Sprint Non-Rant!

I've often vented/ranted about SPCS here. I've also read, and probably
ranted myself, about current customers feeling a bit cheated, compared
to new customers. I thought I'd mention a positive experience with SPCS,
and a case where staying with SPCS may have been advantageous.

I've been with SPCS for around 5 years now. Through the years I've
negotiated to the point where I feel my plan is acceptable. For a $100
per month I have 3 "lines," 2,000 AT minutes, unlimited (7 PM) N&W
minutes, unlimited SMS, and unlimited PCS-to-PCS. I have unlimited
Vision on each phone, but don't actually "pay" for it per se, as it
isn't broken out via a line-item on my bill. (Due to Vision issues
during its launch, it was added to my account--for all phones--at no
charge.)

Anyway, I've been wanting a Treo 650 for some time now, and figured I'd
see what SPCS could do. While I didn't qualify for a SPCS instant
rebate, I am--or was--no longer under contract. I checked into Cingular,
somewhat new to my area, who are offering the Treo for $400 (after a $50
mail-in rebate).

SPCS doesn't really have a "presence" in my city, as their only store is
an "Express" version (third-party dealer, essentially). This has
occasionally been problematic, as the Express store is, on average, far
less than helpful. Cingular though, has really been promoting
themselves, and have a friendly well-staffed store. After visiting each
Website, I found that I could get a Treo for $400 from Cingular (after a
$50 mail-in rebate) or $550 from SPCS.

I was looking for was a way to at least have SPCS match Cingular's price
(SPCS's price, after $200 instant savings, is $350). Alas, SPCS's newly
designed Website, apparently, won't let people in affiliate markets
"shop" online at all. Using my zip code, they won't even let me browse
phones (nor plans, for that matter). I thought that perhaps Cingular
might be better indeed. But I at least wanted to see what SPCS would do
first.

So I called *2. Greeted with a stern warning of "extremely long hold
times" I simply told Clair II "cancel service," which I knew would take
me to whatever they call retention today. I was connected in less than
60-seconds. I kid you not.

The CSR was amazingly knowledgeable! She knew all about the recent
changes to the Website--and actually complained about it waaay more than
I did. I didn't specifically mention canceling, but did say that
Cingular's deal on the Treo was looking rather attractive, and that not
having a true store or even a Website to deal with with SPCS was not
fun.

She noted that I had received a (new) warranty phone back in late '04,
and that I didn't actually qualify for the $200 instant savings. I
noted, jokingly, that I was aware of that, but that I also wasn't under
contract with SPCS. <g>

I also noted that I wouldn't be eligible for any instant savings anyway,
as the phone that was replaced under warranty was still less than a year
old (a Sanyo 8200). Interestingly, she knew exactly how the
instant-savings works, or at least should work: the clock is reset when
a phone is activated--if that phone has never been activated on SPCS
before (which is the case with a brand-new warranty phone).

Regardless, she gave me one of the most sincere-sounding retention
speeches I've ever heard from SPCS. She offered a $50 instant credit,
and a $150 mail-in rebate. I declined, mentioning how badly rebates
often turn out to be. She agreed, and then started to see if perhaps she
could offer me something else on my plan, to more than make up for the
$200.

After reviewing my plan--particularly that "free" unlimited Vision
part--she said that there wasn't much more that could be offered without
reverting to a pay-for-Vision plan. In particular, she noted that my
current "grandfathered" Vision package would include Vision on the Treo,
and that alone wasn't a bad deal. I agreed, and she then asked what she
could do to keep me happy as a customer. I told her I'd be OK if they
could at least match Cingular's price for the Treo.

After conferring with a supervisor (for less than 3 minutes), she came
back and said she'd already gotten approval to give me the $200 instant
credit, which made my cost even less than Cingular's--and no mail-in
rebate to deal with. I was online at the time and sure enough the credit
was already there. She then said that she had gotten approval to waive
any shipping charges (UPS next-day), as the new Website didn't allow me
to order the phone online, where, apparently, there is no shipping fee.
I thanked her, as the Website would never have given the $200 credit
anyway.

Then she again tried to find a way to add something more to my plan, or
more-accurately, reduce my monthly bill (I had explained that I rarely
exceed 75% of my AT minutes, so more minutes didn't really mean much).
But alas she noted again that, at this point, all of the options she had
to lower my monthly charges (for voice) would be negated by having to
pay, even if discounted, for unlimited SMS and Vision on all phones
(features I use). We agreed to leave the plan alone, and I agreed to a
two-year contract for the Treo-only. The other two lines are billed at
$20 each per month ($60 for my main phone), and can be cancelled at any
time without an ETF. I gave her my CC number and it was billed for $350.

