kinjutsu11
10-27-2007, 06:37 PM
With kellybrf's permission over at HoFo, I'm posting this here to help out any Sprint users that may or may not understand some of the policies/procedures with their carrier. I'll try to keep this up to date as much as I can.
Activations
New customers or existing customers looking to add a new phone number to their account are eligible for promotional pricing on a new phone. There is an instant $150 off the retail pricing, and oftentimes there are other promotions such instant overlays, mail-in rebates (mir) and/or buy one, get one (bogo) free offers that the customer qualifies for. In order to take advantage of a bogo offer the customer must be either activating two new lines of service, or be eligible for an upgrade on an existing line (see below.) Customers must sign a two year agreement. Sprint offers the Sprint basic plan which has a no contract option, but there is no phone discount on this plan without a contract. Areawide plans can be activated with one year contracts, but you will only receive a $75 subsidy on the phone and there will be no additional discounts. There is a $36 activation fee for the first line of service and $26 for all additional lines.
Upgrades
Existing customers who have not received a rebate on a phone in the past 22 months* are eligible for the $150 instant discount plus any other promotional offers at the time as well, including bogo. If the customer has had the phone for longer than 12 months but less than 22 they qualify for $75 instantly, but do not qualify for any other promotional offers on the phone. In the past Sprint has at times offered special promotions where a customer will qualify for an additional $75 mir on select phones. Other mir, bogo or instant offers do not apply. To qualify, the customer must be on a $34.99 or higher price plan or be a family share line and sign a new two year agreement. A customer may purchase a phone at any time for full retail pricing and it will not extend a contract or reset upgrade eligibility. There is an $18 upgrade fee when upgrading a phone at discounted pricing.
*If the phone has not been upgraded since 9/06 the rebate eligibility will be determined by the last time a new esn was placed on the account, even if the phone was purchased at full price or acquired from an outside source. Warranty replacements with reconditioned phones will not effect eligibility
Phones
You are free to aquire your phone from any source you please, however only phones in Sprint's ESN database are able to be activated on the network. This means even if you get another CDMA device unlocked you cannot activate it with Sprint. IF IT DOES NOT SAY SPRINT ON IT, YOU CANNOT ACTIVATE IT!*
*Until they are ready to start programming unlocked phones, see here (http://www.cellphonesignal.com/showthread.php?t=2043) for more details.
Billing
Plan Changes
Sprint allows plan changes at any time, see sprint.com for available plans. If the customer is within 6 months of the start of their contract it will not require a new contract, outside of 6 months a new agreement will need to be signed but there are never any fees associated with a change. You may choose to change your plan immediately, or future date it for the start of the next billing cycle to avoid proration. Either way, you pay for exactly what you use and are not paying a penalty if you choose to change it mid-cycle. In general, you cannot backdate a plan change.
Proration
If you change mid-billing cycle and do not future date it you will have a partial amount of your previous plan and a partial amount of your new plan until the billing cycle cuts. For example, if you are on a 450 minute plan and move to a 900 minute plan exactly half way into your billing cycle you will have 225 minutes to use for the first half of the month (before you changed your plan) and 450 for the second half (when the new plan goes into effect.)
Also, since you are billed a month in advance for service, you will see a negative charge for your previous calling plan and then a partial charge for the partial month you were on it, as well as a partial charge for your new calling plan and then a full month forward on your new plan as normal. Here's the breakdown of the previous example:
-$39.99 - charge for previous calling plan 6/1/07-6/30/07
$20.00 - charge for partial month on previous plan 6/1/07-6/15/07
$30.00 - charge for partial month on current plan 6/16/07-6/30/07
$59.99 - charge for current calling plan 7/1/07-7/31/07
Minute Usage
~If a call does not connect or is busy and is under one minute you will not be charged for it. Beyond one minute it is a normal call and billed as such.
~If you use call waiting you are being charged two minutes for every clock minute connected to both calls as you are taking two spots on the network
~The INITIATOR of a three-way call is being charged for two minutes per every clock minute, the other two lines are being charged as normal.
