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Ok I am one of the ones who copped the Hero back in October and don't have an upgrade until October 2010. But I want the EVO but definately don't want to pay $450 for it. Well I thought of every way possible to come into getting it but nothing would really benefit me. So as a last ditch effort I just decided to go to the sprint chat and take a chance. I am in no way saying this will work for anyone else/everyone else but just sharing what I did. (BTW I have been with sprint over 10 years)
Basically after getting on the chat, I pretty much laid out my case about how I don't understand why loyal customers like myself who for years have been loyal to sprint can't get in on the promotions, when new customers can reap all the benefits. I even provided numbers on the approx amount I have invested in sprint over the years, and I could tell the person agreed with my position because he really didn't have a response. I could see him start typing something atleast 5 times, then he would delete it or something but he never responded. After about 5 mins, he says one moment. Looks up my info and says well as a sign of goodwill I can give you $150 off the price and you can get it for $300. So he makes a note on my account and all I have to do it order it June 4th or whenever sprint starts taking orders and get it overnighted.
So I didn't end up with the $199 promotion but I did end up with something, and I still keep my upgrade in October. Just wanted to share in case anyone else was in my situation. HAPPY EVO HUNTING!!!!
That's awesome, congrats dude! Too bad though because I'm sure most people haven't been with sprint for ten years :\.
TickLe MY eLMo said:
That's awesome, congrats dude! Too bad though because I'm sure most people haven't been with sprint for ten years :\.
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Yeah I been with them since they were just nextel. My first phone was the i-60 (I think thats what it was called). That dumb brick looking phone with the direct connect, lol.
That's the way to do it! I have been with Sprint since 2000 and have been a VERY loyal customer. Word on the street is that Sprint is hemorrhaging customers, so they have to do what they can to keep them.
If you talk with customer support and try to reason with them, they will be pretty helpful. You basically tell them that it's much more expensive and difficult to get a new customer than to keep an old one (this is taught in all marketing classes). If you talk to enough people and get high up in the chain (managers, etc), it will all work out.
I've been with Sprint for 8 years, so maybe I will hit up the chat and work for some pity.
Bypass all the low tier level CS an go straight to the top-Sprint Corporate. These guys have the power to do anything and everything to your account and super fast.
If you been with sprint more than 8 years they will work something out for you.
In my case in 5 minutes time I got my account reset for full upgrade path and qualify for rebate on the EVO.
My cost EVP Preorder:
449.00
-150.00 Upgrade
-100.00 rebate
Total:
$199.99
In Sprint Corporate they do believe loyalty should be rewarded.
ProGeek said:
Bypass all the low tier level CS an go straight to the top-Sprint Corporate. These guys have the power to do anything and everything to your account.
If you been with sprint more than 8 years they will work something out for you.
In my case I got my account reset for full upgrade path and qualify for rebate on the EVO.
My cost was:
449.00
-150.00 Upgrade
-100.00 rebate
Total:
$199.99
In Sprint Corporate they do believe loyalty should be rewarded.
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How do you get in contact with them, though?
thebiles said:
how do you get in contact with them, though?
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8667270665
Bro I'm willing to bet that when you get the Evo you will renew your contract.
Even if he renews his contract, I don't think that he will really be upset about it unless he planned on leaving Sprint.
swaze said:
Ok I am one of the ones who copped the Hero back in October and don't have an upgrade until October 2010. But I want the EVO but definately don't want to pay $450 for it. Well I thought of every way possible to come into getting it but nothing would really benefit me. So as a last ditch effort I just decided to go to the sprint chat and take a chance. I am in no way saying this will work for anyone else/everyone else but just sharing what I did. (BTW I have been with sprint over 10 years)
Basically after getting on the chat, I pretty much laid out my case about how I don't understand why loyal customers like myself who for years have been loyal to sprint can't get in on the promotions, when new customers can reap all the benefits. I even provided numbers on the approx amount I have invested in sprint over the years, and I could tell the person agreed with my position because he really didn't have a response. I could see him start typing something atleast 5 times, then he would delete it or something but he never responded. After about 5 mins, he says one moment. Looks up my info and says well as a sign of goodwill I can give you $150 off the price and you can get it for $300. So he makes a note on my account and all I have to do it order it June 4th or whenever sprint starts taking orders and get it overnighted.
So I didn't end up with the $199 promotion but I did end up with something, and I still keep my upgrade in October. Just wanted to share in case anyone else was in my situation. HAPPY EVO HUNTING!!!!
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lol, definitely didn't work for me
I am using sprint only for half year. So I don't need to try any way. I just pay the full price or wait for Dec this year to get 75 off. I think I'll get the phone in full price, then sold my Hero, after Dec I can get another phone then sell it.
Well turns out my brother in law is eligible for an upgrade and he said that he would do it for me in exchange he wants my Hero; no cash (i already gave him my HTC Touch for free). Anyway, I went to the sprint site and they changed the way you can activate a phone from the last time I used it (a long time ago). now you can swap phones with one that is already on your account online. I was going to swap phones with my brother in law online but I see that we can't do that now. May have to go to sprint store to do this.
has anyone swapped phones with another account holder? did you have any problems doing it?
unknown_owner said:
Well turns out my brother in law is eligible for an upgrade and he said that he would do it for me in exchange he wants my Hero; no cash (i already gave him my HTC Touch for free). Anyway, I went to the sprint site and they changed the way you can activate a phone from the last time I used it (a long time ago). now you can swap phones with one that is already on your account online. I was going to swap phones with my brother in law online but I see that we can't do that now. May have to go to sprint store to do this.
has anyone swapped phones with another account holder? did you have any problems doing it?
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I transfered account from another guy to get mine, took over his contract and he gave me his vogue for free.
just have a third phone handy, i did with my uncle, when i upgraded from my instinct to the HTC touch pro..
I plan on adding a line to my family plan for $10 extra a month, giving my Hero to wife and my wife is giving her phone to my mom who has Cricket service After I get the new line with the EVO I will call Sprint and tell them that we want to change the phones around so I can have my number program to the EVO
I called a Sprint rep just 10 minutes ago and they said this is do-able
I'm happy for you that you got 150 off your EVO, but you weren't getting screwed. You already took advantage of the new customer pricing in october when you bought the Hero.