Did I get much? Not really. But the $200, and not having to pay any
extra for Vision on the Treo seemed like enough to me. As I said
earlier, I'm not sure I can do better anyway. I priced a similar plan
with Cingular, with (nearly) all the features I have on my plan now,
except with only 1400 AT minutes (albeit with Rollover):

$90 - Nation 1400 FamilyTalk w/Rollover (two lines)
$10 - Additional line
$14 - 7 PM N&W
$40 - Data Connect Unlimited (for Treo)
$20 - "Media Works" (Includes 5MB 'Net access--not unlimited)
$20 - "Media Works" (for line three, the above was for line two)

Total: $194

Granted, I might be able to get away with less minutes, due to Rollover.
But as we use around 1,200-1,500 minutes per month right now, I'd at
least have to start at 1,400 with Cingular. Actually, unless I'm missing
something, the next level down is a 700 minute family plan. I don't
think that would ever cut-it for me (and it's only $20 less).

I did try to price Verizon, and got as far as selecting a 1,400 minute
family plan ($100 per month for three phones?), plus a Treo 650 ($400),
and unlimited data for the Treo ($45 per month) before I got stopped by
an "Upgrading Our Website" message. I have had enough of that crap with
SPCS, I certainly am not going to go from the frying pan into the fire.
Regardless, I don't think either Cingular or Verizon could come close to
what I'm paying now (with the same services).

And had I switched, I'd be just another new customer. I would assume, as
time passes, I'd be able to get "retention" deals from the other
carriers too. But this last phone call with SPCS really did make me feel
like they appreciated my business (the CSR certainly made a point of
mentioning the length of time I had been a customer).

I do realize I am now stuck with a CDMA-only phone. After recently
making a point about how important AMPS was, I turn right around and buy
an AMPS-less phone. Lovely. But for the record, I did check my AMPS
roaming usage: it was far below what I had assumed (28 minutes over the
last year--all in the boonies, where I made sure the calls were short).
Being in an affiliate market, the one thing I can't get from SPCS is
F&CA (I can only get 100 minutes for $10). So, with taxes and LD, those
roaming minutes cost me about a dollar each (as opposed to $120 had I
added the roaming option). I suppose I could keep a spare AMPS phone in
the car for the boonies, and pack it when I travel.

As usual YMMV. And this post in no way means I will be any less critical
of SPCS should anything negative occur in the future (even tomorrow).

If you've read this far, thank you.


--
Mike

---

› See More: Sprint Non-Rant!

Sprint rules!

