I had service with Sprint Nextel until 2006 in MD. I moved back to AK where they no longer had coverage. Less then 2 weeks of being back in AK, I made a call, and got a recording saying I had exceeded my spending limit of my cell phone. I looked up my bill online and it was around 300 dollars for 2 weeks despite the fact I only used it nights and weekends, while I was looking for a new cell phone plan.
I tried to contact all the numbers on the sprint website, but kept getting a recording saying "I could not reach this number from my calling area". I looked up the actual store I bought the cell phone from in MD to see what was going on. I immediately canceled my service, and supplied information proving I had moved to avoid cancellation fees. Less then a month later, I enlisted in the military, and needed to work out payment for the bill. I called the Spring store in MD again, and told them I would pay them when I got back from boot camp. The manager I spoke with said she could just put a 2 year freeze for military deployment and I wouldn't see any collection actions or notifications till 2008. It was more time then I needed but I was pleased they were willing to help. I told her it is just boot camp and I would be back in 4 months, but she said it was fine. I then asked her if I needed to do anything on my part, and she assured me I didn't.
I had my mail forwarded to me in Boot camp, and had no time to pay it, and only limited communication with the outside world. I got back from boot camp and my account was months into collections, and I was being harassed 7 days a week 2 times a day by collection calls. Sometimes they would just call and hang up on me when talking to them. I tried all the Sprint #s again and still no luck. I brought it up with the KS BBB, and the first email I got from an Account Executive, he referred to me as a woman despite the obvious fact of being a Man by my name, and account information. I was shocked he thought he could insult me to paying the bill for that. I gave him all my contact info to work it out, Shortly after, I got exactly 2 hang up calls on my cell phone I suspect came from his office. When I finally did get him on the phone he sounded unaware that I had tried to work out payment, and account freezing with a Sprint retailer. They got a new, less aggressive collection agency, and I hadn't heard from the BBB, or Sprint in months despite various attempts to resolve the matter.in Jan 08, BBB decided the case was closed because he tried to call me once or twice, and they could not make them do anything. I responded to the BBB saying that hang up calls do not count as attempts to contact.
The next thing I did was look for a lawyer to see what consumer laws, or what not could have been broken to seek filing a law suite. Although I have in writing that he called me a girl, I found a group that gives free legal advice, and the lawyer said I could only file for "Breech of contract". The problem was I only had a verbal agreement with the store in MD, and nothing in writing. I called the customer service line again, to pay my bill, but tried to find out what they could do about the high fee, or what they had to say about this mess. The representative I spoke with, saw no record of me moving to AK, and then told me that 200 of the bill was because of early termination of contract. -That was a bold faced lie, because I recall not being able to make a call because "I had exceeded my spending limit", on a cell phone account that I had not yet canceled. I had canceled later and did furnish proof of moving to avoid the early termination fee.
After trusting Sprint, and being let down, lied to, insulted, and over charged, I have no respect for them anymore. I renewed my contract with them once before 06, despite seeing a couple class action law suites they lost for over billing the Elderly, and as I recall, minorities. After no response from various attempts to contact the BBB, I no longer believe they are there to help consumers.
Roger
Anchorage, Alaska
U.S.A.
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