Why Sprint is the Devil
I finally broke down and bought a Blackberry. I put it off for as long as I could, but it was an inevitability. So far I have been on it just about non-stop since I bought it yesterday. Most of that is set-up but I can tell that this could get out of hand.
But the real purpose of this entry is to rant about my Sprint experience and how, after about 10 years with them as my service provider, they still totally dicked me.
I live in the mountains. service is spotty. Sprint service is spotty at BEST. We have been suffering through crappy Sprint Roaming for the past 2 1/2 years due to the fact that Sprint coverage is so terrible here and they refused to let us out of our contract since our home address was inside the coverage area (but work and other places we go are NOT). We've recently moved. really it's right down the street, but all of a sudden, we don't get calls, texts or voicemails sometimes. I called to see what we could do about this. Here is what happened:
My first call:
I politely requested that I be let out of my contract without having to pay the penalty fee since they are not able to provide the services stated therein which I am (over) paying for. I stated the problem - I am dropping calls, not receiving texts and sometimes don't even get calls at all. I pay for this service and feel that I should get it. I ecplained that it is also important in this area to have reliable cell phones in the winter as roads are hazardous, etc. The 17 year old guy on the phone asked me where I live. I told him our new address. He checks and says - oh, I show that is in our coverage area. Oh, really? Why am I not getting coverage then? He says I am getting coverage. So, from a call-center in Missouri you are telling me that I am getting coverage when I am telling you that indeed, I am NOT receiving calls? What, are you calling me a liar?
My second call:
I wait for ten minutes for a customer service agent and when I get connected it is to someone who speaks English about as well as a 3 year-old (no offense to toddlers) who mumbles something into the phone at a rapid read-off-the-script clip and then promptly disconnects the line. Nice.
My third call:
This service representative at Sprint told me that it was probably my error and that I must have reset something on the phone since their map showed me to be inside the coverage area. To me, this sounds like they are saying it is my fault that their service sucks. I humor the lady and go through another lengthy updating process to see if that will help. No. It does not.
My fourth call:
I called back and spoke to another grossly under-paid and under-trained employee who told me that I would just have to buy a new phone or pay the early termination fee. Seriously? When did it become the client's responsibility to ensure that the basic services that the provider is supposed to provide are provided? I know my phone works because it worked just fine before we moved all of 15 miles down the road. This resulted in a fifth call to Sprint.
My fifth call:
I protested the unfairness of having to spend MORE money to try to get a service that I am paying for already and not getting, and also that I would have to PAY THEM to discontinue this lack of service. I was again told that I must have done something to the device to not make it work. Oh, and that I must pay them $200 to be let out of my contract early since their computer showed me inside the coverage area. At this point. I am getting so seriously heated that I really just want to speak to a manager - NOW. I was told that someone would have to call me back. This is funny since the number they are going to call me back on is my cell number which doesn't receive calls about 50% of the time if not more. I waited 2 days. No one called me back...at least so far as I can tell.
Now, I know that customer service is steadily declining but this is insane. What company would tell their customers - you know, the ones that pay them and keep them in business - that they are at fault for the company not being able to fulfill their end of the contract? That not only do they need to suffer through a contract which has clearly been breached, but that they will have to pay to get out of it. Well, Sprint for one.
After this jaw-dropping gem of a call, I wrote a letter to the CEO (which is not beyond me to do when I am scathing mad and validly so). Come to find out there is no mailing address listed for Sprint other than the PO box for payments. So the message I am getting from them is this - we don't care about your issues. No, there isn't anyone who you can contact who can help you. And by the way, just pay us and/or go fuck yourself.
I went online and found to my dismay (but not surprise) that there are blogs, websites, message boards and anything else you can think of for poor consumers like myself who have been bitch-slapped by Sprint and are complaining that there is no recourse since the lovely folks at Sprintg keep themselves in hiding in their ivory cell tower (obviously to avoid what could be an endless stream of complaints judging from peoples' posts).
Complaints to the BBB yield no action. Dan, the CEO had the audacity to air commercials which supposedly gave the public his REAL email address (tried it, it doesn't). Is there no accountability? What can we do?
The end message is this, I encourage ANYONE AND EVERYONE who has had an issue with Sprint to write a detailed complaint to the BBB as well as to the CEO, Dan and send it to the payment center. If no response is received, I propose a media blitz on Sprint's unfair consumer practices. Don't tempt me, I'll do it. If there is anyone out there who lives by or knows where Sprint headquarters is - for the love of god post the address on the net. It is only fair that they be as transparent as they claim to be.
I am now with Verizon who has called and canceled Sprint on my behalf - Thanks Verizon! But now we have to see whether they'll send through that early termination fee for me to pay on top of the final bill for the services I didn't receive. Wish me luck or see me on the 6 o clock news.
