Over the past few months, I noticed I was getting roaming charges on my bill. This was a surprise as I live in Orlando, Florida, in which almost the entire State (and pretty much if not all of Orlando) is shown on the Sprint map as IN the SprintPCS network. I certainly have not paid significant roaming charges in the past, and I have not changed my call location, calling pattern, etc. And neither has my son. I get very few roaming charges even when I travel as I go to highly populated locations.
I called Sprint, not once, but twice today to see if the Reps would tell me the same story - they usually don't so I wanted to check to be sure. Here is what I was told. EVEN if you are in a SprintPCS area (ie in the PCS digital coverage network), but there is possibly another carrier's node that is closer to you so that their signal is stronger, it could cause your phone to switch to roaming charges. AND, if you have not switched your phone from the default Automatic roaming option to SprintPCS only option on your phone, you will get charged for these roaming charges, even though you are IN Sprint's coverage area. I asked where on earth Sprint notified us of this issue, and the second respondent answered that they don't, but the instructions on how to change this setting on the phone is clearly listed (on page 57) of my particular phone's instruction manual. Not that it would be needed for this issue, just that the instructions on how to change the phone are there and that this change keeps you from operating on anything but Sprint's network. Well, I want to operate on more than Sprint's network - when Sprint's network is not available to me... But NOT when it is! This, however, is not a setting available... Oh - wait... I thought that was what AUTO meant... But... No - that evidently means that you may or may not get charged - even if you are IN Sprint's digital network area.
So, the net - because another carrier has now put a node closer to my home so that their customers have a stronger signal, I am stuck with roaming charges even though I am in Sprint's advertised no-roaming area. OR, I have to inconvenience myself by changing the setting of my phone to not allow me to use anything but Sprint's network, which means my calls will be dropped more frequently, etc... And on those times when I leave the Sprint area I lose all service, or I have to manually switch back whenever my psychic powers tell me that no other carrier's node could possibly interfer with me not being charged for roaming service.
Oh, and I was chastized by the rep for not paying attention to the little R on the little screen of my phone when it popped up to tell me I had switched from on network to roaming. Evidently that is far more important than keeping my eye on the road I assume when a call is coming in. I guess I just don't answer these calls, even when I know I am in a SprintPCS network area? I also read in the user manual that I would KNOW I was in roaming mode because I would be prompted to dial a 1 and the area code when dialing in a roaming area - this did not happen either.
To add final insult to injury - I was then told by the second rep that they would be "happy" to drop the roaming charge... If I were to sign up on a contract for another year of service! I think I am beginning to see WHY these roaming charges all of a sudden appeared on my phone these past few months.
I think this is fraud. At a minimum it does not pass the sniff test. Byt let me tell you what I did. First, I turned on the SprintPCS only option - so what if I miss half of my calls. Additionally, until this week I used the following Sprint services. 1) Sprint Local 2) Sprint Long Distance 3) Sprint Wireless Family x2000 Minute Plan 4) Sprint DSL 5) Sprint payment of DISH Network. Now I use: Brighthouse Cable and Roadrunner highspeed internet, AT&T local and Long Distance, and next month as my Sprint contract expires - helloooooo Cingular/AT&T... And they are charging me less. Wonder what fun they will bring me... But at least it won't be Sprint.
If there is any attorney that wants to look further into this one to see if Sprint is overcharging more than just me on this bogus issue? Or, if Sprint should at least be notifying customers whenever another carrier installs a node between theirs and your primary call location that could impact them, and/or that Sprint MUST notify customers upfront when they sell the service IN BOLD writing of this little nuance to roaming on their own SprintPCS network - I am happy to turn over my Sprint bills!
Goodbye Sprint - I've been a Sprint customer for over 15 years - got hooked up with them through USAA - will be advising USAA that perhaps they are pushing the wrong carrier onto their members.
PS - my folks, my Uncle and my staff have dropped their service today as well. You know the saying... Please a customer keep their service, anger a customer and you lose at least 10 more whom they tell.
Cate
Windermere, Florida
U.S.A.
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