New Plans: Fair & Flexible

1) Implementing rollover for so few people would cost more than it
is worth.
2) $1., 80 cents, 40 cents per minute overage fees would be fine
for the lower level $35, $40, $50 plans, and lower proportionately for
the higher level plans.
3) I don't think a customer new to wireless would already know
that his usage would be anywhere near 1000 minutes, much less 1500
minutes. Unless someone is starting out whole hog and getting a second
phone for the wife and a third for a teenager.


Daniel Tso wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I think most people do not have that high a variable in monthly
>>usage.
>
>
> If this is true and Sprint were really sincere about eliminating the penalty
> for customers not being able to correctly guess their monthly as their current
> advertising suggests, then:
> 1) implementing Rollover would not hurt them at all and would help those
> customers (few as you suggest) that DO have highly variabe usage,
> 2) they should eliminate the $0.40 overage charges and simply treat the
> plans as "minimum usage commitments" rather than buckets of minutes.
> That is, if I buy into 500min at $40 (8 cents/min), and I go over 500min,
> I continue to be charged at 8 cents/min for the overage, not $0.40.
>
>
>> And I think that most people starting wireless service do not
>>know what there usage will be, so starting with the flexible plan for
>>2-3 months can be helpful.
>
>
> That point would be valid if F&F scales reasonably for higher usage, but it
> does not. A new customer who doesn't know what his usage will be, but it
> will be somewhere between 1000-1500 mins, is TOTALLY not served by
> F&F. Only customers "who don't know" in the 300-500 range would find
> F&F even only as a starter plan.

---

› See More: New Plans: Fair & Flexible

Even it it did, at the end it would total only 2 years and 3
months. Not a long time really. Especially for someone like you and me
who have been with them for years already.


Steven J Sobol wrote:

> "R?bert M." <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>> I think most people do not have that high a variable in monthly
>>>usage. And I think that most people starting wireless service do not
>>>know what there usage will be, so starting with the flexible plan for
>>>2-3 months can be helpful. One does not have to wait until the end of
>>>the Advantage Agreement to change plans.
>>
>>But after 3 months with SprintPCS new policies, any plan change requires
>>a new 2 year agreement.
>
>
> I actually thought this was the case, but I've been told no - I
> *specifically* asked when activating my new phone, because I may do a
> local plan to save money, and then flip to F&C when I get ready to travel.
>

In article <[email protected]>,
Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:

> 1) Implementing rollover for so few people would cost more than it
> is worth.
> 2) $1., 80 cents, 40 cents per minute overage fees would be fine
> for the lower level $35, $40, $50 plans, and lower proportionately for
> the higher level plans.
> 3) I don't think a customer new to wireless would already know
> that his usage would be anywhere near 1000 minutes, much less 1500
> minutes. Unless someone is starting out whole hog and getting a second
> phone for the wife and a third for a teenager.

Thats exactly why the whole pricing structure of cellular carriers is
unreasonable.

"Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > 1) Implementing rollover for so few people would cost more than it
> > is worth.
> > 2) $1., 80 cents, 40 cents per minute overage fees would be fine
> > for the lower level $35, $40, $50 plans, and lower proportionately for
> > the higher level plans.
> > 3) I don't think a customer new to wireless would already know
> > that his usage would be anywhere near 1000 minutes, much less 1500
> > minutes. Unless someone is starting out whole hog and getting a second
> > phone for the wife and a third for a teenager.
>
> Thats exactly why the whole pricing structure of cellular carriers is
> unreasonable.

And I haven't seen anybody holding a gun to your head to have one. If you
don't like the pricing structure (which is not unreasonable), don't use one.

> Steven J Sobol wrote:
>
> > "R?bert M." <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>> I think most people do not have that high a variable in monthly
> >>>usage. And I think that most people starting wireless service do not
> >>>know what there usage will be, so starting with the flexible plan for
> >>>2-3 months can be helpful. One does not have to wait until the end of
> >>>the Advantage Agreement to change plans.
> >>
> >>But after 3 months with SprintPCS new policies, any plan change requires
> >>a new 2 year agreement.
> >
> >
> > I actually thought this was the case, but I've been told no - I
> > *specifically* asked when activating my new phone, because I may do a
> > local plan to save money, and then flip to F&C when I get ready to travel.
> >

Sorry Steve:

As is commonly the case with the lying Sprint reps, you were lied to so
they could make a sale.