Again, I'm glad Sprint rewarded you for being a loyal customer, but people shouldn't come to this thread and get your hopes up. It's probably not going to happen for most of you.
clamknuckle said:
I'm happy for you that you got 150 off your EVO, but you weren't getting screwed. You already took advantage of the new customer pricing in october when you bought the Hero.
Again, I'm glad Sprint rewarded you for being a loyal customer, but people shouldn't come to this thread and get your hopes up. It's probably not going to happen for most of you.
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Its your opinion, but i wasn't a new customer in October either. Think about it. I have been on one of the high end plans over 10 years. So I have been consistently investing in sprint for a while now. So anyone who reaps the benefit of the EVO coming from some other carrier or new to sprint is getting it for $199. They haven't invested a dime yet, but they reap the benefit now. Thats just how I feel. They didn't have to give it to me, i wasn't gonna leave sprint, but IMO its people like me who keep this company afloat and its also people like me who are often ignored because we have already signed a contract so no incentive to please us anymore. Not very good business but I understand thats how it goes.
Just keep in mind that if you swap with him before 30 days he will no longer be eligible for the $100 MIR.
ElAguila said:
Just keep in mind that if you swap with him before 30 days he will no longer be eligible for the $100 MIR.
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or if you just get it from BB you don't have to worry about the MIR
Anybody here had any dealings with Sprint Early Termination? I wonder if there is some sort of lemon clause or something. I'm on my 4th EVO in 4 months. Screen, USB, Volume Rocker, USB. They have replaced it under warranty each time, no charge. I guess i have a pretty good argument. This is a business phone/account so down time is money. Even if its only a couple hours each issue. Well you can bet that i'll give it a try. Hopefully the Nexus S will give me the nudge i need to call and raise hell. My 4th New EVO will be here Tuesday. At least i'll have a new phone to sell.. That's if you can keep the phone when you early terminate. Can you? I wonder if you can keep it if they let you out early... Like my situation. Hmmm Anybody had any dealings with either scenario? Thanks in advance!
ps. Please dont turn this thread in to an EVO is a great phone, why would you want to cancel thread. I know its a great phone.. When it works. I really want to get back to t-mobile. I had absolutely no issues with them in the past...Years of service. They are cheaper and their 4g is available in my area. Sprint is not, and has no plans to be any time soon. Thanks so much.
When I was on my Fourth Evo in three months, I called and told them that their customer service sucked and that T-Mobile customer service was way better. Told them that I was seriously rethinking my choices in switching to Sprint. After about 30 minutes of putting down the customer service rep's supervisor, they transfered me to someone higher up who told me that they would cancel my service.
That wasn't my objective, my objective was getting a credit because I was traveling about 30 miles to the store where I purchased my phone to get replacements. That was a 45 minute trip each way, plus waiting in the store for an average of 45 minutes. That's 2 hours and 15 minutes with no compensation. In the end, I ended getting a 100 dollar credit and was put on a employers discount plan.
I sometimes wonder whether there's some kind of check box or something in our account information that tells customer service who won't take any crap. They used to kick me around, but they've treated me like a VIP ever since I reported Sprint to the Better Business Bureau and the States Attorneys General of both California (where I live) and Kansas (where Sprint does).
This dates back to when the Treo 600 was Sprint's flagship phone. I bought one when they were brand new and exactly a year and a week later it quit connecting to the network. Sprint told me that they couldn't fix a phone that was out of warranty (even for a fee) and I'd have to send it to Palm. Palm insisted (correctly) that they were under contractual obligation which prevented them from fixing Sprint phones and I'd have to take it to Sprint. Neither company would budge so I was stuck with a broken phone which was still one of Sprints flagship products.
Now I didn't think it was right that an expensive device like a year-old Treo 600 could be considered disposable, so I complained to the organizations I mentioned above and it wasn't long before I was contacted by a representative from Sprint's "Executive & Regulatory Services" who was eager to help me. Too bad it was before Verizon coined the phrase 'cause I would have loved to ask them "Can you hear me now?"
Anyway, I got a new Treo 650 (when they were still vaporware), a generous credit, and a guarantee that Sprint had addressed the "misunderstanding" and it wouldn't happen to other customers. And like I said, I've been treated like a VIP when I call Sprint ever since.
Apparently they don't forget who they can kick around and who they can't.
Pete
PGRtoo said:
I sometimes wonder whether there's some kind of check box or something in our account information that tells customer service who won't take any crap. They used to kick me around, but they've treated me like a VIP ever since I reported Sprint to the Better Business Bureau and the States Attorneys General of both California (where I live) and Kansas (where Sprint does).
This dates back to when the Treo 600 was Sprint's flagship phone. I bought one when they were brand new and exactly a year and a week later it quit connecting to the network. Sprint told me that they couldn't fix a phone that was out of warranty (even for a fee) and I'd have to send it to Palm. Palm insisted (correctly) that they were under contractual obligation which prevented them from fixing Sprint phones and I'd have to take it to Sprint. Neither company would budge so I was stuck with a broken phone which was still one of Sprints flagship products.
Now I didn't think it was right that an expensive device like a year-old Treo 600 could be considered disposable, so I complained to the organizations I mentioned above and it wasn't long before I was contacted by a representative from Sprint's "Executive & Regulatory Services" who was eager to help me. Too bad it was before Verizon coined the phrase 'cause I would have loved to ask them "Can you hear me now?"
Anyway, I got a new Treo 650 (when they were still vaporware), a generous credit, and a guarantee that Sprint had addressed the "misunderstanding" and it wouldn't happen to other customers. And like I said, I've been treated like a VIP when I call Sprint ever since.
Apparently they don't forget who they can kick around and who they can't.
Pete
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It's not cause you reported them to the BBB but because Sprint made a fundamental change in their business operations once CEO Dan Hesse was brought on board. The very first thing he did was overhaul the customer service departments. Sprint from 2006 is not the Sprint of today.
I think it's only fair to give them credit.
