Report: #151126

Complaint Review: Sprint

Sprint ripoff and misleading Baton Rouge Louisiana

Reported By:

— Denham Springs Louisiana
Submitted:

Mon, July 25, 2005
Updated:

Mon, August 01, 2005

Sprint

Sprintpcs.com

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

U.S.A.
Phone:
Category:

Cellular Phone Companies

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Radio Shack VS Sprint PCS *Consumer Comment: SPRINT RADIO SHACK UNFAIR TREATMENT *Consumer Suggestion: Resolution Suggestion *Consumer Suggestion: Resolution Suggestion *Consumer Suggestion: Resolution Suggestion *Consumer Suggestion: Resolution Suggestion

Well I have a few things about the pathetic cellular service called Sprintpcs. I had them a few years ago and when my contract was up droped them. Well the past Jan i went back with them mainly because of their low deposit, I guess I forgot how crappy they were.

Since Jan it has been pure hell, literally. First I got my phone from the local Radio Shack. After one day I noticed it died kinda fast but wasnt to bad. Well 3 weeks went by and it got worse, so I went into RS and they gave me another battery, well 3 more weeks same thing, so they concluded that it must be the phone, it was so bad after 1 hour standby time and it was dead. Well I went back in RS and they said I could return it to be fixed and do without a phone for 3-4 weeks. No, not gona happen.

Or I could pay $50 to get a used phone and wait like 2 weeks. So I was paying for insurance on a new phone to pay 50 bucks for a used phone?? No thanks. Which I thought you payed 50 bucks and got a new phone equal to the old one, I was wrong. Well anyway I went back home and took the battery off and saw a "remanufacture" sticker on it, hmm I thought you get a new phone when you sign up.

Well I called Sprint and they said yes you should have gotten a new phone. So I go back to RS and they tell me theres nothing they can do. So I go back home with a used broke phone that I have had for about 2 months. I call sprint back, and they argue that it is not their problem its RS's problem. And RS says its sprints problem. Well I fight with sprint over the phone for about a week and nothing gets done, I get put on hold numerious times and then hung up on, supervisors suppose to call back and they never do.

And they finally tell me not their problem. Although I can see thier point but it is their service!! And I do beleive their name is on the phone. RS is just a seller of their product. At least they could have contacted RS and got things corrected. But no nothing, so finally the manager at RS gives me a new phone like I should have had in the first place.

Everytime I turn around I am getting bogus charges on my bill, and I beleive using less minutes sometimes then they say I do. I had gotten the "roaming" plan. Customer Rep tells me the plan is $5 and says it will stay 5 bucks as long as my roaming minutes doesnt exceed half of my total minutes used for the month, well I get and use it then I get my bill, I have about $150 in roaming charges on it, I call them and they say no the plan only included 50 minutes of roaming.....So Im screwed again.

And with no releif, I have requested services be taken off my account and next month they still be there, I called recently to dispute my bill and of course auto sent to collections and asked to get transfered to customer care and 3 times end up right back at collections, them wanting me to pay money for something they cant even explain what its for, I think not. So finally I get over to customer care and speak with someone(someone who can actually speak english also!!wow!!).

She tells me I have over 1000mins of internet use...hmmmmmmmmmm that on the 16th at 10:30pm i got on the net and stayed for 600 mins. so thats till 8:30 in the morning!!!!lol i think not...and on the 19th i got on and stayed for 450 mins...hmm clearly something isnt right here. So I finally get a Supervisor(after "losing" connection several times) he tells me part of my extra charges was for those outrageous net charges, and the other part was for some bogus pro rated charges for next months bill???? something I have never heard of and he really couldnt explain to me, at least to my understanding, so he turned me phone back on and gave a "temperary" releif as he called it, but I still have to pay these bogus net charges.

Look this is just a few things there are more, it is always something with this pathetic company, and btw if you dont have sprint, never get them!! and also if you see their lying commercial that has the U.S map and in red is their service area, OMG!! that is such a lie, near the whole west doesnt have service, they suck all around and up and down!! stay clear of them or you will be trapped like me and others!!! Im not alone, I thought I was because I didnt know anyone else having problems with them(mainly because I do not know anyone else with Sprint:P)

Kevin
Denham Springs, Louisiana
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Sprint

sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Radio Shack

6 Updates & Rebuttals

Joan

Bethany,
Oklahoma,
U.S.A.

