Even though I'm posting in the Evo section of a mainly rooting community, I was hoping someone could provide a little insight onto my situation. Perhaps there is a Sprint representative on these forums who can better assist me as well.
So I purchased a new Evo June 20th after coming from 3 years of using the iPhone. I love the phone, but I've had nothing but issues with it. It's less the phone itself and more the companies surrounding it - Radio Shack, Sprint, etc.
So like I stated before, I got my Evo on June 20th. After using it a few days I noticed I had terrible signal at home. Normally if I was using the phone for personal reasons only, I could live with it, but I do work 1-2 days per week from home so not having voice service is a pretty big deal to me. After about 7-9 of fighting with the signal loss while walking around my home looking for a sweet spot (Also while on the phone with Spring customer service) They told me it was probably my home or area and that they couldnt guarantee coverage everywhere. My issue with this is, I've test all the carriers in my home. ATT, Tmobile, and Verizon get a minimum of 3 bars in my house. I dont like out in the middle of nowhere, I live in the suburbs of Houston. All other carriers penetrate into my home just fine, except Sprint. Well after arguing with Sprint reps over and over, I finally decided to take it to the Sprint store.
After waiting in a terribly long line (45 min), I was finally speaking to a Sprint rep. I told them about my issues and asked if there was anything I could do. He stated there was a booster that was $99. I flat out denied this as I thought it was ridiculous I had to pay more money just to get voice signal (something that was shown to be EXCELLENT coverage in their computers). He played with the phone for a second, then stated that an update would be coming out shortly that would improve the Wifi, 4G, and radio of the phone. The rep suggested that I was still within my 30 day cancellation period and that I should wait for the update and see if that improved anything.
So, a few short days later I got the OTA message on my phone. Well, this turned out to be a huge mess because I ended up being one of those unfortunate people who had their phones bricked. So at this point I'm phoneless and very frustrated. I take the phone back to where I purchased it, Radio Shack, and they tell me they've seen other customers who had this problem and will gladly exchange the phone for me. The manager of the store states it should be here on Friday, so I say thank you and leave.
Well, the phone didnt come Friday. It didn't even come the next Friday. Yep, it came THREE Friday's later - almost 3 full weeks later. So after not having a phone for two and a half weeks, I finally get my new phone in. The radio shack rep applied the update for me in the store and I left.
Well the weekend went by and I didn't notice any dropped calls, but I wasn't using my phone heavily. Then yesterday I was working from home and my phone was finally getting put to its full use. Call after call dropped and I couldn't even hold a signal for more than 10 minutes. I eventually had to run next door and borrow a neighbors phone to finish up my convo with a client. Normally I could live with this issue for personal use, but for work it was becoming a serious problem.
So I called Sprint and explained the situation. Eventually after sitting on the phone for an hour and talking to person after person I spoke with a manager who basically said either buy the $100 booster or pay $200 to cancel your contract and leave. At that point I was furious - I didn't understand why I should be forced to pay more for something when I was already paying for signal. I explained that I originally had planned on returning the phone earlier, but that had held off at the advice from a Sprint rep I talked to, and that my phone had been broken for over 2 weeks of my 30 day trial period. She continued to iterate that there was nothing she could do. She instructed me to contact Radio Shack and see if they would accept the phone back after 30 days (I'm on day 34 right now).
I just spoke with Radio Shack but they stated I'll need to call back when the manager is in the store - which will be 3-4 hours from now. I suppose maybe I'll get lucky and I'll be able to return the phone - but I'm worried about what will happen if they refuse. I'm going to be stuck with a phone that is unusable for work, while forced to either pay $100 for a booster, or shell out another $200 for the ETF (screwing me out of $400 total).
Anyways, maybe there is nothing that can be done, maybe I'm just an idiot for not testing the phone more aggressively sooner. I'm just sharing my experience on here with the hopes that someone has come across a similar situation or perhaps someone with a Sprint customer service background.
TLDR - got an evo, noticed bad signal, Sprint said OTA would fix the issues, OTA broke phone, waited 2 weeks for replacement, tested phone, reception still suck, Sprint says im stuck.
Wow, that sucks. Sorry to hear that.
I'm curious...you do get to keep the phone if you pay the ETF, right?
If you do, I would pay the $200 ETF and sell the phone on ebay or craigslist because I really doubt the $100 booster is going to help much and with the EVO in short supply, I'm sure someone is willing to buy it.
PS: If you do, just be sure to do a factory reset so all information is erased from it.
Maybe try the Verizon PRL, I looked briefly but cant seem to find the post. It is here somewhere though. Might work for you.
Yea PRL would work, but I don't want to use up my 450 anytime minutes nor do I want to switch back and forth between PRL's. I get great service at work and other places, it's just a dead zone where I live.
Airave?
Is the signal issue only at home? Airave hooks into your broadband service and then you can make phone calls via airave and it routes the calls like Vonage. And if your service really sucks sprint will give you the device for free if you complain the right way. I have had mine for 2 weeks and have had no dropped calls at home. This won't help you outside of your house though....Just my $.02
Really?
Really for free? Sprint was adamant that I would have to purchase one. They said over and over they would not wave the fee since their computers show I'm in excellent coverage area.
I too have been with Sprint for sometime now and I have the booster and it has worked wonders for me at home my office is in my basement so I spend a great deal down there and dint get service upatairs I got 3 bars but now I can make a call anywhere and it doesn't drop or anything well worth the 100 dollars if you can't get them tk give you one for free
Are those boosters provider specific?
I was thinking about getting one for the basement, but we have Sprint and Verizon Androids in the house. Don't want to have to buy one for each carrier.
I can confirm that if your a new customer with sprint they will do absolutely nothing for you, except sell you more stuff. I just went through a very similar situation and after offering me the airwave twice for free only to double back and say no sorry its 100 bucks.
BTW if you get the airwave for free they extend your contact back to 2 years, might be worth it for some.