I had went through 5 hero's (dust under screen, buttons,ect) When I got my 5th with speaker problems they told me that I had to buy a new phone because they only give out 5 replacements max. After 1 week of calling over and over talking to a mess of different people and complaining they bumped my upgrade eligibility up by 8 months and now sitting with my EVO. Thank you sprint.
As long as your contract is settled if they want you to pay the ETF or not, you can keep the Evo. If you owe anything it'd be black listed and wouldn't be able to be used on sprint's network.
Even if you pay the ETF you can probably still come out ahead selling the Evo on ebay.
nugzo said:
Anybody here had any dealings with Sprint Early Termination? I wonder if there is some sort of lemon clause or something. I'm on my 4th EVO in 4 months. Screen, USB, Volume Rocker, USB. They have replaced it under warranty each time, no charge. I guess i have a pretty good argument. This is a business phone/account so down time is money. Even if its only a couple hours each issue. Well you can bet that i'll give it a try. Hopefully the Nexus S will give me the nudge i need to call and raise hell. My 4th New EVO will be here Tuesday. At least i'll have a new phone to sell.. That's if you can keep the phone when you early terminate. Can you? I wonder if you can keep it if they let you out early... Like my situation. Hmmm Anybody had any dealings with either scenario? Thanks in advance!
ps. Please dont turn this thread in to an EVO is a great phone, why would you want to cancel thread. I know its a great phone.. When it works. I really want to get back to t-mobile. I had absolutely no issues with them in the past...Years of service. They are cheaper and their 4g is available in my area. Sprint is not, and has no plans to be any time soon. Thanks so much.
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atoy74 said:
It's not cause you reported them to the BBB but because Sprint made a fundamental change in their business operations once CEO Dan Hesse was brought on board. The very first thing he did was overhaul the customer service departments. Sprint from 2006 is not the Sprint of today.
I think it's only fair to give them credit.
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Fair enough.
But the event I described came to it's conclusion in October of 2004.
Pete
The car business are not the only companies with an official lemon law however, it also covers RVs, Boats and wheelchairs, so I think your EVO might not make the cut. I have had two cars at my dealership bought back.
Consumer protection legislation typically labels vehicles as "lemons" if the same problem recurs despite multiple repair attempts (such as three times in a row over a short period, where previous attempts have not fixed the problem) or where defects have caused a new vehicle to be out of service for a prolonged period (typically thirty days or longer) for repairs{/I]
So even if their was one for the EVO, it would most likely not apply to your situation.
That being said, I have had 3 EVOs replaced for the Screen separating, I find it quite nice that sprint keeps repairing phones, because realistically it cost them for every phone they give away for free because of it being defective. As for T-mo being cheaper, I highly doubt it.
What I see here is someone who does not have 4G in their area and wants to go back to T-mo for HSPA. Thats called "Buyers Remorse" and BBB and Sprint both frown on that.
For the record, I sat in a Union meeting with 5 of my coworkers, 4 on T-mo Galaxy S, 1 on Verizon Droid and me on Sprint. We all did speed test. They got between 0.5Mbps and 1.5Mbps while I was getting 4.5Mbps. Don't believe the hype.
If 4G hasn't gotten to you yet, you have my sympathy because I understand paying $10 extra on your plan (regardless of what it is for) can be frustrating, but Plan for Plan unless your getting some special discount, Sprint is the cheapest unlimited Phone/Text/Data plan.
I don't see how your problem is related to Sprint and the service they provide. You contracted with Sprint to provide you with a cell phone service, which they have provided. Your problem is with the build quality of your HTC phone.
I doubt they would terminate your contract without a fee unless the problem was related to Sprint's service. They have provided you with free replacements and I believe at best you could get a different phone from them, but they have not failed in their contract obligations in any way.
nukedukem said:
I don't see how your problem is related to Sprint and the service they provide. You contracted with Sprint to provide you with a cell phone service, which they have provided. Your problem is with the build quality of your HTC phone.
I doubt they would terminate your contract without a fee unless the problem was related to Sprint's service. They have provided you with free replacements and I believe at best you could get a different phone from them, but they have not failed in their contract obligations in any way.
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As a former mobile CSR, I'm going to have to agree with this post. How is it that you guys are having so many problems with your phones anyway? I buy smartphones on Craigslist and I have a drawer-full of them. OP is having more problems with just the EVO than I've had with any phone at any time combined. (This includes two EVOs and one Epic.)
If your wireless provider has replaced your mobile phone multiple times without charge, you probably should be thankful.
And to answer your questions OP, there's no such thing as a lemon clause. If you cancel, you keep the phone unless you're in your carrier's 'buyer's remorse' period - which you are not.
The only time Ive seen it happen it had to with rreception or billing issues
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nukedukem said:
I don't see how your problem is related to Sprint and the service they provide. You contracted with Sprint to provide you with a cell phone service, which they have provided. Your problem is with the build quality of your HTC phone.
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Can't say about yours, but my Evo says Sprint in the upper right corner and it doesn't go away when I turn off the phone.
Please note that I don't have a dog in this fight. I'm just making a couple observations.
Pete
I like turtles
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nukedukem said:
I don't see how your problem is related to Sprint and the service they provide. You contracted with Sprint to provide you with a cell phone service, which they have provided. Your problem is with the build quality of your HTC phone.
I doubt they would terminate your contract without a fee unless the problem was related to Sprint's service. They have provided you with free replacements and I believe at best you could get a different phone from them, but they have not failed in their contract obligations in any way.
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illogic6 said:
As a former mobile CSR, I'm going to have to agree with this post. How is it that you guys are having so many problems with your phones anyway? I buy smartphones on Craigslist and I have a drawer-full of them. OP is having more problems with just the EVO than I've had with any phone at any time combined. (This includes two EVOs and one Epic.)
If your wireless provider has replaced your mobile phone multiple times without charge, you probably should be thankful.
And to answer your questions OP, there's no such thing as a lemon clause. If you cancel, you keep the phone unless you're in your carrier's 'buyer's remorse' period - which you are not.
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So if i buy an accord from a dealership, and have problems, i would have to take it up with honda japan to get my issue resolved? The dealership is not responsible for taking care of my problems? Why, because their duty was to sell me the car, and that is done, so no more obligation to me? Wow, you guys are a bright pair. lol. That is the most ridiculous thing i've heard in a while....toddlers included.
