Can SOMEBODY explain Sprint plans?

Steve Sobol wrote:
> Bob Smith wrote:
>
>> The person to blame is .... get ready for it .... YOU!
>
>
> No, it isn't.
>
> He was trying to get educated on the different plans, and it sounds like
> the salesrep was a total goober.

That said, no salesperson no matter how skilled they may be could
possibly explain it to someone who can't be bothered to actually look at
the price points and see a difference.



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› See More: Can SOMEBODY explain Sprint plans?

JSOUL dot com wrote:

>
> Have you seen the site? The Fair and Friendly or whatever it is called
> is "the recommended" and doesn't have all the information you provided
> to me in certain areas. They have some really nice graphics but leave
> out even the small print. It's difficult to tell what the real
> difference is when you want 700 minutes and they cost the same. The
> cost is not so different either.


The cost is not so different? Wow, you can't do math!

The basic price points might start out the same, but as you progress in
usage, you start seeing huge differences in what your money will get
you. For example: both Free & Clear and Fair & Flexible will get you
300 minutes for $35, or 700 minutes for $50. However, the intermediate
price points reap HUGE differences. $65 on F&F will get you 900
minutes... while those same $65 will reap 1100 minutes on F&C. $80 gets
you 1100 minutes on F&F and 1400 minutes on F&C, and so on.

Bottom line: Free & Clear is best suited for heavy users who can
accurately predict their monthly usage and whose calling patterns are
very consistent from one month to the next. If you can do this, you can
save anywhere from $5 to $20 a month by selecting the appropriate F&C
plan and sticking within its limitations instead of just letting your
minute usage tier ride on F&F.

However, there are segments of users whose calling patterns change
drastically from one billing cycle to the next; this is who Fair and
Flexible is targeted for. They will not get the same price breaks as a
more "stable" wireless cusomer who has selected a more fixed plan, but
at the same time, they won't be gouged in overage fees. It's a middle
ground that is acceptable to a wireless user with erratic calling patters.

Now, I learned ALL of this just by going to the SprintPCS website,
punching in my zip code and looking at the plans. In fact it took
longer for me to type out my explanation than it did to for me to
actually understand it. Why couldn't you?


> Ah, so I guess actually speaking to people whose jobs it is to explain
> the difference between the plans clearly is also the fault of the
> customer.

I hate to break it to you, but it kinda IS the customer's fault if they
come into the store, incapable of understanding certain basic concepts
like the value of money and how that relates to the amount paid for an
item or service, and then expects the store salespeople to be able to
compensate for that gap.



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stevie wrote:
> is it possible to get the $5 'no roaming charges' on the F&F plan??

Yes it is. I have it added on my plan.

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On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 15:00:12 -0400, Isaiah Beard
<[email protected]> wrote:

>JSOUL dot com wrote:
>
>>
>> Have you seen the site? The Fair and Friendly or whatever it is called
>> is "the recommended" and doesn't have all the information you provided
>> to me in certain areas. They have some really nice graphics but leave
>> out even the small print. It's difficult to tell what the real
>> difference is when you want 700 minutes and they cost the same. The
>> cost is not so different either.
>
>
>The cost is not so different? Wow, you can't do math!

It depends and I guess I wasn't clear. If you are talking about
overages, it's night and day. But if you are talking about plain
minutes for your dollar, the costs don't come out so drastically
different.

