Get Out of Sprint Free

hyades1 writes in to let us know that Sprint has extended to Jan. 31 the time in which subscribers can switch carriers without paying an early termination fee. "Last month we learned that Sprint was increasing its administrative fee to $0.75, giving customers until January 1 of this year to back out without a penalty. It seems that $0.75 wasn't going to cut it as Sprint has raised its fee yet again, this time to $0.99. Customers now have through January 31 to sever ties sans-ETF, so if you missed the boat last month you're in luck. Though some customer care reps apparently aren't yet aware of the change, we did confirm it with Sprint so keep trying and as always, contacting them via chat seems to go a bit more smoothly than calling them up."

Comments

Is this really what passes for news?

[Anonymous Coward]

If so, I expect to see a story about how T-Mobile customers can get MyFaves for free, since that's also something people on mobile phone forums are talking about.

Re:wish tmobile would offer the same

[tchuladdiass]

why would you have to extend? Just buy a replacement phone at full price. Personally, I don't find it worth it to save $100 or so by committing to spend 24 x $90/month.

CDMA

[PCM2]

Seems as though the only people I know who actively choose Sprint choose it because Sprint is the only viable option where they live. The GSM carriers' coverage really starts to suffer in the big, wide-open spaces of the Midwest.

Re:wish tmobile would offer the same

[vux984]

why would you have to extend? Just buy a replacement phone at full price. Personally, I don't find it worth it to save $100 or so by committing to spend 24 x $90/month.

Unless of course you were going to spend 24x90 anyway. Its not like you get a reduced rate if you buy the equipment outright, so you might as well take the subsidies.

Odd...

[operagost]

Seems to me, that since they are breaching the contract, you can terminate at any time. What's with the time limit? Once they increase the fee, all contracts with Sprint are, by law, NULL AND VOID.

Re:Odd...

[Chyeld]

Like credit card companies, the wireless companies write into their contract the ability to 'revise' terms as they deem necessary. As long as they provide you a copy of the updated terms and conditions with a note along the lines of "if you don't contact us by such and such a date to tell us you reject these changes, they are in effect".

In theory, you should be able to contact them and tell them you reject the changes, in which case you are still on your old contract and/or they negotiate a different set of changes for you. In practice, they also tell you refusal to accept the changes will result in the termination of your account. Since the termination is their decision rather than yours, they aren't suppose to be able to levee any 'early cancelation' fees.

Not that that stops it from happening.

Re:wish tmobile would offer the same

[tknd]

No, never. If you keep signing 2 year contracts we'll never have competitive rates because you keep giving up your biggest bargaining chip. When you are monthly, you can cancel at any point for bad service and they lose market share while their competitor gains market share. You can use this to negotiate down your monthly rate on a monthly basis rather than every 2 years.

Phone is too personnal...

[Kindaian]

When using phone, you are talking, and so all your voice undertones are being served to the other side, and vice-versa.

That will make things harder to untangle, as they get more personal, some times too personal...

Chat doesn't have that issue, with the plus side of the reliability of information conveyed in that way... ;)

Re:Is there a way to get this with Alltel?

[Colonel Korn]

Do any of you know of a way to escape contract with Alltel without paying the early termination fee? I'm sick of the 5-7 day delay in getting my voicemail messages! ):

Claim they're breaking the contract by not providing you with service. You're paying them to deliver messages in a timely manner, not take messages like shithead roommates.

Look for fee increases. Most carriers increase some sort of fee every couple of months. You then have a window where they're legally required to let you out of your contract.

Re:Virgin mobile...

[DragonWriter]

Virgin Mobile raised text and speech pay-as-you-go rates with the only warning being, get this, at text message which costs YOU to recieve. Where's my back-out date?

I think you are missing the point of "pay-as-you-go" service.

Re:wish tmobile would offer the same

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

And, use the free time you just got with all those useless calls to get a nice warm cup of *whatever*, and relax...

Well, I've got to admit, you've got a point. If I didn't get all those 'useless' calls, I sure would have a lot of free time. Hooray for one-size-fits-all solutions.

Re:ETF is only 99 cents?

[BarefootClown]

There should be a law requiring providers to advertise the exact amount you will be billed every month. No giving you rate A, then charging you rate A + Taxes B.

I'll meet you halfway: taxes should still be separated out--because I want to know how much the government is taking from me--but all fees and such ought to be rolled into the total price. That includes things like the "Line Number Portability Fee," which the government allows the carriers to collect, but does not mandate (and the revenue goes to the carrier, not the government).

On the other hand, sales tax, the Universal Service Fee, etc. all go to the government. It's important that we be able to see just how much tax is being assessed if we're to keep control of our government.

Re:wish tmobile would offer the same

[Beyond_GoodandEvil]

Why get a replacement at all?

Just scrap the GSM phone.

When you are around the computer use voip... if not, well, people can send you an email!

And, use the free time you just got with all those useless calls to get a nice warm cup of *whatever*, and relax...
What glue sniffer marked this as informative? Pop quiz hot shot, your car breaks down, and you need to call a tow truck, and your cat 5 cable ran out several miles away. Though you do have a point in that scenario there certainly will be plenty of free time.