Oh and i've had about 20 different phones in my life and this is the very first one i've ever had replaced.
thefredelement said:
As long as your contract is settled if they want you to pay the ETF or not, you can keep the Evo. If you owe anything it'd be black listed and wouldn't be able to be used on sprint's network.
Even if you pay the ETF you can probably still come out ahead selling the Evo on ebay.
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Say Sprint says... Sorry Mr. Nugzo that you have had so many problems with the EVO we sold you. We will waive the ETF for you and wish you luck with your next carrier. I wonder if they would require the phone to be returned, i did already pay $200 that went towards the phone. I wouldn't mind giving the phone up if they refunded the $200 as well. After all they have already agreed that their merchandise has caused my problems. Of course they didn't do it on purpose, but that is irrelevant. I guess i'm kinda asking this in the wrong place. Majority of the people reading this are current sprint customers, so they havent been presented with this exact scenario, just looking for similar scenarios i guess. Anyway i'll have the answer soon enough. When i get it, i'll let every one know how it went down. Thanks everyone for contributing.
The United States is the only country where a SERVICE PROVIDER also sells the phone for customer convenience. I wonder how you all would feel if they stopped all this and you had to buy your phones from the MAKER directly. No more calling Sprint because you don't like a phone HTC built, not Sprint. No problems with TMo right? I forgot, they have different phone makers /sarcasm
I also have never had nor needed a replacement with any phone I've ever owned. I wonder what some of you guys are really doing to your devices.
By the way you will not have your ETF waived because of phone replacements, especially when your brand new working phone you're waiting for is... well, working. How many months do you have left on your contract?
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nugzo said:
So if i buy an accord from a dealership, and have problems, i would have to take it up with honda japan to get my issue resolved? The dealership is not responsible for taking care of my problems? Why, because their duty was to sell me the car, and that is done, so no more obligation to me? Wow, you guys are a bright pair. lol. That is the most ridiculous thing i've heard in a while....toddlers included.
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There's no need to be a douche bag. You asked a question and we answered it for you. Even if you don't completely understand the nature of the business, you don't need to insult those that do.
DirtyShroomz said:
The United States is the only country where a SERVICE PROVIDER also sells the phone for customer convenience. I wonder how you all would feel if they stopped all this and you had to buy your phones from the MAKER directly. No more calling Sprint because you don't like a phone HTC built, not Sprint. No problems with TMo right? I forgot, they have different phone makers /sarcasm
I also have never had nor needed a replacement with any phone I've ever owned. I wonder what some of you guys are really doing to your devices.
By the way you will not have your ETF waived because of phone replacements, especially when your brand new working phone you're waiting for is... well, working. How many months do you have left on your contract?
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I disagree. Sprint sold me the phone, thet are responsible for it. This is a business account, not a personal account, so everytime my phone is down i am potentially losing money.. Most of the time big business like sprint will do the right thing in a situation like this. Oh and i got this email the other day, after he called and woke me up at 7:00am lol Asked for me email.
"My name is Andre ****** Sprint business account manager and I wanted to make sure you were aware of some of the advantages and perks you are privy to for having a business account with Sprint Nextel."
Maybe i will just contact him about it and see what he says. If its like Time Warners business Reps, they arent worth having.
nugzo said:
I disagree. Sprint sold me the phone, thet are responsible for it. This is a business account, not a personal account, so everytime my phone is down i am potentially losing money.. Most of the time big business like sprint will do the right thing in a situation like this. Oh and i got this email the other day, after he called and woke me up at 7:00am lol Asked for me email.
"My name is Andre ****** Sprint business account manager and I wanted to make sure you were aware of some of the advantages and perks you are privy to for having a business account with Sprint Nextel."
Maybe i will just contact him about it and see what he says. If its like Time Warners business Reps, they arent worth having.
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This kind of mindset is bad for everyone. Sprint didn't build the phone, HTC did, you need to learn and realize that. Sprint sells you the ability to use the phone HTC made; make calls, browse the web, send texts, etc. If you don't like your phone don't buy an HTC product, but Sprint replacing your phone is them keeping up with the contract. You think HTC phones on TMo or ATT or Verizon are somehow made better? No, it's the same company making them.
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DirtyShroomz said:
This kind of mindset is bad for everyone. Sprint didn't build the phone, HTC did, you need to learn and realize that. Sprint sells you the ability to use the phone HTC made; make calls, browse the web, send texts, etc. If you don't like your phone don't buy an HTC product, but Sprint replacing your phone is them keeping up with the contract. You think HTC phones on TMo or ATT or Verizon are somehow made better? No, it's the same company making them.
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This type of mindset is bad for everyone? lol ok. I think your ignorance is bad for everyone. Sprint sold me the phone, not HTC. You honestly think sprint should not warranty the item they sold me? I never said a thing about any phone being made better on a different carrier. I did say though that i've had over 20 phones in my life and this is honestly the first i've ever had to replace. I haven't done anything any different with this phone than i have with the others. i paid sprint $200 bucks plus signed a contract for a phone and service. You cant use the service without the phone right? Why in the world would you think they aren't responsible? Sprint is making a profit selling phones as well as selling service. I am not having problems with the service they sold me, but i am with the phone THEY sold me. Again, HTC didn't sell me the phone. Sprint warrantied the phone for 1 year, so they are responsible for it, plain and simple. Thats why they replaced it with every issue i had. They never referred me to HTC to handle it, and they wont, not while its under their (sprint) warranty.
nugzo said:
i never said a thing about any phone being made better on a different carrier. I did say though that i've had over 20 phones in my life and this is honestly the first i've ever had to replace. I haven't done anything any different with this phone than i have with the others. i paid sprint $200 bucks plus signed a contract for a phone and service. You cant use the service without the phone right? Why in the world would you think they aren't responsible? Sprint is making a profit selling phones as well as selling service. I am not having problems with the service they sold me, but i am with the phone THEY sold me. HTC didn't sell me the phone. Sprint warrantied the phone for 1 year, so they are responsible for it, plain and simple. Thats why they replaced it with every issue i had. They never referred me to HTC to handle it, and they wont, not while its under their (sprint) warranty.
