Complaint Review: Sprint PCS

On July 1, 2006, I moved to a new house. The new house location, as well as the adjacent area has inadequate cellphone coverage using SPRINT's own web-based coverage maps, which caused dropped calls, no calls, and no internet data. This problem was apparent to me during the home search in June. Treo 650 cell phone is my only phone.

Because of the dropped calls in my house, the act of moving was near impossible, and conversing with the outside world was impossible without a pay phone. Sprint's first response was that there must be something with my phone or my house was blocking the signal. It is a fallacious argument for a number of reasons mostly because the phone worked fine in San Francisco where I work, but the back and forth with them went on for two weeks.

I asked to cancel the service around July 12, but only after I ported the number out to another carrier, which they agreed to. But they reneged, and spitefully cancelled my service prior to the initiation of a new service with another carrier.

The main contention now is am I required to pay a cancellation fee for Sprint's failure to have adequate coverage in my new residential location? Sprint had agreed on August 16 to waive the cancellation fee of $150 if I paid a nominal $13.60 connection fee -- when I protested their cancellation -- they gave me a new temporary number. I agreed to pay it.

In September, I received acknowledgement of receipt of the $13.60, but also a balance of $150 for the cancellation fee and a final notice of disconnect. I called Sprint on Sept. 17, and the supervisor, Leroy, told me that he would first need to send a technician to the house to see if there is in fact service.

In other words: 1. Sprint vindictively and abruptly cancelled my original service preventing portability. 2. Then they claimed I was responsible for a cancellation fee for their lack of coverage because I chose to cancel the service. 3. They then promised to waive the cancellation fee if I cooperated in paying the $13.60. 4. Now in September they say they won't waive the cancellation fee until they prove to their satisfaction that there isn't service in September at my address.

I get a different answer from Sprint everytime I call. I am unable to resolve this issue, and Sprint is being deceptive at best, and malicious at worse, by their prevaricating customer service representatives.

Don't purchase Sprint cell plans. Everyone on the California coast should use either ATT or Tmobile because they have the best coverage and the highest power transmitters. SPRINT offers some kind of b**, half a** service along the California coast. They can't or won't cope with the reality that CA has mountains.

Paul
half moon bay, California
U.S.A.