## Sasqui (Jan 30, 2012)

What a bloody frustraing story.  I recently had one along the same lines with eBay.  

Can't the simply recognise that there was a problem, fix it and make a customer satisfied?  That's why we are customers in the first place... we pay for a certain product & service and are happy with it.



lilhasselhoffer said:


> On another note, you can record someone without their consent. While this may be unacceptable in court, it is very acceptable as leverage toward a resolution. Additionally, the pre-recorded statement that they make about calls being monitored allows you to monitor calls.



Depends on the state.  In some, you must let them know you *may* be recording the call (for "quality control" purposes, lol)


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> What a bloody frustraing story.  I recently had one along the same lines with eBay.
> 
> Can't the simply recognise that there was a problem, fix it and make a customer satisfied?  That's why we are customers in the first place... we pay for a certain product & service and are happy with it.
> 
> ...



Hmm.  I may wait on my recording method then lol.

Didn't it used to be, the customer's always right?


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## lilhasselhoffer (Jan 30, 2012)

d-block said:


> Didn't it used to be, the customer's always right?



It still is, depending upon where you are.


I know if anything gets rejected from my company we do a thorough investigation, and issue credits wherever due.  It sucks running a part on Saturdays, but if a customer needs it we're there doing it.

This said, the cell phone industry is not there to make consumers happy.  They have position themselves as a "necessary" utility, without actually being such.  This means they can charge huge and hidden fees ($129.99 for unlimited everything, but an extra $10 for the premium data per phone, except on 1 model), but get away with saying their service isn't necessary.  

The only way to alleviate this stupidity is to let pay as you go get bigger.  Considering some of the recent ruling from the FCC, we might finally get decent pay as you go services in the near future.  For now it's just a question of who breaks out the lube, and who does it dry, before they bend you over and have their way with your wallet.


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## claylomax (Jan 30, 2012)

d-block said:


> I was unaware that I could record them without notifying them first.  Thanks for that piece of advice!



When I was reading your story I thought you were going to do that!


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

claylomax said:


> When I was reading your story I thought you were going to do that!



Believe me, I thought about it!


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## Sasqui (Jan 30, 2012)

d-block said:


> Hmm.  I may wait on my recording method then lol.
> 
> Didn't it used to be, the customer's always right?



Wish I could give you a list of states.  I know in New Hampshire, it is not "illegal" to record a conversation, it's just not admissable in a court of law if the other party doesn't know, and be careful what you do with the recording (the person unknowingly being recorded can come back at you if the recording causes them harm).

That is why you almost always hear the "phone call may be recorded for quality control purposes"

To some companies, the customer is only right if it's convenient for them.  :shadedshu


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> Wish I could give you a list of states.  I know in New Hampshire, it is not "illegal" to record a conversation, it's just not admissable in a court of law if the other party doesn't know, and be careful what you do with the recording (the person unknowingly being recorded can come back at you if the recording causes them harm).
> 
> That is why you almost always hear the "phone call may be recorded for quality control purposes"
> 
> To some companies, the customer is only right if it's convenient for them.  :shadedshu



I may hold off on recording then.. BTW I am in Missouri.


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## Sasqui (Jan 30, 2012)

d-block said:


> I may hold off on recording then.. BTW I am in Missouri.



I think you are safe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws

United States

In the United States, federal agencies may be authorized to engage in wiretaps by the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, a court with secret proceedings, in certain circumstances.

Under United States federal law and most state laws there is nothing illegal about one of the parties to a telephone call recording the conversation, or giving permission for calls to be recorded or permitting their telephone line to be tapped. However, several states (i.e., California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, *New Hampshire*, Pennsylvania and Washington) require that all parties consent when one party wants to record a telephone conversation. Many businesses and other organizations record their telephone calls so that they can prove what was said, train their staff, or monitor performance. This activity may not be considered telephone tapping in some, but not all, jurisdictions because it is done with the knowledge of at least one of the parties to the telephone conversation. The Telephone recording laws in some U.S. states require only one party to be aware of the recording, while other states require both parties to be aware. *It is considered better practice to announce at the beginning of a call that the conversation is being recorded*.

There is a federal law and two main types of state laws that govern telephone recording:

Federal law requires that at least one party taking part in the call must be notified of the recording (18 U.S.C. §2511(2)(d)). For example, it would be illegal to record the phone calls of people who come into one's place of business and ask to use the phone, unless they are notified.


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> I think you are safe:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws
> 
> ...


But a call center, that announces that I am being recorded is fair game?


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## FreedomEclipse (Jan 30, 2012)

Dont forget - get your friends with twitter and other blogging accounts to blog about it too.
the more people that know, the better


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Dont forget - get your friends with twitter and other blogging accounts to blog about it too.
> the more people that know, the better



Good advice.  I have an active thread on OCN going right now.  I seem to be getting more positive feedback from TPU.  Maybe I'll visit more often


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## Sasqui (Jan 30, 2012)

d-block said:


> But a call center, that announces that I am being recorded is fair game?



Good question. My take?  You should still let them know that you are too,

Yes, TPU rocks!


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> Good question. My take?  You should still let them know that you are too,
> 
> Yes, TPU rocks!



When I tried that they just hung up on me or wouldn't cooperate.


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## Sasqui (Jan 30, 2012)

d-block said:


> When I tried that they just hung up on me or wouldn't cooperate.



Wow, talk about a double standard.  Did you mention that YOU are being recorded by them?


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> Wow, talk about a double standard.  Did you mention that YOU are being recorded by them?



I did.  I said, "how come it is ok for you to record me, but I can't record you".  They wouldn't answer.