>The basic price points might start out the same, but as you progress in
>usage, you start seeing huge differences in what your money will get
>you. For example: both Free & Clear and Fair & Flexible will get you
>300 minutes for $35, or 700 minutes for $50. However, the intermediate
>price points reap HUGE differences. $65 on F&F will get you 900
>minutes... while those same $65 will reap 1100 minutes on F&C. $80 gets
>you 1100 minutes on F&F and 1400 minutes on F&C, and so on.
>
>Bottom line: Free & Clear is best suited for heavy users who can
>accurately predict their monthly usage and whose calling patterns are
>very consistent from one month to the next. If you can do this, you can
>save anywhere from $5 to $20 a month by selecting the appropriate F&C
>plan and sticking within its limitations instead of just letting your
>minute usage tier ride on F&F.
>
>However, there are segments of users whose calling patterns change
>drastically from one billing cycle to the next; this is who Fair and
>Flexible is targeted for. They will not get the same price breaks as a
>more "stable" wireless cusomer who has selected a more fixed plan, but
>at the same time, they won't be gouged in overage fees. It's a middle
>ground that is acceptable to a wireless user with erratic calling patters.
>
>Now, I learned ALL of this just by going to the SprintPCS website,
>punching in my zip code and looking at the plans. In fact it took
>longer for me to type out my explanation than it did to for me to
>actually understand it. Why couldn't you?
>
>
>> Ah, so I guess actually speaking to people whose jobs it is to explain
>> the difference between the plans clearly is also the fault of the
>> customer.
>
>I hate to break it to you, but it kinda IS the customer's fault if they
>come into the store, incapable of understanding certain basic concepts
>like the value of money and how that relates to the amount paid for an
>item or service, and then expects the store salespeople to be able to
>compensate for that gap.

Actually, if you go to the web site they have all this multimedia
comparison crap. It's by far the most difficult to figure out how much
it costs you at the end of the day.

JSOUL dot com wrote:


>>I hate to break it to you, but it kinda IS the customer's fault if they
>>come into the store, incapable of understanding certain basic concepts
>>like the value of money and how that relates to the amount paid for an
>>item or service, and then expects the store salespeople to be able to
>>compensate for that gap.
>
>
> Actually, if you go to the web site they have all this multimedia
> comparison crap. It's by far the most difficult to figure out how much
> it costs you at the end of the day.

If I enter my zip code and click on "view plans," I just get some plan
blocks that clearly label the pricing and alloted minutes.

The page I'm looking at: http://tinyurl.com/5hnf3

Where is there "multimedia comparison crap" there? And how can one NOT
know how much the plans cost?

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On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 21:09:56 -0400, Isaiah Beard
<[email protected]> wrote:

>JSOUL dot com wrote:
>
>
>>>I hate to break it to you, but it kinda IS the customer's fault if they
>>>come into the store, incapable of understanding certain basic concepts
>>>like the value of money and how that relates to the amount paid for an
>>>item or service, and then expects the store salespeople to be able to
>>>compensate for that gap.
>>
>>
>> Actually, if you go to the web site they have all this multimedia
>> comparison crap. It's by far the most difficult to figure out how much
>> it costs you at the end of the day.
>
>If I enter my zip code and click on "view plans," I just get some plan
>blocks that clearly label the pricing and alloted minutes.
>
>The page I'm looking at: http://tinyurl.com/5hnf3
>
>Where is there "multimedia comparison crap" there? And how can one NOT
>know how much the plans cost?

I started off at the home page and entered in my zip code. I hit the
"see how it works." I shouldn't have. When looking at both plans they
looked the same except that you could either prebuy some extra minutes
with one plan and the other pay $5 per extra 100 minutes. I wasn't
really sure what areawide was. There really isn't much difference in
the first two plans and it would have been a whole lot easier if they
just said it's the same except you could prebuy minutes at a slightly
cheaper rate after 700 minutes with one plan.

Regarding the two year requirement, I didn't see that until way at the
bottom in small print. It could be done much better for first timers
to the site. I was probably more confused by having talked first to
the actual salespeople whom I called primarily to determine whether
they had the phone I wanted in the local store, not as per obnoxious
Bob's remark about needing to be ADD and having a sales rep explain it
to me. Honestly, I have no idea what's wrong with asking a sales rep
to clearly explain to you the difference and to explain the fine
details between each add-on, much of which is filled with marketing
language.

stevie wrote:
> is it possible to get the $5 'no roaming charges' on the F&F plan??

Yes. You can get Free & Clear America or Fair & Flexible America. $5/month
extra if you're in a market area owned and operated by Sprint corporate (not a
reseller).



