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Blatant Theft abound in Cell Phone Companies. USER BEWARE

By
Real Estate Agent with Key Realty Group Inc. 200512291

I have resisted the temptation on so many occasions to use AR to vent about a terrible experience as a consumer, but this one is so bad, I have got to share it.

I have one of those cell plans that includes your free Mobile to mobile minutes, as well as your free nights and weekends. Using the term FREE to describe them kinda makes me sick, being as we all pay for the cellular service we receive, sometimes unfairly.

In my case it was that I was being billed for in network calls as well as calls on the weekend and at night. The worst part of it is that I was paying extra to get my nights to start at 6 PM with Sprint, but they were charging me for calls made after 6 as well. It turns out that in just 3 months time I had been OVER BILLED FOR OVER $500. Obviously at this point I am aware of the Bill fraud that is going on. I have made SPrint aware of it too, and they have done nothing to remedy the situation. In fact, I would say they have the worst customer service I have ever experienced.  While I am trying to explain to this simple minded support fellow on the other end of a line stretching all the way to the Phillipines, they actually have the nerve to speak over me as with they are telling me I am wrong, and I need to just pay the bill.

 

FIGHTING BACK

So what do you do when your cell phone company has you bent over the barrel? Well I decided to fight back. It was about the money, but now it took on a second life, being about something more. It became about stopping another corporate leach from sucking the blood out of me slowly. It became about preventing this from happening to someone else.

So I filed  complaints with the FCC, the consumer Affairs division of the Department of Commerce for my state, and the public utility commission. Now I am on an email campaign, as well as trying to spread the word about cell phone billing abuse. If you notice your phone bill going up and down a lot, please check your bill when you are being charged overages. You might just be being mis billed, especially if you are a sprint customer like me. I almost feel like a victim of sprint not a customer. Now I will spend countless hours to get this billing nightmare straightened out, just to cancell my service and throw the dice again with another company. I will be trying Verizon this time. That is unless any of you have horror stories with them.; BUT THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS Don't let that happen to you. CHOOSEY AGENTS DON'T CHOOSE SPRINT!

Erin Stumpf (Attardi)
Coldwell Banker - Sacramento, CA
916-342-1372 / DRE# 01706589 Sacramento, CA
How funny that you are getting the run-around from Sprint.  We have Nextel (owned by Sprint), and for the last 9 months we have spent at least a couple hours each month on the phone and in the local store trying to get our billing squared away.  Each month we THINK our issues are solved, and then the next month we are frustrated all over again.  My husband and I each supposedly have an unlimited plan - unlimited minutes, unlimited text messages, unlimited long distance, unlimited internet, etc.  Our combined bill should be about $300 / month after all the fees, yet for some reason each month our bill is over $500!  It is a new reason each month..."oh last month when you spoke with customer service this was changed..." ARRGGHH!
Nov 04, 2007 07:49 PM
Kate Bourland
Marketing with Kate - Redding, CA
Onlilne Marketing Mobile Marketing

My experience with Sprint is very similar - customer service is beyond bad.  I'm just waiting for the contract to run out so that I can change my service to Verizon.

Nov 04, 2007 08:46 PM
Susie Roscoe
Signature Realty Associates - Brandon, FL
Real Estate Specialist | Brandon, FL

I had Sprint when I 1st got a cell phone years ago...didn't like them much then and obviously after reading this post I would never consider going back.  Verizon seems to have it together...hope you're experience is better!  I've also heard good things about Altell including pricing! 

GOOD LUCK...go get the thieves behind the telephone lines who refer to themselves as "Customer Service" representatives.  It's almost ironic that they are allowed to take that title...ya know?!?!

Nov 04, 2007 08:51 PM
James Gordon
Sibcy Cline Realtors® - Cincinnati, OH
REALTOR, PBD SFR SRS
I have an unlimited plan for my area that includes web access on my phone. I currently pay 55.00 a month with taxes included. Find a new carrier. 
Nov 04, 2007 09:37 PM
Team Thayer Key Realty Group Inc
Key Realty Group Inc. - Eugene, OR
We will sell your house faster for more money

ERIN, Kate, Susie, & James, Thank you for sharing your stories. My saga continues. I have been on the phone with Sprint for 3 hours now, and have been transferred 4 times. Now I am with the cancellation department. Sprint has set up their power structure so that the only representatives that can do anything as far as grievances or dispute resolution, are the cancellation department!! Reminds me of AOL. They'll spend hours trying to get you to stay with them, refusing to cancel your service. 

AH HAhh!! Now in the cancellation department they are unwilling to admit fault, but they are issuing a credit for the overages. Now I need to get out of my contract immediately. You can get out of your contract without paying those nasty disconnect fees if they are caught billing you incorrectly and they do not remedy this.  

Nov 05, 2007 06:00 AM
Team Thayer Key Realty Group Inc
Key Realty Group Inc. - Eugene, OR
We will sell your house faster for more money

Here we are, 6 hours later, and 15 reps later, I am still dealing with Sprint BS! It is completely ridiculous, and the most frustrating customer service mishap I have ever been involved in!

I had the Verizon rep come in and I will be with better service by tomorrow. It turns out that Sprint now realized that they had overbilled me due to a "Computer error caused by rate plan changes in the middle of a billing cycle". I don't know about you, but that sounds to me like another excuse to justify theft. They never would have found this fraud, or done anything about it if I hadn't invested several hours of my own time.

 

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT ANY PROFESSIONALS WHO RELY ON THEIR PHONE AS A VITAL KEY TO THEIR BUSINESS, NOT CONSIDER SPRINT. THEY ARE SCAMMERS, THEY ARE RUDE, AND ONCE YOU HAVE A PROBLEM YOU WILL WANT TO CANCEL THEIR SERVICE AND THEN HAVE TO FIGHT ABOUT THE CANCELLATION FEE. EVEN IF THEY STEAL FROM YOU!! 

Nov 05, 2007 09:11 AM
Todd Clark - Retired
eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR
Principle Broker Oregon

Wow, certainly hope you have a better experience with your new company and you also are able to get your money back from Sprint. But, my guess is since you have already left them, they will have no reason to try to please you.

Dec 27, 2007 04:41 PM
Gene Allen
Fathom Realty - Cary, NC
Realty Consultant for Cary Real Estate
So far with Verizon I have had good luck.  No reason to complain.  I think it costs more then other services but then sometimes you get what you pay for.
Dec 31, 2007 10:20 AM
Thomas Hernandez
STL Buy & Sell Real Estate Services - Saint Peters, MO
I have a problem with being billed for internet time but AT&T can never give me an exact detail of where I went online. These charges are irregular but there is no way to dispute them. I am told that there is no way to give me a read out of my usage. What a scam!
Dec 31, 2007 01:23 PM