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## Sasqui (Jan 30, 2012)

d-block said:


> I did.  I said, "how come it is ok for you to record me, but I can't record you".  They wouldn't answer.



That's enought to drive a person crazy... tell them just before you hang up that you have recorded everything   I'm sure that would get you right to a manager, haha.


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> That's enought to drive a person crazy... tell them just before you hang up that you have recorded everything   I'm sure that would get you right to a manager, haha.



With the luck I've had so far I'd probably end up being sued for some reason or another.


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## douglatins (Jan 30, 2012)

you need a tl;dr line for us lazy people


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

douglatins said:


> you need a tl;dr line for us lazy people



hopefully this helps:

tl:dr:
Was charged for activation fee that was told would be waived for being a 10+ year customer, AND that there website offered free activation but didn't work during checkout
New line and share plan was setup wrong, charging for two plans instead of one.
Sprint refused to waive fee, or admit any wrong doing.
Call with manager never happened, as I my call was never returned.
Was treated very rude the whole time
Nearly $200 in errors on Sprint's part, that was never admitted to by supervisors
STILL have not received proof of credit on invoice


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## m1dg3t (Jan 30, 2012)

Do they have a "customer loayalty" or "customer retention" dept? I have had many issue's with my carrier in the past and find the only way to get anything accomplished is to call those dept, even then  it may take a few call's. They record all in-call's so why not record them? I would make them aware of this, if the person refuse's to speak to you say fine and call back untill you can complete your call. Suck's to be going through this, i know your frustration! I was being over charged for almost an entire year before i was able to resolve it, it was the first year of a 3yr contract. Hope you get it sorted


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

m1dg3t said:


> Do they have a "customer loayalty" or "customer retention" dept? I have had many issue's with my carrier in the past and find the only way to get anything accomplished is to call those dept, even then  it may take a few call's. They record all in-call's so why not record them? I would make them aware of this, if the person refuse's to speak to you say fine and call back untill you can complete your call. Suck's to be going through this, i know your frustration! I was being over charged for almost an entire year before i was able to resolve it, it was the first year of a 3yr contract. Hope you get it sorted



The Sprint Premier program was terminated at the end of 2011.


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## BlackOmega (Jan 30, 2012)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws#United_States

 There is a list of states that require you to notify all parties of the recording. However, I believe there is an error and Michigan should not be on the list. 

 Now if you live in a single consent state, you do not have to notify them of the recording. However, there is one caveat, you have to find out which state they're in because their laws apply. So if they're in a dual consent state, you cannot legally record them and use the "evidence" in a court of law.  

 However, if the call center is in Missouri, since it's in a state that's single consent, you do not have to notify them of the recording. Since one party (you) already consented to the recording. 

 NOTE: That list in the link may not be correct, so you always have to find out the most recent laws. 

Here's another good link that you may want to research for more information: http://www.rcfp.org/can-we-tape/


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## FordGT90Concept (Jan 30, 2012)

Doesn't matter what business it is, the threat of losing a long-term customer will move mountains.


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Doesn't matter what business it is, the threat of losing a long-term customer will move mountains.



Tell that to Sprint


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## m1dg3t (Jan 30, 2012)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Doesn't matter what business it is, the threat of losing a long-term customer will move mountains.





d-block said:


> Tell that to Sprint



And a host of other companies! If all else fail's contact your local Better Business Bureau and file a formal complaint, you should have something happening within a few day's  Have had to resort to this option more time's than i'd like to admit


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## FordGT90Concept (Jan 30, 2012)

d-block said:


> Tell that to Sprint


Then what was this about?


d-block said:


> After looking over my account, she quickly understands the problems. She immediately waives the fee. I was stunned. A Sprint rep that is willing to correct the errors that they made? Couldn't be. I was wrong. She was nice, and even gave me the information needed to identify the supervisor that transferred me. Needless to say, he has been reported.


It sounded to me like the matter was resolved when you threatened to terminate your account with them.


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Then what was this about?
> 
> It sounded to me like the matter was resolved when you threatened to terminate your account with them.



I still have no definitive proof that it has been resolved.  I have only been credited back an activation fee.  I still have the issue of the account being charged for an extra plan.  Also, the taxes are higher since they billed me a much higher amount than normal.  So I have that on top of some of the other mysterious charges that are inaccurate as well.  A $25 Sprint surcharge?  Never seen that before..


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## m1dg3t (Jan 30, 2012)

Can you ask for email confirmation?


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

m1dg3t said:


> Can you ask for email confirmation?



I have not.  I haven't made any phone calls yet.  To be honest I don't even want to call them and get pissed off all over again.  I have sent two emails to them, however.  No response other than an automated message:

Thank you for taking the time to write me.

A representative from my office will be contacting you.

Once again, from all of us at Sprint, thank you.

Dan Hesse
CEO
Sprint


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## m1dg3t (Jan 30, 2012)

Dude i know exactly how you feel, have had MASSIVE issue's with cell, cable & ISP provider's over the last 3 - 4 year's. They must be tryin' to maximize profit's to pay for their passes on their "2012" rescue ship's  

Stay calm, keep a record of as much as you can and if you seem to be getting nowhere contact the BBB


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## d-block (Jan 30, 2012)

m1dg3t said:


> Dude i know exactly how you feel, have had MASSIVE issue's with cell, cable & ISP provider's over the last 3 - 4 year's. They must be tryin' to maximize profit's to pay for their passes on their "2012" rescue ship's
> 
> Stay calm, keep a record of as much as you can and if you seem to be getting nowhere contact the BBB



Thanks!!

1 billion euros.. not dollars lol


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## m1dg3t (Feb 5, 2012)

Any update's?


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