But the real purpose of this entry is to rant about my Sprint experience and how, after about 10 years with them as my service provider, they still totally dicked me.
I live in the mountains. service is spotty. Sprint service is spotty at BEST. We have been suffering through crappy Sprint Roaming for the past 2 1/2 years due to the fact that Sprint coverage is so terrible here and they refused to let us out of our contract since our home address was inside the coverage area (but work and other places we go are NOT). We've recently moved. really it's right down the street, but all of a sudden, we don't get calls, texts or voicemails sometimes. I called to see what we could do about this. Here is what happened:
My first call:
I politely requested that I be let out of my contract without having to pay the penalty fee since they are not able to provide the services stated therein which I am (over) paying for. I stated the problem - I am dropping calls, not receiving texts and sometimes don't even get calls at all. I pay for this service and feel that I should get it. I ecplained that it is also important in this area to have reliable cell phones in the winter as roads are hazardous, etc. The 17 year old guy on the phone asked me where I live. I told him our new address. He checks and says - oh, I show that is in our coverage area. Oh, really? Why am I not getting coverage then? He says I am getting coverage. So, from a call-center in Missouri you are telling me that I am getting coverage when I am telling you that indeed, I am NOT receiving calls? What, are you calling me a liar?
My second call:
I wait for ten minutes for a customer service agent and when I get connected it is to someone who speaks English about as well as a 3 year-old (no offense to toddlers) who mumbles something into the phone at a rapid read-off-the-script clip and then promptly disconnects the line. Nice.
My third call:
This service representative at Sprint told me that it was probably my error and that I must have reset something on the phone since their map showed me to be inside the coverage area. To me, this sounds like they are saying it is my fault that their service sucks. I humor the lady and go through another lengthy updating process to see if that will help. No. It does not.
My fourth call:
I called back and spoke to another grossly under-paid and under-trained employee who told me that I would just have to buy a new phone or pay the early termination fee. Seriously? When did it become the client's responsibility to ensure that the basic services that the provider is supposed to provide are provided? I know my phone works because it worked just fine before we moved all of 15 miles down the road. This resulted in a fifth call to Sprint.
My fifth call:
I protested the unfairness of having to spend MORE money to try to get a service that I am paying for already and not getting, and also that I would have to PAY THEM to discontinue this lack of service. I was again told that I must have done something to the device to not make it work. Oh, and that I must pay them $200 to be let out of my contract early since their computer showed me inside the coverage area. At this point. I am getting so seriously heated that I really just want to speak to a manager - NOW. I was told that someone would have to call me back. This is funny since the number they are going to call me back on is my cell number which doesn't receive calls about 50% of the time if not more. I waited 2 days. No one called me back...at least so far as I can tell.
Now, I know that customer service is steadily declining but this is insane. What company would tell their customers - you know, the ones that pay them and keep them in business - that they are at fault for the company not being able to fulfill their end of the contract? That not only do they need to suffer through a contract which has clearly been breached, but that they will have to pay to get out of it. Well, Sprint for one.
After this jaw-dropping gem of a call, I wrote a letter to the CEO (which is not beyond me to do when I am scathing mad and validly so). Come to find out there is no mailing address listed for Sprint other than the PO box for payments. So the message I am getting from them is this - we don't care about your issues. No, there isn't anyone who you can contact who can help you. And by the way, just pay us and/or go fuck yourself.
I went online and found to my dismay (but not surprise) that there are blogs, websites, message boards and anything else you can think of for poor consumers like myself who have been bitch-slapped by Sprint and are complaining that there is no recourse since the lovely folks at Sprintg keep themselves in hiding in their ivory cell tower (obviously to avoid what could be an endless stream of complaints judging from peoples' posts).
Complaints to the BBB yield no action. Dan, the CEO had the audacity to air commercials which supposedly gave the public his REAL email address (tried it, it doesn't). Is there no accountability? What can we do?
The end message is this, I encourage ANYONE AND EVERYONE who has had an issue with Sprint to write a detailed complaint to the BBB as well as to the CEO, Dan and send it to the payment center. If no response is received, I propose a media blitz on Sprint's unfair consumer practices. Don't tempt me, I'll do it. If there is anyone out there who lives by or knows where Sprint headquarters is - for the love of god post the address on the net. It is only fair that they be as transparent as they claim to be.
I am now with Verizon who has called and canceled Sprint on my behalf - Thanks Verizon! But now we have to see whether they'll send through that early termination fee for me to pay on top of the final bill for the services I didn't receive. Wish me luck or see me on the 6 o clock news.
posted by Elle Dub at 12:49 PM
1 comments
