Retention and Sprint's new plan

> If you want to use the Verizon Netowrk on your Sprint Phone, all that
> you have to do is go into the" "Roaming Menu" on your Sprint Digital
> Phone and select "Roaming Only" mode. Your phone will then use the
> Verizon network and it is included in the price that you pay. Your
> phone will stay in roaming mode until you go into the menu and set it
> back to either "Sprint Only" mode or "Automatic Roaming" mode.


If you put the phone in "Automatic Roaming" mode does it automatically
switch to Verizon if Sprint is not available or poor quality?

I am contemplating making the switch to take advantage of the lower cost
for data and family coverage.

Michael

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› See More: Retention and Sprint's new plan

On 2008-03-05, Michael Stroh <[email protected]> wrote:
>> If you want to use the Verizon Netowrk on your Sprint Phone, all that
>> you have to do is go into the" "Roaming Menu" on your Sprint Digital
>> Phone and select "Roaming Only" mode. Your phone will then use the
>> Verizon network and it is included in the price that you pay. Your
>> phone will stay in roaming mode until you go into the menu and set it
>> back to either "Sprint Only" mode or "Automatic Roaming" mode.
>
>
> If you put the phone in "Automatic Roaming" mode does it automatically
> switch to Verizon if Sprint is not available or poor quality?

It will when Sprint is not available, but it probably won't when
it can hear a Sprint tower but the tower is too far away to be useful.
I've never had a CDMA phone which did this well; even with that manual
setting the Sprint phones will probably do badly when trying to chose
between a priority 2 and and priority 3 roaming partner in the PRL.

In my experience GSM phones are just as bad for this, in fact, but at
least they have full manual network selection menus (unless they're running
AT&T software). CDMA carriers are such control freaks.

Dennis Ferguson

> If you put the phone in "Automatic Roaming" mode does it automatically
> switch to Verizon if Sprint is not available or poor quality?
>
> I am contemplating making the switch to take advantage of the lower cost
> for data and family coverage.
>
> Michael

Michael,

If you put the phone in the "Automatic Roaming" mode it will not make the
switch if the Sprint Signal quality is poor. This is true for all of the
cellular providers. They want you to use their signal even if you are
dropping calls and have poor voice quality as a result of low signal. Sprint
gives you the option of "forcing" your phone to the roaming carrier by
setting the digital Sprint Phone to "Roaming Only" mode. This forces the
phone to use the roaming carrier even if you are standing right under a
Sprint tower. It is a really great feature and no other cell phone service
provider offers this feature. Technically savvy folks don't have a problem
dealing with this switching to the roaming carrier. I am in the computer
software business (professional geek) and quite a lot of the folks that I
workd
Keep in mind that Sprint is not for everyone. Verizon actually has the best
implemented network, however there are areas when Sprint or another carrier
may even perform better because no single carrier is "the best" in all
areas. I have experienced this firsthand because I was also a Verizon
customer. I hope that answers your question.

Jar-Jar

Michael Stroh <[email protected]> amazed us all with the following in
news:[email protected]:

>> If you want to use the Verizon Netowrk on your Sprint Phone, all that
>> you have to do is go into the" "Roaming Menu" on your Sprint Digital
>> Phone and select "Roaming Only" mode. Your phone will then use the
>> Verizon network and it is included in the price that you pay. Your
>> phone will stay in roaming mode until you go into the menu and set it
>> back to either "Sprint Only" mode or "Automatic Roaming" mode.
>
>
> If you put the phone in "Automatic Roaming" mode does it automatically
> switch to Verizon if Sprint is not available or poor quality?

Not available- yes.

Poor quality- no. It will always hang on the Sprint signal.

>
> I am contemplating making the switch to take advantage of the lower cost
> for data and family coverage.
>
> Michael
>

Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
> In alt.cellular.verizon Bill T<[email protected]> wrote:
>> The reason I occasionally force roaming on my Sprint phone is that in
>> fringe coverage areas (like my house), the phone stays on Sprint until
>> the signal is almost non-existent. This causes poor reception and
>> frequent dropped calls. Forcing it to go to the stronger carrier
>> manually solves that problem.
>>
>
> Sounds like a good reason to just use Verizon to me. Plus, you won't have
> your contract extended over a minor contract change ... or get screwed out of
> a new phone rebate because you had to do a warrantee swap [or any ESN change],
> etc etc. Sprint, as far as technology goes, is fine. But that is where it
> ends.