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The phone's one year warranty isn't from Sprint, it's from HTC. Sprint is simply choosing, in your case, to deal with the manufacturer's warranty themselves so that you do not have to. This is contrary to the information that I have. I work at a retail store that sells Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile phones. In the event that a customer walks in and requires service as covered by the manufacturer's warranty for a Sprint phone I have been instructed to refer the customer directly to the manufacturer and not to Sprint. For T-Mobile and AT&T I have specific AT&T and T-Mobile phone numbers to give to the customer since AT&T and T-Mobile do handle manufacturer's warranty replacements for their customers.
If Sprint is still willing to handle manufacturer warranty replacements/repairs for you, then by all means I encourage you to continue to take advantage of that! I have no experience with manufacturer warranty replacements with Sprint (EVO is my first Sprint phone) but I can say from experience that AT&T always handled those replacements much faster than the manufacturer of the phone would have (typically with overnight delivery of the replacement phone BEFORE I sent the defective one back). I'm simply clarifying the case here and, potentially, warning you that Sprint may have changed their policy regarding the service of phones under the manufacturer's warranty since this information I've been given from my work only came out a few weeks ago.
I asked this in my other thread 3 times, but did not get an answer:
Which department has more authority at tmobile; Retentions or Customer Loyalty? or are they the same?
Thanks
My guess is no one knows. Maybe you would have better luck on the Tmob forums?
Keep asking.
We won't answer till you get to a certain threshold of times asked.
After speaking to customer loyalty/retentions 2 times in the past 3 days, I think they are really going down in customer service and they will be ATT in no time.
ive had 2 lines with them for over 5 years and never a day late in payments. currently im not under a contract with either line. Until recently, whether under contract or not, they have been able to change your rate plan up or down. now that they have gotten rid of their non contract plans, they said they can not change your plan/minutes without signing a new 2 year agreement. They have a plan with a few less minutes then mine at a cheaper price, but wont change me to it without signing a new 2 yr agreement.
second, Im on my 3rd vibrant, (all under warrenty), and with even another defective phone they wont even consider giving me a different phone; they are sending me a another vibrant.
third, even doing a warrenty exchange, for a defective phone, they want me to pay a $20 warrenty exchange fee, for a defective phone replacement that is under warrenty. At least I got this fee waived as a one time courtesy. but the point is that they are now "nickel and dimeing" customers just like the other companies.
fourth, if I do sign a new 2 year contract, they wont grandfather my myfaves like they used to.
fifth, they had web new specials on free Sensations for new customers. but they said that is not available over the phone.
Bascially my rant is about what made tmobile different from the other 3 companies: There customer service where they would go the extra mile to work with their long time customers. whether that was a rate plan change, different phone after multiple defective units..ect. And the other thing that set them apart was prices and that they did not "nickel and dime" the customers. It seems like this has changed too.
Basically I think tmobile is all about locking customers into contracts before the ATT merger and now they are more like ATT. I feel like their competive advantages, that we all love that made tmobile different (customer service, and prices) are over. Yes you may be on a great plan now, but going forward, they have changed. It makes me sad bc I think the tmobile we all loved is over; with or without the merger.
My rant is over. Thanks for reading. And no, im not trolling. I have a vibrant and love it and used to love tmobile. just frustrated and wanted to vent here in the general section
How did you manage to smash your phones up so regularly? You busting up the screens, or bricking them due to root shenanigans?
retentions definately lol because they try to keep you with the company by giving you incentives and any deal they can throw at you
kaintfm said:
How did you manage to smash your phones up so regularly? You busting up the screens, or bricking them due to root shenanigans?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no. first one had for about 8 months and the volume down button randomly stopped working.
This second one has now started to randomly reboot; even when on stock.
both of my Vibrants i have kept in perfect condition without a scratch or drop on them. they have actually both looked 100% new when sending them back...
Im just sad that tmobile is not the same company they were a year ago. After speaking with them several times in the past few days, and all the ads and new plans with data caps, I see VERY LITTLE diff between tmobile now vs the other big companies. maybe a little cheaper plans. but the customer service and customer loyalty that I think we all loved is pretty much gone and the closer the merger is to going through and then once through, it will only get worse.
Im just ranting here because most of us that have vibrants have tmobile and this is the forum i am on most of the time.
kboater said:
After speaking to customer loyalty/retentions 2 times in the past 3 days, I think they are really going down in customer service and they will be ATT in no time.
ive had 2 lines with them for over 5 years and never a day late in payments. currently im not under a contract with either line. Until recently, whether under contract or not, they have been able to change your rate plan up or down. now that they have gotten rid of their non contract plans, they said they can not change your plan/minutes without signing a new 2 year agreement. They have a plan with a few less minutes then mine at a cheaper price, but wont change me to it without signing a new 2 yr agreement.
second, Im on my 3rd vibrant, (all under warrenty), and with even another defective phone they wont even consider giving me a different phone; they are sending me a another vibrant.
third, even doing a warrenty exchange, for a defective phone, they want me to pay a $20 warrenty exchange fee, for a defective phone replacement that is under warrenty. At least I got this fee waived as a one time courtesy. but the point is that they are now "nickel and dimeing" customers just like the other companies.
fourth, if I do sign a new 2 year contract, they wont grandfather my myfaves like they used to.
fifth, they had web new specials on free Sensations for new customers. but they said that is not available over the phone.
Bascially my rant is about what made tmobile different from the other 3 companies: There customer service where they would go the extra mile to work with their long time customers. whether that was a rate plan change, different phone after multiple defective units..ect. And the other thing that set them apart was prices and that they did not "nickel and dime" the customers. It seems like this has changed too.
Basically I think tmobile is all about locking customers into contracts before the ATT merger and now they are more like ATT. I feel like their competive advantages, that we all love that made tmobile different (customer service, and prices) are over. Yes you may be on a great plan now, but going forward, they have changed. It makes me sad bc I think the tmobile we all loved is over; with or without the merger.
My rant is over. Thanks for reading. And no, im not trolling. I have a vibrant and love it and used to love tmobile. just frustrated and wanted to vent here in the general section
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Click to collapse
I was a former T-Mo employee so I don't really "speak" for the company but just wanted to address a few things.
