accomplishedI opened my own Sprint cell phone account in July of 2005. Now, I love Sprint. Truly. My parents have been with them for years and they have always been a humongous help. Until me. When I opened my account, I asked for the 5$ a month charge, wherein I would have no roaming fees, since my significant other at the time was a truck driver. Seemed like a good idea - he's in spots that might incur roaming charges daily: why not just beat around the bush?
I moved out in August (things were a bit rocky) and he moved home to his parents' house, which happens to be in a Sprint-free zone. I get text messages saying I've surpassed 80% of my spending limit. I call in and get told two things: 1.)There are over $200 in roaming charges. 2.) I don't have a spending limit in the first place because of my credit score. I tell the CSR that I'm supposed to have had the roaming added into my plan. She goes back, sees that it was never done, fixes it, and says she credits my account. The following week, I get another text message saying I've surpassed 80% of my spending limit. I call in and explain and ask what's going on. They tell me not to worry about it. The following week, I receive the same text message again.
The next day, my phone is suspended. I call in. They tell me that my phone bill is $800 (the bill is usually around $220.). I speak with the lady in billing and tell her what has happened up to that point. Both she and I are baffled, and I'm transferred to customer service. I tell the CSR my story. She starts looking into the account notes, and I'm told that I'm right, there shouldn't be an $800 bill, yadda yadda. She tells me that there are $400 in roaming fees this time. She tells me those will be credited, since they were present in error. But I still have to pay $211 over the phone to get my phone turned back on. My bill comes in the mail the following week. And guess what? It's an $800 and change phone bill. I call in and explain what's happened. They tell me not to worry about it, that my credit has it covered.
The following month, I break up with my boyfriend for good, and have his phone and mine put on vacation (cheaper than a regular plan, as well as not having to deal with early contract termination) as I don't want him wracking up debt on my account, and he has also broken my phone in half.
Two weeks after I do this, I receive an $1100 dollar phone bill. I'm floored as neither phone is in use, and if I were to have a bill at all (remember - $600 dollar credit, around $400 of which should be left) it would be around $200 or so. I call yet again and try to figure out what's going on. Again, I am told not to worry. My credit will cover it.
The following month (we're into the November bill at this point) I receive another $1100 dollar phone bill. Same scenario as before. In December, I receive a cancellation of services notice due to nonpayment for the $1100. I let it go at that point. January comes, and I have a $1400 phone bill. At this point, I'm beyond steamed. So I call again. This time, after being on hold for over an hour, and continually being transferred to places I've already been, I'm hung up on. I'm too ticked to call back, so I figure I can try again when the next bill comes.
And, in February, it does - a collections notice from an outside credit agency for 1400 dollars. So, after sitting on it for a couple of days (and getting sick in the interim), I finally call again this morning, cranky and frustrated. I ask to speak with a manager. The lady I'm speaking with asks me why. And I tell her. Flatly and directly that nobody has been able to help me. They all tell me my bill is $1400 from, get this non-payment. She looks up my account and says there is nothing she can do because it has gone to collections. She transfers me to billing.
The guy in billing tells me it's 1400 dollars from nonpayment. I explain my situation yet again. I'm on and off hold for forty-five minutes. Finally he tells me he's going to transfer me to someone else. Surprise of surprises, I am hung up on.
I call back and this time I demand to speak with a manager. I explain my situation again (And that doesn't necessarily bother me. I know the managers want to know why they're needed.). This guy actually listens and helps me. He keeps me on the phone while he's looking stuff up - never once does he put me on hold. He goes back, finds all of the account notes, and ends up giving me over a 1000 dollar credit. I have to pay 399.15 on the spot, but it's all finally freaking over.
Months and months of bad service. Blah. What surprises me is how good Sprint usually is. Has anybody else had problems like this with them? Or was this just a one-time anomaly?