We have had Nextel service in NYC for the past 7 years. Depending on our work load we have had to increase/decrease number of phones, minutes and so on. All of our bills have been paid in full. The amount we paid to Nextel exceeded $75,000.
Yet, we are always wrong; Nextel/sprint wins EVERY transaction dispute. If we as much as make a complaint we were always threatened with TERMINATION.
So we eat it; their $200 early termination fees, the $5 for this, the $3 for that, the "we can not terminate the service until....(in the meantime they bill another month's worth of service for a phone not in use plus the termination fee)". Then there is the "credit will appear on your statement 3 months from now, but if you do not pay today...we will terminate".
One of our staff decided on the non-flip type phone, he carried it in his pocket, every time he leaned over the phone dialed out...at the end of the month the phone dialed out $1000 of phone calls...all to the same number (his last number called), all for no more than 20 seconds, with no reported conversation, for hours at a time. It was determined that the phone buttons stuck. The representative said, OK may be it is true, "but sorry customer, you will still have to pay...you should have told us...how could we have known until we saw the next bill? So we were back to pay or we will terminate all other active phones...immediately".
The nightmare continues, you want to upgrade to a better phone (give Nextel/sprint more business) and you have been a loyal customer for over 7 years, they tell you to upgrade you must either pay the full amount ($400 compared to $75 for the new phone) or sign a NEW contract.
Finally, when we order a new part for $10 our call is picked up instantly, but when we call to terminate service, or question a bill, the call goes into a Global-never-never-land, no one speaks English, this one has to talk to that one, "we must first confirm", "please hold", and lastly "sorry our department does not handle that". So we spend (I counted once) up to 40 minutes on hold and never were able to cancel a cell phone even when we were willing to pay the early termination fee.
The girls and guys that you speak with are given a script, there is no customer loyalty, one-on-one conversation, reason, fairness. There is only their corporate way or no way.
While we work to pay their Nextel/sprint bills; they sit high in their corporate offices and think all day how to #%@* the average consumer.
So for the past 10 days a computer calls my HOME, tells me to hold, and most of the time hangs up. Today I was fortunate enough to hear a voice...you know a HUMAN voice, they told me that there was a problem with my sprint account (a new computer card, never used, ordered)...and that a $147 charge Sprint placed in "collection" with them...RPM...and that they had the GOD GIVEN RIGHT to have their computer call day and night until the bill was paid. Unless I wanted to call Sprint direct (in global-never-never-land) and wait on hold for hours, days, weeks.
Thank you for your site, and allowing the voice of the people to be heard. I would like to know which Senators recieved money from Sprint for the campaigns...wouldn't you?
John rusin
chappaqua, New York
U.S.A.