It is referring to a $3.50 fee the customer is charged everytime they call customer service!! WTF does being a credit risk have to do with this? And how the hell are they getting away with it? Its not like you can just cancel your service. They have you for a year. If you read the article, they say that this lady saw the fee on her bill, called to find out what it was, and got charged AGAIN for calling to find out what the fee was!! Its like something you would see in a sitcom or something. The Simpsons. You can see Homer dialing and racking up charges with a DOH! after each call.
Unfuckingbelievable! I have had great service from Sprint for a few years, but this is just fucked up. I don’t fall into the “credit risk” category, but if I did, I would be snapping necks and cashing checks over this one.
If it was added to the contract after people signed up, and Sprint didn’t notify customers who would be affected, then I agree. But even if that’s the case, it’s a really good business policy. They’re passing the cost of deadbeats not paying their bill onto those deadbeats (and potential ones), instead of jacking up everyone’s bill.
You should be hating them because they’re making it easier to get cell phones. If I hear another icepick-in-the-ear beeping frenzy made to resemble “Fur Elise”…
Try Googling “Sprint Sucks”.
I was held hostage by the PCS network for one year and I don’t think I ever completed a call in that entire time. I’m not even sure how they can get away with peddling the product in this area where it is clearly defective. The Sprint store where I bought the phone eventually closed, but not before bilking god knows how many people.
Sprint is the Yugo of cell phone providers. I left after they overbilled me by $100 two months in a row and I realized their service covered less area than a porn shop nightie.
My phone has been turned off since June, as I battle Sprint over a bill they sent me for the grand sum of $11,211.92 for 29 days of service, during which they admit that I only made 12 phone calls, all local in the 212 area code, totalling 79 minutes, and all during my “unlimited use” hours of 9 pm - 7 am, when I was not subject to per-minute charges.
They still won’t back off of the bill, even though it’s overinflated to the tune of approximately $11,169.17.
They’ll get it from my estate after I’m dead, as far as I’m concerned.
As an ex-SprintPCS employee, let me just say that 90% of the people working there do not know the difference between their ass and a hole in the ground. If you have to call into speak to a human, do so early in the AM on a Sunday. Almost no one calls in then, so you won’t be stuck listening to that bitch Claire.
Secondly, be nice to the dipwad on the other end. When I worked there, the general philosophy was if the person I’m speaking to is nice to me, I’ll try and give them what they want.
Third, if you don’t like the answer you get, then hang up and call back (easy to do on a Sunday morning), get someone else, and explain the situation to them. If they won’t help you, you can either ask for a supervisor (if you ask for a supe three times and they don’t get you one, then ask for their employee ID and then hang up and call back explain your prob to the next drone and give them the ID of the previous employee).
tlw, it’s almost impossible for SprintPCS to admit that they do make billing mistakes (they do, I saw enough of them when I worked there, believe me), however, there is something you can do. Simply contact the FCC, the FTC, and your state attorney general’s office. SprintPCS has gotten more than its fair share of complaints with those folks, so they’ll be inclined to listen to you.
Finally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sprint turned out to be the next Worldcom. There were a lot of flaky things going on there when I got the ax (My reaction: Yeehaw!), including rumors that they needed $17 billion by the end of the year if they wanted to stay in business. Also, stay away from Samsung phones, they don’t seem to last very well (at least the flip-phone models).
I’m no credit risk myself, and Sprint charged me $3.50 on a service call that I had to make as a result of their incompotence. I will never pay it, or at least not until it costs them much more than the actual amount.
Don’t own a cell phone, but may I PLEEAASSEE add to the SPRINT SUX! clamor?
Many moons ago I had Sprint long distance.
Also had a roommate who, while quite upset with me, ran my phone bill up to over $2K in porn phone calls.
Managed to get all but $800 removed. The $800 was due Sprint.
I proved that I was not in the residence when the calls were made (work records). I was told that as the phone was in my name, I was responsible for each and every call made. Period.
While all the other companies were decent, understanding my plight (“He did WHAT??”), Sprint was horrid.
It was only after legal threats were made by them for collection and a response from my attorney that the charges were removed. Fuck them.
(After I got the phone bill, I removed all but one phone jack in the house. The one phone jack, in my bedroom, had a hasp and lock placed over it. Only unlocked it when I was at home. Pretty sad, hunh? The fuckwit)
Long story short: my phone stopped working, Sprint couldn’t fix it, they kept charging me for months, they sent it to a collection agency, now I can’t get a credit card.
The FTC will take your complaint but won’t do anything. I’m seriously thinking about looking into suing them and the collection agency. The Fair Credit Reporting Act entitles you to punitive damages and attorneys’ fees. Fuckers.