=============

From: Bob Smith ([email protected])
Subject: Re: New pricing Plan revealed: How fair??
Original FormatNewsgroups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs
Date: 2004-05-04 08:04:26 PST


....

From SPCS's PR -

"Sprint PCS Right Plan Promise - Within the first three months of
signing a Sprint PCS Advantage Agreement, new and existing customers can
change their service plan to a plan with an equal term without incurring
any fees or having to extend or renew the agreement. "


Bob


===========================

Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
> Even it it did, at the end it would total only 2 years and 3
> months. Not a long time really. Especially for someone like you and me
> who have been with them for years already.

If I was halfway into my contract would it not extend it another 12 months?

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

Robert M. <[email protected]> wrote:

> Sorry Steve:
>
> As is commonly the case with the lying Sprint reps, you were lied to so
> they could make a sale.

You're inferring things. Not to say you're wrong, but you can't determine
either way from the information quoted. All it covers is the first three
months.

>
> =============
>
> From: Bob Smith ([email protected])
> Subject: Re: New pricing Plan revealed: How fair??
> Original FormatNewsgroups: alt.cellular.sprintpcs
> Date: 2004-05-04 08:04:26 PST
>
>
> ...
>
> From SPCS's PR -
>
> "Sprint PCS Right Plan Promise - Within the first three months of
> signing a Sprint PCS Advantage Agreement, new and existing customers can
> change their service plan to a plan with an equal term without incurring
> any fees or having to extend or renew the agreement. "
>
>
> Bob
>
>
> ===========================

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

Oh, for 6 months into a 1 year Advantage Agreement instead of 3
months into a 2 year Advantage Agreement, that would be even shorter,
totaling only 1 year and 6 months, again not very long, especially for
long time customers already.


Steven J Sobol wrote:
> Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Even it it did, at the end it would total only 2 years and 3
>>months. Not a long time really. Especially for someone like you and me
>>who have been with them for years already.
>
>
> If I was halfway into my contract would it not extend it another 12 months?
>

In article <[email protected]>,
Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:

> Oh, for 6 months into a 1 year Advantage Agreement instead of 3
> months into a 2 year Advantage Agreement, that would be even shorter,
> totaling only 1 year and 6 months, again not very long, especially for
> long time customers already.
>
>
> Steven J Sobol wrote:
> > Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> Even it it did, at the end it would total only 2 years and 3
> >>months. Not a long time really. Especially for someone like you and me
> >>who have been with them for years already.
> >
> >
> > If I was halfway into my contract would it not extend it another 12 months?
> >

Depends on the Plan change. Some features (7 PM Nights for instance)
require 2 year contracts.

Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
> Oh, for 6 months into a 1 year Advantage Agreement instead of 3
> months into a 2 year Advantage Agreement, that would be even shorter,
> totaling only 1 year and 6 months, again not very long, especially for
> long time customers already.

It's a matter of opinion there... and simple plan changes that don't
involve taking promotions should NOT extend your contract, IMHO.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

On the other hand, why make a change to improve your plan, if you
don't intend to stay with them for a while?


Steven J Sobol wrote:
> Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Oh, for 6 months into a 1 year Advantage Agreement instead of 3
>>months into a 2 year Advantage Agreement, that would be even shorter,
>>totaling only 1 year and 6 months, again not very long, especially for
>>long time customers already.
>
>
> It's a matter of opinion there... and simple plan changes that don't
> involve taking promotions should NOT extend your contract, IMHO.
>

Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
> On the other hand, why make a change to improve your plan, if you
> don't intend to stay with them for a while?

I do, but I don't want to be locked into a contract. I never thought I'd
leave Verizon, and then I moved out here and had problems. I'm stuck with
them until the end of August if I don't want to pay an ETF, which I don't
because I don't have an extra $175 lying around right now.