I'm rocking the verizon prl's now and well its decent enough to stick with it, the phone rocks.
I also got an Airave for free when I was having issues. The only problem it would have is not supporting 3G data, but I suppose if you are at home, you can use wi-fi. The best benefit I saw was paying $10/mo and getting unlimited calls while on the device since I don't have unlimited minutes.
Sprint gave me an Airave for free, waived the fee for 2 years, and didn't touch my contract. But I also have 5 towers within 1.9 miles and they compete for signal...
The thing is, while I don't drop calls within range of the Airave, it doesn't hand off to a tower like it is supposed to so it drops when I walk out of range. :/
I'm pretty pissed at Sprint right now... They had a 2 1/2 outage that affected ALL of Colorado (voice and text - data worked fine in most areas) and just gave me a 25 dollar bill credit for it - couldn't even dial 911 and when people called me phone, it was just dead air - not even voicemail. BIG NO NO! Then on top of that, the subpar 3G speeds (900kbps max, 600 average compared to 3Mbps/1.7 on at&t in the same area), I've had two data outages (another two 25 dollar bill credits) and they charged me an activation fee on my corporate liable line through Comcast which was supposed to be free so I'm fighting to get that waived.
I love the phone. Hate the service.
Related
Ok guys, so I saw somewhere around here, a while back I think that Sprint changed some of it's fine print in the contract...Soooo, no one flame me or anything, but does anyone have any info on this? Thinking of jumping ship to verizon. I have 4 lines right now and pay around $176 a month and all the lines are still under contract for a while. I'm not set on going to verizon, but would just like to get some ideas....Thanks for any input....yes...I'm thinking about getting the iphone
edit: I think I found something...This was just on my latest bill, I did some research and any change to the previous contract is a breach and you have 30 days to get out of your contract. Now, you can get out of your contract and still keep your service, just not be tied down to a fricken contract! Here is what was on my last bill:
Directory Assistance 411 Increase
Effective 3/1/11, the domestic Directory Assistance 411 base charge will increase to $1.99 per call.
Please let me know if I am wrong, but when I worked for Verizon this is the way it was for them too.
good thread, im interested in switching away from sprint too.
my service is horrible.
i dont get calls and my texts dont always come thru
DonRSD said:
good thread, im interested in switching away from sprint too.
my service is horrible.
i dont get calls and my texts dont always come thru
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Click to collapse
Thanks, I'm sure a few people are interested in getting out...Have you called Sprint about it yet? Sometimes they're really helpful to me and sometimes they straight up lie to my face and say they gave me a $50 credit and I'll call back a few days later to see where it is and they have "no idea" and then wont give it to me...I guess I was a little let down after this ****ty ass "announcement" they made tonight...I've been with 'em for 8 years and really don't want to switch, but it's starting to look like that.
Nothing will get you out of the ETF right now, Sprint has been really careful with their changes lately. The Premium Data fee, Sprint Premier, 411 charges - none of those are a change to your current contract. The only way out is if you roam too much and they kick you off the network.
DonRSD said:
good thread, im interested in switching away from sprint too.
my service is horrible.
i dont get calls and my texts dont always come thru
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, some days I can't reach my wife if she's at home because the phone won't ring and my texts won't go through for a while. I tried to talk to Sprint about an Airave but they argued with me and said I'm in an "excellent coverage area" and told me no, even after contacting Executive Services. That was the last straw for me.
Change your PRL to a VZW PRL and start hitting them HARD for data. According to the terms of service, they can give you the boot for anything over 300 megs per month or more than 50% of all data as roaming data. If you're rooted on all the phones, do them all at the same time and then Sprint will want you all dead.
ZachPA said:
Change your PRL to a VZW PRL and start hitting them HARD for data. According to the terms of service, they can give you the boot for anything over 300 megs per month or more than 50% of all data as roaming data. If you're rooted on all the phones, do them all at the same time and then Sprint will want you all dead.
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Click to collapse
LOL sprint will put a hit out on you
Sent from my Evo while i should be working
I was doing some reading on and i read that if sprint can't cover you in a place they don't offer service you can complain and they will waive the ETF, for example tell them you are being relocated to somewhere overseas where they don't offer any type of service, if they can't accomadte you they will let you out, i haven't tried this soooo i can't confirm
datajosh said:
Nothing will get you out of the ETF right now, Sprint has been really careful with their changes lately. The Premium Data fee, Sprint Premier, 411 charges - none of those are a change to your current contract. The only way out is if you roam too much and they kick you off the network.
Same here, some days I can't reach my wife if she's at home because the phone won't ring and my texts won't go through for a while. I tried to talk to Sprint about an Airave but they argued with me and said I'm in an "excellent coverage area" and told me no, even after contacting Executive Services. That was the last straw for me.
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Click to collapse
I called and got an Airave for free. What you have to do is set up a consistent series of calls with them. It took me three calls but I got it. Then again, I had a legitimate issue.
Essentially, call every time there is an issue. Write down the time it happens, what happened, and where you were. Call sprint and tell them what the issue is. They may transfer to you an "advanced" tech department. Or, they may tell you to come in to the store to have your phone checked out.
As we all know, it most likely isn't your phone because it is happening on multiple lines. Decline going to a store. Insist on speaking to the advanced tech department. Tell them your problem and they will do something on their end. Wait until that "resolves" (which usually it doesn't because the coverage is strong in that area). Then call back again and complain. Try to get transferred to retentions and see if you can get one.
yep
They would not let me out of the ETF but I was able to get a free airave myself. w00t! But I would still like to cancel and switch to BOOST mobile.
Call this #: 866 556 7310
A Sprint representative will pick up directly- no machines.
*edit* If the above number doesn't work out for you, try: 855-790-4878 (thanks coldcaffeine)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25069171&postcount=145
Tell them you've been having problems getting a signal where you live and have to walk around outside to use it.
