Sprint support is -TERRIBLE-, Help?

ncinerate · 11/04/2009, 01:19 PM

I decided to switch to sprint roughly one and a half months ago now. I'd been with T-mobile for years and my corporation has an 18% discount plan with Sprint. I did the math, looked over the phones (decided to get a palm pre which has been a NIGHTMARE with 2 cracked screen replacements ALREADY but that's -another- story) and decided it made sense to make a change.

I signed up online, with the wife and I both coming onboard using their awesome simply everything 1500 minute plan with unlimited mobile to mobile at the 18% discounted corporate rate and I even had a promo code (SAVE50) which gave me an additional 100$ off my first invoice (50$ per phone). Anyway, I paid a large first payment (for our phones, my pre and the wife's lotus) and printed out my Order Receipt complete with confirmation number, happy about everything, with my first month's bill showing at the bottom to be 106.59$.

My first bill came, and it was over 250$.

This was not because I overused my phone (I used 300 minutes of my 1500 minute plan), the reason for the higer bill was they had not applied my corporate 18% discount, and had not applied the promotional code.]

So I called them, and discovered the hell that is Sprint customer support.

After the runaround I was explained by a supervisor that the 18% discount wouldn't be applied for up to 3 months - for absolutely NO REASON. I said "fine, not a problem, so when it finally applies I will be refunded the extra 18% I paid over those 3 months, correct?" He explained, "No No No, of course not, you will simply switch over to the lower price when we feel like doing it in 3 months or so, and pay more in the meantime. It doesn't matter what your receipt says, this is the way it is, and also, you have to go to a sprint store to get your 100$ SAVE50 credit applied since we have absolutely no record of it here (in fact, it's a good thing you printed your receipt, because otherwise you'd be screwed)".

I of course took some issue with this, but he absolutely refused to do anything to credit my account (in fact, explained he had no power to do so, and couldn't actually transfer me to -anyone- that actually had that power). He happily took my name and number to give to his "adjustments" department, who apparently lack a phone number or any possible way for him to contact them or transfer me to them. He said they would absolutely call me within 24 hours (it's been over 72 hours now with no contact from them). I asked how he actually communicated with them, and he responded that "they have ways", I'm assuming possibly ESP, or perhaps a string/styrofoam cup apparatus.

So I went to the sprint store, who explained they could do nothing to fix the SAVE50 promo code issue, and that in fact that should have been handled on the phone (the guy in the store said the guy on the phone probably just wanted to get me off the phone). He called them, and half an hour of talking later explained to me that, like the employee discount, the promo code would ALSO take 3 months to apply, and that I could call them if it hadn't applied by then (again, remember, when I talked to them they had absolutely NO record of me even having a promo code).

Meanwhile, I paid my inflated bill (it was due) while fuming mad because I cannot get any of this resolved. This is absolute theft, it's ridiculous. It's like me offering to sell my kitchen table for 100$, then sending a bill for 200$ and explaining you will ruin the person's credit if they don't pay the higher amount, even though you signed paperwork at 100$, then having NO RECOURSE to fix it. I mean, who do I call, the police? It's a big corporation, how do I keep them from stealing from me? Everyone at sprint refuses to help, nobody can transfer me to anyone who has the power to fix my account, and even with printed physical evidence (hell, I can go build a new phone deal right NOW and it'll say all of this, with NO explanation of a 3 month wait before your employee discount applies, or that your promo code will take months before it shows up).

What do I do?

semprini · 11/04/2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncinerate

He explained, "No No No, of course not, you will simply switch over to the lower price when we feel like doing it in 3 months or so, and pay more in the meantime.

OK...did the CSR really say this or is this your interpretation?

Over 10 years, I've had great experience with their customer service so I'm really curious.

