Sprint - Fraudulent Practices

"Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]> wrote:

>RJA <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Liars and Cheats. It's up to the Better Business Bureau now. Don't fall
>> for this if you're a sprint customer, and don't sign up for Sprint if you're
>> not.
>>
>
>Their whole damn system is held together by "notes". To make matters worse,
>they don't even have in the system when you are due for a $150 credit towards
>a new phone, so they simply use the date of the last time the ESN on your
>account changed; that is the last time you swapped phones, whether you got an
>insurance replacement, bought a newer [but used] model on Ebay or simply
>bought full retail ... it doesn't matter, you lose your $150 credit until two
>years from that change.

Does the contract say anything, one way or the other, or is the new
phone program only in marketing literature?

---

› See More: Sprint - Fraudulent Practices

On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:40:26 -0600, Paul Miner <[email protected]> wrote:
>On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:01:12 -0000, AZ Nomad
><[email protected]> wrote:

>>On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:24:15 -0600, Paul Miner <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>On 14 Jan 2008 13:34:06 GMT, "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]>
>>>wrote:
>>
>>>>RJA <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Liars and Cheats. It's up to the Better Business Bureau now. Don't fall
>>>>> for this if you're a sprint customer, and don't sign up for Sprint if you're
>>>>> not.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Their whole damn system is held together by "notes". To make matters worse,
>>>>they don't even have in the system when you are due for a $150 credit towards
>>>>a new phone, so they simply use the date of the last time the ESN on your
>>>>account changed; that is the last time you swapped phones, whether you got an
>>>>insurance replacement, bought a newer [but used] model on Ebay or simply
>>>>bought full retail ... it doesn't matter, you lose your $150 credit until two
>>>>years from that change.
>>
>>>Like I said last week when you made the same claim, I've changed ESN's
>>>many dozens of times over a 5 year period (handset tester) and never
>>>had my date reset for the $150 credit. In fact, even now it shows a
>>>date from 2001. Either I'm special, or you're (once again) making this
>>>up.
>>
>>I've experienced the same thing. My date is 4/2008, and I haven't purchased
>>a phone from sprint since 11/2001. Since then I've activated a phone I
>>got from a phone replacement insurance program (reset), and a couple
>>of ebay phones which also reset my date upon each activation.
>>
>>You must be special.

>Thanks, but I'm resisting that conclusion. :-)
>If anything, I'm leaning toward an inconsistently applied policy,
>although I still don't know what the policy actually was/is.

I'm not sure anybody does. Maybe a CSR who was a sprint drone asshole was
called by you for something unrelated, knew you had supplied your own phone, and
reset the date back without being asked? Nah. Impossible.

I agree with Tommy Tee, but I still have Sprint and I like it very much.
Sprint should not reset the clock just because you activate a new phone or
do an ESN swap.

Jar-Jar

"Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> RJA <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Liars and Cheats. It's up to the Better Business Bureau now. Don't fall
>> for this if you're a sprint customer, and don't sign up for Sprint if
>> you're
>> not.
>>
>
> Their whole damn system is held together by "notes". To make matters
> worse,
> they don't even have in the system when you are due for a $150 credit
> towards
> a new phone, so they simply use the date of the last time the ESN on your
> account changed; that is the last time you swapped phones, whether you got
> an
> insurance replacement, bought a newer [but used] model on Ebay or simply
> bought full retail ... it doesn't matter, you lose your $150 credit until
> two
> years from that change.
>
> Their incompetant system and poorly trained CSRs [both in-store and call
> center] are enough to keep me from ever using them again.
>
> --
> Thomas T. Veldhouse
>
> America is the country where you buy a lifetime
> supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.
>

Paul Miner wrote:
> On 14 Jan 2008 13:34:06 GMT, "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> RJA <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> Liars and Cheats. It's up to the Better Business Bureau now. Don't fall
>>> for this if you're a sprint customer, and don't sign up for Sprint if you're
>>> not.
>>>
>> Their whole damn system is held together by "notes". To make matters worse,
>> they don't even have in the system when you are due for a $150 credit towards
>> a new phone, so they simply use the date of the last time the ESN on your
>> account changed; that is the last time you swapped phones, whether you got an
>> insurance replacement, bought a newer [but used] model on Ebay or simply
>> bought full retail ... it doesn't matter, you lose your $150 credit until two
>> years from that change.
>
> Like I said last week when you made the same claim, I've changed ESN's
> many dozens of times over a 5 year period (handset tester) and never
> had my date reset for the $150 credit. In fact, even now it shows a
> date from 2001. Either I'm special, or you're (once again) making this
> up.

