Sprint is Hurting My Family

You know what...i didnt even read what you wrote, but I DID READ YOUR
TOPIC. all that i can say, is that i was with sprint for THREE years,
and Yes, it sucked. even if i went over my minutes by just 10 or so,
my bills went up the roof. switch to verison or anything else. oh, i
heard that t-mobile wasnt so great either. hope this helped. ^_^

also, they are never clear with their plans, it seems to always
change.

Wow, you work THREE jobs and you are still below the "poverty" line.
Please help here my math is not that great. Four months ago I was
working ONE job at $11.60/hour and I am NOT below the line. You don't
NEED a cell phone. But if you feel you MUST have a cell, get the
lowest plan. This really is YOUR fault. YOU started all the texting.
My mom and I share a plan. We have 3000 minuets/month, unlimited
Long distance, free nights and weekend and NO text. I just don't see
the point of texting. Plus roll over. I have NEVER had to have my
phone repaired. My mom and I have had cells for nine years. In that
time we each have had TWO phones. And that is only because we had to
upgrade our old phone. I have never had to have it repaired and I
have NEVER gone over my minutes. My phone does not work in all
places. I don't think anyone's does. It might be possible that the
tower that supported your house might not be turned on anymore. I
have heard that there are towers that the lease for the land is up and
they are not being renewed. Than means the cell company has to shut
them down. Which then will make some areas that had service, loose
service. My upgrade that I had to do was NOT free.

My Ex took Revol earlier this year, which is the Ohio and Indiana (I
think) version of the Metro/Revol/Cricket model. He thought he was
sticking it to AT&T who seemed to find a million reasons to charge us
way more than what our monthly rate was supposed to be. Sure he saved
a few bucks and he has no contract, but the service quite plainly
SUCKS.

The phone they gave him is a Motorola that cost almost $200 with a $90
rebate that took 4 months to get back, but it's a piece of garbage.
The bluetooth function will disable itself mid call, with no warning.
The battery lasts a few hours and then has to be plugged in for 7-10
hours to charge.

Assuming he can actually GET a signal, the quality is awful, very
tinny and breaks up a lot. His coverage area is limited. Thankfully
we are in a more urban area where towers are supposed to be plentiful,
but just let him go 20 min. South of here - NO SERVICE. That means no
text, no voice mail, no nothing. I don't even think he could call 911
if he had to.

Sure, they offer you unlimited long distance, text and all, but only
IF you are within the zone to have service. If you travel at all,
it's NOT a good deal.

So the racket is this - you either pay the extra money for a big name
carrier for the broader coverage area or you get unlimited minutes and
whatnot but only in your own backyard. Neither is a great option
IMHO, but you have to pick the lesser of the two evils.

Sprint is not stealing from you nor have you been lied to and abused -
- or cheated. You signed a contract and they are forcing you to abide
by the terms and conditions you agreed to. You can change your plan
everyday of the week, but I hope you understand that every time you do
your contract starts over again.

Unlimited text is not a necessity of life nor is it a lifeline. With
$10 to your name I would think you would have many more important
things to worry about.

Finally, this letter went to Sprint Corporate and I doubt that it is
going to be taken seriously or will result in their compensating you
in any form considering the fact you have clearly stated you will
change carriers and stiff them on the ETF.

What are the benefits of texting?

Sprint isn't hurting your family, YOU are, by being financially
irresponsible and not reading contracts before you enter into them.

You are owed nothing at all.

"He says anything to get you to come hang out, but once you're getting
to that intimate place, you can't escape the ever-increasing pressure
on the back of your head! " Classic - Rack it!!!

To answer your question regarding how one can be locked into a cell
phone contract...YOU SIGN the CONTRACT making yourself responsible for
the charges that's how. And the time to ask questions is BEFORE you
sign not complain afterwards that you did not understand why you
cannot add minutes, do an upgrade, make changes or even cancel the
service for free. Its all there in writing...you just have to read it
or have it explained to you.

And yes, there are a multitude of other services out there where you
do not have to sign a contract and can add minutes/texting/services
whenever you choose.
However you did not sign with one of those companies...you signed with
Sprint.

If you think you are being lied to and abused then do NOT sign the
contract. Have them explain every litte detail.
I just changed services at the end of August and I have to say the rep
was the best as she answered my questions BEFORE I could ask them. I
had a list and crossed these off each time she explained one of them.
And if I did not understand I ASKED her to repeat it again until I
did. Once I understood what I was purchasing and was happy with the
the additions and accessories I signed.

As for the charger, yes they should replace it for free since they
offered it for free to begin with. Just because its free does not mean
it should be broken. And it would have been good customer service for
them to just mail it out to him instead of him having to pick it up.

Somewhere in there you may have a legitimate complaint but it is lost
with all the personal information about your family, your health and
even the weather.Dragging in your family business is not helping your
cause one bit because it really isn't relevant to your request.

I wonder if Sprint understands just what it is you are asking for. I
don't blame the customer service people for giving you different
answers since your questions and demands are confusing.

You appear to be a good writer. Why don't you just boil it down to
what you would like them to do for you?

I don't think it is Sprint that is hurting your family...

I long for the days when people of minimal financial means lived
within those means, going without luxuries such as
electronics/technology gadgets, meals out, expensive (overpriced)
clothing, etc.

Oh, and a landline or a pre-paid cell phone can be considered a
"lifeline." An expensive phone/plan has another name: LUXURY.

I'm with everyone else. Usually I wouldn't question what you spend
your money on, that's your business. However, you make it everyone's
business when you point out in your letter that you are below the
poverty line. I can see the "need" for cell phones if you are working
three jobs and need to keep track of your son, however, there are
plenty of plans that are cheaper than the one you've purchased. Plans
that might not give you as many minutes or unlimited texts, but that
would be sufficient for you and your son to keep in touch.

As far as the run around that you get from customer service. I can
say that this is fairly customary treatment anymore. Not that I am
oking it, but unfortunately many of these companies send the jobs
overseas or pay little money for big headaches. You get what they pay
for.

Sprint has Customer Service issues, though I have had much worse with
T-Mobile before (actually, VoiceStream right as T-Mobile bought
them).

However, what I don't understand at ALL is - why do you have these
expensive cell phones when you are below the poverty line? I think
your priorities are out of whack. If you were not so short on cash,
these little commutes of 20 miles would not be as much of a bother in
the rare times you need to go to a repair center. I think in 5-7
years, I've only needed to go 2-3 times for repair.

And no, the plan pricing you were quoted was PRE-TAX and PRE extra
fees. Thus, it's going to be a lot more than $115. Such is life
there. I make a very comfortable living and even I don't have the
unlimited text plans or $115 plans. $69.99 is plenty for me, I even
hate paying that much for 2 phones sharing!

When you switch plans you get a prorated charged for the current month
on the new plan and then the plan charge for the month in advance.
That was probably why your bill was $156 the first month you changed
plans.

Even at $115, it's actually going to cost you about $130 because of
taxes and fees. I have to wonder, with money so tight, why you don't
drop cell service and go with a basic landline service. Cell service
is not a necessity.

I use a land line. $19 a month and very reliable in storms. No
contract. I'm surprised you're willing to pay $115 a month if you
have $10 to your name.