~Browsing the web, text, picture and video messaging does not take away from minute usage (see data usage below)
Data Usage
Sprint uses the terms "Vision" (referring to 1x speed) and "Power Vision" (PV [EVDO speed/devices.]) If you have a PV device and are not in a PV coverage area you will still be able to surf the web at Vision speeds if it is available. Being on a Vision plan with a PV device (in the unlikely even that it would happen) does not preclude you from using PV services. Basically, it is a nomenclature difference. Both refer to data plans and if you have a capable device it will connect to the fastest network available.
Sprint offers several data plans. Visit sprint.com for detail on what features each packages includes. All vision plans include unlimited "small screen" (on the handset) data. Phones capable of being used as a modem can do so with a Phone-as-Modem (PAM) package via wired or wireless (using Bluetooth, if supported) tethering. Currently the PAM plan is offered at $39.99 for unlimited data. The unlimited BlackBerry plan (also currently $39.99) allows for tethering as well as gives you access to the BlackBerry service. There are no special PDA data plans needed for Windows or Palm based phones. If you do not have a Vision plan of any sort you will still have access to any service but will be billed at at the casual use rate of $0.03/kb used.
There are two data plans for aircards, $39.99 for 40MB/month or $59.99 for unlimited data. There is no secret "soft cap" to the unlimited plan, so as long as you are not using your connection for illegal activity Sprint will not terminate your service for using it too much. It is highly recommended that users start with the unlimited plan until they know for sure that they will not be using more than 40MB/month.
Cancellation and Early Termination Fee
If you are out of contract you can cancel at any time without penalty. When you are in contract you can cancel at any time, but there will be a $200* termination fee/line regardless of where you are in the contract. There are four ways of a contract:
1- Death (must present death certificate)
2- Called to military duty (must present orders)
3- If Sprint changes the agreement without your consent. For instance, when casual text messaging were raised to $0.15. However, keep in mind that the carrier reserves the right to give an offsetting credit or in some cases can reverse the change for your account and does not have to cancel the line if they offset the charges.
4- Assumption of service. If you can find someone else who will take responsibility of the remainder of your contract stop by a local store or call customer care for the paperwork. To do it in a store, simply go into the store with the current account holder. No need to call care or get anything notarized, but you do both need your drivers licenses. You'll fill out the form and they'll run a credit check on you. Depending on the results, you may have to pay a deposit.
Some users have been able to get out of contract if they move to an area with no service. However, this is not officially a way out.
*Prior to 4/06 (date could be wrong) Sprint had a $150 termination fee. If your contract started before that then your ETF is still $150. Nextel has always been $200
Service and Repair
All phones sold by Sprint carry a one year manufactures warranty, which is the responsibility of the manufacturer not Sprint. Turn around time for manufacturer claims is usually 2-4 weeks, during which the customer will have to reactivate another phone or be without one. Sprint offers two solutions for faster repair and more coverage. All programs must be added within 30 days of purchasing a new phone.
Equipment Service and Repair Program (ESRP)
This is Sprint's in-store repair program. As long as your phone is not liquid damaged or physically damaged beyond repair (the general rule is if the phone is in three or less pieces it can be repaired) you can bring it to any Sprint service center and have it repaired at no cost. Service turn around time is generally same day. If the phone cannot be repaired in the store a replacement will be used and may have to be ordered. If a customer does not have the ESRP plan they can still get their phone repaired in-store, but there will be a $35 or $55 fee depending on the problem. If the customer pays the repair fee they will have the option to add the ESRP program to their phone at that moment so that they will be covered going forward.
Equipment Replacement Program (ERP)
This is insurance. If a phone is lost, liquid damaged, or otherwise not covered under ESRP then the customer can file a claim with the insurance company and receive a replacement phone after paying a $50 deductible.
Total Equipment Protection (TEP)
TEP is the combined package of ESRP and ERP, and gives the customer complete coverage for anything that may go wrong with their phone.