You must be special. I've had a phone replaced under Sprint's warranty,
and it definitely reset my credit period. Same thing when I bought a
phone off ebay and activated it.

the BBU has no teeth with the cell phone world i wish you luck.


--
AL'S COMPUTERS
"RJA" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > "RJA" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> I called Sprint last Sunday to find out what my contract expiration
date
> >> was. I was told that it was 1/29/2008. The rep sensed that I may be
> >> cancelling and asked why. I told him that I had poor reception. He
then
> >> told me that if I wanted to, I didn't have to wait until the 29th to
> >> switch.
> >> Since I was within 30 days of the 29th, I could change without any
> >> charges.
> >> I asked if he was sure and he said yes, and that he would leave a note
on
> >> my
> >> account saying so. As a result, I went directly to Verizon and
switched.
> >
> > You had 3 weeks left to go, and you believed a first level CS person?
> >
> > Well, it was a fairly inexpensive lesson.
>
> Yeah, it's not going to cost anything when the BBB is done with it.
> Regardless if the CS person was right or wrong, he did say it, and that's
> all that matters.
>
>

AZ Nomad <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I'm not sure anybody does. Maybe a CSR who was a sprint drone asshole was
> called by you for something unrelated, knew you had supplied your own phone, and
> reset the date back without being asked? Nah. Impossible.

Their system doesn't even allow them to do that. They can only put in notes,
priority notes and executive notes by what I gather. And unless the notes are
an "executive note", you don't have a chance in hell of them honoring it ...
and even then the chance is small.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

America is the country where you buy a lifetime
supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.

Jack Hamilton <[email protected]> wrote:
>>a new phone, so they simply use the date of the last time the ESN on your
>>account changed; that is the last time you swapped phones, whether you got an
>>insurance replacement, bought a newer [but used] model on Ebay or simply
>>bought full retail ... it doesn't matter, you lose your $150 credit until two
>>years from that change.
>
> Does the contract say anything, one way or the other, or is the new
> phone program only in marketing literature?
>

What new phone program? The ESN swap which resets the $150 credit is as old
as Sprint PCS (yes, the PCS was intentional this time).

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

America is the country where you buy a lifetime
supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.

You are right that an ESN swap with a non reconditioned phone will reset
the clock because that is the way the system tracks your eligibility,
however, that is not the "policy" and if you have a care or store rep
research this you will still get the $150 credit.



"Jar-Jar Binks" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I agree with Tommy Tee, but I still have Sprint and I like it very much.
>Sprint should not reset the clock just because you activate a new phone or
>do an ESN swap.
>
> Jar-Jar
>
> "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> RJA <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>> Liars and Cheats. It's up to the Better Business Bureau now. Don't
>>> fall
>>> for this if you're a sprint customer, and don't sign up for Sprint if
>>> you're
>>> not.
>>>
>>
>> Their whole damn system is held together by "notes". To make matters
>> worse,
>> they don't even have in the system when you are due for a $150 credit
>> towards
>> a new phone, so they simply use the date of the last time the ESN on your
>> account changed; that is the last time you swapped phones, whether you
>> got an
>> insurance replacement, bought a newer [but used] model on Ebay or simply
>> bought full retail ... it doesn't matter, you lose your $150 credit until
>> two
>> years from that change.
>>
>> Their incompetant system and poorly trained CSRs [both in-store and call
>> center] are enough to keep me from ever using them again.
>>
>> --
>> Thomas T. Veldhouse
>>
>> America is the country where you buy a lifetime
>> supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.
>>
>
>

let_it_ride <[email protected]> wrote:
> You are right that an ESN swap with a non reconditioned phone will reset
> the clock because that is the way the system tracks your eligibility,
> however, that is not the "policy" and if you have a care or store rep
> research this you will still get the $150 credit.
>

Unfortunately, that is not true. It is ANY ESN swap for ANY reason will reset
it. The ONLY way they will honor something different is to get a corporate
manager [NOT in the store] to put an executive note on the account.
Hopefully, at the time you actually try to buy the phone with the discount,
they won't give you too much of a fight when they tell you that you do not yet
qualify and you say, "but I do, please take a look at the notes".