They sent me a free AIRAVE. I mentioned this to my coworker a few days later and they sent him a free one too
[edit 12-27-11]
Was curious about this myself:
page 6 of Airave FAQs @ nextel.com:
29. Can other Sprint customers use my Sprint AIRAVE?
All Sprint customers with a Sprint phone can use the AIRAVE and benefit from the
enhanced coverage as long as you have not restricted the AIRAVE. However, the
“visiting” customer must have the Unlimited AIRAVE Voice calling Plan on their
own account in order to take advantage of unlimited domestic calling.
30. Can I limit access to my Sprint AIRAVE?
Yes, you can limit access to your AIRAVE device by creating a list of approved
Sprint phone numbers (up to 50 phone numbers). You can create your list by
calling Sprint Customer Service at (866) 556-731
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[edit 08-18-12]
See following post about how to configure who can access your AIRWAVE (and also to set the zip code for where it will be used):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29087683&postcount=194
[edit 08-18-12]
Some uses report problems with certain websites/ internet connectivity when using the AIRWAVE behind a router.
See following posts for reports/ solutions:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30233927&postcount=206
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30234036&postcount=207
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30236434&postcount=208
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30236557&postcount=209
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=30403429&postcount=214
This seems a little sketchy... Are you sure they're not charging you a monthly fee?
Master Thief-117 said:
This seems a little sketchy... Are you sure they're not charging you a monthly fee?
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I'm pretty sure they're not :]
Although they still own it, so once I am no longer using it/ cancel my account they're going to take it back.
My primary device shows:
`Your agreement with us, which started on xx/xx/xx, will be completed on xx/xx/xx.`
The AIRAVE shows:
`You have no agreement or your agreement with us is complete.`
You don't get charged a "service fee" but it is considered a "line" so you are charged the $1.49 "administrative surcharge". Also you are charged electricity every month to fix a Sprint issue.
This is NOT really a big deal, but I estimate you are paying around $30-$36/yr to fix a Sprint problem.
I did this.
I got my new service and part of my house didn't have service and would roam, I was really upset because I really liked the phone and wanted to stay on Sprint.
They offered the Airave and sent it out, service is great. I don't mind paying the 1.49 or whatever if that's true.
Got one after I picked up the evo3d and couldn't get a signal in my house. Now I don't need one I turned it off. For some reason it dosent work half the time.
Well, I hadn't seen this before 10 minutes ago.
I called the direct # in the OP, guy picks up the phone on the first ring.
5 MINUTES later, and I have a new, completely free Airrave being shipped to my house.
Thanks, OP... I prolly never would have even messed with the whole thing if you hadn't made the process so simple.
**** like this is why I love XDA.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I got one awhile ago, no fees or anything. Im sure it uses a fraction of the electricity a light bulb uses. I got one primarily due to basement coverage, but every carrier has poor coverage in my basement.
Its worth it, its tougher to make a deal with sprint when you're in an excellent coverage zone like I am. They told me they don't guarantee coverage indoors bit then they sent me a free airave.
Also your account has to have enough available credit and be in good standing, even though its "free"
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I live in a three family home and there are four or five phones in my building in Brooklyn.
As of three days ago we allbjave been having problems with sprint service in a 3 block radius. I called sprint and worked with one of the reps and after a few phone calls she is sending this device to us. It's funny because we have been living on this block for 5 years with sprint and never had a probably and supposedly they don't know what the problem is.
bbedward said:
I got one awhile ago, no fees or anything. Im sure it uses a fraction of the electricity a light bulb uses. I got one primarily due to basement coverage, but every carrier has poor coverage in my basement.
Its worth it, its tougher to make a deal with sprint when you're in an excellent coverage zone like I am. They told me they don't guarantee coverage indoors bit then they sent me a free airave.
Also your account has to have enough available credit and be in good standing, even though its "free"
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in an excellent coverage zone, but Sprint doesn't get service in my basement... T mobile got full bars anywhere in my home.
I've had one for about a year and the 3G version (current offering) has been invaluable to me. My data speeds are 1800-2300 kbps deep within what I'm convinced is a bunker of a basement, texting and voice calls are great, and of course there is a noticeable improvement in battery life as a result.
Downsides include unreliable operation (unit goes offline at times requiring a reboot), incompatibility with texting certain short codes like 1311, and power consumption. It gets pretty warm...
Not worth the regular monthly fee and purchase price; definitely worth when offered as a concession.
I've had two Sprint Airaves, one for Illinois (Verizon Land) and one in South Texas (Sprint Land). I got the one in Texas to try and fix LOS. It only helped my giving a much stronger signal.
If you go this route, get the Airave that has the external GPS Antenna. Airave works best in GPS antenna is in or close to window.
My first Airave didn't have external GPS Antenne, but I was lucky and a window was close to DSL wireless router.
Hope this helps someone.
I live in a rural area where there are no sprint towers anywhere close to me. They sent me one and I have been using it for two years now strong signal no problems, free of charge.
Yea, I can voucher that they'll send one out for free to you if you needed one. It helped in my house so that I'm not always at one bar or searching for signal. Sprint's speed and coverage around my area still sucks in general.
I actually have had both of these devices. The first one was the Samsung Airave that worked decently except it only did 1xrtt data..which blew chunks. I ended up getting the new Sprint Airvana due to the fact the Airave was having issues with my HTC Evo 4G. The Airvana supports 3G data speeds over your broadband connection. Coverage on these devices are actually pretty good. If you call into Sprint Airave department they can acutally change the coverage output on the Airvana so that it covers up to I believe 5000sqft. I actually did this when I lived in a downstair apartment and the phone would disconnect right outside my door...after the update the airvana would go across the street. I would really recommend you get one of these if you have coverage issues...call the department, tell them your issue they will send you one. Also make sure they don't charge you a month fee for it. It should show you getting charged and then credited on your bill. I have a new one coming out next week (lost cables) and hopefully my Epic 4G Touch works well with it.