Radio Shack VS Sprint PCS

#7UPDATE EX-employee responds

Mon, August 01, 2005

The problem Kevin is having with his phone is a result of Radio Shack.

The customer service problem is the result of SPCS placing a higher value on $$$$ than customers. I haven't work there in 2 yrs AND I know what happened to Kevin's charges AND I still remember how to fix it.

- Kevin pushed a button, either without knowing it or without understand it, that caused charges. This is a problem with both RS and SPCS. RS should have trained Kevin about the phone, AND SPCS should have explained additional charges and how they occur when Kevin activated it. Additionally both should have explain or shown Kevin a map.
The fix

#1 educate the customer what happened.

#2 offer to disable the Internet. offer to walk him through either disabling roaming or setting roaming alarms.

#3 a credit should be issued for the Internet charges.

#4 Roaming charges are not easy to resolve as the are the result of a 3rd companies billing. I would have offered a compromise of a small $ credit and courtesy minutes in next cycle.

#5 Offer a temporary additional service for free for a few months for his trouble, to let him know that he is valued as a customer.

Why do I no longer work at SPCS to help Kevin? SPCS thinks it is BETTER to have Customer Service People that live in India. I have no ill will to Indians. However, US streeet English is not the same as US English learned in text books. Additionally, they follow the time limit per call on every call, without concern for the customer.

BTW, when I left SPCS, the goal on time per call was 2 minutes. If you didn't meet this, your pay suffered or you could be written up.

When I left SPCS, I always made my goals for my full pay check, but I could no longer stomach treating people in a manner that got them off the phone in under 2 minutes. SPCS was NOT like this when I started there, but slowly things changed.

Charles

Georgetown,
Georgia,
U.S.A.

SPRINT RADIO SHACK UNFAIR TREATMENT

#7Consumer Comment

Sun, July 31, 2005

I have had the same problems with sprint just like with everyone else, i have been a sprint custormer sense 11/27/02, & i have had nothing but unfair service from sprint sense then.I went to my local radio shack which is in columbus ga to see about a cellphone radio shack was giving away free kyocera 2255 sprint cell phone radio shack new the phones had defects in them that is why they were giving them away later i found out that the phones were falsely charging roaming charges which is the problem that i have had the phone, I went in to see about the deal because i needed a cell phone i paid $130 deposit the extra $5 was an activation fee, radio shack made me also pay for two extra warrenty's for my cell phone, radio shack forced me into paying an extendted warrenty along with the radio shack warrenty that i had to pay so i had to pay an extra $80 for the two warrentys radio shack told me that i would not get the phone unless i paid the sprint replacement warrenty which turned out i could not use when my phone became defective, after i paid for the fees i then talked with sprint & had the phone activated the entire process took 90 minutes then i walked out of radio shack with my new cell phone. The first two to three months of having the phone i had no difficulties except sprint did cut off my phone 3 times accusing me of roaming charges which i did not live in an roaming area i had to contact sprint 3 different times to get the problem corrected, then 6 to 8 months of having the phone i started to experince difficulties problems with my screen blacking in & out & the screen later completely blacked out where i could no longer see the screen i took the phone to my local sprint store but i was told sprint would be unable to assist me to replace the phone & also informed me that the phone could not be repaired & that it had to be replaced but i had to take it back to the place of purchase but i told the sprint store that i purchased an sprint warrenty but they still told me that the sprint store told me that it is radio shack's problem & no theirs all thought i did bye an extented warrenty still no help.I then took it to my local radio shack but still got the same crap from the sprint store but because i had purchased an extendted sprint warrenty along with radio shack's warrenty radio shack would send the phone off for repairs for two weeks but i told them that the sprint store told me that the phone could not be repaired & it had to be replaced & then radio shack refused to replace the phone i could no longer see the screen, the mananger at radio shack then became rude & ugly towards me telling me what the sprint store told me was wrong first sprint told me it was radio shack's problem & know radio shack is telling me it's sprint's problem i can get no help in replacing my phone my warrenty expired 11/27/04 & sprint says i wasn't under warrenty when i contacted them before that date i have had problems with this cell phone from the beginning radio shack new these phones were defective & new they would give people problems which i did not know the phones were defective that is why they were giving them out for free i have filed a complaint with my attorney general's office of what sprint & radio shack would not help me to resolve this problem & would not replace my phone i have made a bad mistake & radio shack as ripped me off big selling me a defective phone knowing it had problems & would not replace it when my phone became defective i have been burned big time bye sprint & radio shack, i have made complaints to the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU but they can't make sprint replace my phone so they are useless don't bother with the better business bureau because sprint will lie to get out of trouble their as been no relief for me in resolving this problem with sprint for leaving me with a defective phone that i can no longer use & for refusing to replace my phone while my phone was still under warrenty, i will not ever trust radio shack again for how they mislead me about this phone & for their refusal to replace my phone for the defective one.You can't trust any businesses these days without them trying to rip you off or trying to take advantage of you.