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

America is the country where you buy a lifetime
supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.

Thomas, I don't know where you do business, but you obviously have been
going to the wrong stores, do you shop in the MALL's ? The intent of the
upgrade program is to give Sprint's customers a reason to sign on for
another 2 years, yes, the swap resets the clock, but it does not reset your
true eligibilty, and at least in my store, we will gladly give you the
discount and sign you up ! It is only logical that if you have not
upgraded then you have not extended your contract, are you trying to say
that Sprint would turn you down and have you go elsewhere ? I think not .



"Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> let_it_ride <[email protected]> wrote:
>> You are right that an ESN swap with a non reconditioned phone will reset
>> the clock because that is the way the system tracks your eligibility,
>> however, that is not the "policy" and if you have a care or store rep
>> research this you will still get the $150 credit.
>>
>
> Unfortunately, that is not true. It is ANY ESN swap for ANY reason will
> reset
> it. The ONLY way they will honor something different is to get a
> corporate
> manager [NOT in the store] to put an executive note on the account.
> Hopefully, at the time you actually try to buy the phone with the
> discount,
> they won't give you too much of a fight when they tell you that you do not
> yet
> qualify and you say, "but I do, please take a look at the notes".
>
> --
> Thomas T. Veldhouse
>
> America is the country where you buy a lifetime
> supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.
>

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:30:00 GMT, let_it_ride <[email protected]> wrote:
>Thomas, I don't know where you do business, but you obviously have been
>going to the wrong stores, do you shop in the MALL's ? The intent of the
>upgrade program is to give Sprint's customers a reason to sign on for
>another 2 years, yes, the swap resets the clock, but it does not reset your
>true eligibilty, and at least in my store, we will gladly give you the
>discount and sign you up ! It is only logical that if you have not
>upgraded then you have not extended your contract, are you trying to say
>that Sprint would turn you down and have you go elsewhere ? I think not .

I fought with sprint when I tried to get a new phone for my wife on the
second line of my account. I've had ebay purchased phones since day
one on that line and no amount of argueing with sprint could convince them
to honor the discount. They kept saying that I could get a new phone
on line #1 (didn't need it) or I could get a discounted third phone (didn't
want one).

**** them. It just isn't worth the hassle. When my current contract
runs out, I'm taking my business elsewhere. They'll give me two new phones
and won't care if one of my old phones has been in use for less than 18
months.

let_it_ride <[email protected]> wrote:
> Thomas, I don't know where you do business, but you obviously have been
> going to the wrong stores, do you shop in the MALL's ? The intent of the
> upgrade program is to give Sprint's customers a reason to sign on for
> another 2 years, yes, the swap resets the clock, but it does not reset your
> true eligibilty, and at least in my store, we will gladly give you the
> discount and sign you up ! It is only logical that if you have not
> upgraded then you have not extended your contract, are you trying to say
> that Sprint would turn you down and have you go elsewhere ? I think not .
>

Let me put it another way. Perhaps if you contract is up for renewal, the
$150 will be credited anyway ... but if your contract is NOT up for renewal
(supposed somebody called one year or so into their contract and increased the
number of minutes each month [perhaps added an additional line for a teenage
child] and the contract is reset to two years. However, they are still no
eligible for the $150 phone credit until the two year mark. They very well
may be under contract still at this point. They WILL LOSE THAT CREDIT if they
swap phones for any reason what-so-ever because it is triggered off of the ESN
change.

Better?

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

America is the country where you buy a lifetime
supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.

On 2008-01-15, AZ Nomad <[email protected]> wrote:
> I fought with sprint when I tried to get a new phone for my wife on the
> second line of my account. I've had ebay purchased phones since day
> one on that line and no amount of argueing with sprint could convince them
> to honor the discount. They kept saying that I could get a new phone
> on line #1 (didn't need it) or I could get a discounted third phone (didn't
> want one).