"Tinman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've often vented/ranted about SPCS here. I've also read, and probably
> ranted myself, about current customers feeling a bit cheated, compared to
> new customers. I thought I'd mention a positive experience with SPCS, and
> a case where staying with SPCS may have been advantageous.
>
> I've been with SPCS for around 5 years now. Through the years I've
> negotiated to the point where I feel my plan is acceptable. For a $100 per
> month I have 3 "lines," 2,000 AT minutes, unlimited (7 PM) N&W minutes,
> unlimited SMS, and unlimited PCS-to-PCS. I have unlimited Vision on each
> phone, but don't actually "pay" for it per se, as it isn't broken out via
> a line-item on my bill. (Due to Vision issues during its launch, it was
> added to my account--for all phones--at no charge.)
>
> Anyway, I've been wanting a Treo 650 for some time now, and figured I'd
> see what SPCS could do. While I didn't qualify for a SPCS instant rebate,
> I am--or was--no longer under contract. I checked into Cingular, somewhat
> new to my area, who are offering the Treo for $400 (after a $50 mail-in
> rebate).
>
> SPCS doesn't really have a "presence" in my city, as their only store is
> an "Express" version (third-party dealer, essentially). This has
> occasionally been problematic, as the Express store is, on average, far
> less than helpful. Cingular though, has really been promoting themselves,
> and have a friendly well-staffed store. After visiting each Website, I
> found that I could get a Treo for $400 from Cingular (after a $50 mail-in
> rebate) or $550 from SPCS.
>
> I was looking for was a way to at least have SPCS match Cingular's price
> (SPCS's price, after $200 instant savings, is $350). Alas, SPCS's newly
> designed Website, apparently, won't let people in affiliate markets "shop"
> online at all. Using my zip code, they won't even let me browse phones
> (nor plans, for that matter). I thought that perhaps Cingular might be
> better indeed. But I at least wanted to see what SPCS would do first.
>
> So I called *2. Greeted with a stern warning of "extremely long hold
> times" I simply told Clair II "cancel service," which I knew would take me
> to whatever they call retention today. I was connected in less than
> 60-seconds. I kid you not.
>
> The CSR was amazingly knowledgeable! She knew all about the recent changes
> to the Website--and actually complained about it waaay more than I did. I
> didn't specifically mention canceling, but did say that Cingular's deal on
> the Treo was looking rather attractive, and that not having a true store
> or even a Website to deal with with SPCS was not fun.
>
> She noted that I had received a (new) warranty phone back in late '04, and
> that I didn't actually qualify for the $200 instant savings. I noted,
> jokingly, that I was aware of that, but that I also wasn't under contract
> with SPCS. <g>
>
> I also noted that I wouldn't be eligible for any instant savings anyway,
> as the phone that was replaced under warranty was still less than a year
> old (a Sanyo 8200). Interestingly, she knew exactly how the
> instant-savings works, or at least should work: the clock is reset when a
> phone is activated--if that phone has never been activated on SPCS before
> (which is the case with a brand-new warranty phone).
>
> Regardless, she gave me one of the most sincere-sounding retention
> speeches I've ever heard from SPCS. She offered a $50 instant credit, and
> a $150 mail-in rebate. I declined, mentioning how badly rebates often turn
> out to be. She agreed, and then started to see if perhaps she could offer
> me something else on my plan, to more than make up for the $200.
>
> After reviewing my plan--particularly that "free" unlimited Vision
> part--she said that there wasn't much more that could be offered without
> reverting to a pay-for-Vision plan. In particular, she noted that my
> current "grandfathered" Vision package would include Vision on the Treo,
> and that alone wasn't a bad deal. I agreed, and she then asked what she
> could do to keep me happy as a customer. I told her I'd be OK if they
> could at least match Cingular's price for the Treo.
>
> After conferring with a supervisor (for less than 3 minutes), she came
> back and said she'd already gotten approval to give me the $200 instant
> credit, which made my cost even less than Cingular's--and no mail-in
> rebate to deal with. I was online at the time and sure enough the credit
> was already there. She then said that she had gotten approval to waive any
> shipping charges (UPS next-day), as the new Website didn't allow me to
> order the phone online, where, apparently, there is no shipping fee. I
> thanked her, as the Website would never have given the $200 credit anyway.
>
> Then she again tried to find a way to add something more to my plan, or
> more-accurately, reduce my monthly bill (I had explained that I rarely
> exceed 75% of my AT minutes, so more minutes didn't really mean much). But
> alas she noted again that, at this point, all of the options she had to
> lower my monthly charges (for voice) would be negated by having to pay,
> even if discounted, for unlimited SMS and Vision on all phones (features I
> use). We agreed to leave the plan alone, and I agreed to a two-year
> contract for the Treo-only. The other two lines are billed at $20 each per
> month ($60 for my main phone), and can be cancelled at any time without an
> ETF. I gave her my CC number and it was billed for $350.
>
> Did I get much? Not really. But the $200, and not having to pay any extra
> for Vision on the Treo seemed like enough to me. As I said earlier, I'm
> not sure I can do better anyway. I priced a similar plan with Cingular,
> with (nearly) all the features I have on my plan now, except with only
> 1400 AT minutes (albeit with Rollover):
>
> $90 - Nation 1400 FamilyTalk w/Rollover (two lines)
> $10 - Additional line
> $14 - 7 PM N&W
> $40 - Data Connect Unlimited (for Treo)
> $20 - "Media Works" (Includes 5MB 'Net access--not unlimited)
> $20 - "Media Works" (for line three, the above was for line two)
>
> Total: $194
>
> Granted, I might be able to get away with less minutes, due to Rollover.
> But as we use around 1,200-1,500 minutes per month right now, I'd at least
> have to start at 1,400 with Cingular. Actually, unless I'm missing
> something, the next level down is a 700 minute family plan. I don't think
> that would ever cut-it for me (and it's only $20 less).
>
> I did try to price Verizon, and got as far as selecting a 1,400 minute
> family plan ($100 per month for three phones?), plus a Treo 650 ($400),
> and unlimited data for the Treo ($45 per month) before I got stopped by an
> "Upgrading Our Website" message. I have had enough of that crap with SPCS,
> I certainly am not going to go from the frying pan into the fire.
> Regardless, I don't think either Cingular or Verizon could come close to
> what I'm paying now (with the same services).
>
> And had I switched, I'd be just another new customer. I would assume, as
> time passes, I'd be able to get "retention" deals from the other carriers
> too. But this last phone call with SPCS really did make me feel like they
> appreciated my business (the CSR certainly made a point of mentioning the
> length of time I had been a customer).
>
> I do realize I am now stuck with a CDMA-only phone. After recently making
> a point about how important AMPS was, I turn right around and buy an
> AMPS-less phone. Lovely. But for the record, I did check my AMPS roaming
> usage: it was far below what I had assumed (28 minutes over the last
> year--all in the boonies, where I made sure the calls were short). Being
> in an affiliate market, the one thing I can't get from SPCS is F&CA (I can
> only get 100 minutes for $10). So, with taxes and LD, those roaming
> minutes cost me about a dollar each (as opposed to $120 had I added the
> roaming option). I suppose I could keep a spare AMPS phone in the car for
> the boonies, and pack it when I travel.
>
> As usual YMMV. And this post in no way means I will be any less critical
> of SPCS should anything negative occur in the future (even tomorrow).
>
> If you've read this far, thank you.
>
>
>--
> Mike
>

