Sprint starting to get me upset.

[90sjake]

Ok so to make a long story short here the background. I have been a sprint customer since 2005 when I started working at uprr. I have the shared family data plan with a total of 4 lines. My issues are as follows...... I had always had for the longest time a 20 percent off my total bill discount from my work. Then about almost a year ago sprint changed it to only 20 percent off the main line 'wich is 2 of my 4 lines". Then sprint decided to add the 10 dollar data fee to all smart phones not just the evo. Now starting April 1st they are changing the premier customer into 2 tiers....... The best part of sprint I thought was that I would get an upgrade every 12 months on my main line that I have since I am a premier customer. But now they are changing that around to every 22 months if you are a silver customer and the 12 month deal if you are a gold customer. I am not sure if I will qualify as the gold member even with four lines. What's ur guy's opinions on this change?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[chesterhound]

jake:

I had almost the exact same situation as you. I had 5 lines. With the addition of the $10 per month per line fee, they were no longer the best choice for my family in terms of price. I left Sprint after 12 years and they made no efforts to try and keep my business. I chose AT&T and have been completely satisfied. With AT&T, I got 5 iPhones for $19 each as well as a 20% discount on my voice and data plans every month. It will actually cost me less for what I need with AT&T. I wish you luck in your decision.

chesterhound

[Ferretling]

$10 data fee is just for when you upgrade to a new smartphone, first off.

They should have sent you something in the mail to find out if you qualify for gold or not. (I just looked. Looks like the 1500-minute plan would be Silver and the 3000-minute plan would be Gold. (I believe lines beyond the first two are considered add-ons.))

There are good things and bad things about Sprint. It may work for you, it may not. I happen to love their plans for me. I don't think they necessarily have the best family plans. I can't speak for your employee discount; there might have been good reasons for the change. I know that I have two lines, and my friend has the second. (I have two separate plans on my account.) She has an employee discount, and it only applies to her line and her plan. As far as yours goes, well, it makes the bill $4 more a month. So, lump sum, it's close to $50 more a year you're giving them. Is it what you want? No, but it's not huge in the grand scheme of things either. It's a latte or a Happy Meal a month. Or a pack of Oreos...

What do I think? I think that all phone companies are out to make a profit, they're all of them equally likely to screw you over, and it's not worth getting upset over. In my opinion, the only reason to get upset is if you're cordial and you're treated like crap by a live human being. The difference between companies is how they screw you over and which way you mind the least. With this outlook, I am rarely dissatisfied and often happily surprised.

[MissJennell]

My opinion is that they can change it. It's how a for profit company works. For me and what I need it is still about $100 cheaper than VZW. ATT sucks donkey balls hard and so does Tmo. So I will stick with Sprint. None of it is enough to make me spend $2400 more for the duration of a contract.

[90sjake]

I know they have the best rates around and its not that they are too costly. It just pisses me off because I used to always brag about all the services I got and how cheap they were compared to the other guys. But now it seems like they are slowly making there way towards being like the other guys with adding adding the xtra charge for a smart phone once u upgrade or replace a phone. And now there taking away my once a year upgrade on my line and making it every 22 months even tho I've been getting it every 12 for like 5 or 6 years. what's r they going to do next? As more and more people get into the smartphone trend they carriers are going to know they have people hooked and wil be willing to pay xtra if they have to. Soon it will probably be " oh you wanna use facebook? Well that's an xtra charge." "Unlimited data. Yes. Oh but streaming you tube is not included. That's an xtra charge also.". I expect it to get crappier and crappier.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[lnichols]

I have been with Sprint since 2002 and have four lines currently, all Blackberry's. In December I saw my monthly sprint bill go up $40 because they make me keep the International Blackberry service on my account now all the time, and if I take it off, I can't add it back again ever. The Blackberry International plan was one of the reasons I stayed with Sprint during the last upgrade because I could turn it on and off when I needed to use it. Also I'm due to upgrade all of my phones this summer. Since all four phones are Blackberry's, that will be an additional $40 per month when I upgrade, pushing my family plan to $280 per month. At that point Verizon and AT&T are less, and T-Mobile is way less. Sprint may be the cheapest for single user plans but the family plans for people with smart phones are getting to about the same as everyone else. I used to have much better plans even before this current one but Sprint will use your upgrade times to force you into the newer, more expensive plans. I'll probably be switching carriers this summer once the contracts are all up. T-mobile was at the top of my list because of price and they appear to have great coverage in Norther VA, but the recent talks between them and Sprint are making me keep all options on the table, even Sprint.