1. This is probably the only surprising thing. They've always allowed you to make changes to your plan without resigning. I was able to do this just last month so unless this is a brand new policy, I do find this surprising. I'm more inclined to believe this was a specific case, rather than a broad policy change affecting everyone. I'll see in the next few days when I need to make a change again to my plan.
2. This has always been policy mainly because people get "buyer's remorse" about the phones they buy, not that they're defective or broken. It happens ALOT and if T-Mobile processed every one of these requests, they'd have been out of business years ago. No one does this.
3. Again, this is always been policy and the "warranty exchange fee" is to cover shipping and handling. Same thing as a "restocking fee" that most retail companies have.
4. Once again, this has been policy for AGES and hasn't changed at all. They will not grandfather options with a change in contract/plan. Makes sense, too, from a business standpoint. No company in their right mind would allow people to grandfather $2 internet plans from the late 90's along with a contract plan that'll give them a heavily subsidized, loss leader, android phone that would normally cost $400+. Hell, that's not even fair to other customers.
5. I'm not sure what the complaint is here. Because "web special" pricing isn't available over the phone? The reason why phones are discounted over the web is because it's cheaper to process the order that way, simple as that. Would it be better if they overcharged web orders to make it more uniform with phone or store pricing?
Eh....I know you're ranting but these are things that aren't new at all and has nothing to do with AT&T. If you were able to do any of those things you're complaining about, that has more to do with T-Mobile breaking policy to make you happy than any policy change because of AT&T.
pepperbreath said:
I was a former T-Mo employee so I don't really "speak" for the company but just wanted to address a few things.
1. This is probably the only surprising thing. They've always allowed you to make changes to your plan without resigning. I was able to do this just last month so unless this is a brand new policy, I do find this surprising. I'm more inclined to believe this was a specific case, rather than a broad policy change affecting everyone. I'll see in the next few days when I need to make a change again to my plan.
2. This has always been policy mainly because people get "buyer's remorse" about the phones they buy, not that they're defective or broken. It happens ALOT and if T-Mobile processed every one of these requests, they'd have been out of business years ago. No one does this.
3. Again, this is always been policy and the "warranty exchange fee" is to cover shipping and handling. Same thing as a "restocking fee" that most retail companies have.
4. Once again, this has been policy for AGES and hasn't changed at all. They will not grandfather options with a change in contract/plan. Makes sense, too, from a business standpoint. No company in their right mind would allow people to grandfather $2 internet plans from the late 90's along with a contract plan that'll give them a heavily subsidized, loss leader, android phone that would normally cost $400+. Hell, that's not even fair to other customers.
5. I'm not sure what the complaint is here. Because "web special" pricing isn't available over the phone? The reason why phones are discounted over the web is because it's cheaper to process the order that way, simple as that. Would it be better if they overcharged web orders to make it more uniform with phone or store pricing?
Eh....I know you're ranting but these are things that aren't new at all and has nothing to do with AT&T. If you were able to do any of those things you're complaining about, that has more to do with T-Mobile breaking policy to make you happy than any policy change because of AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna have to agree with you on some things but he's got some valid points.
After 3 replacement phones, you are allowed to change your phone to a different phone. I know this for a solid fact because I am on my 3rd vibrant replacement (first one screen just died on the first day, second one blew a speaker) and I asked several employees over the phone I spoke to, and they were very clear that if my phone broke one more time I could get a different phone since obviously there was really nothing I could have done to cause those defects. If it was more expensive i'd obviously have to pay some kind of difference though, which is understandable but annoying seeing as that you've already gone through so many phones. (The BEST customer service would do this for free since the customer was inconvenienced so many times, which is supposedly what T-Mo is according to J.D. I believe a few years in a row?)
Also, i've noticed their customer service drop recently as well. They aren't as willing to make changes... I accidently ordered some bullshi* that was included on the vibrant when I first got it, and of course it tacked on 15 bucks a month to my bill. Had it running for 2 months before I caught it, and when I called it I asked if they could wave anything, even a month... nope nothing... Thats some ****... and i've got 4 phones with them and paying $230 a month... and been with them since 2002. So 9 years? And wouldn't wave 30 bucks.... So go figure that one for yourself.
The problem is corporate will be corporate and thats why businesses today are such flop shi* piles. Businesses now hire by how much your resume gleams, not by how good you actually are in the field... and i've noticed so many morons working in such high paying jobs all because they fiddled in school (which didn't make them any smarter I might add you) and got some job being a high paid idiot making mistakes their entire life.... the exact opposite of their resume usually.
What i'm trying to say is that T-Mobile is like any corporate company. They used to be different, but they are just following the same footpath and making the same mistakes every other company makes...
It would be great to see a company like Google swallow up T-Mobile. They have the funds necessary to create a cell network literally out of this world, and the technology to introduce exclusive phones into the lineup sort of like an IPhone deal that ATT used to have. Or they could just put phones on their service a few months before anyone else got them for a head banger.
Really it kind of googles my mind why google never considered purchasing a company like T-Mobile in the first place. They do literally everything, they have Android which went from bull**** to the biggest player and hugest threat to apple since World War 2 and Hitler invading Poland overnight.
Googles huge establishment in literally everything makes them able to offer low plan rates as well. Google could afford to initially take a loss. Hell the last report I could find on a quick "GOOGLE" search of the company value was in 2009 they were valued at $220 Billion dollars.
Just to give you an idea, I pulled up Verizon and they are at $96 Billion... And they have the "Largest" network according to that stupid nerdy guy in the commercials, and his gooney followers who have no lives except to "Hear Him Now".
Ok i'm done ranting, and Verizon sucks the Ball Cheese droppings off my testicles!
pepperbreath said:
I was a former T-Mo employee so I don't really "speak" for the company but just wanted to address a few things.
1. This is probably the only surprising thing. They've always allowed you to make changes to your plan without resigning. I was able to do this just last month so unless this is a brand new policy, I do find this surprising. I'm more inclined to believe this was a specific case, rather than a broad policy change affecting everyone. I'll see in the next few days when I need to make a change again to my plan.
