Not sure what to do, ideas/input

[my8950]

November 2011 I switched my Nextel to Sprint and got an iPhone. Since then, my service has gone down the crapper. Every month I am on the phone with Sprint customer service with one issue/complaint or another.
My phone doesn't work at many places I go, however other carriers do. They send me Airave, it works, but then I use it and get hit with overages because of other details unexplained on the account.
At my work, where they always tell me you are in an excellent coverage area, one of the best we have, Metro Detroit. Anyhow, I get no service, at home, it is marginal. They tell me its my phone, my work, wheel of excuses, pick one today.
Overall, ever since I switched, it's been crap. Out of any call I make anymore it is to customer service. I'm locked in now on a contract for 2 yrs with a phone that just doesn't cut it. They're answer is that they don't guarantee the phone will work in any location.
Last month I am getting hit with $50 in overages, because I am roaming somehow. I feel like I am paying a ton, and then get hit with extras for a phone that I can hardly use. I hesitate to leave though because I get a good discount on the account, however a discount on crap is not really worth anything.

How/what to do in order to get out and move my number elsewhere? Or other ideas besides the Sprint answers to my questions like move or get a job elsewhere?

Thanks!

[503ducati]

iPhone? you're holding it wrong, kidding, it sounds like you may be trying to talk yourself into moving to another carrier better suited for your travels. I'd sell the phone meeting the buyer at a Sprint store to close out your account all at once.

[my8950]

I had an iPhone originally when I made the switch, I moved from that to an Epic 4G Galaxy S, or something like that...Held on to the iPhone for about 4 months in hopes that some miracle would happen and I'd have service, but never did so I sold the iPhone as mentioned and met at the store.

I didn’t think I was able to just cancel my account without then having to pay another $300 or something. I don’t think I should have to pay considering that since I switched I’ve had nothing but problems. Can I just cancel it, and then keep my number to another provider? I have been on the Nextel account since 1999 with the same number, so I'd like to keep that if possible.

Thanks for the input.

[irev210]

We don't really have enough info.

Explain your current plan, current bill, current overage charges, and other problems you are having.

Nothing you says really makes sense. If you used more minutes than what you pay for, you get hit with overages.

Roaming is free on Sprint - why are you getting charged?

Please provide more info.

[Morphling27]

If you're roaming that much, you could point that out to Sprint and see if they'll let you out for that - not bullet proof though. They can say no and most likely will because they do not care.

Transfer the line/number to another person or just suck it up and pay the ETF. You'll be saving money pretty soon if you're paying that much in overages.

Irev210 - Sprint does include roaming, but if he's on a set amount of minutes, any and all roaming counts against your minutes regardless of who or when the call was made to. I imagine from all the fine print, the Unlimited minutes plan has a set amount you can talk with while roaming too.

So you can easily get overages if you talk 2000 total minutes a month, but 1000 are on roaming on a 400 minute plan, you've gone over by a minimum of 600 minutes.

[irev210]

If you're roaming that much, you could point that out to Sprint and see if they'll let you out for that - not bullet proof though. They can say no and most likely will because they do not care.

Transfer the line/number to another person or just suck it up and pay the ETF. You'll be saving money pretty soon if you're paying that much in overages.

Irev210 - Sprint does include roaming, but if he's on a set amount of minutes, any and all roaming counts against your minutes regardless of who or when the call was made to. I imagine from all the fine print, the Unlimited minutes plan has a set amount you can talk with while roaming too.

So you can easily get overages if you talk 2000 total minutes a month, but 1000 are on roaming on a 400 minute plan, you've gone over by a minimum of 600 minutes.

You are jumping to a lot of conclusions.

First off, explain how you can get overages if you use too many minutes or too much data while roaming? That's incorrect.

Second, we don't know what he is being charged for. He could have a 1600 minute plan and be upset because he used 1000 minutes + 700 while on his airave. Maybe he didn't know that airave counted towards regular usage minutes.

So your advice, without understanding what his actual issue is, is for him to pay what is likely a very large ETF and to leave.

