Hi all,

My family has an old 3 line phone plan (total, <$70 / month) that has served us well for years. My parents use it for basic voice with some fairly simple phones, and I have the 3rd phone, but don't really use it much because work supplies me with a Blackberry.

Now it's getting time for me to leave my job and I'm wondering if there's a cheap way I can use data on this family plan without the outrageous fees. After having email/google maps etc. on my Blackberry it will be hard to go back to a dumb phone.

Specifically, I'm confused by several things:

-- ridiculous $0.03 / KB data rate if no data plan chosen
-- $15 data "add-on" plan, but not for "premium data"? What the hell is "premium" data? And how can they decide what's premium content being delivered to a phone? And similarly, how can they charge $10/mo for "GPS service" when the phone has that functionality by itself?
-- if I were to buy a smartphone through Sprint, I would have to sign a 2 yr agreement at >$40/month or something.


I have no interest in modifying the rate plan -- I think this is a pretty good deal for our family. For years, I have just upgraded / replaced my parents phones with "newer" models by buying cheap used ones off of Ebay and activating them, no extra charges.

My plan:
I figured I could buy an old Sprint iPhone, activate it, and port my business number over, and add on a data package ($15/mo). But these silly "smartphone" rates make me think this might backfire and they might change the cheap family rate.

Any suggestions / advice on how this works? Is it feasible for me to buy a used iPhone, activate it, and pay the extra data plan fee? Or will something unexpected happen?

Any other suggestions? I'm even open steps as drastic as buying a separate phone for data somehow (even with some other network), if the rate is good enough. I'm not tied to iPhone or Blackberry either.

Thanks!

ps. the complexity and stupidity of Sprint's rates and plans is amazing, and testament to why we should disintermediate cellphone companies and their plans from the phones themselves...

It amazes me how many customers this company loses simply based on their draconian policies involving used devices. You basically can't even sell them or switch them from prepaid to postpaid or vice versa. I remember when I tried to put a used Sprint phone with a clean ESN on a Sprint plan and they all-out refused! I was considering a Sprint plan but I don't want to buy a new device/have a contract. The way the mobile market is heading this could severely hurt or help Sprint depending on their current policies. Are they still doing this or has it improved?

I am interested in buying one of these phones. I live in a fringe area where I can hardly hold a call. Has anyone tried both of theses phones? Does one hold a call better than the other?

More details via androidpolice here: http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05...optimus-g-pro/



:cool:

Who will take control of Sprint?


It seems/appears Dish was ill prepared and ill informed to the surprise Softbank proposed deal with Sprint last fall. Everything Dish has done from the Clearwire counter offer to the most recent Sprint counter offer seems almost like a last ditch effort for a wireless play as Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen speaks of a possible sale of the company or spectrum if the Sprint deal falls through.

5/9/13


Read more: Dish's Ergen: We have backup options in wireless if we lose Sprint deal - FierceWireless http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/...#ixzz2SrfvC68W

Not really a rant. I'm too beat down for that.

Short story is I've been trying to port a number over for roughly 1 year and 3-6 months. I forget cuz it's been that long. I try, fail, give up for a while, and try again.

However, I recently started trying again. This time, I didn't just go through Customer Service. I did a few things and have gotten amazingly fast service, speaking with Americans (rather than whatever Asian call center rep, my current guess based on an accent I can't place is either some Indian or Filipino or some other Southeast Asian country) who will listen to you, don't read off a script, call back when they say, and do what they tell you they're doing.

So, my PSA for those who are running into trouble with the normal CS reps is try these following methods:

BBB - filed an online complaint here. Got a call from someone in less than a week. 4 days or less I believe. Said she wanted to be accountable, listened to me, knew what she was doing. Overall, awesome.

Consumerist.com hotline - 866-561-0035. Called, someone picked up the 2nd time I called (during their business hours I guess). He was great! Helped contact various departments. Stayed on the line the entire time, even when we were put on hold by those departments.

He's the one who actually seemed to have resolved my porting problem (will know by midnight tonite if it worked as the porting person claimed; if not, I can call him back cuz he gave me his direct # as did the BBB lady).

I also filed a complaint with the FCC re: porting. I haven't gotten a response yet from that, but the FCC only gets involved with certain things I believe. They may not be applicable to all complaints. In any case, I'd try the hotline # or file with the BBB first. I'm very impressed with the responses I've gotten by going through those routes.

Can I use my Sprint Galaxy S3 in Japan?

I will be travelling to Japan next month and I was wondering if it was possible to use my Samsung Galaxy SIII over there. I have heard that you can buy a prepaid simcard when visiting different countries and I was hoping that this was an option.

hello, im in the St Louis Mo. area, I have the HTC One and I notice my phone sometimes goes from 3G to 4G ( which im glad since I dont have to manually switch 4g on and off like I had to do with my previous phone ) this my sound dumb but my question is when it switches to 4G does that mean im getting LTE? The reason I ask is because Sprint has not announced 4G for the St. Louis area.

Can anyone confirm or direct me to a source that Sprint does indeed have 4G LTE in St. Louis?

Hi All - I'm currently a US Cellular customer in one of the markets that was bought by Sprint. I understand that I will need to buy a new phone once the sale is complete and if I decide to go with Sprint. Currently I have a Galaxy S III, but I'm interested in the Nexus line of phones. The Galaxy Nexus isn't in Sprint's Web site, but does anyone know if it's still available?

I'm currently on a talk/messaging 450 plan, which doesn't include PTT according to the feature matrix(data service seems to be required on the new PTT). I don't need PTT or data, I just want a rugged phone, but all of Sprint's rugged phones seem to be PTT. Will Sprint activate a rugged PTT phone on my current account, or is it a situation similar to smartphones where you have to get the data plan?

especially wifi

So i see that the iPhone for Sprint as you go is not available for online purchase so how can i get a hold of the phone for AYG? If someone knows

I'm trying to get one transferred to someone. Anyone know a good number to call other then the employee department. I got this same one transferred to me by calling a different department but misplaced the number.

All help is appreciated!

Thanks!

Anyone try to see if the S4 is unlocked? Or know specifically which bands are supported?

How can I request Sprint join a newly built tower here in Eastvale, ca(north of corona)? The tower is huge and the other 3 big carriers are going in it. I believe 2 of them are transferring from the old small tower down the road. It is on Schliesman ave and looks like a water tower. Sprint coverage here on the south side of Eastvale is bad.
thanks