Kiiski · 11/04/2009, 02:03 PM

My dealings with CS hasn't been very good either. I had problems getting my corporate discount, and rebates have been a problem as well. I have never had a problem getting someone higher in the food chain, though. And then, I have, for the most part, had my problems resolved. Mostly. I am still dealing with getting charged for five phones, when I have four, and have been overcharged for five months straight. I always get the reassurance that it has been fixed and that I will see a credit on my next bill, but it has yet to happen.

ivhs72 · 11/04/2009, 02:33 PM

One thing to remember is that your first bill will include your first month, plus the next month (since you always are paying in advance for your service). The second bill should be smaller. As for the discount not being applied, that can happen when you apply online, since they have no way of verifying that you truly are entitled to that discount. If you had gone to a storefront and opened your lines of service, your discount would have been applied there. The customer service you had, if your quotes were accurate, are definitley not what I have experienced from Sprint in the past couple of years, and much better than I ever recieved from Tmobile when I was with them. One of the reasons I switched was due to the way Tmobile screwed my bill up every month. Sprint's customer service has gone through a real metamorphisis in the past couple of years, so I would have to your experience would not be a normal one, based on my experinces.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncinerate

I decided to switch to sprint roughly one and a half months ago now. I'd been with T-mobile for years and my corporation has an 18% discount plan with Sprint. I did the math, looked over the phones (decided to get a palm pre which has been a NIGHTMARE with 2 cracked screen replacements ALREADY but that's -another- story) and decided it made sense to make a change.

I signed up online, with the wife and I both coming onboard using their awesome simply everything 1500 minute plan with unlimited mobile to mobile at the 18% discounted corporate rate and I even had a promo code (SAVE50) which gave me an additional 100$ off my first invoice (50$ per phone). Anyway, I paid a large first payment (for our phones, my pre and the wife's lotus) and printed out my Order Receipt complete with confirmation number, happy about everything, with my first month's bill showing at the bottom to be 106.59$.

My first bill came, and it was over 250$.

This was not because I overused my phone (I used 300 minutes of my 1500 minute plan), the reason for the higer bill was they had not applied my corporate 18% discount, and had not applied the promotional code.]

So I called them, and discovered the hell that is Sprint customer support.

After the runaround I was explained by a supervisor that the 18% discount wouldn't be applied for up to 3 months - for absolutely NO REASON. I said "fine, not a problem, so when it finally applies I will be refunded the extra 18% I paid over those 3 months, correct?" He explained, "No No No, of course not, you will simply switch over to the lower price when we feel like doing it in 3 months or so, and pay more in the meantime. It doesn't matter what your receipt says, this is the way it is, and also, you have to go to a sprint store to get your 100$ SAVE50 credit applied since we have absolutely no record of it here (in fact, it's a good thing you printed your receipt, because otherwise you'd be screwed)".

I of course took some issue with this, but he absolutely refused to do anything to credit my account (in fact, explained he had no power to do so, and couldn't actually transfer me to -anyone- that actually had that power). He happily took my name and number to give to his "adjustments" department, who apparently lack a phone number or any possible way for him to contact them or transfer me to them. He said they would absolutely call me within 24 hours (it's been over 72 hours now with no contact from them). I asked how he actually communicated with them, and he responded that "they have ways", I'm assuming possibly ESP, or perhaps a string/styrofoam cup apparatus.

So I went to the sprint store, who explained they could do nothing to fix the SAVE50 promo code issue, and that in fact that should have been handled on the phone (the guy in the store said the guy on the phone probably just wanted to get me off the phone). He called them, and half an hour of talking later explained to me that, like the employee discount, the promo code would ALSO take 3 months to apply, and that I could call them if it hadn't applied by then (again, remember, when I talked to them they had absolutely NO record of me even having a promo code).

Meanwhile, I paid my inflated bill (it was due) while fuming mad because I cannot get any of this resolved. This is absolute theft, it's ridiculous. It's like me offering to sell my kitchen table for 100$, then sending a bill for 200$ and explaining you will ruin the person's credit if they don't pay the higher amount, even though you signed paperwork at 100$, then having NO RECOURSE to fix it. I mean, who do I call, the police? It's a big corporation, how do I keep them from stealing from me? Everyone at sprint refuses to help, nobody can transfer me to anyone who has the power to fix my account, and even with printed physical evidence (hell, I can go build a new phone deal right NOW and it'll say all of this, with NO explanation of a 3 month wait before your employee discount applies, or that your promo code will take months before it shows up).

