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  1. #1
    Røbert M.
    Guest
    This FAQ is in no way authored by Sprint Spectrum, Sprint or Sprint PCS
    unless otherwise expressly noted. By reading on, you agree that you are
    fully aware of this. I see many questions asked repeatedly about secret
    rate plans, and thought an "Unofficial Retention FAQ" was in order. I
    have no association (i.e. never been employed or received any
    remuneration from them) with SprintPCS and there is a greater than zero
    chance there may be errors herein.
    My only association with SprintPCS is as a current
    customer interested in the vagarities of its policies. I believe
    everything to be correct, but use the information at your own risk. This
    FAQ comes not from SprintPCS, so it is unofficial, but apparently has
    useful information some SprintPCS apologists are upset about being made
    public, and one even threatened me with by forwarding this FAQ to
    SprintPCS legal. Haven¹t heard a peep from them in after 9 months, cause
    this FAQ is all true to the best of my knowledge.

    What about retention deals? SprintPCS wisely would prefer that customers
    not leave, its been reported it costs ~$365 to obtain a new customer in
    advertising, support, and phone price subsidies, etc.; so it behooves
    SprintPCS to try to retain customers by offering them a deal. However
    this is a murky, semi-secret, here-to-fore not fully documented process.
    Car Manufacturers often have a $1000 loyalty bonus for folks that buy a
    new car that is the same make as their existing one. Those plans are not
    secret. Sprint (I believe) could save a lot of grief and help
    themselves by switching to a single predictable advertised retention
    plan. Bonus 5% extra minutes after first year with Sprint and 2% more
    for each additional year might work. Some SprintPCS employees insult me,
    but SprintPCS does not keep secret the special deals for new customers,
    why should it keep secret the deals it has to retain customers? Ford
    doesn't. From what I have read in this newsgroup, I read about customers
    SprintPCS has lost because the customer didn't know how to get, didn't
    know about or wasn't offered a retention deal, that SprintPCS might have
    been happy to offer.....IF IT HAD BEEN ASKED FOR....


    FAQ on retention Deals from SprintPCS

    Who should I contact?

    Outside of a contract call CANCELLATION or go to a SprintPCS owned store
    and talk to a manger and try to negotiate a deal. The variability of
    deals is truly astounding, and while its been discussed, I'm not sure I
    or anyone else has a complete handle on how to get the best deal, other
    than its a matter of luck and who you negotiate with, maybe SprintPCS¹
    policies that week, and how well you can negotiate, and your standing as
    a SprintPCS customer. Such unpredictability is the reason for this FAQ.

    CANCELLATION = 1-866-762-0468 recently reported as 1-866-207-7913,

    How do I negotiate?

    When buying a car, I always found the best negotiating tactic was:
    "I don't think that¹s the best deal you're allowed to offer me, let me
    go think on it.

    What works best in negotiating with Sprint?

    So apparently with Sprint, you call Cancellation and say "I'm seriously
    considering switching to XXXXXXX Carrier because.....; are there any
    deals you could offer me to consider to stay with Sprint?" or ³my cousin
    just got a 750 Minute plan for $40/month, and I¹d like the same deal,
    please."

    In my case I said (in 2003) (and meant it) "I'm considering switching to
    Verizon as my son now has Verizon, and with their deals on 1000 Free
    Verizon to Verizon minutes, I'd come out ahead". (unlimited ³IN"
    minutes in 2004). So I now have 300 minutes for $30 and bonus minutes on
    top of that.

    A Sprint employee (Tech Geek) on 9/20/2003 posted the following
    suggestions
    (*****ing corrected)::

    They can't cancel you unless you tell them specifically to cancel, if you
    say you're thinking of canceling, they won't cancel you.

    How long have you been a customer? $97 per month for all 4 lines? I'm
    assuming you have 3 add-a-phones.

    Use what you know to your advantage. If your bill is always paid on
    time and in full, say that. Also, do some shopping around at the
    competitors first, if you see a better deal, write it down and who it is
    with.

    Stay calm, and be polite. If you don't get what you like, say 'thank
    you' and call back a few minutes later.

    Keep to your "I'm thinking of canceling soon" attitude. Think of
    the reasons to cancel, if you're not in a contract, then you have more
    ammunition.

    Another Sprint employee (o/siris) on 8/7/2003 said: " Or walk into a
    store and ask about the "Handset Upgrade Program." You may be
    surprised."


    What retention deals are available?

    Until ~ June 2003 they offered unlimited Vision as a free bonus.
    Until May 2004 free Mobile to Mobile minutes went with a 2 year contract,
    now it's has to be requested. I just got free 7PM nights and free "PCS
    to PCS" with a new contract. Actually they charge for the 7 PM nights,
    and then give me a credit back for it.

    In 2003 commonly they offered bonus anytime minutes,
    perhaps because it appears you wouldn¹t use them anyway. Sometimes you
    may get a discount on purchasing a replacement phone. As of May 4, 2004
    it was reported, the following is being offered:

    $40/750 Anytime Minutes 8pm n/w
    $50/1000 8pm n/w
    $60/1200 8pm n/w
    $75/1500 8pm n/w
    $100/1800 8pm n/w
    $100/2500 8pm n/w

    Used to be they offered "Bonus" minutes on top of advertised plans. No
    longer apparently (maybe?).