Paula

SA,
Texas,
U.S.A.

Resolution Suggestion

#7Consumer Suggestion

Mon, July 25, 2005

Below is a list of email addresses, names of Sprint Execs (merely follow format for email, 1st name.mid initial.last name@mail.sprint.com)

After contacting almost everyone at the executive offices my new phone which had broken befor the rebate was received, was replaced! Also attached is a copy of the email, just changed the name for each exec.!

finally-copy and paste address for more sprint employee addresses at their coorporate office.

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/cda_mcList.do

colleen.r.floyd@mail.sprint.com

Genevieve.C.Billy@mail.sprint.com

svinge01@sprintspectrum.com

mark.bonavia@mail.sprint.com

melinda.g.tiemeyer@mail.sprint.com

suzanne.m.lammers@mail.sprint.com

marynell.westbrook@mail.sprint.com

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/cda_mcList.do

Gary D. Forsee

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Sprint Corporation

Len J. Lauer

President and Chief Operating Officer

Sprint Corporation

Paget L. Alves

President, Sprint Business Solutions-Strategic

Sprint Corporation

Gene M. Betts

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

Sprint Corporation

William R. Blessing

Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Corporate Development

Sprint Corporation

Harry Campbell

President, Sprint Business Solutions, Emerging & Mid Markets

Sprint Corporation

Robert J. Dellinger

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Sprint Corporation

Michael B. Fuller

President, Local Telecommunications Division

Sprint Corporation

John A. Garcia

Senior Vice President, Sprint Consumer Solutions

Sales and Distribution

Tom Gerke

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and External Affairs

Sprint Corporation

Ms. Westbrook;

I am writing to express my disappointment with the services provided by Sprint PCS. My disappointment has only been multiplied by your employees obvious lack of concern for customer satisfaction or lack of "customer service."

My family has been Sprint customers for 3-4 years now. We currently have 5 lines of service. I am a Manager for (name omitted for privacy) and have encouraged my employees to employ Sprint as their cellular carrier. I have personally referred many friends and relatives to your company.

I purchased a new cellular unit on about May 2, 2005. It became completely nonfunctional on Tuesday, June 14. I am not satisfied with your company policy of not replacing a new phone with a new phone.

I recently purcahsed a new car, and would be very unsatisfied if my car suddenly stopped working and the dealership advised me they would only replace it with a used car.

As I have attempted to resolve this issue I have met with uncaring, uninterested employees at Sprint. It is my understanding that this is their training and this is your policy. I have attempted to obtain a phone number or address for a corporate or regional office where I could voice my dissatisfaction and have been told that none exist.

I am contacting you for help in resolving this issue before contacting the Better Business Bureau.

I would hate to leave a company I have been loyal to, that I have brought my friends, family and business associates to.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to future correspondence in regards to this situation,

Sincerely,

Paula

SA,
Texas,
U.S.A.

Resolution Suggestion

#7Consumer Suggestion

Mon, July 25, 2005

Paula

SA,
Texas,
U.S.A.

Resolution Suggestion

#7Consumer Suggestion

Mon, July 25, 2005

Paula

SA,
Texas,
U.S.A.

Resolution Suggestion

#7Consumer Suggestion

Mon, July 25, 2005

Respond to this Report!