If anyone has anything to add, sound off below, and I'll keep updating the first post. Again, thanks to kellybrf over at HoFo for the info posted above.
Activations
New customers or existing customers looking to add a new phone number to their account are eligible for promotional pricing on a new phone. There is an instant $150 off the retail pricing, and oftentimes there are other promotions such instant overlays, mail-in rebates (mir) and/or buy one, get one (bogo) free offers that the customer qualifies for. In order to take advantage of a bogo offer the customer must be either activating two new lines of service, or be eligible for an upgrade on an existing line (see below.) Customers must sign a two year agreement. Sprint offers the Sprint basic plan which has a no contract option, but there is no phone discount on this plan without a contract. Areawide plans can be activated with one year contracts, but you will only receive a $75 subsidy on the phone and there will be no additional discounts. There is a $36 activation fee for the first line of service and $26 for all additional lines.
Upgrades
Existing customers who have not received a rebate on a phone in the past 22 months* are eligible for the $150 instant discount plus any other promotional offers at the time as well, including bogo. If the customer has had the phone for longer than 12 months but less than 22 they qualify for $75 instantly, but do not qualify for any other promotional offers on the phone. In the past Sprint has at times offered special promotions where a customer will qualify for an additional $75 mir on select phones. Other mir, bogo or instant offers do not apply. To qualify, the customer must be on a $34.99 or higher price plan or be a family share line and sign a new two year agreement. A customer may purchase a phone at any time for full retail pricing and it will not extend a contract or reset upgrade eligibility. There is an $18 upgrade fee when upgrading a phone at discounted pricing.
*If the phone has not been upgraded since 9/06 the rebate eligibility will be determined by the last time a new esn was placed on the account, even if the phone was purchased at full price or acquired from an outside source. Warranty replacements with reconditioned phones will not effect eligibility
Phones
You are free to aquire your phone from any source you please, however only phones in Sprint's ESN database are able to be activated on the network. This means even if you get another CDMA device unlocked you cannot activate it with Sprint. IF IT DOES NOT SAY SPRINT ON IT, YOU CANNOT ACTIVATE IT!*
*Until they are ready to start programming unlocked phones, see here (http://www.cellphonesignal.com/showthread.php?t=2043) for more details.
Billing
Plan Changes
Sprint allows plan changes at any time, see sprint.com for available plans. If the customer is within 6 months of the start of their contract it will not require a new contract, outside of 6 months a new agreement will need to be signed but there are never any fees associated with a change. You may choose to change your plan immediately, or future date it for the start of the next billing cycle to avoid proration. Either way, you pay for exactly what you use and are not paying a penalty if you choose to change it mid-cycle. In general, you cannot backdate a plan change.
Proration
If you change mid-billing cycle and do not future date it you will have a partial amount of your previous plan and a partial amount of your new plan until the billing cycle cuts. For example, if you are on a 450 minute plan and move to a 900 minute plan exactly half way into your billing cycle you will have 225 minutes to use for the first half of the month (before you changed your plan) and 450 for the second half (when the new plan goes into effect.)
Also, since you are billed a month in advance for service, you will see a negative charge for your previous calling plan and then a partial charge for the partial month you were on it, as well as a partial charge for your new calling plan and then a full month forward on your new plan as normal. Here's the breakdown of the previous example:
-$39.99 - charge for previous calling plan 6/1/07-6/30/07
$20.00 - charge for partial month on previous plan 6/1/07-6/15/07
$30.00 - charge for partial month on current plan 6/16/07-6/30/07
$59.99 - charge for current calling plan 7/1/07-7/31/07
Minute Usage
~If a call does not connect or is busy and is under one minute you will not be charged for it. Beyond one minute it is a normal call and billed as such.
~If you use call waiting you are being charged two minutes for every clock minute connected to both calls as you are taking two spots on the network
~The INITIATOR of a three-way call is being charged for two minutes per every clock minute, the other two lines are being charged as normal.