Well, Sprint already got me on the contract extension. I had my phone
repaired last April. Unbeknownst to me at the time, they gave me a
2-year extension, and so I am stuck with them for another year.

Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
> Sounds like a good reason to just use Verizon to me. Plus, you won't have
> your contract extended over a minor contract change ... or get screwed out of
> a new phone rebate because you had to do a warrantee swap [or any ESN change],
> etc etc. Sprint, as far as technology goes, is fine. But that is where it
> ends.

My old Sprint contact (expired) is too old to reflect any new changes,
but I wonder if the current contracts it specifically deny you an
upgrade rebate if your phone was replaced under warranty or under their
insurance plan. Or if your contract is extended if the phone was
repalced under warranty or insurance.

I know my contract was extended when I changed phone numbers.

> Well, Sprint already got me on the contract extension. I had my phone
> repaired last April. Unbeknownst to me at the time, they gave me a 2-year
> extension, and so I am stuck with them for another year.
>

It is good to know that you have the best.

Bill T wrote:
> Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
>
>> In alt.cellular.verizon Bill T<[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> The reason I occasionally force roaming on my Sprint phone is that in
>>> fringe coverage areas (like my house), the phone stays on Sprint until
>>> the signal is almost non-existent. This causes poor reception and
>>> frequent dropped calls. Forcing it to go to the stronger carrier
>>> manually solves that problem.
>>>
>>
>> Sounds like a good reason to just use Verizon to me. Plus, you won't
>> have
>> your contract extended over a minor contract change ... or get screwed
>> out of
>> a new phone rebate because you had to do a warrantee swap [or any ESN
>> change],
>> etc etc. Sprint, as far as technology goes, is fine. But that is
>> where it
>> ends.
>
>
> Well, Sprint already got me on the contract extension. I had my phone
> repaired last April. Unbeknownst to me at the time, they gave me a
> 2-year extension, and so I am stuck with them for another year.
>

How can they "just give" you a two year extension? You had to sign
something, at some point, agreeing to that! It may have been a
provision of your original contract.

The moral of this story is READ CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU SIGN!!!!!!

In alt.cellular.sprintpcs Jar-Jar Binks <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> The roaming rule is NOT enforced on the all you can eat $99 plan that
> includes everything. I was told this by the retentions department yesterday
> morning. The unlimited plan is really "unlimited".
>

I will believe that when I see that in writing from a reputable source or if I
see no complaints of people getting notice over the next year or so.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

In the land of the dark the Ship of the Sun is driven by the Grateful Dead.
-- Egyptian Book of the Dead

In alt.cellular.sprintpcs Jar-Jar Binks <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Well, Sprint already got me on the contract extension. I had my phone
>> repaired last April. Unbeknownst to me at the time, they gave me a 2-year
>> extension, and so I am stuck with them for another year.
>>
>
> It is good to know that you have the best.
>

The best? They extended his contract without his consent and that is the
best? And yes, they DO or HAVE done this. They did it to my Brother who
finally beat them at their game by asking for the recorded or written
acceptance and they couldn't offer it. They put "notes" on his account that
his contract doesn't expire when the computer says it does. Nice huh? They
couldn't even fix it in the software and had ot put a NOTE in the account. My
Brother continued to use them however, because he has a great legacy plan
(2000 minutes anytime, no N&W and Vision, not Power Vision) for $110 (I don't
know if this includes taxes or not). He has since bought a new phone and does
have a contract with them, but he is the only hold out among my friends and
family who has stayed with Sprint; the rest have gone to Verizon with a very
small subset who went to AT&T.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

In the land of the dark the Ship of the Sun is driven by the Grateful Dead.
-- Egyptian Book of the Dead

In alt.cellular.sprintpcs Richard B. Gilbert <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> How can they "just give" you a two year extension? You had to sign
> something, at some point, agreeing to that! It may have been a
> provision of your original contract.
>
> The moral of this story is READ CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU SIGN!!!!!!
>