Thank you so much for this! I just did this and they're sending me one now, too. [=
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
this might be a noob question but does airwave support 3g or 4g signal?
and i just called and the rep said he need approval from the airwave tech and once he got a approval from the tech and the supervisor which will takes about 2business day then he will send me one.
I can confirm this. I went today to get a new phone and complained about the signal in my town. The manager gave me an AirRave for free. Its a loan since I need to return it if I bail out. I did not have to pay anything for it and they are not going to charge any monthly fee. I even got the activation free!
This is all true, I'm a tech for Sprint, you just have to pay the monthly regulatory fees and taxes(mine is like $1.16). If you end your services you do have to return it, or you will be charged. It is a awesome device. Keep in mind that the airave team is open Monday through Friday 9-9 central time.
Merry Christmas °<
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
Yep. called last night and told the guy I was Googling ways to improve my sprint signal and came across some info with the number and decided to call. He asked what was happening and I told him I was getting the roaming indicator alot while at home. Told him I was really happy with my service when I was out running around it just kinda sucked at home. He said OK and set up and order for the air wave. Should have it before too long. Just asked if I had DSL or broadband. Thats it. Took like five minutes total. Thanks a ton for the info.
OK I have to ask.
I have HORRIBLE 3G speeds where I live. I'm lucky to see 20~30kbps on a speed test, inside or out. I try it all over the city, it's the same everywhere. I've tried different modems, Roms, kernels, nothing helps.
Other Sprint users tell me the same thing.
We have 4G here but I'm about a mile too far away from the towers to use it on a daily basis and it seems like everything I do is in the opposite direction as the 4G so I maybe get to use 4G like once or twice a month. 4G rocks, I get 20~25mbit, again 3G sucks. Most of the time it simply does not even work. I get errors about no network connection etc.
So anyway my buddy just got an AT&T Skyrocket (same phone basically) as our Epic Touch and he showed me a speed test on 3G as it was almost 3mbit.
He said he got out of his Sprint by using this thread, flashing the 00001 PRL file, installing ROAM Control and slamming torrents. He said after about 15 days of letting it run non stock, Sprint contacted him saying he had 30 days to find a new carrier, they were canceling his contract.
He claims he was just out, he had to pay his final bill, NO ETF, and his ESN is clean so he was going to sell his Galaxy on eBay.
Is this true or is he BS'ing me?
I'm REALLY sick of Sprint. What is the point of unlimited date if it NEVER [email protected]#[email protected]#
On a side note, I get eh, 700~800kbps when I ROAM to Verizon.
kdoggy said:
OK I have to ask.
I have HORRIBLE 3G speeds where I live. I'm lucky to see 20~30kbps on a speed test, inside or out. I try it all over the city, it's the same everywhere. I've tried different modems, Roms, kernels, nothing helps.
Other Sprint users tell me the same thing.
We have 4G here but I'm about a mile too far away from the towers to use it on a daily basis and it seems like everything I do is in the opposite direction as the 4G so I maybe get to use 4G like once or twice a month. 4G rocks, I get 20~25mbit, again 3G sucks. Most of the time it simply does not even work. I get errors about no network connection etc.
So anyway my buddy just got an AT&T Skyrocket (same phone basically) as our Epic Touch and he showed me a speed test on 3G as it was almost 3mbit.
He said he got out of his Sprint by using this thread, flashing the 00001 PRL file, installing ROAM Control and slamming torrents. He said after about 15 days of letting it run non stock, Sprint contacted him saying he had 30 days to find a new carrier, they were canceling his contract.
He claims he was just out, he had to pay his final bill, NO ETF, and his ESN is clean so he was going to sell his Galaxy on eBay.
Is this true or is he BS'ing me?
I'm REALLY sick of Sprint. What is the point of unlimited date if it NEVER [email protected]#[email protected]#
On a side note, I get eh, 700~800kbps when I ROAM to Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can do that. The will normally let you out ETF free but they are not obligated to.
On a side note, people who do this are driving up prices for the rest of us.
Well, let me start off by respectfully saying that I'm not sure I care about the prices being driven up and let me explain why.
I'm not just some new Sprint customer who showed up and now something else it out I want on another network. I've been a Sprint customer for over 10 years, actually it will be 11 years in June and frankly Sprints service as gone to hell. My biggest complaint is the data.
My Samsung Instinct and my Palm Pre actually worked GREAT! About the time I got my EVO, things started to go down hill.
I complained about my EVO and it's crappy battery life and speed and they actually upgraded me to the Epic Touch when it first came out and it's not any better from a speed stand point. Sprint advertises this "Unlimited" network but I barely get 15~30 Kbps anywhere in a 50 mile area and it's not just me. First off, I work in the technologies department for my local school district. Our work issued phones are Sprint iPhones. We also have some Android stuff and ALL of them suck. Pretty much everyone but myself also has a AT&T iPhone too and the speed difference is unbelievable. What I mean by that is that a few of my co-workers actually have TWO iPhones, Sprint (work phones) and AT&T (personal phones) and EVERY one of them says the same thing, there is no comparison between the two for 3G data, AT&T blows Sprint out of the water.
One of the guys just gt the Skyrocket and I can't get over how much faster the 3G is then Sprint. The LTE is amazing too.
I look this stuff and I wonder what the hell happened to Sprint?
I can see why they are able to keep the unlimited data, its so freaking slow no ones using much! Just annoys me. I feel like its time to move on and like I said, I've been a loyal customer for over 10 years, I almost hate to start over.
If the problem is your whole city/town and not just your house, why not look up the thread about getting a free airrave, and instead of asking for an airrave, ask to be released from your contract, as your phone is just going to roam all the time costing them money anyways. The number in that thread (in e4gt general I think) is account services or whatever their euphemism is for retentions. They may just let you out if you've been such a good customer... you can always come back if the Network Vision pans out in your area... its worth a shot... if that fails, you have no choice but to roam like hell.
