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News stories, blogs (such as the ones at CNET and the Consumerist), and numerous postings across the Internet, reveal that Sprint-Nextel is terminating customer service contracts because they don't want customers who call constantly to dispute bills or ask questions. You know it is a sad day for competition when a wireless carrier would rather terminate a contract than deal with someone who calls customer service. Isn't Sprint-Nextel one of the companies competing for a share of the market?
The company's termination letter sets the customer's account balance to $0, and they will not charge the Early Termination Fee that is almost always charged if customers try to end service before the contract date is up (see our How to Cancel your Cell Phone Contract guide for more info). In addition, the carrier will allow customers to port their phone numbers to another carrier if they do so within one month of receiving a termination letter.
Most letters were sent out June 29; giving customers until July 30 to port their numbers. There's NO mention in the letter about what you should do with the expensive phone you purchased that only works on the Sprint or Nextel network and NO offer
to cover the difference between the time left on your contract and the new two-year contract for which you would most likely need to sign up. Remember, you are also free to go on a prepaid plan where you pay as you go and not be under a contract.
You are NOT entitled to receive this free pass to drop the carrier unless you received a letter telling you the company no longer wants to provide service to you. If you are unhappy with the service and have not received the letter, you will be charged the full Early Termination Fee. However, if you are unhappy with the company, it sounds like all you need to do is keep calling customer service and the company will ask you to leave.
If wireless companies would just eliminate the Early Termination Fee, customers who feel their needs are not being met would just terminate the service; rendering both the customer and the company with a win-win situation.
So what Sprint-Nextel has left us wondering is:
Will this action dissuade you from ever calling customer service to dispute billing problems?
Let us know how you feel about Sprint-Nextel terminating customer contracts--especially those of you who received the letters. The public will want to know the answers to the questions we posed and read your personal stories related to this most unusual action.
Also, don't forget to check out our resources on Canceling your Cell Phone Contract.
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That's stupid... first of
That's stupid... first of all, if you don't use the direct connect service you shouldn't have a nextel phone in the first place, Second of all.. you're paying for two services in one: the walkie talkie and the cell phone... (no other company offers this). Third and lastly , don't expect good customer service if the first thing that you tell a representative is "Let me talk to your supervisor" ... hehehe...
Carriers are not going to do
Carriers are not going to do away with early term fees unless they do away with contracts all together. What most all naive consumers don't realize is the actual cost, to the carrier, of modern cell phones. The phone is sold up front at a LOSS on the carrier end. The two year contract, accompanied by an early term fee ( typically of $200) is the only reason we customers can get our "free" phones when we sign up! The carrier gives you a phone free that costed them a couple hundred bucks and they get a guarantee that you will pay your monthly bill (which is almost all gross profit) for two years or they get their $200 back if you cancel early. Brilliant, isn't it?
Nextel Customer service is rude and useless
Yesterday around or after 3:00pm I made a call to your customer service Dept via My Nextel Phone. A lady answered the phone and I asked her about getting a few minutes on my account since I was up for renewal (Customer for 4+ years) told me to hold on. Came back on the line and said that there was nothing she could do. Asked to speak with Supervisor - First said that supervisor was busy and could not come to phone, I could not understand why he couldn't find the time to speak with me. He finally came on the phone and said and I quote “She has done more for you already than I would have done. I knew from that minute on the Nextel would no longer be a carrier of mine. Check our record - you lost another customer.
Even tried ten times to send this email to customer service aways gave me a message to try again later
you deserve to be cancelled
some people should wake up and see the real truth. there are stupid people out there that dont want to pay there bill and want something for nothing! and they want that all the time. when people call in everyday 5, 6 times a day to ask every person and there manager for a credit is totally ridiculous!!!!!! if you cant afford the dam phone then stop flapping your lips on it , and go to a dam pay phone. then you ridiculous idiots will actually realize that you do have to pay for something. no one wants that type of person in there company, and for one second if you say you would... then you are just as stupid. you set upp your buisness and have some one call there everyday to get there bill for free and see how long you would have that person as a customer!
Apparently you didn't read
Apparently you didn't read the article. You are the one that seems to be stupid. Items, mainly messages that we never get. Sales people that continue to call our phones that are on your payroll. But I guess you never will agreed to that.
Check your current rating. Last amond All phone companys. That speaks a lot louder than you trying to take this out on me. Iinstead of being hatefu you should remember that we are the customers, without us you would be sitting around with your finger in your butt instead at work with your mean dam attitude. Take a course in heart and compansion at work. That what it takes to be a customer service rep.
SPRINT NEXTEL RATED LOWEST AMONG U.S. WIRELESS CARRIERS
SPRINT NEXTEL RATED LOWEST AMONG U.S. WIRELESS CARRIERS IN OVERALL SATISFACTION AND CUSTOMER CARE BY J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES
SEPT 2007 (www.cell-phone-ratings.info) - In the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Performance Study (Volume 2) which measures customer satisfaction with their wireless carrier's customer care service, Sprint Nextel was rated lowest (2 of 5) among wireless carriers. Alltel, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless rated "About average" (3 of 5), while T-Mobile rated highest receiving the J.D. Power award (5 of 5).
2007 Wireless Customer Care Ratings (Volume 2)
T-Mobile (Award Recipient) - (5) Among the best
Alltel - (3) About average
AT&T - (3) About average
Sprint Nextel - (2) The rest
Verizon Wireless - (3) About average
http://www.jdpower.com/telecom/ratings/wireless/customer_care/index.asp
The study also found that "among customers who contacted the service department, 43 percent had a billing-related service inquiry, and 56 percent of these contacts were attributed to inaccurate charges.
In the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 U.S. Wireless Regional Customer Satisfaction Index Study (Volume 1) which measures overall wireless carrier performance, Sprint Nextel received the lowest ratings in Overall Satisfaction in all six U.S. regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, Southwest, and West, while T-Mobile rated highest or among the highest in all six regions.
http://www.jdpower.com/telecom/ratings/wireless/service/index.aspx
ABOUT www.cell-phone-ratings.info
www.cell-phone-ratings.info is a consumer-driven website. It is not an advertising/marketing website, and is not affiliated with J.D. Power and Associates or any wireless service provider.
RESOURCES 25 July 2007 J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Wireless Customer Care Performance StudySM
http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/pressrelease.aspx?id=2007118
19 April 2007 J.D. Power and Associates 2007 U.S. Wireless Regional Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) StudySM http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/pressrelease.aspx?id=2007058
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Make the contracts work both ways.
Since cell-phone service is governed by what amount to adhesion contracts, mightn't the companies be held to the same terms they require of their subscribers?
Specifically, they should also have to pay an early-termination fee if they require one of their subscribers. And they should compensate the cancelled subscriber for any company-specific equipment the subscriber purchased.
How might the terms of the service contracts be applied equitably to both parties? Individual small-claims actions? A class-action suit? Legislation?
wow
hahahaha this is hilarious
sprint rocks
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