They can set it in the system as easy as I am writing this message. However,
what they can't do easily is get the third party verification or your
signature ... so, if somebody has an unauthorized extension [which Sprint has
been historically known to do ... I believe the MN attorney general got
involved once], you just ask them for the signature or third party
verification and you will be all set if they can't supply it. Of course, this
might involve legal fees and temporary damage to your credit, but that is the
only way forward in such cases.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

In the land of the dark the Ship of the Sun is driven by the Grateful Dead.
-- Egyptian Book of the Dead

In alt.cellular.sprintpcs DTC <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> My old Sprint contact (expired) is too old to reflect any new changes,
> but I wonder if the current contracts it specifically deny you an
> upgrade rebate if your phone was replaced under warranty or under their
> insurance plan. Or if your contract is extended if the phone was
> repalced under warranty or insurance.
>

If you have switch phones, for any reason, to an old or a new phone, then they
had to perform an ESN swap, as each phone has its own ESN. Their foolish
software engineers knew of no other way to determine when a customer is due a
new phone other than to use the date of the last ESN change, so that is what
they do. You are eligible for a $75 rebate one year after the last ESN change
and a $150 rebate two years after the last ESN change.

> I know my contract was extended when I changed phone numbers.

Sprint will extend your contract for sneezing too loudly near one of their
stores.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

In the land of the dark the Ship of the Sun is driven by the Grateful Dead.
-- Egyptian Book of the Dead

If you set your phone into "Automatic Roaming" or "Digital only"
or "Roaming only" it will automatically switch to another carrier,
should one be available and on the prl, but not necessarily verizon.
For example, for a large portion of Wisc., central, southern, and
eastern, there are almost no areas that do not have a Sprint PCS signal,
but do have a verizon signal. If your phone is dual-band, the most
likely roaming carrier would be uscellular or altell. Not all phones
have "Roaming only". My phone has "Sprint" and "Automatic".

Jack Hamilton <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Jar-Jar Binks" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> Sprint is tempting, due to their low SERO pricing, early off-peak start
>>> time, etc., but in much of California you'd end up roaming so much that it
>>> wouldn't work if Sprint is serious about preventing too much roaming.
>>
>>
>>If you are located in Southern California, then Sprint's network is as good
>>as Verizon's network. I don't have experience in NoCal, but have heard that
>>the Verizon network is much better.
>
>I'd say they're comparable but not identical. My Verizon phone often
>dropped calls on I-80 outside Davis, and Sprint doesn't.

The reason that happens is that area is the dividing line between the
Verizon Bay Area and Sacramento systems (on I-80 that line is approx.
at SR113 between Davis and Woodland). It is interesting that in the
digital age VZ doesn't have seamless handoff between the 2 systems.

In my own experience, within the City of San Francisco Verizon has
better coverage (but some dead areas). Numerous reasons why.

> On the other hand, Verizon might have been better on parts of 99. I spend more
>time on 80 than on 99, so Sprint wins in this particular comparison.

In Sacramento coverage is darnn near identical, with the exception
that Sprint has issues with voice coverage in Elk Grove if you get off
Elk Grove Blvd. (what is really weird is EVDO data coverage is rock
solid in that area) and in some parts of South Natomas, and, as Jack
mentioned, some spotty coverage south of Sac on SR99.

>I don't spend much time in the boonies, so I don't know how they
>compare in more rural areas.

Only thing I can add to that is going out SR50 towards Eldorado County
I've had no issues with Sprint, nor with coverage on I-80 east of
Sacramento out as far as Applegate.

Regards,
Bill Bowen
Sacramento, CA

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

>
>> I know my contract was extended when I changed phone numbers.
>
>Sprint will extend your contract for sneezing too loudly near one of their
>stores.

Thomas,

You sure are behind the times - Sprint has ELIMINATED the auto
contract extension (along with a number of other major changes made by
the new management). The only thing that will extend a contract is
adding a NEW line to a contract (and even that won't mess up upgrade
rights on existing numbers/phones on the same account).

BTW, for anyone within the last year or so with a multi-line
contract that has auto extension issues over an ESN swap or a phone
number change - if you ***** about it, Sprint WILL reverse it. They
did it for me on two lines on our account (I had swapped phone numbers
between 2 existing phones last April).

Regards,
Bill Bowen
Sacramento, CA