I live in a pretty big city and we do have 4G here but unfortunately, that is only downtown which really does me no good.
The 3G is almost non-working as I said. Now I work about 30 miles from where I live which is another decent city, not a big one but a well known one and the 3G issues are the same there too.
As I said, pretty much everyone who works in our technology department has the same opinion of Sprint's 3G, it simply doesn't work as it should. They all prefer their AT&T phones so it's not just me having issues.
I'll have to call them tonight. I get GREAT signal. Almost full bars but the data just won't perform. We were out a couple weeks ago for example, I wanted to look up a phone number and some movie times, we had to fine a Panra Breads and use there Wi-Fi to get anything to load. Dolphin and my stock browser just basically did nothing. I was watching the pages load like I was on 14.4 dial up.
As I said, the phone aspect is fine, should I tell them I'm force roaming to make a point? I really want to tell them how much of an issue this data crap is and WHY I'm forcing my phone to roam and that I intend to keep it on Verizon unless they let me go or fix it, which I know they can't fix it but I don't want that to cause more issues with them.
Thoughts?
Can anyone who works for Sprint weigh in here? This is ridiculous. Again, it's not just me or my phone, it's everyone in my area who I know uses Sprint and we are just some random phone morons who wandered into Best Buy and bought a cool looking phone. We are all technology professionals who use and test mobile devices etc, CCNP's, Apple techs, database engineers etc.
I know my way around a phone, so do the people I work with. We can't all be wrong here.
My friend did this and was not charged the etf. His brother decided to try it as well and was not able to get them to waive the etf. So in my opinion you have a 50/50 chance of having to pay the etf.
JsVerbal said:
My friend did this and was not charged the etf. His brother decided to try it as well and was not able to get them to waive the etf. So in my opinion you have a 50/50 chance of having to pay the etf.
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Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm also attempting to do this for my two lines with Sprint.
So you're saying that they can cancel your service and STILL charge you ETF???
sTr3utr said:
Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm also attempting to do this for my two lines with Sprint.
So you're saying that they can cancel your service and STILL charge you ETF???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes in the newer contracts there is a clause that excessive roaming is in breach of the contract. IIRC, don't quote me on that though, you should check it over yourself to be safe first.
Hmm, interesting. I signed up on December 2011, I don't know if that counts as new. I will check out my contract and report back, might help others
Thanks! :good:
My phone is basically unusable and I am either always roaming or without service (I drop calls constantly and call quality makes the calls indecipherable). I am jumping on to a ATT prepaid service. The question is:
To leave sprint do I:
A) Call, cancel and pay the ETF ($320)
B) Switch PRLs and get kicked off for high data/voice roaming (all while using my GNex)
C) Call, explain I will start purposely data/voice roaming in excess and see if they let me out of my contract?
Normally I am stickler for agreements and upholding my end, but Sprint service has been so bad my E4GT GS2 is basically unusable.
Loki047 said:
My phone is basically unusable and I am either always roaming or without service (I drop calls constantly and call quality makes the calls indecipherable). I am jumping on to a ATT prepaid service. The question is:
To leave sprint do I:
A) Call, cancel and pay the ETF ($320)
B) Switch PRLs and get kicked off for high data/voice roaming (all while using my GNex)
C) Call, explain I will start purposely data/voice roaming in excess and see if they let me out of my contract?
Normally I am stickler for agreements and upholding my end, but Sprint service has been so bad my E4GT GS2 is basically unusable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you decide to pay the ETF, before you do, invest in a cheap non-smart phone and switch to it. This way the ETF you will pay will be decreased.
I know a few people who have been kicked for extensive roaming. 50% still had to pay the ETF because under your contract, sprint is not obligated to waive it.
Surprised to read this as your location shows not even 10 miles away from me - and I have occasional issues but I've found it's usually a tower-specific issue. (At least by being with Sprint you can call and address those - I had to go through my MVNO which took a lot longer.)
I know people are going to possibly disagree but I've found the coverage map to be fairly accurate with the exception of being in a building. All bets are off there, I can't seem to get a decent signal in most buildings, even if I get a full signal + 4G by walking outside! But the signal in Lake County doesn't seem that bad - about the same I get in Northern Cook & DuPage.
First off, have you tried a profile/PRL update to make sure that it's updated? Possibly updating your device? (Maybe there is a hw issue with your E4GT?)
If you're dead set on leaving, consider one thing please. Being aggressive or threatening to a front line employee is probably not going to get you far in my experience. If you know someone that can help you out, that may be another way. I've found that in 90% of the time being upfront and honest with the other party will get the most amicable results.
Doing #2 will at least take 1 month to probably flag so you're out that much. Maybe start there to propose a reduced ETF and negotiate if you find someone willing to do so?
garwynn said:
Surprised to read this as your location shows not even 10 miles away from me - and I have occasional issues but I've found it's usually a tower-specific issue. (At least by being with Sprint you can call and address those - I had to go through my MVNO which took a lot longer.)
I know people are going to possibly disagree but I've found the coverage map to be fairly accurate with the exception of being in a building. All bets are off there, I can't seem to get a decent signal in most buildings, even if I get a full signal + 4G by walking outside! But the signal in Lake County doesn't seem that bad - about the same I get in Northern Cook & DuPage.
First off, have you tried a profile/PRL update to make sure that it's updated? Possibly updating your device? (Maybe there is a hw issue with your E4GT?)
If you're dead set on leaving, consider one thing please. Being aggressive or threatening to a front line employee is probably not going to get you far in my experience. If you know someone that can help you out, that may be another way. I've found that in 90% of the time being upfront and honest with the other party will get the most amicable results.