2. This has always been policy mainly because people get "buyer's remorse" about the phones they buy, not that they're defective or broken. It happens ALOT and if T-Mobile processed every one of these requests, they'd have been out of business years ago. No one does this.
3. Again, this is always been policy and the "warranty exchange fee" is to cover shipping and handling. Same thing as a "restocking fee" that most retail companies have.
4. Once again, this has been policy for AGES and hasn't changed at all. They will not grandfather options with a change in contract/plan. Makes sense, too, from a business standpoint. No company in their right mind would allow people to grandfather $2 internet plans from the late 90's along with a contract plan that'll give them a heavily subsidized, loss leader, android phone that would normally cost $400+. Hell, that's not even fair to other customers.
5. I'm not sure what the complaint is here. Because "web special" pricing isn't available over the phone? The reason why phones are discounted over the web is because it's cheaper to process the order that way, simple as that. Would it be better if they overcharged web orders to make it more uniform with phone or store pricing?
Eh....I know you're ranting but these are things that aren't new at all and has nothing to do with AT&T. If you were able to do any of those things you're complaining about, that has more to do with T-Mobile breaking policy to make you happy than any policy change because of AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. they did tell me it was a new policy. as i was able to do it in the past. now twice they said they have had policy changes. so yes, its a new change and they said part of it is because they do not have any more "no contract" plans. The only options they gave me over and over again was to sign a new contract
2. well its not buyers remorse when you have had a phone for 1 year. i understand what you are saying though. but what i am saying is that tmobile used to look and see how loyal of a customer you have been and make exceptions
3. they told me this $20 warrenty exchange fee is new
4. i know you said this has been policy for AGES, but they have done it for me twice in the past, so either they went around the policy for me, and never told me....or
5. again, case-by-case basis. its basic business. I know a little about business too. (undergrad in business, masters in business, worked in customer service management, now back in school again) not that any of those degrees matter, but im saying knowing about customer service and business; you look at your really good customers and you do what you can to retain them as customers.
maybe these "changes" have nothing to do with att, but my point is that tmobile (as we knew it) has changed. Hell, even the retentions rep yesterday told me they have gone many big changes and policy changes in the past few months.
All im saying is that tmobile used to look at their loyal customers and do what was necessary to keep them. Im saying that they are not doing (at least nearly as much) anymore and this makes them much more like any other cell phone company.
Hello everyone,
After the worst customer experience EVER with T-mobile...I am moving on from my beloved Vibrant. Here is what happened... I paid retail for my phone using the "Equipment Instalment Plan" and entered into the non-contract plans. At that time I was told that once you enter these type of plans you cannot go back to contract plans or get phones at the discounted price unless I start over with a whole new account only to find out that in Oct 2011 I was placed onto a contracted plan which I never authorized. In most cases it wouldn't have been a big deal, but was because my some dropped my phone on my cement driveway and cracked the screen, so after finding out that it would cost $130 for the insurance replacement (I mean really, after paying all the insurance it still costs that MUCH!!! Insurance on other carriers replaces phones for way less and even free on Verizon) and just replacing the screen isn't that much different.
Anyway, I was told I could not upgrade unless I paid retail. But, T-mobile changed the way that works. When I first started the "EIP" plan, you would pay the full retail value of a phone in payments split up over 21 months which would be added to your monthly phone bill and all you would pay upfront was the first monthly instalment, but now they make you pay 1/3 of the retail value of the phone upfront and the rest over 21 months. Which to me defeats the purpose because that is basically what you pay for a phone on a 2 year contract and then of course you don't have to pay any more toward the phone after that.
So now we go back to the problem of being on the contract I never agreed to. The rep said they knew that you couldn't get back onto a contracted plan after going to EIP plans, but somehow I was able to and they couldn't reverse it. The rep said I could file a dispute by email because no one could take care of it over the phone. So, I filed my dispute and never heard back. I was really busy with work and family and basically put this whole issue on the back burner for a few months but checked back with T-mobile at the beginning of June and was told they never got my dispute. I saved my email I sent and informed them that I have confirmation they received it...still, was told I had to filed my complaint all over again. So I did and had to wait 10 days for a response which OF COURSE was declined.
I called T-mobile back (I should add that this whole time I have been very friendly with everyone I spoke to and never once got loud or disrespectful) and explained everything going on and explained that my only intention was one of two things, either pay retail on the EIP plan like I originally should have....just that it should be done in the same manner as my vibrant which was my payment upfront be only the first of 21months, or give me the upgrade price since I was put on a contract without my consent and never used an upgrade on my account. Keep in mind that at this point it has been over two years since I got my Vibrant. I was told no and no. My only option was to pay 1/3 retail and the rest over 21 months or buy a phone somewhere else.
My intention was never to leave....in fact, I was only promising that would be there for another two years, T-mobile would not be losing out on anything except keeping a customer longer and I have been with them for 6 years already. But at this point I told them either give me an upgrade or I will take my business elsewhere. The rep said they didn't want to lose my business and that they would either put me on my previous non-contract plan or they would give me the upgrade price on a new phone. So I put aside the fact that it took over 6 months for them to give in, I agree to just go with the upgrade price and stay on contract. I asked the rep if I could go to a store to complete my purchase and they said yes. So I go to the store and the rep at the store said I was misinformed on the phone and could not get the upgrade price. My only option is to pay retail.
Now I'm back to my original spot...I can only pay retail, like I did with my vibrant and be on a contract I didn't agree to and obviously didn't want in the first place, the rep I spoke to the first time couldn't figure out how I got onto contract, but couldn't reverse it and even agreed that my situation didn't make sense. I know I could get a phone on craigslist or something, but I wanted something new and an upgrade, but now it's all about the principle of the business ethics T-mobile is using with me. So as a last resort, I go to the forums on T-mobile website and post my problem there. I get several responses saying I should contact a forum this specific forum moderator (name withheld, I don't want to get into trouble) because she is known for fixing issues like mine. So I did...AND NO RESPONSE, I sent another private message and again no response and this went on for 2 weeks.
So I hit my last straw...I'm moving on. My wife and I each are getting SGS II's free and will be on a cheaper plan then we had with T-mobile by going with Sprint. I have never used Sprint, it could turn out that I don't like their service areas compared to T-mobile in my area or their network seems sluggish but either way, T-mobile again lost another long time customer.