What do I do?

Ripcode · 11/04/2009, 02:49 PM

This is interesting.

When I switched from Nextel to Sprint, I had problems with my discount not carrying over.

When I called CS, they told me the same thing that it takes (3) billing cycles to kick in.

I asked them to credit my discount manually for me this bill. They did.

They did it for me again on the next bill.

On the third bill it was all set.

Were you pleasant when dealing with CS?

I must be lucky as CS always been great to deal with on any issues I have had.

walkerwade · 11/04/2009, 03:06 PM

I had almost the exact same experience as you when I signed up back in July both with the Corporate Discount and a discount I was promised for buying 3 new phones and service. On top of that my Pre's touchscreen quit working 2 days later so I called Sprint and asked them how I should handle it and they told me I needed to return it to the store I purchased it at during the first 30 days. Well guess what I found out I didn't buy it from a corporate store (BTW the store was branded with a Sprint Logo so the common man assumes it's Sprint) but guess what they didn't have any Pre's to replace it with nor could they get me one for 2 weeks. So I called Sprint back calmly explained the situation but they insisted there was nothing they could do. So the only thing I could do was take a loaner flip phone and wait 2 wks for my new phone. When I finally got my new phone guess what the microphone didn't work so once again I was in the same situation but guess what they can't replace a phone twice within 30 days no way no how according to this so-called Sprint Store. So at this point I'm ready to cancel and go back to At&t so I called Sprint to cancel, and guess what when you've finally had enough and you're ready to cancel they decide to help you. They shipped me a new phone next day air and gave me a $50.00 credit for my trouble. So now I'm happy thinking everything is great until my first bill shows up without the 27% corporate discount I was suppose to receive nor the discount. So once again I call in and got the same B.S. response you received that it would take up to 3 months. I immediately said I want to cancel my service and I was transferred to another department. Once again guess what they now want to fix my problem which they did by giving me a credit that equals the amount the discount should have been.

My point in all of this is Sprints customer service is still terrible and they have all sorts of problems that need to be addressed. If it wasn't for the 27% discount I would be long gone right now. If their going to offer a 27% corporate discount they better be ready to give it on the first bill not the third, and if they've got to have a better solution to replacing a phone in the first 30 day's.

chud311 · 11/04/2009, 03:09 PM

well, you're married and have a job so i can assume you're not 12 years old. is this the first time youve gotten cell service? every one of the carriers prorates your first month and your first bill is larger than normal.

also typical is a 2 to 3 month billing cycle wait time for any discounts to start showing up. my mom has had Verizon for two years and her corporate discount still hasn't been applied, so this isn't a Sprint only thing.

the guy probably DID want to get you off the phone the first time because you were probably copping an attitude. not that that is the right thing for him to do, but i would believe it.

you said when looking into switching how great Sprint's 1500 minute plan is ratewise, and then go on to scream theft because you're not getting reimbursed for your discount. the contract you signed pertains to the stated baseline rates. any and all monthly discounts and promotions are a luxury and instead of complaining about two or three months of a discount not being applied, you should be thankful you're getting anything at all.

if this is putting such a financial burden on you, perhaps you should have looked into two free dumbphones with a cheaper monthly plan.

Quote:

To see if you - and potentially your family - are eligible for discounts through your employer, just submit your work email address below. Discount eligibility will depend on your employer's agreement with Sprint.

After you submit your email address in the space provided below, you will receive a one-time email from Sprint that tells you if you're eligible for a discount, and how you can take advantage of these cost savings today.

All of the documentation I received regarding my discount also clearly stated that it would take two to three billing cycles to be applied.....thieves.

ryleyinstl · 11/04/2009, 03:15 PM

This is basically normal. I haven't encountered the sarcasm your quoting but I have always been told it could take up to 3 months for a corporate discount to be applied and that it is not retroactive.

I will admit the process is slow and frustrating. When the wife and I first moved to the USA we applied for the corp discount she had from work and after 3 months we still never had it. I called and they had no record of us submitting. In the end it took nearly a year.