Doing #2 will at least take 1 month to probably flag so you're out that much. Maybe start there to propose a reduced ETF and negotiate if you find someone willing to do so?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I travel all over chicagoland on a daily basis (my office is in Elmhurst, i have customers downtown, out west and south). I have issues everywhere. I assumed that it was my phone and swapped it out, I am having the same issues. I have updated the PRLs/Profiles routinely. I have called sprint customer service multiple times, been elevated and even have a direct line for a singe person to deal with. Sprint has not been able to correct the issue, they have office discounted rates and credits, which is great, but what I need is working voice and data service. I have no problem paying a premium $150+/month for premium service, right now I am receiving no service. I offered to swap to a different type of phone and pay whatever difference. The only phone available was the photon or an echo. I asked about the nexus and was told I would have to pay full retail. I tried, Sprint didn't.
No reason for me to pay.suffer for Sprint's growing pains.
JSverbal said:
If you decide to pay the ETF, before you do, invest in a cheap non-smart phone and switch to it. This way the ETF you will pay will be decreased.
I know a few people who have been kicked for extensive roaming. 50% still had to pay the ETF because under your contract, sprint is not obligated to waive it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried this, it didn't work. Maybe if you've had the phone on that line, and only that line, for long enough it'll work for you but here's what happened to me.
I bought my E4GT on a secondary line but wanted it for my main line. So once I had the phone I swapped it for my main and put some cheap Sanyo flip phone on the number the E4GT was originally bought on.
When I called Sprint to cancel that line I was told they would do it without the ETF but that I had to send the E4GT phone back, which I didn't want to do and I mentioned that the line I wanted to cancel had a flip phone on it but, of course, she has all my records right in front of her and called my bluff.
Garwynn made a good suggestion, and one I ended up using myself. Tell them what's going on (again) and ask them very humbly "what can you do for me?" that's what I did and ended up with an acceptable resolution to my issue.
Just pay your ETF and get out the honest way. Sell your phone (I bought one for $315 recently that will probably cover your ETF depending on when your contract started) and then move on to whomever you choose to go with, just remember all carriers have their issues.
Loki047 said:
Well I travel all over chicagoland on a daily basis (my office is in Elmhurst, i have customers downtown, out west and south). I have issues everywhere. I assumed that it was my phone and swapped it out, I am having the same issues. I have updated the PRLs/Profiles routinely. I have called sprint customer service multiple times, been elevated and even have a direct line for a singe person to deal with. Sprint has not been able to correct the issue, they have office discounted rates and credits, which is great, but what I need is working voice and data service. I have no problem paying a premium $150+/month for premium service, right now I am receiving no service. I offered to swap to a different type of phone and pay whatever difference. The only phone available was the photon or an echo. I asked about the nexus and was told I would have to pay full retail. I tried, Sprint didn't.
No reason for me to pay.suffer for Sprint's growing pains.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since I use the wi-fi at work and home I just recently started playing with the 4G and realized it can't lock while I'm driving. I'm wondering if this is part of what you might be noticing. I know there was also a tower problem in Wood Dale because that's the one I reported and it's been corrected now. I could try my device over in some of those trouble spots if near O'Hare and give you something to compare against if it would help.
And out of curiosity, are you going to one of the local offices to talk to someone? There's a corp store on Lake St. in Addison (next to Giordano's) where they've been usually quite happy to talk about things even though I'm on an MVNO. I've found that either that one or at another across from Meijer in Arlington Heights (in the old Arby's) the staff were much easier to work with than other locations.
About your last comment - unfortunately they're going to say that you signed the contract and they're under no obligation to let you out of it. Getting aggressive with them - as I did one time before - actually got every possible charge that they could hit me with done. Just explain it as you have here and a reasonable manager would probably try to help work out a solution to avoid burning the bridge. (Doesn't do their business good either to end on bad terms.)
Wish you the best of luck in getting this resolved.
Esoteric68 said:
I tried this, it didn't work. Maybe if you've had the phone on that line, and only that line, for long enough it'll work for you but here's what happened to me.
I bought my E4GT on a secondary line but wanted it for my main line. So once I had the phone I swapped it for my main and put some cheap Sanyo flip phone on the number the E4GT was originally bought on.
When I called Sprint to cancel that line I was told they would do it without the ETF but that I had to send the E4GT phone back, which I didn't want to do and I mentioned that the line I wanted to cancel had a flip phone on it but, of course, she has all my records right in front of her and called my bluff.
Garwynn made a good suggestion, and one I ended up using myself. Tell them what's going on (again) and ask them very humbly "what can you do for me?" that's what I did and ended up with an acceptable resolution to my issue.
Just pay your ETF and get out the honest way. Sell your phone (I bought one for $315 recently that will probably cover your ETF depending on when your contract started) and then move on to whomever you choose to go with, just remember all carriers have their issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worked for me. I had an Evo and ran into financial issues so I sold my Evo, activated a flip phone to reduce my monthly bill. A couple weeks later I canceled service and paid reduced(not smart phone) ETF. I agree that the honest road is always best taken.
garwynn said:
Since I use the wi-fi at work and home I just recently started playing with the 4G and realized it can't lock while I'm driving. I'm wondering if this is part of what you might be noticing. I know there was also a tower problem in Wood Dale because that's the one I reported and it's been corrected now. I could try my device over in some of those trouble spots if near O'Hare and give you something to compare against if it would help.
And out of curiosity, are you going to one of the local offices to talk to someone? There's a corp store on Lake St. in Addison (next to Giordano's) where they've been usually quite happy to talk about things even though I'm on an MVNO. I've found that either that one or at another across from Meijer in Arlington Heights (in the old Arby's) the staff were much easier to work with than other locations.
About your last comment - unfortunately they're going to say that you signed the contract and they're under no obligation to let you out of it. Getting aggressive with them - as I did one time before - actually got every possible charge that they could hit me with done. Just explain it as you have here and a reasonable manager would probably try to help work out a solution to avoid burning the bridge. (Doesn't do their business good either to end on bad terms.)
Wish you the best of luck in getting this resolved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im not.mad or aggressive. Just frustrated. haha i dont even bother turning on 4g its just a joke.