--
JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / [email protected] / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

"The wisdom of a fool won't set you free"
--New Order, "Bizarre Love Triangle"

The FF does not require a 2 year Advantage Agreement. The N & W
starting at 1900 does.

The 700 minute level is the only one where the cost is the same. If
you consistently go over 1000 minutes, a FC plan would cost less.

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 11:29:32 GMT, Jerome Zelinske
<[email protected]> wrote:

> The FF does not require a 2 year Advantage Agreement. The N & W
>starting at 1900 does.

??? What is N & W? Bob insists that F & F does require two years and
I found this in the fine print in the bottom of that plan (but not in
the presentation explaining it After clicking on "Advantage
Agreement" I think that this is marketing's way of saying "your
contract" with the desire to influence the customer into feeling he's
got an "advantage" agreement and not just a regular agreement.

"A two-year Sprint PCS Advantage Agreement is required for Sprint PCS
Fair & FlexibleSMPlans and Nights starting at 7 p.m. A one-year Sprint
PCS Advantage Agreement is required for all other plans.
Month-to-month payment options may be available depending on your
plan. "

"Jerome Zelinske" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The FF does not require a 2 year Advantage Agreement. The N & W
> starting at 1900 does.

Actually Jerome, if you read the below, the two year agreement is required
for the F & F plans or if one takes the 7:00 PM N & W option.

A two-year Sprint PCS Advantage Agreement is required for Sprint PCS Fair &
FlexibleSMPlans and Nights starting at 7 p.m. A one-year Sprint PCS
Advantage Agreement is required for all other plans.

At least that's the way I'm reading it.

Bob

"JSOUL dot com" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 21:09:56 -0400, Isaiah Beard
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >JSOUL dot com wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>I hate to break it to you, but it kinda IS the customer's fault if they
> >>>come into the store, incapable of understanding certain basic concepts
> >>>like the value of money and how that relates to the amount paid for an
> >>>item or service, and then expects the store salespeople to be able to
> >>>compensate for that gap.
> >>
> >>
> >> Actually, if you go to the web site they have all this multimedia
> >> comparison crap. It's by far the most difficult to figure out how much
> >> it costs you at the end of the day.
> >
> >If I enter my zip code and click on "view plans," I just get some plan
> >blocks that clearly label the pricing and alloted minutes.
> >
> >The page I'm looking at: http://tinyurl.com/5hnf3
> >
> >Where is there "multimedia comparison crap" there? And how can one NOT
> >know how much the plans cost?
>
> I started off at the home page and entered in my zip code. I hit the
> "see how it works." I shouldn't have. When looking at both plans they
> looked the same except that you could either prebuy some extra minutes
> with one plan and the other pay $5 per extra 100 minutes. I wasn't
> really sure what areawide was. There really isn't much difference in
> the first two plans and it would have been a whole lot easier if they
> just said it's the same except you could prebuy minutes at a slightly
> cheaper rate after 700 minutes with one plan.
>
> Regarding the two year requirement, I didn't see that until way at the
> bottom in small print. It could be done much better for first timers
> to the site. I was probably more confused by having talked first to
> the actual salespeople whom I called primarily to determine whether
> they had the phone I wanted in the local store, not as per obnoxious
> Bob's remark about needing to be ADD and having a sales rep explain it
> to me. Honestly, I have no idea what's wrong with asking a sales rep
> to clearly explain to you the difference and to explain the fine
> details between each add-on, much of which is filled with marketing
> language.

ROTFLOL ... obnoxious? Just because I didn't give you ... now what did you
say? ... a break to a first time poster? All that information was available
on the website, as the rest of us have pointed out to you.