When I bought the Pre in June I again reaplied for the discount (24% this time as my wife's employer had recived better discounts) and it only took about 3 weeks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncinerate

After the runaround I was explained by a supervisor that the 18% discount wouldn't be applied for up to 3 months - for absolutely NO REASON. I said "fine, not a problem, so when it finally applies I will be refunded the extra 18% I paid over those 3 months, correct?" He explained, "No No No, of course not, you will simply switch over to the lower price when we feel like doing it in 3 months or so, and pay more in the meantime.

NxTech3 · 11/04/2009, 03:16 PM

it always has and will always be that it takes anywhere from one to three billing cycles for discounts and credits to be applied. I see issues like this all the time, this is the problem going online, there is no one to explain everything to you. I prefer to do everything in store (the same 1-3 months rule still applies), but ive never seen it take more than one billing cycle. Promo codes are supposed to be entered at the end of the checkout online and again could take 1-3 billing cycles. Sprint isnt stealing from you, look at it this way, if you didnt qualify for the 18% discount and they gave it to you for 1-3 months wouldnt you be stealing from them??? Thats why it takes so long, like another poster stated, they have to make sure you are legit. Quit complaining, you are getting a cheaper rate plan than AT&T no matter how you look at it, discount or not.

tomascco · 11/04/2009, 03:21 PM

Your experience sounds exactly like mine - with AT&T. I've never, knock on wood, had any bad experiences with Sprint customer service, and believe me, I've availed myself many times to their assistance. If anything, they've overcompensated for insuring that my billing and service was satisfactory. I've never had a surprise on my bill. In fact, the only surprise I've ever received from Sprint was a phone call from a CSR asking if the fix applied the evening before (a two-hour episode with an Instinct) was working correctly. It was.

If I ever was treated by a CSR as you described above I'd hang up immediately and dial again.

ncinerate · 11/04/2009, 03:29 PM

Nothing in the employee sprint store website stated 2-3 months to apply. I was extremely civil in the conversation with them and I'm paraphrasing a bit I'm sure on the "floor supervisor" comments (although he was exceedingly haughty toward me which is the attitude im trying to impart into text).

Chud, the price discrepancy is -nothing- to do with the standard prorated first month/second month first bill (and I have no issues with this). The "paying a month in advance" issue is not what caused the billing discrepancy. The bill was high because my discount and promo code was not applied (by the exact amount of these two items). My issue is 100% with the company offering me a product at a set price, disclosing this price, then changing the price after I've signed up for the service with absolutely no way to go about rectifying the issue. My bill is correct for my monthly charges, outside of the missing promo code and employee discount.

Is the 23$/month for 3 months going to cause me great financial ruin? Of course not. In fact, I've already spent more time on this then it is probably worth. Does that make it sting any less? If some common street punk mugged you and stole the money in your wallet at knifepoint, would you be ok with this simply because the 75$ you had in there won't make any real difference on your life? No, you would be measurably upset and call someone to report it.

Let me rephrase everything here. I would have VERY LIKELY still have signed up for sprint, and have been HAPPY with my product and service, if they would have simply explained all of this up front. Their order confirmation screen should have clearly stated this would take 2-3 months to apply and it should not have printed out a receipt showing the lower rate with no disclaimer as such. I have no issues with this policy, but it was not explained to me anywhere in any of the documentation I received. If I pulled this stunt with a client I would be facing an earfull of hurt. It shouldn't matter that I set up online (I did this on a morning with my 5 month old son in my lap, online = convenience). 1 line of text on my order confirmation screen would have cleared this whole thing up.

And chud, no reason to be an insulting jerkwad.

chud311 · 11/04/2009, 03:52 PM

NOBODY STOLE ANYTHING FROM YOU!

if you switch jobs and your new employer doesn't offer a discount with Sprint, how quickly would you call Sprint and let them know?