    Bob Smith, a frequent poster posted on 5/26/2004:

    "I was on a 2000 min. plan, with 2 add-a-phones, Vision, F&CA, N & W @
    9:00 PM and my monthly expense was $135 including taxes and surcharges.
    I was able to get a 1200 min. plan, with 2 add-a-phones, Vision, F&CA,
    and N&W starting @ 7:00 PM for $70 inc. T & S for the 1st 2 months, then
    $95 inc. T & S, when the cost for Vision for 2 phones kicked in."


    Am I a good candidate for a good retention deal?

    Apparently the longer you have been a Sprint customer, and maybe if
    you've never been late with a payment, and the more phones you have, and
    the more you pay per month, the better chance you have to get a good
    retention deal. It also helps to be not on contract, or in the last
    month or so of a contract, although not necessarily. Some have said
    contract status seems not to count, if you're willing to start a new two
    year contract.


    Are there any other ways to save?

    Yes! If you work for a large company, it may have a deal negotiated with
    SprintPCS that will also allow any employee to participate. These deals
    offer a discount of 5 to 27% on monthly repeating charges, and discounts
    on new equipment purchases. Further, business plans users are never
    charged "Activation" fees; and likely have a dedicated SprintPCS
    employee in the Sprint business department to handle billing problems,
    etc. These discounts would be ON TOP OF any promotional plan or
    retention plan, you would contact either your company's Sprint
    representative or the Business # 1-888-788-4727

    SprintPCS now allows any customer to get new customer deals on a new
    phone if you have been using the same phone for 18 months. You get the
    discount by rebate however, check at http://www.sprintrebates.com
    Some folks swear by (although others swear at) bargains obtained on eBay
    when purchasing a phone. Caveat emptor. Some folks insist one should
    only buy their phones at Costco, or a large Department Store (like Mays)
    as their ³Satisfaction Guarantee" may cover you when a SprintPCS
    warrantee might not (like with a bleeding screen).
    =======
    If you experience Dropped Calls, SprintPCS will give a credit each time
    that happens. One dials *2, enters 1 (for English) and tells Claire
    "Dropped Call Credit"; where upon with no human intervention you get a
    50 cent credit on your account. Apparently SprintPCS currently allows
    upto 20 such credits per # per month.
    ===========
    If you have a friend that goes with Sprint because of your discussions
    with them, SprintPCS will give you a referral credit of $20, limit one
    per month. Only in the first 2 months of the new account. Dial #REF; the
    person with the new number gets a $10 credit
    =========

    June 17, 2004
    This FAQ is based on my experiences and opinions and the reported
    experiences of others as posted in this newsgroup. Always go by the
    latest dated FAQ and ignore all earlier ones. SprintPCS is free to
    change its policies at any time, and I make no guarantee as to what will
    happen if one seeks a retention plan, and cannot be held responsible for
    your results. I believe it would serve SprintPCS better if it were not
    secretive about these plans, and view this posting as helpful to Sprint.
    I welcome ===constructive=== criticism and additions.

    Personal insults addressed to the author will be ignored.

    Someone has the notion that availing oneself of these
    opportunities is "Stealing" from SprintPCS or ³Abusing the system".
    Hardly. You won't be holding a gun to their head, just asking for deals
    that not everyone knows about. Sprint wouldn't give you a retention deal
    if you weren't eligible and they didn't want you to have it. Someone
    about to switch to Cingular cause their advertised plans might seem
    cheaper than Sprints, might well stay with a retention plan. In many
    cases they are just adding Plan Minutes that they reasonably expect
    won't be used anyway. But I like having extra minutes I don't use so I
    don't have to carefully track my usage. If you're the type that insists
    on paying full sticker price every time you buy a car, then maybe asking
    for a Retention plan is not for you.

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

    P.S. Earthlink does similar things, the group that gives credits or
    discounts is called their "Saves" group.



    See More: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)




  2. #2
    jamesrl1979
    jamesrl1979 is offline
    Newbie

    Posts
    2

    retention plan advice needed

    Hello,
    I called retention, and they offered me the $40 dollar plan with 500 anytime minutes, then I pay another $5 for sprint to sprint and another $5 for starting at 7 pm; however, they then give me a 5 percent discount. I currently have the $30, 300 anytime, starting at 8 pm, and I pay another $5 for sprint to sprint. I do need more than 300 anytime minutes. I understand that sprint can't give away the company to keep every customer, so is this the best or should I try to get more? My plan is up soon, and I do have the option to switch to another service, though the plan wouldn't really be any better. thanks.