I have trouble spots in multiple locations ohare is definitly one of them, i can barely keep a call going on 294
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
PRLs to the rescue. I really have no interest in holding up my end of the contract when sprint never held up theirs.
Option b for sure
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
JsVerbal said:
If you decide to pay the ETF, before you do, invest in a cheap non-smart phone and switch to it. This way the ETF you will pay will be decreased.
I know a few people who have been kicked for extensive roaming. 50% still had to pay the ETF because under your contract, sprint is not obligated to waive it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol you do not have to pay an etf if they boot you, your friends got ripped off.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
I would try the Motorola Photon and see if there is a noticeable difference in service. That phone has the best radios (imo) and you should see your signal increase.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
kawaski47 said:
I would try the Motorola Photon and see if there is a noticeable difference in service. That phone has the best radios (imo) and you should see your signal increase.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would, but I need my phone basically everyday I already have my GSM Nexus and the T-mobile prepaid service is significantly better than Sprint (my 3g speeds - in my house with basically 0 to 1 bars are 4-5 times faster than sprint), but the great thing is I can make phone calls again and receive them!
Between a refurbished photon and a new GSM Nexus, ill take the nexus. The investment ($450 for the phone, $320 ETF) will pay for its self in 8 months, then the extra money can go towards buying the next Nexus.
All I did was call customer service, complained that my 4G speed was worse than my 3G speed (it really is most of the time!) and after a few transfers and no arguments, my AirRave should arrive this Wednesday.
So those who have tried to get one of these boxes before, you might try the 4G vs 3G argument like I did and I had no problems getting one!
AiRave does NOTHING for 4G-WiMax. Period. Besides, if you have broadband at home, the best connection speed you're going to get is limited to your broadband speed, so you might as well just use Wi-Fi.
It is mainly for call quality but will raise your 3G speeds but will do nothing for your 4G
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Lol, I just sent mine back. Just about the only thing worse than dealing with crappy Sprint service is using the Airave. GPS would cut out overnight most of the time (yes I had the antenna next to the window, whereas my phone would pick up a GPS signal even away from the windows), and when it worked, the voice quality was terrible with constant stuttering. I hope you have better luck with your device than I did.
sputnik767 said:
Lol, I just sent mine back. Just about the only thing worse than dealing with crappy Sprint service is using the Airave. GPS would cut out overnight most of the time (yes I had the antenna next to the window, whereas my phone would pick up a GPS signal even away from the windows), and when it worked, the voice quality was terrible with constant stuttering. I hope you have better luck with your device than I did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had your luck with the airave when I had to use one a few years back, although it helped a little (I had no signal despite being a half mile from a tower) with calls it was more a pain in the butt to deal with, especially whenever the power went out and I had to get it up and running again.
And I must've done something wrong because no matter what I said I couldn't get them to send one for free lol I even had to drive down the road from my house to call them and request one, told the guy "I'm sitting in the parking lot of the mall down the road because I can't call you from home", he was like "wow that's bad". Uh, duh.
Also it seems like I paid $4.99 a month (on top of the $99 I paid for the device) and that only covered two lines on my five line account, I would've had to pay more to have it cover the other numbers. I hope they've improved the service since then.
iSaint said:
It is mainly for call quality but will raise your 3G speeds but will do nothing for your 4G
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know that it has nothing to do with 4G, I just like sticking it to Sprint and getting free stuff from them!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I got mine for free and it worked like a cgarm minus a few sms issues but didnt last long for me.. even used it to upgrade to the sgs2 last year when it came out.. signed a 2yr contract on it.. however dont have wifi right now so they sent a letter to return it or be charged for it.. so i called and they cancelled the line and sent for a return kit all not costing anything.. now im eligible for a third line and since itd be new can get a new phone at discounted price and we needed a third line anyways win win situation and then some!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
Esoteric68 said:
I had your luck with the airave when I had to use one a few years back, although it helped a little (I had no signal despite being a half mile from a tower) with calls it was more a pain in the butt to deal with, especially whenever the power went out and I had to get it up and running again.
And I must've done something wrong because no matter what I said I couldn't get them to send one for free lol I even had to drive down the road from my house to call them and request one, told the guy "I'm sitting in the parking lot of the mall down the road because I can't call you from home", he was like "wow that's bad". Uh, duh.
Also it seems like I paid $4.99 a month (on top of the $99 I paid for the device) and that only covered two lines on my five line account, I would've had to pay more to have it cover the other numbers. I hope they've improved the service since then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got mine for free. Everything was an they even said so over the phone. I've had no problems. **** don't even have the GPS antenna near a window. The only bad thing I've experienced is if i'm talking in my house an go to leave. I get disconnected. Better then having to stand next to a window or move around the house.
Esoteric68 said:
I had your luck with the airave when I had to use one a few years back, although it helped a little (I had no signal despite being a half mile from a tower) with calls it was more a pain in the butt to deal with, especially whenever the power went out and I had to get it up and running again.
And I must've done something wrong because no matter what I said I couldn't get them to send one for free lol I even had to drive down the road from my house to call them and request one, told the guy "I'm sitting in the parking lot of the mall down the road because I can't call you from home", he was like "wow that's bad". Uh, duh.