I can't figure Sprint out. I had three phones on a family plan, all
off contract (I think for the first time in 8 years I'd managed to
not have Sprint put one or more of them back on contract before the
end of the term) and wanted to port just one number out to another
carrier so I could get free Mexico roaming. Unfortunately the
number I wanted to move was the one which "owned" the account in
their billing system, if I ported it the others would be left
without a plan, I'd need a new plan for the other phones (without
some grandfathered features which I liked but were no longer being
sold) and they'd both end up back on contract. There was apparently
no way to make one of the other phones "own" the account in their
billing system without other changes, if I took that one phone but
wanted to remain a Sprint customer I'd have to start the others
over with new service.

That persuaded me to move all three phones, the two I would have
left with Sprint first and the one I really wanted to move last.
I was perfectly happy with Sprint's phone service, but life is too
short for the stuff that seems to go along with it.

Dennis Ferguson

whare is youre store located for those of us who might be located in youre
area?


--
AL'S COMPUTERS
"let_it_ride" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:Yj4jj.2804$YW6.1535@trndny07...
> Thomas, I don't know where you do business, but you obviously have been
> going to the wrong stores, do you shop in the MALL's ? The intent of
the
> upgrade program is to give Sprint's customers a reason to sign on for
> another 2 years, yes, the swap resets the clock, but it does not reset
your
> true eligibilty, and at least in my store, we will gladly give you the
> discount and sign you up ! It is only logical that if you have not
> upgraded then you have not extended your contract, are you trying to say
> that Sprint would turn you down and have you go elsewhere ? I think not
..
>
>
>
> "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > let_it_ride <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> You are right that an ESN swap with a non reconditioned phone will
reset
> >> the clock because that is the way the system tracks your eligibility,
> >> however, that is not the "policy" and if you have a care or store rep
> >> research this you will still get the $150 credit.
> >>
> >
> > Unfortunately, that is not true. It is ANY ESN swap for ANY reason will
> > reset
> > it. The ONLY way they will honor something different is to get a
> > corporate
> > manager [NOT in the store] to put an executive note on the account.
> > Hopefully, at the time you actually try to buy the phone with the
> > discount,
> > they won't give you too much of a fight when they tell you that you do
not
> > yet
> > qualify and you say, "but I do, please take a look at the notes".
> >
> > --
> > Thomas T. Veldhouse
> >
> > America is the country where you buy a lifetime
> > supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.
> >
>
>

I am in Massachusetts, for specific store info you can send me your email
address.


"Andy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> whare is youre store located for those of us who might be located in youre
> area?
>
>
> --
> AL'S COMPUTERS
> "let_it_ride" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:Yj4jj.2804$YW6.1535@trndny07...
>> Thomas, I don't know where you do business, but you obviously have been
>> going to the wrong stores, do you shop in the MALL's ? The intent of
> the
>> upgrade program is to give Sprint's customers a reason to sign on for
>> another 2 years, yes, the swap resets the clock, but it does not reset
> your
>> true eligibilty, and at least in my store, we will gladly give you the
>> discount and sign you up ! It is only logical that if you have not
>> upgraded then you have not extended your contract, are you trying to say
>> that Sprint would turn you down and have you go elsewhere ? I think
>> not
> .
>>
>>
>>
>> "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > let_it_ride <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >> You are right that an ESN swap with a non reconditioned phone will
> reset
>> >> the clock because that is the way the system tracks your eligibility,
>> >> however, that is not the "policy" and if you have a care or store rep
>> >> research this you will still get the $150 credit.
>> >>
>> >
>> > Unfortunately, that is not true. It is ANY ESN swap for ANY reason
>> > will
>> > reset
>> > it. The ONLY way they will honor something different is to get a
>> > corporate
>> > manager [NOT in the store] to put an executive note on the account.
>> > Hopefully, at the time you actually try to buy the phone with the
>> > discount,
>> > they won't give you too much of a fight when they tell you that you do
> not
>> > yet
>> > qualify and you say, "but I do, please take a look at the notes".
>> >
>> > --
>> > Thomas T. Veldhouse
>> >
>> > America is the country where you buy a lifetime
>> > supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.
>> >
>>
>>
>
>