Several months ago I purchased a wireless phone service package from Sprint PCS. The sales representative explained the features and costs in a rather ambiguous manner. The gist of the conversation was that by signing a 1-year contract I would receive a $10 per month discount on my service and then started to tell me about my choices in the plan.
All of the options cost $10 and coincidently any option that is being discussed at the moment is 'free' because the $10 discount applies to that option until the next option is discussed and then of course the $10 discount makes that option 'free'. Ok, so I got a bad taste in my mouth from this rather ridiculous semantics game at once and wondered how many people actually fall for it. But I purchased two phones anyway and the features I wanted.
I have been less than satisfied with the service, which appears to have a coverage vacuum in the area where I live. But it is not the service itself that I have a problem with.
I saw a commercial touting the new promotional rates, and having been told that I can change my plan at any time I called Sprint and asked about it. The customer service rep said that she could take off one of the options that I found I did not need and replace it with 'free nights and weekends'. Free nights and weekends was something that would not be of much use, but better than an option I wasn't using at all.
"Will it change the price of my service?"
"No" was the reply.
Next month there was an additional charge of $10 on my bill.
I called and said I would like it changed back.
"Well, that $10 charge is offset by the $10 dollar discount you receive every month." She said.
"Please change it back."
"Ok, it has been changed, your bill will show that next month."
The $10 charge remains after four calls to customer service.
It seems that customer service cannot change it back because that plan is no longer available.
"Well, are there other people still on that plan? If I had not called would I still be on that plan?"
"Yes, but we cannot put you back on that plan."
It turns out that the only people who can are called 'Support Services' who denied the change, and noted that they had tried to call me (you cannot call or directly contact them in any way). It was also explained to me that 'Support Services' are only obligated to 'try' to contact customers once, and that I may not request to speak with them again.
So I continue to pay the $10 (granted it is no great amount of money), but I believe that Sprint management has allowed a system of misleading, dishonest and directly coercive practices to develop in handling there customers. Probably only a class action lawsuit will change these practices. It may pay out in the short run as the additional $10 here and there over there customer base pads there receipts, but in the long run they will lose many possible long term relationships.
They have lost mine.
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