If you actually read through all that then thank you for listening to my complaint. I didn't even list every detail about the situation and some of the events just make it even more ridiculous.
I loved the phone, but that is only because of the developers on this site. I mean that literally. So special thanks to all the devs out there...they certainly deserve every thanks they get and then some.
FaultException-thanks for your fast and detailed responses and work with CM9.
jrongi1-thanks
Cyanogen-thanks
serendipityguy-thanks for your kernel bible
bay_wolf-loved your toolbox (haha, that sounds bad)
Fishman0919-thanks for reviving bionix
Sombionix-thanks for bionix
Romanbb-Thanks for work (loved them all)
krarvind-thanks for Slim ICS (used that for while)
sixstringsg-thanks for Glitch (My fav kernel)
Jellette-thanks for all the choices (hope life is well and live long and strong)
So many more I can't think of off the top of my head so thanks to everyone and I wish you all the best.
Wow.. seems like everything really went against you throughout the process. Instead, I wouldnt even waste time and would have began by threatening to cancel my (nonexistant) contract through the cancellation department since they have more power than your average rep.
But what is done is done, and I would do the same if I encountered that.
You might not like sprint and their mess going on over there with slow network and sketchy plan with wimax and lte. In other words, you might be miserable with their speeds, regardless of unlimited plans. Good luck. I'm looking to upgrade this vibrant to the s3 soon enough too. Served me well and still holds up against most low and mid range phones, but my GPS is just..
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda app-developers app
I know I may not care for the speeds and all, but 90% of the time I am connected to wifi anyway so it really isn't that big of a deal and there are a few people I know around here on sprint that get good data speeds. I am in MN, so it's not like the network would get as overloaded as if I were in LA or NY. Plus I got the phone for free, and it's a good phone...but only time will tell. I will miss the trusty Vib, but I am going to use it as a music player I think...cracked screen shouldn't matter to much using it for that.
What's happened to T-Mobile's customer Service?
One of the thing that used to separate T-Mobile from other carriers was their customer service. Their one year wooing by AT&T seems to have completely screwed this once great attribute. I too am seriously dumping T-Mobile and switching to Sprint. I have a friend with 3 lines. He (and I) always buy our phones retail/Craigslist and go with No Contract plans. At the time he was using the pre-paid plan while I was on the Even More Plus plan. Both no contract plans. After getting the Galaxy Nexus, he decided to switch over to the 5GB EMP plan, but now they don't have that plan anymore. In fact, they have no non-contract plans at all anymore. I'm pretty sure, T-Mobile's going to lose 3 more customers in a couple of months. Oh well.
os2baba said:
One of the thing that used to separate T-Mobile from other carriers was their customer service. Their one year wooing by AT&T seems to have completely screwed this once great attribute. I too am seriously dumping T-Mobile and switching to Sprint. I have a friend with 3 lines. He (and I) always buy our phones retail/Craigslist and go with No Contract plans. At the time he was using the pre-paid plan while I was on the Even More Plus plan. Both no contract plans. After getting the Galaxy Nexus, he decided to switch over to the 5GB EMP plan, but now they don't have that plan anymore. In fact, they have no non-contract plans at all anymore. I'm pretty sure, T-Mobile's going to lose 3 more customers in a couple of months. Oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at their Monthly 4G plans. They are very in-expensive and contract free. (You can just buy a SIM and pop it into any unlocked/t-mo phone)
Boy did they pick the wrong guy to select to ask about Verizon and it's customer service evaluation. I don't have screen shots from my phone(thought about it after completing it)
But here is my response I had when I was asked why I wouldn't recommend Big Red and what they can do to change my response....
"Place more emphasis on the third party developers and customer's wishes. And pay more attention to online petitions. I can honestly say that with my recent upgrade I was More than seriously considering moving to a competitor! The Samsung Galaxy S3 locked bootloader debacle to name an example. Security and warranty issues seem false when it is said an unlocked version of the same phone will be added to vzw system but at a unsubsidized cost. I have every product Verizon offers. But not out of loyalty or even respect. In fact the opposite is true. This is mainly due to your policies and practices. Verizon products today are like Microsoft products of the late 90s and early 00s. I use them not because I would WANT to but because in my area your coverage is SLIGHTLY better than your competitors. And if you don't change the draconian nature of my experiences, YOU as a cooperation will lose out the moment your competitors catch up with your coverage. I.e. AT&T and Sprint. They booth have the same products (sgs3) but without a locked down bootloader. Soon you will too. But it is too late for me and thousands of others. Please keep me and thousands of your customers happy and placate our requests and petitions. You still have a chance. But it is fastly slipping by in this competitive market."
At the end I was told a Verizon manager will call me and personally discuss my responses. This was a few hours ago but nothing yet. I am hoping I get a call. I like to think I kept it cordial enough to merit it.
I want to see if any one else in the xda dev community got this survey as well.
Plus I think this is my first option thread. I'll return to lurking now.
sent from a locked bootloader
I'm so burnt out on Verizon. I had Alltel back when it was Alltel and I loved them. The coverage was great and the EVDO speeds were good and customer service and prices were excellent. Verizon bought them out and I could just feel them put the vice grips on my wallet. Then they made unlimited data only if you had the plan but the minute you took it off it was gone. The prices were the same for less (if you were off of contract you could get an unlimited data and SMS package for $19.99 on top of minutes on Alltel and that was OK). The only reason they had for better service was that they have battery and generator backups at each tower that they could come up with. They had the fastest network in my old town but the minute I moved I got T-Mobile. Yeesh much better.
Sent from my XT883 using xda app-developers app
When I was Stationed in San Antonio, Tx back in the early 00's, Verizon wasnt as popular in that part of the country as Nextel or Sprint; but where i grew up in Central Jersey, everyone i knew was on Verizon. to mitigate the cost of calling everyone I had to drive like 45 min. out of town just to find the nearest Verizon store. Like i said in my OP, I dont use Verizon out of loyalty, despite my near decade as their customer, I use them just because they are there and the more reasonable choice. I think that might be part of the problem customer servicewise.
PS No Verizon manager ever called me back.... Too bad