Also it seems like I paid $4.99 a month (on top of the $99 I paid for the device) and that only covered two lines on my five line account, I would've had to pay more to have it cover the other numbers. I hope they've improved the service since then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow, youve been getting ripped, i had the old samsung airave when i called to complain about the service at my home, they fedexed me one for free overnight and charged me $4.99 every month but with a $4.99 credit every month as long as i kept that service on my plan. i noticed when torrenting i had ****ty ****ty call quality, the original samsung device also did not help evdo speeds with my then smartphone, it was a PITA so i unplugged it about a year ago and its been sitting in my closet until about a month ago when i decided to call sprint again, i told them it hadnt been powering up and if i could exchange it, they sent me out a new model called the airvana and i shipped the old one back, it was a bit of a hassle to get the new one activated but i guess that was because i just called *2 from my sprint line, i let it sit a few hours as they said and it never worked, so i call the 866 number on the instructions like i should have in the first place and they got it all set up and it was active within the 1st hour of placing that call...since then i've upgraded my time warner cable to verizon fios 25/25, call quality is great and it was horrible before. also my 3g at home sucked ass, it felt like the worst 1x signal so i always have to use wifi, however with the new airvana i tested the 3g speeds it puts out and its not bad, much better than the ****ty cell towers 3g to my house, i prefer the high speed of wifi when i'm home though so i'll continue to use 802.11g/n when i can, i guess the 3g is good for when sprint guests come over so i wont have to give them my wpa2 password
t0mmyr said:
wow, youve been getting ripped, i had the old samsung airave when i called to complain about the service at my home, they fedexed me one for free overnight and charged me $4.99 every month but with a $4.99 credit every month as long as i kept that service on my plan. i noticed when torrenting i had ****ty ****ty call quality, the original samsung device also did not help evdo speeds with my then smartphone, it was a PITA so i unplugged it about a year ago and its been sitting in my closet until about a month ago when i decided to call sprint again, i told them it hadnt been powering up and if i could exchange it, they sent me out a new model called the airvana and i shipped the old one back, it was a bit of a hassle to get the new one activated but i guess that was because i just called *2 from my sprint line, i let it sit a few hours as they said and it never worked, so i call the 866 number on the instructions like i should have in the first place and they got it all set up and it was active within the 1st hour of placing that call...since then i've upgraded my time warner cable to verizon fios 25/25, call quality is great and it was horrible before. also my 3g at home sucked ass, it felt like the worst 1x signal so i always have to use wifi, however with the new airvana i tested the 3g speeds it puts out and its not bad, much better than the ****ty cell towers 3g to my house, i prefer the high speed of wifi when i'm home though so i'll continue to use 802.11g/n when i can, i guess the 3g is good for when sprint guests come over so i wont have to give them my wpa2 password
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol I only used it for a year and disconnected the thing over two years ago. I now live in a good signal area and recently donated my device to Sprint, along with an old, old blackberry for recycling.
FYI, the AirRave is NOT completely free. Since it counts as another line, you pay additional fees. In my case it was ~$3 per month. It was a nightmare to get them to refund it.
Mattheyu said:
FYI, the AirRave is NOT completely free. Since it counts as another line, you pay additional fees. In my case it was ~$3 per month. It was a nightmare to get them to refund it.
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Click to collapse
Actually, if they give it to you as a service promotion, it's completely free as is the unit itself.
However, the unit is on LOAN, they want it back if/when you terminate sprint service or they will charge you for it.
Mine is 100% free, no charge, nada. So, you can get it free.
Compusmurf said:
Actually, if they give it to you as a service promotion, it's completely free as is the unit itself.
However, the unit is on LOAN, they want it back if/when you terminate sprint service or they will charge you for it. I was told it was automatic because on their end, it is an additional phone line.
Mine is 100% free, no charge, nada. So, you can get it free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guarantee that if you look at the breakdown of Sprint Surcharges at the end of your bill, it increased when they added the AirRave. I was told it was automatic since on their end, it appears as a second line, which means the fees for a second line.
On mine, it was:
Administrative fee - $1.50 for one line to $3.00 with the AirRave)
Regulatory charge - $0.40 to $0.80
State Cost Recovery Fee - $0.30 - $0.60
Slightly higher taxes
Also on the bill: "Sprint Surcharges are rates we choose to collect from you..."
That means Sprint is NOT required to collect those by law or regulation. Since they are, it is a fee/charge.
I am in an area with horrible reception so bad that without the air rave my phone would be useless that thing helped me a LOT I went from always roaming to always full bars! Only problem is it seems to make my wifi a bit slower but nothing enough to complain about.
Mattheyu said:
I guarantee that if you look at the breakdown of Sprint Surcharges at the end of your bill, it increased when they added the AirRave. I was told it was automatic since on their end, it appears as a second line, which means the fees for a second line.
On mine, it was:
Administrative fee - $1.50 for one line to $3.00 with the AirRave)
Regulatory charge - $0.40 to $0.80
State Cost Recovery Fee - $0.30 - $0.60
Slightly higher taxes
Also on the bill: "Sprint Surcharges are rates we choose to collect from you..."
That means Sprint is NOT required to collect those by law or regulation. Since they are, it is a fee/charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
****, you're right, for the past 2 years I've been paying about $2-$3 in taxes for this 3rd line of crap they were supposed to be providing at no charge
heres mine:
Federal-Univ Serv Assess Non-LD ............................................................. $1.89
California State-PUC User Fee .................................................................... $0.08
Administrative Charge ................................................................................ $4.50
Regulatory Charge ...................................................................................... $1.20
$7.67
The thing that blows me away is that you have to spend hundreds of dollars on a carrier like sprint, then on top of it have to go through this kinda of BS to even get a signal in your home so you can receive calls etc....something wrong with this picture.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Duce HD2 said:
The thing that blows me away is that you have to spend hundreds of dollars on a carrier like sprint, then on top of it have to go through this kinda of BS to even get a signal in your home so you can receive calls etc....something wrong with this picture.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realize there are other carriers besides sprint right?
My general cell phone rule of thumb, never get a carrier just because of a phone.
It burns when I Tapatalk...
Love my airvana. Had the issue where the phone would think it failed to send a text and it would send like twenty but they fixed it a few months back.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
jklong03 said:
Yes, I know that it has nothing to do with 4G, I just like sticking it to Sprint and getting free stuff from them!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
It's nothing special. Sprint gives away free Airaves like they can't get rid of them fast enough. Just tell them your signal has degraded and they'll usually hook you up with no questions asked. Problem is, a lot of us have them for legit reasons. My signal here was great for years and years, then one day it dropped like a rock, was lucky to get more than 1 bar. It's been that way ever since.