Sprint Spatz

My story begins on New Years Eve. I had my phone with me at or about the stroke of midnight, but my 12:30 AM or so it had gone missing. I was at church, so I had to have lost it somewhere in the building... UNLESS it was packed away on the truck with all our stuff OR it fell into a trash can and was taken out of the building that way. Yes... I tried calling it, but I knew I left it on vibrate that night, so that wasn't successful. So, I waited one week... until the following Sunday, hoping to find it again. No luck. It has yet to reappear.

Soon thereafter a friend (Chris C... don't say I never mention you either!) offered me an old cell phone of his to use. It was fairly similar to my old one, so I activated it and began using it. I was impressed with how easy it was to call in and activate the "new" phone! Kudos to Sprint on that one! However, as soon as people began calling me, they started complaining about how difficult it was to hear me. So, it didn't take me too long to realize I needed a NEW phone.

I tried looking on line to see when I was eligible for my next rebate, but was having difficulty. So, I headed to my local Sprint store to inquire. I explained to them what happened, and they said, "oh... didn't they tell you when you activated the other phone that it would RESET your rebate period?"

Krista: (disappointedly) "uh... no... they did not."

Sprint Rep: "Oh... so they didn't tell you that as of September you were eligible for $150 toward a brand new phone?"

Krista: (even more irritated) "No. They did not."

As luck would have it, the in-store reps were helpless. They suggested I go back home, call Sprint Customer Care (yes... "Customer Care") and see if they would reset the rebate. (joy, joy)

I called Sprint expecting them to put up a fight. Instead, they were very quick and helpful. They reset the rebate and transferred me to the sales department to order a new phone.

PHASE 2:

I believe I was patched through to a call center somewhere in India. I had already visited Sprint's website to ID a potential model. So, that was easy enough... or should have been. Before closing the deal, I unfortunately asked the rep if the phone had a certain feature (even though I had verified that on-line). She said that it did not. After being put on hold TWICE and me having time to verify it on-line, she came back and said that it "definitely does NOT have that feature." I told her I had checked it on the website, and it said the phone DOES have that feature. She then asked me if I was looking at phonescoop.com. I sternly replied, "NO! I'm looking at SPRINTPCS.COM!!!!! SPRINT'S WEBSITE!!!" After going there herself she (surprisingly) admitted that the phone DID have that feature. Right before finishing up, she gave me my new phone number. Um... "I don't want a new phone number!!! I just want a new phone." She kindly explained that sending the phone programmed with my old # might result in a break in service. So, she told me when I received the new phone to call in and have them switch the number when I activate it. Okay, fine, whatever.

Waiting... waiting... waiting for my new phone...

The phone arrives. I pretty much hate it at first sight. But, whatever... it's a new phone. I call in to activate it. The Sprint Rep (may have been the same lady as before) asked me what number I wanted to change it to. When I gave her the #, she said, "I show that's a number on one of your other lines." HELLO!!! I DIDN'T WANT A SECOND LINE. I JUST WANTED A NEW PHONE!!!!! She gets more and more confused and finally transfers me to someone in the continental United States. Ah, David, you're a sound for sore ears! However, he explained that he could not change the number on that phone without charging me FULL PRICE for the phone (i.e. - not applying the $150 rebate). He says I'll have to return that phone and they can ship out another one. Grrrrrr!!!!! I vented to him awhile, because I had made it VERY CLEAR to Sprint what I wanted (and didn't want). He finally said he'd mail me a return pack for the phone, so I wouldn't be out any postage to resend it. (Gee, thanks.) I postpone the re-ordering of a new phone but ask him to reinstate the rebate so I can order a phone from a local Sprint store, which he fortunately does.

Waiting... waiting... waiting for the return pack.

After about a week, it finally comes. Shipping it back is relatively easy.

Few days later.... I go into a Sprint store and hate all of the phones they have... except for (of course) all of the uber-expensive ones. I finally decide on the same model that was originally mailed to me. (I'll have 30 days in which to return it if I don't like it.) However, the normal blue and silver phones are gone. All they have is PINK. The thought of carrying around a candy pink phone for the next two years made me want to puke, so I passed and left the store... unsatisfied yet again.

Two weeks later (today), I visit a Cingular store. I like some of the phone options, but wonder about the cost-benefit given the fact that my whole family and close friends are still with Sprint.

Several hours later I receive my latest Sprint bill... which includes $204 of charges related to the "new phone line" they set up for me. So, I spent the last hour on the phone with Sprint again. I was told "a credit will be issued for the phone within ten to fifteen days of them receiving the phone you sent back," which apparently they received on February 7th. I kept saying (because I'm set up on automatic withdrawal, "I DON'T WANT MY BANK ACCOUNT TO BE CHARGED FOR THAT LINE." They would reply, "we will credit back your account when the paperwork goes through." I would repeat, "I DON'T WANT MY BANK ACCOUNT TO BE CHARGED FOR THAT LINE." I finally asked for a manager, who told me pretty much the same thing. But, she finally assured me that it would be credited within 10 days (which is before it's due to hit my account); however, the last thing she said is "you might call back two days before it hits just to make sure..." Geesh.

Believe it or not, that's the abbreviated story. Within each of those calls was more arguing and fighting than I described here. What I want to know is... whatever happened to CUSTOMER SERVICE? Admitting mistakes (many, many mistakes) have been made and trying to make it right? Is that too much to ask?

Anyway... the reception on my land-line sucks, too. So, please don't think I'm ignoring any of you. It's just been annoying to use either of my phones for the past six weeks. Maybe one day I'll get it resolved and have clear reception once again.

Kudos to anyone who actually read this whole post. I'm impressed!