We were just offered 8pm nights and weekends and 350 minutes and unlimited
PCS to PCS for $35, which gives us 8pm instead of 9pm and 50 more peak minutes
than we are currently getting on my wife's plan, for exactly the same price.
We didn't take it because we try to avoid being under a carrier's thumb, no
matter which carrier it is.

I ignored my own guidelines by signing a two-year agreement with Sprint this
month. It's the first time in years that I've done that with anyone...

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 15:16:58 GMT, [email protected] (Daniel
Tso) wrote:

>So who thinks that F&F is or will be a successful offering to compete with
>RollOver ? Does anyone think that F&F is as desireable as RollOver ?

Not me. I've done the math based on my calling pattern over the last
year, and figure that the RollOver plan will cost me considerably less
over a 12 month period.

>
>To me these two don't even address the same market: F&F as pointed out
>here, only makes sense for the low-volume user, whereas RollOver is a feature
>only offered for the higher volume plans from Cingular and indeed is
>an incentive to switch to a more costly plan. My own read of the market is
>that RollOver is much more appealing to the customer (regardless of
>whether is actually makes any difference in the end), and that F&F
>doesn't even begin to offer any market competition to RollOver, contrary
>to the originally rumored premise.
>
>In article <[email protected]>, Sharon <[email protected]> wrote:
>>That's true if the usage stays pretty low volume. However, if I go with
>>the 500 minutes, which I am also considering, and used almost all of
>>those 500 minutes it would cost me $15 more on the Fair & Flexible Plan.
>>
>
>>> Duh ??? It makes no sense to go with the 300 minute Free and Clear. If
>>> you go over your 300 minutes, its 40 cents per min, talk 10 min = $4. Fair
>>> and Flexible costs you $2.50 for 25 min. If you go over by 50 min on F&C,
>>> costs you $20.00 vs $5.00 for F&F. A no brainer.

Deb

On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 14:17:54 GMT, [email protected] (Daniel
Tso) wrote:

>>> Whereas a Rollover option would allow all of these people to simply choose a
>>> monthly plan roughly equal to their mean usage.
>>
>>So you mean Cingular's plans are more reasonable for most people?
>
>This discussion was NOT about Sprint vs Cingular. It was about whether F&F is

In effect, it is, since Cingular is the only provider that offers
RollOver minutes.

>an effective competitive response to Rollover and meets the goals of offering
>an attractive option for those customers that need a plan that is "fair and
>flexible", i.e. won't gouge you if your usage pattern is highly variable from
>month to month. My contention is that F&F fails on these counts, that, as
>implemented, it only makes sense for a very small group, roughly those who
>mean usage is around 350min with a variance of around 50-100, and the original
>expectation, that F&F would be BETTER than Rollover is simply not met.

Deb

Just a couple of days ago I went from 400 to 500 minutes for $40
with still the 8pm. It required a 1 yr. AA, but only on the primary
phone not on Add-A-Phone. I'm still debating the PCS-to-PCS, but we
were not using more than the 400 as it was so???


Steven J Sobol wrote:
> Jerome Zelinske <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On the other hand, why make a change to improve your plan, if you
>>don't intend to stay with them for a while?
>
>
> I do, but I don't want to be locked into a contract. I never thought I'd
> leave Verizon, and then I moved out here and had problems. I'm stuck with
> them until the end of August if I don't want to pay an ETF, which I don't
> because I don't have an extra $175 lying around right now.
>
> We were just offered 8pm nights and weekends and 350 minutes and unlimited
> PCS to PCS for $35, which gives us 8pm instead of 9pm and 50 more peak minutes
> than we are currently getting on my wife's plan, for exactly the same price.
> We didn't take it because we try to avoid being under a carrier's thumb, no
> matter which carrier it is.
>
> I ignored my own guidelines by signing a two-year agreement with Sprint this
> month. It's the first time in years that I've done that with anyone...
>
> --
> JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
> Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
> PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
> Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.