~Browsing the web, text, picture and video messaging does not take away from minute usage (see data usage below)
Data Usage
Sprint uses the terms "Vision" (referring to 1x speed) and "Power Vision" (PV [EVDO speed/devices.]) If you have a PV device and are not in a PV coverage area you will still be able to surf the web at Vision speeds if it is available. Being on a Vision plan with a PV device (in the unlikely even that it would happen) does not preclude you from using PV services. Basically, it is a nomenclature difference. Both refer to data plans and if you have a capable device it will connect to the fastest network available.
Sprint offers several data plans. Visit sprint.com for detail on what features each packages includes. All vision plans include unlimited "small screen" (on the handset) data. Phones capable of being used as a modem can do so with a Phone-as-Modem (PAM) package via wired or wireless (using Bluetooth, if supported) tethering. Currently the PAM plan is offered at $39.99 for unlimited data. The unlimited BlackBerry plan (also currently $39.99) allows for tethering as well as gives you access to the BlackBerry service. There are no special PDA data plans needed for Windows or Palm based phones. If you do not have a Vision plan of any sort you will still have access to any service but will be billed at at the casual use rate of $0.03/kb used.
There are two data plans for aircards, $39.99 for 40MB/month or $59.99 for unlimited data. There is no secret "soft cap" to the unlimited plan, so as long as you are not using your connection for illegal activity Sprint will not terminate your service for using it too much. It is highly recommended that users start with the unlimited plan until they know for sure that they will not be using more than 40MB/month.
Cancellation and Early Termination Fee
If you are out of contract you can cancel at any time without penalty. When you are in contract you can cancel at any time, but there will be a $200* termination fee/line regardless of where you are in the contract. There are four ways of a contract:
1- Death (must present death certificate)
2- Called to military duty (must present orders)
3- If Sprint changes the agreement without your consent. For instance, when casual text messaging were raised to $0.15. However, keep in mind that the carrier reserves the right to give an offsetting credit or in some cases can reverse the change for your account and does not have to cancel the line if they offset the charges.
4- Assumption of service. If you can find someone else who will take responsibility of the remainder of your contract stop by a local store or call customer care for the paperwork. To do it in a store, simply go into the store with the current account holder. No need to call care or get anything notarized, but you do both need your drivers licenses. You'll fill out the form and they'll run a credit check on you. Depending on the results, you may have to pay a deposit.
Some users have been able to get out of contract if they move to an area with no service. However, this is not officially a way out.
*Prior to 4/06 (date could be wrong) Sprint had a $150 termination fee. If your contract started before that then your ETF is still $150. Nextel has always been $200
Service and Repair
All phones sold by Sprint carry a one year manufactures warranty, which is the responsibility of the manufacturer not Sprint. Turn around time for manufacturer claims is usually 2-4 weeks, during which the customer will have to reactivate another phone or be without one. Sprint offers two solutions for faster repair and more coverage. All programs must be added within 30 days of purchasing a new phone.
Equipment Service and Repair Program (ESRP)
This is Sprint's in-store repair program. As long as your phone is not liquid damaged or physically damaged beyond repair (the general rule is if the phone is in three or less pieces it can be repaired) you can bring it to any Sprint service center and have it repaired at no cost. Service turn around time is generally same day. If the phone cannot be repaired in the store a replacement will be used and may have to be ordered. If a customer does not have the ESRP plan they can still get their phone repaired in-store, but there will be a $35 or $55 fee depending on the problem. If the customer pays the repair fee they will have the option to add the ESRP program to their phone at that moment so that they will be covered going forward.
Equipment Replacement Program (ERP)
This is insurance. If a phone is lost, liquid damaged, or otherwise not covered under ESRP then the customer can file a claim with the insurance company and receive a replacement phone after paying a $50 deductible.
Total Equipment Protection (TEP)
TEP is the combined package of ESRP and ERP, and gives the customer complete coverage for anything that may go wrong with their phone.
If anyone has anything to add, sound off below, and I'll keep updating the first post. Again, thanks to kellybrf over at HoFo for the info posted above.