  3. #3
    Rod
    Guest

    Re: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)

    The $40 retention plan comes with 750 minutes and unlimited nights and
    weekends at 8pm. You were talking to customer service not the retention
    dept.

    jamesrl1979 wrote:
    > Hello,
    > I called retention, and they offered me the $40 dollar plan with 500
    > anytime minutes, then I pay another $5 for sprint to sprint and
    > another $5 for starting at 7 pm; however, they then give me a 5
    > percent discount. I currently have the $30, 300 anytime, starting at
    > 8 pm, and I pay another $5 for sprint to sprint. I do need more than
    > 300 anytime minutes. I understand that sprint can't give away the
    > company to keep every customer, so is this the best or should I try
    > to get more? My plan is up soon, and I do have the option to
    > switch to another service, though the plan wouldn't really be any
    > better. thanks.






  4. #4
    David G. Imber
    Guest

    Re: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)

    On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 23:08:46 -0500, "Rod"
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >The $40 retention plan comes with 750 minutes and unlimited nights and
    >weekends at 8pm. You were talking to customer service not the retention
    >dept.


    I got it with unlimited n&w as well as unlimited spcs to spcs.
    I was also able to get a bonus of 150 anytime minutes per phone (I
    have an additional phone on this account for $20/mo.) Finally, they
    gave me n&w at 7:00, and to mitigate the cost of that, gave me an
    "mrc" (monthly recurring credit) of 5% per phone.

    I may have gotten these perks only because a) it's for two
    phones and b) I have a perfect payment record with them for almost six
    years. The $40 retention plan is a fine deal even without the extras.

    DGI





  5. #5
    Daran Rehmeyer
    Guest

    Re: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)

    I'm not on a contract (been with sprint for 6 or 7 years. Can you get a retention plan without doing a contract?


    On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 15:56:17 -0400, David G. Imber <[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 23:08:46 -0500, "Rod"
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >>The $40 retention plan comes with 750 minutes and unlimited nights and
    >>weekends at 8pm. You were talking to customer service not the retention
    >>dept.

    >
    > I got it with unlimited n&w as well as unlimited spcs to spcs.
    >I was also able to get a bonus of 150 anytime minutes per phone (I
    >have an additional phone on this account for $20/mo.) Finally, they
    >gave me n&w at 7:00, and to mitigate the cost of that, gave me an
    >"mrc" (monthly recurring credit) of 5% per phone.
    >
    > I may have gotten these perks only because a) it's for two
    >phones and b) I have a perfect payment record with them for almost six
    >years. The $40 retention plan is a fine deal even without the extras.
    >
    > DGI
    >





  6. #6
    Notan
    Guest

    Re: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)

    Daran Rehmeyer wrote:
    >
    > I'm not on a contract (been with sprint for 6 or 7 years. Can you get a retention plan without doing a contract?


    The whole idea of "retention" is to "retain" you.

    No contract, no retention.

    Notan



  7. #7
    M Benz S Class
    Guest

    Re: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)

    >The whole idea of "retention" is to "retain" you.
    >
    >No contract, no retention.



    This was not true for me. I called a few months ago to get help on a new
    phone. After the lady in retention gave me all kinds of credits and free
    monthly minutes, i offered to sign a contract for more. She told me NOT to
    sign a contract. I didn't and today i have retention plan minutes (on a 29.99
    plan) and no contract. Just got the right rep, i guess.



  8. #8
    Notan
    Guest

    Re: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)

    M Benz S Class wrote:
    >
    > >The whole idea of "retention" is to "retain" you.
    > >
    > >No contract, no retention.

    >
    > This was not true for me. I called a few months ago to get help on a new
    > phone. After the lady in retention gave me all kinds of credits and free
    > monthly minutes, i offered to sign a contract for more. She told me NOT to
    > sign a contract. I didn't and today i have retention plan minutes (on a 29.99
    > plan) and no contract. Just got the right rep, i guess.


    So, basically, they offered you a deal to *not* sign up.

    I'm not saying I don't believe you, just that it doesn't make sense.

    Notan



  9. #9
    M Benz S Class
    Guest

    Re: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)

    >So, basically, they offered you a deal to *not* sign up.


    No. The rep offered me the credits and free minutes but never said i had to
    sign a contract. I was buying a new phone which i almost got for free. I
    offered to sign for a year for more credit or minutes but she said, "you don't
    want to sign a contract". It may sound weird but that's how it happened.



  10. #10
    O/Siris
    Guest

    Re: Retention - (or how to stay with Sprint PCS)

    In article <[email protected]>,
    [email protected] says...
    > >So, basically, they offered you a deal to *not* sign up.

    >
    >
    > No. The rep offered me the credits and free minutes but never said i had to
    > sign a contract. I was buying a new phone which i almost got for free. I
    > offered to sign for a year for more credit or minutes but she said, "you don't
    > want to sign a contract". It may sound weird but that's how it happened.
    >


    That rep did neither you nor SPCS any favors. When reps tear the system
    up like that, Sprint just tightens down on it to give reps less of a
    chance to do it. You did the right thing offering to sign up. The rep
    did not, although I'm glad she made you happy.

    --
    RØß
    O/Siris
    -+-
    "A thing moderately good is not so good
    as it ought to be. Moderation in temper
    is always a virtue, but moderation in
    principle is always a vice."

    Thomas Paine, "The Rights of Man", 1792



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