Quote:

Total Savings You'll Get Back Later
Rebates

-$150.00

I started a fake order, picked your plan, picked your two phones, entered the SAVE 50 code, and that is what clearly showed up. The key word is "later." You can then click on that verbage for an explanation of the promotional code. I'm not going any further in the fake checkout process to screen cap what it says about employer discounts, but I just reread my email and it clearly says 1 to 2 billing cycles.

your 3 posts on this board have been the same negative story, repeated. we get it. sprint is stealing your money. you should have just left them within your 30 day window.

thestig · 11/05/2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chud311

NOBODY STOLE ANYTHING FROM YOU!

your 3 posts on this board have been the same negative story, repeated. we get it. sprint is stealing your money. you should have just left them within your 30 day window.

Conveniently for Sprint there is no way to check your bill until a few days after your 30 days are up. Otherwise I would not be a Sprint customer right now.

ncinerate · 11/05/2009, 08:33 PM

I'm disgruntled, annoyed, but moving on.

Meanwhile, I wait for my second replacement Pre to arrive thanks to another cracked screen in just a bit over 1 month of use.

It looks like the apathy runs deep with sprint, and of course Chud (maybe you work for sprint, if not, perhaps you should call them - you seem ideally suited for the career path based on everyone I've talked with there).

I won't get back the money I feel has been forcefully taken from me, but I will absolutely cost Sprint more in the long run in the way of customers who wont be joining the ranks. I myself will likely change service when my 2 years expire. My phone is the joke of the office with it's ridiculously poor reliability, and the people who took interest in it when I first purchased it have since been completely turned off by my rash of cracked screens and poor service.

In the meantime I'll enjoy my Pre, when I actually have one that works (so far it's been like a classic jaguar, requiring 2 of them to actually have one out of the shop at any given time). May your screen shatter next time you charge it up chud! Thanks for all the help.

grndslm · 11/05/2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestig

Conveniently for Sprint there is no way to check your bill until a few days after your 30 days are up. Otherwise I would not be a Sprint customer right now.

Umm... I just went thru Telesales last week to get my Pre. Received my Pre last Thursday, and I received my paper bill today, exactly one week later. I also setup my My Sprint online account a couple days ago, so I've already seen this eBill beforehand. Just set up to only receive eBills and nothing in paper. $5 off just for doing that.

chud311 · 11/06/2009, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncinerate

I'm disgruntled, annoyed, but moving on.

Meanwhile, I wait for my second replacement Pre to arrive thanks to another cracked screen in just a bit over 1 month of use.

It looks like the apathy runs deep with sprint, and of course Chud (maybe you work for sprint, if not, perhaps you should call them - you seem ideally suited for the career path based on everyone I've talked with there).

I won't get back the money I feel has been forcefully taken from me, but I will absolutely cost Sprint more in the long run in the way of customers who wont be joining the ranks. I myself will likely change service when my 2 years expire. My phone is the joke of the office with it's ridiculously poor reliability, and the people who took interest in it when I first purchased it have since been completely turned off by my rash of cracked screens and poor service.

In the meantime I'll enjoy my Pre, when I actually have one that works (so far it's been like a classic jaguar, requiring 2 of them to actually have one out of the shop at any given time). May your screen shatter next time you charge it up chud! Thanks for all the help.

I don't work for Sprint or any of the carriers. Like I said, the practices you are complaining about are par for the course for all of them though.

I was with Verizon for 10 years. AT&T prior to that, and now Sprint. I'm not loyal to any of them.

While you may not like what I said, or moreso how I said it, you really should realize that you're really not getting screwed over. You WILL receive your discount. I'm sorry that over the course of 24 months, you will only see that discount for 22 or 23 of them.

You are also in the minority when it comes to the reliability issues of the phone itself. I'm sorry you're having problems with it, for whatever reason. Maybe you should try a different phone altogether?

If my screen does end up shattering or something else fails, oh well, it happens. I'll let you know if it does though so that that night you can go to bed smug and happy.

chud311 · 11/06/2009, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grndslm

Umm... I just went thru Telesales last week to get my Pre. Received my Pre last Thursday, and I received my paper bill today, exactly one week later. I also setup my My Sprint online account a couple days ago, so I've already seen this eBill beforehand. Just set up to only receive eBills and nothing in paper. $5 off just for doing that.

Same here except that I bought mine through Amazon. I got the bill so quickly that I thought it was more like a welcome packet or something.