[my8950]

Plan I am currently on is the unlimited 450.
Giving 450 minutes to call land lines or 1-800 numbers…
The past month I had an overage totaling $49.50.

I am lucky to use 450 minutes a month total simply because the poor service doesn’t allow for calls to be made, data transfer is horrible, texting is decent.

Of the calls made, 90% of them are mobile phones, so unlimited mobile to mobile.
If I am roaming, there is no mobile to mobile, so null and void that.

When I originally switched over from Nextel to Sprint, I was complaining about it and they said they could give an airave which helps the signal.
You have to be within 500’ or so of the device, so I tried it and it works, however I have a mobile phone to be able to move about.
I could use a rotary phone with an extension cord and not pay anything.
When one uses the airave to help for the weak signal, all minutes come from your plan, no unlimited mobile to mobile.

When I first called, I explain the situation and the agent told me I used all of my unlimited mobile minutes.
They could not tell me the limit of unlimited though.
The agent told me that my plan covers Sprint roaming, not other roaming and that is what I am doing, meaning I am connecting to a different carriers tower.
What is Sprint roaming compared to making a regular Sprint call? How do I roam on Sprint if I am a Sprint subscriber?
These are the type of answers I am getting regarding the issue.

[Morphling27]

You are jumping to a lot of conclusions.

First off, explain how you can get overages if you use too many minutes or too much data while roaming? That's incorrect.

Second, we don't know what he is being charged for. He could have a 1600 minute plan and be upset because he used 1000 minutes + 700 while on his airave. Maybe he didn't know that airave counted towards regular usage minutes.

So your advice, without understanding what his actual issue is, is for him to pay what is likely a very large ETF and to leave.

You won't get data overages, very correct. They can boot you off for using too much of that, I remember a 'soft' cap of 300mb on it. You CAN get overages for voice and since he has answered us, he gets 450 voice minutes. If you are roaming and you call, each and every minute counts against your 450. Think of it as you get 450 voice minutes to use for land lines during peak useage times and for roaming at any time. Most other calls are not going to count against your monthly voice minutes. The obvious exception to this is using the airave which also goes against your montly minutes.

So, if you make even 500 minutes of calling while on roaming in a month, you pay an overage for 50 of those minutes. It isn't 'roaming' charges exactly, you just pay the overage for the minutes but the roaming indirectly caused this - so call it what you like.

my8950 has answered some more for us. I am simply offering the 2 suggestions I think are feasible. I first said call Sprint and try to explain this to them - it looks like he's done that to a degree. Maybe calling back and trying to point out you roaming a lot is bad for everyone and continuing to have an unhappy customer isn't good for them. Who knows what Sprint will do - they could let you out or they can fight you tooth and nail and say no. I have no control over them.

The second option I gave I think is viable too. If he cotinues to pay $50 in overages a month, even a $300 etf is going to be cost effective after 6 months - maybe a bit longer if he jumps to another carrier with a slightly more expensive plan. Either way, net savings will happen in a matter of months. Also, he'll hopefully get useable service and be happier and hopefully not have overages. It'd hopefully give some peace of mind and keep the bill at the same amount each month which makes life easier.

[my8950]

Thanks all for the info. I'll see what happens with trying to reason with them, again, to just get out of the plan. I've never done anything like this before, so not sure how it works.
If I say I want to just cancel my service and end the deal with them, do they shut me off then and there? How can I keep my number?

Thanks!

[Morphling27]

If you choose to call them, do the 'firm but friendly' act. They are well trained to say 'no' to anything, and you should also be prepared to spend time.

If you want to cancel, you will pay whatever your remaining ETF is, just remember. You just port your number over to whatever carrier you want to use. This is considered canceling your account with them and you get to keep your number. I'd try to do it as close to the end of your billing cycle so you don't overpay because if I recall, Sprint won't pro-rate anything at the end.

[JamesMH]

Sometimes the Airave doesn't work correctly and my phone indicates it is roaming, on the Airave.

The Anytime-mobile tracking system Sprint uses isn't correct, calls I make to land lines are flagged as mobile, hardly any of my calls are counted any more. Anyone else have this happen?