Bob
>

"JSOUL dot com" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 11:29:32 GMT, Jerome Zelinske
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The FF does not require a 2 year Advantage Agreement. The N & W
> >starting at 1900 does.
>
> ??? What is N & W? Bob insists that F & F does require two years and
> I found this in the fine print in the bottom of that plan (but not in
> the presentation explaining it After clicking on "Advantage
> Agreement" I think that this is marketing's way of saying "your
> contract" with the desire to influence the customer into feeling he's
> got an "advantage" agreement and not just a regular agreement.
>
> "A two-year Sprint PCS Advantage Agreement is required for Sprint PCS
> Fair & FlexibleSMPlans and Nights starting at 7 p.m. A one-year Sprint
> PCS Advantage Agreement is required for all other plans.
> Month-to-month payment options may be available depending on your
> plan. "

What small print? It's in the same sized font as the rest of the text on
that page. http://tinyurl.com/3uuvy

Bob

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 18:55:48 GMT, "Bob Smith"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"JSOUL dot com" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 21:09:56 -0400, Isaiah Beard
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >JSOUL dot com wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> >>>I hate to break it to you, but it kinda IS the customer's fault if they
>> >>>come into the store, incapable of understanding certain basic concepts
>> >>>like the value of money and how that relates to the amount paid for an
>> >>>item or service, and then expects the store salespeople to be able to
>> >>>compensate for that gap.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Actually, if you go to the web site they have all this multimedia
>> >> comparison crap. It's by far the most difficult to figure out how much
>> >> it costs you at the end of the day.
>> >
>> >If I enter my zip code and click on "view plans," I just get some plan
>> >blocks that clearly label the pricing and alloted minutes.
>> >
>> >The page I'm looking at: http://tinyurl.com/5hnf3
>> >
>> >Where is there "multimedia comparison crap" there? And how can one NOT
>> >know how much the plans cost?
>>
>> I started off at the home page and entered in my zip code. I hit the
>> "see how it works." I shouldn't have. When looking at both plans they
>> looked the same except that you could either prebuy some extra minutes
>> with one plan and the other pay $5 per extra 100 minutes. I wasn't
>> really sure what areawide was. There really isn't much difference in
>> the first two plans and it would have been a whole lot easier if they
>> just said it's the same except you could prebuy minutes at a slightly
>> cheaper rate after 700 minutes with one plan.
>>
>> Regarding the two year requirement, I didn't see that until way at the
>> bottom in small print. It could be done much better for first timers
>> to the site. I was probably more confused by having talked first to
>> the actual salespeople whom I called primarily to determine whether
>> they had the phone I wanted in the local store, not as per obnoxious
>> Bob's remark about needing to be ADD and having a sales rep explain it
>> to me. Honestly, I have no idea what's wrong with asking a sales rep
>> to clearly explain to you the difference and to explain the fine
>> details between each add-on, much of which is filled with marketing
>> language.
>
>ROTFLOL ... obnoxious? Just because I didn't give you ... now what did you
>say? ... a break to a first time poster? All that information was available
>on the website, as the rest of us have pointed out to you.

Bob, it seems that I do a better job of reading than you do since now
you're into writing and/or reading ficition in your attempt to
ridicule me.

As others have pointed out, it's pathetic when you first speak to
Sprint salesman who can't even convey the plans clearly and cause
confusion.

Others have disagreed with you. Even after thanking you for the
information you feel this compelling need to be obnoxious yet again
and now making things up. That's actually amusing. Enjoy your roll on
the floor in your hysterical fit.

"Bob Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> Steve, he didn't even go to the store. He said he called the store. All
> the
> information was listed on the site, and he apparently knew that there were
> two sets of plans, and they are fairly easy to understand.

Perhaps for you, but it's incredible that you'd suggest a consumer is at
fault for calling a Sprint store to get some clarification on the plans.

> As for the fault, I didn't discount the sales force not telling the OP the
> differences. We don't know squat about what salesman, or the length of
> time
> the salesman has been out of training whether the salesman was even taught
> about the F & C plans.

A good salesperson who is new on the job or doesn't know the difference will
say as much. It's very poor (albeit pretty common) behavior for salespeople
to try to pretend they know more than they do.

> He could have instructed in his training to push F &
> F, as SPCS may be phasing out those other plans.

There's nothing wrong with "pushing" a particular plan, but it's unethical
when that "push" turns into purposely misleading statements (the salesperson
saying "there's no difference!"), if that's what your suggested occured.

---Joel Kolstad