Mij Adyaw wrote:
> Sprint rules!

In some ways, they do. Their data prices and packages, IMHO, are better than
most other carriers'.

--
Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
Company website: http://JustThe.net/
Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/
E: [email protected] Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307

Their coverage is Southern Kali-fournia is solid as a rock. I drive
frequently from LAX to Carlsbad while on a conference call without ever a
glitch. That is a well implemented network.


"Steve Sobol" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mij Adyaw wrote:
>> Sprint rules!
>
> In some ways, they do. Their data prices and packages, IMHO, are better
> than most other carriers'.
>
> --
> Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
> Company website: http://JustThe.net/
> Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/
> E: [email protected] Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307

Mike, I feel the same way...after having been with the rest all I can say is
that SPRINT PCS is still by far the very best and keeps getting better all
the time and the Nextel business customer base makes them even better not to
mention the 2.1 gig band that Nextel brings with it.
"Tinman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've often vented/ranted about SPCS here. I've also read, and probably
> ranted myself, about current customers feeling a bit cheated, compared to
> new customers. I thought I'd mention a positive experience with SPCS, and
> a case where staying with SPCS may have been advantageous.
>
> I've been with SPCS for around 5 years now. Through the years I've
> negotiated to the point where I feel my plan is acceptable. For a $100 per
> month I have 3 "lines," 2,000 AT minutes, unlimited (7 PM) N&W minutes,
> unlimited SMS, and unlimited PCS-to-PCS. I have unlimited Vision on each
> phone, but don't actually "pay" for it per se, as it isn't broken out via
> a line-item on my bill. (Due to Vision issues during its launch, it was
> added to my account--for all phones--at no charge.)
>
> Anyway, I've been wanting a Treo 650 for some time now, and figured I'd
> see what SPCS could do. While I didn't qualify for a SPCS instant rebate,
> I am--or was--no longer under contract. I checked into Cingular, somewhat
> new to my area, who are offering the Treo for $400 (after a $50 mail-in
> rebate).
>
> SPCS doesn't really have a "presence" in my city, as their only store is
> an "Express" version (third-party dealer, essentially). This has
> occasionally been problematic, as the Express store is, on average, far
> less than helpful. Cingular though, has really been promoting themselves,
> and have a friendly well-staffed store. After visiting each Website, I
> found that I could get a Treo for $400 from Cingular (after a $50 mail-in
> rebate) or $550 from SPCS.
>
> I was looking for was a way to at least have SPCS match Cingular's price
> (SPCS's price, after $200 instant savings, is $350). Alas, SPCS's newly
> designed Website, apparently, won't let people in affiliate markets "shop"
> online at all. Using my zip code, they won't even let me browse phones
> (nor plans, for that matter). I thought that perhaps Cingular might be
> better indeed. But I at least wanted to see what SPCS would do first.
>
> So I called *2. Greeted with a stern warning of "extremely long hold
> times" I simply told Clair II "cancel service," which I knew would take me
> to whatever they call retention today. I was connected in less than
> 60-seconds. I kid you not.
>
> The CSR was amazingly knowledgeable! She knew all about the recent changes
> to the Website--and actually complained about it waaay more than I did. I
> didn't specifically mention canceling, but did say that Cingular's deal on
> the Treo was looking rather attractive, and that not having a true store
> or even a Website to deal with with SPCS was not fun.
>
> She noted that I had received a (new) warranty phone back in late '04, and
> that I didn't actually qualify for the $200 instant savings. I noted,
> jokingly, that I was aware of that, but that I also wasn't under contract
> with SPCS. <g>
>
> I also noted that I wouldn't be eligible for any instant savings anyway,
> as the phone that was replaced under warranty was still less than a year
> old (a Sanyo 8200). Interestingly, she knew exactly how the
> instant-savings works, or at least should work: the clock is reset when a
> phone is activated--if that phone has never been activated on SPCS before
> (which is the case with a brand-new warranty phone).
>
> Regardless, she gave me one of the most sincere-sounding retention
> speeches I've ever heard from SPCS. She offered a $50 instant credit, and
> a $150 mail-in rebate. I declined, mentioning how badly rebates often turn
> out to be. She agreed, and then started to see if perhaps she could offer
> me something else on my plan, to more than make up for the $200.
>
> After reviewing my plan--particularly that "free" unlimited Vision
> part--she said that there wasn't much more that could be offered without
> reverting to a pay-for-Vision plan. In particular, she noted that my
> current "grandfathered" Vision package would include Vision on the Treo,
> and that alone wasn't a bad deal. I agreed, and she then asked what she
> could do to keep me happy as a customer. I told her I'd be OK if they
> could at least match Cingular's price for the Treo.
>
> After conferring with a supervisor (for less than 3 minutes), she came
> back and said she'd already gotten approval to give me the $200 instant
> credit, which made my cost even less than Cingular's--and no mail-in
> rebate to deal with. I was online at the time and sure enough the credit
> was already there. She then said that she had gotten approval to waive any
> shipping charges (UPS next-day), as the new Website didn't allow me to
> order the phone online, where, apparently, there is no shipping fee. I
> thanked her, as the Website would never have given the $200 credit anyway.
>
> Then she again tried to find a way to add something more to my plan, or
> more-accurately, reduce my monthly bill (I had explained that I rarely
> exceed 75% of my AT minutes, so more minutes didn't really mean much). But
> alas she noted again that, at this point, all of the options she had to
> lower my monthly charges (for voice) would be negated by having to pay,
> even if discounted, for unlimited SMS and Vision on all phones (features I
> use). We agreed to leave the plan alone, and I agreed to a two-year
> contract for the Treo-only. The other two lines are billed at $20 each per
> month ($60 for my main phone), and can be cancelled at any time without an
> ETF. I gave her my CC number and it was billed for $350.
>
> Did I get much? Not really. But the $200, and not having to pay any extra
> for Vision on the Treo seemed like enough to me. As I said earlier, I'm
> not sure I can do better anyway. I priced a similar plan with Cingular,
> with (nearly) all the features I have on my plan now, except with only
> 1400 AT minutes (albeit with Rollover):
>
> $90 - Nation 1400 FamilyTalk w/Rollover (two lines)
> $10 - Additional line
> $14 - 7 PM N&W
> $40 - Data Connect Unlimited (for Treo)
> $20 - "Media Works" (Includes 5MB 'Net access--not unlimited)
> $20 - "Media Works" (for line three, the above was for line two)
>
> Total: $194
>
> Granted, I might be able to get away with less minutes, due to Rollover.
> But as we use around 1,200-1,500 minutes per month right now, I'd at least
> have to start at 1,400 with Cingular. Actually, unless I'm missing
> something, the next level down is a 700 minute family plan. I don't think
> that would ever cut-it for me (and it's only $20 less).
>
> I did try to price Verizon, and got as far as selecting a 1,400 minute
> family plan ($100 per month for three phones?), plus a Treo 650 ($400),
> and unlimited data for the Treo ($45 per month) before I got stopped by an
> "Upgrading Our Website" message. I have had enough of that crap with SPCS,
> I certainly am not going to go from the frying pan into the fire.
> Regardless, I don't think either Cingular or Verizon could come close to
> what I'm paying now (with the same services).
>
> And had I switched, I'd be just another new customer. I would assume, as
> time passes, I'd be able to get "retention" deals from the other carriers
> too. But this last phone call with SPCS really did make me feel like they
> appreciated my business (the CSR certainly made a point of mentioning the
> length of time I had been a customer).
>
> I do realize I am now stuck with a CDMA-only phone. After recently making
> a point about how important AMPS was, I turn right around and buy an
> AMPS-less phone. Lovely. But for the record, I did check my AMPS roaming
> usage: it was far below what I had assumed (28 minutes over the last
> year--all in the boonies, where I made sure the calls were short). Being
> in an affiliate market, the one thing I can't get from SPCS is F&CA (I can
> only get 100 minutes for $10). So, with taxes and LD, those roaming
> minutes cost me about a dollar each (as opposed to $120 had I added the
> roaming option). I suppose I could keep a spare AMPS phone in the car for
> the boonies, and pack it when I travel.
>
> As usual YMMV. And this post in no way means I will be any less critical
> of SPCS should anything negative occur in the future (even tomorrow).
>
> If you've read this far, thank you.
>
>
>--
> Mike
>