Develop Bugs

EVO and Premier - SPRINT EMPLOYEES help?

Any sprint employees that can provide some advice here would be great.
I'm a premiere customer and have 1 more month before my year is complete.
I'd like to upgrade to the EVO.
Is there anything that can be done a month early? I'm impatient.
A special code, threaten to cancel my contract or else and get passed to retention? Anything?

nope pretty much corp stores used to be able to push up the date a month early if it was within 18 days of the next month and they took that away. and you can threat but it wouldnt make it better to be honest, ive had customers sa they need a phone asap because it broke and its a month away. stil a no go they will offer you a feature phone for free but thats it no early upgrade.

My friend, a Sprint employee, said he could push the date 18 days for me still.

Joecrack305 said:
nope pretty much corp stores used to be able to push up the date a month early if it was within 18 days of the next month and they took that away. and you can threat but it wouldnt make it better to be honest, ive had customers sa they need a phone asap because it broke and its a month away. stil a no go they will offer you a feature phone for free but thats it no early upgrade.
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I don't want it for free, I want to use my yearly upgrade and renew my contract for another 2 years with Evo.
Seems like 18 days early on premier is the soonest..

Could retention do anything? I used to work as an AT&T Retention CSR. We could upgrade at 6 months into a 24mo contract.

I'm gonna find out on June 4th.
I'm going to throw the Hero 2.1 update failures, loyalty and my company has about 100 active Sprint accounts for our sales reps, plus I get a discount.
They can either keep my business, and I'll give them my soul for another 2 years or I'll threaten to leave, (which I really won't) but I'm a telemarketer, I'll get what I want.

Bp3dots said:
How about sucking it up and waiting, or paying full price for it? Its insane how people thing its acceptable to threaten to break a contract just to get their way. I wish these wireless providers would just say "You're gonna leave our great plans and phones because you have to wait a month? Ok, We'll be sending your final bill with the ETF right away. Enjoy your new carrier."
You signed a contract for 2 years. They graciously let you upgrade halfway through because of either your price plan or your longtime loyalty, and how do you react? Like a 4 year old who threatens to hold their breath till they get a cookie. Grow up.
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If you don't call retention in a situation like this, you just aren't savvy about getting the best bang for your buck from your provider. They have whole call centers in place to handle these calls. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
If I have to wait until November for the Evo, I probably will switch carriers. They'll probably appreciate me giving them a heads up rather than me just porting out and paying my final bill. Gives them an opportunity to keep my business. If not, its cool. iPhone HD here I come.

Bp3dots said:
How about sucking it up and waiting, or paying full price for it? Its insane how people thing its acceptable to threaten to break a contract just to get their way. I wish these wireless providers would just say "You're gonna leave our great plans and phones because you have to wait a month? Ok, We'll be sending your final bill with the ETF right away. Enjoy your new carrier."
You signed a contract for 2 years. They graciously let you upgrade halfway through because of either your price plan or your longtime loyalty, and how do you react? Like a 4 year old who threatens to hold their breath till they get a cookie. Grow up.
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Nobody is talking about breaking a contract, they're talking about switching carriers after their contract is up.

bockjacob said:
Nobody is talking about breaking a contract, they're talking about switching carriers after their contract is up.
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Very good possibility that I'll be paying an ETF in near future at least.
One thing I should probably add here... I was instructed to proactively offer early upgrades on EVERY LINE on any account that came through retention. Even if the call was misrouted to us. The carriers don't lose money doing this stuff.

VoXHTC said:
We're talking about 30 days. Big ****ing deal.
You don't know me. You appear quite ignorant now. You've accomplished nothing. Get out of my thread.
You seem like the pushover type to me.. take it anyway they give it to you? Wife wear the pants etc.. Go make me a sammich.
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Not really sure how I look ignorant. I simply understand honoring an agreement I made. If I wanted it that bad, but wasn't eligible for upgrade, I'd just buy it outright, or if I didn't want to spend that much money, I'd wait.
You also don't know me, so I'll just say pot, kettle. And as far as getting out of your thread, its a public forum. You expressed your opinion on how to abuse the system, I gave you mine on people who do those kinds of things. /shrug Sorry it offended you so much.
illogic6 said:
If you don't call retention in a situation like this, you just aren't savvy about getting the best bang for your buck from your provider. They have whole call centers in place to handle these calls. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
If I have to wait until November for the Evo, I probably will switch carriers. They'll probably appreciate me giving them a heads up rather than me just porting out and paying my final bill. Gives them an opportunity to keep my business. If not, its cool. iPhone HD here I come.
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Yes, I know that the tactic works. I just disagree with it. I deal with people who will give me the nasty "well if you dont do XYZ for me, ill never come back." attitude regularly, and honestly, most of them want things that are so ridiculous, and they treat reps so badly, that I'd prefer they took their business elsewhere.
*I'm not saying that you would be a total douche to the retentions person, but most people are*
bockjacob said:
Nobody is talking about breaking a contract, they're talking about switching carriers after their contract is up.
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The OP is in a 2 year contract, but his premier status allows him to upgrade at the year mark. He still has one year on the original contract though. So he would be leaving mid-contract if things didn't go his way.

Bp3dots said:
Not really sure how I look ignorant. I simply understand honoring an agreement I made. If I wanted it that bad, but wasn't eligible for upgrade, I'd just buy it outright, or if I didn't want to spend that much money, I'd wait.
You also don't know me, so I'll just say pot, kettle. And as far as getting out of your thread, its a public forum. You expressed your opinion on how to abuse the system, I gave you mine on people who do those kinds of things. /shrug Sorry it offended you so much.
Yes, I know that the tactic works. I just disagree with it. I deal with people who will give me the nasty "well if you dont do XYZ for me, ill never come back." attitude regularly, and honestly, most of them want things that are so ridiculous, and they treat reps so badly, that I'd prefer they took their business elsewhere.
*I'm not saying that you would be a total douche to the retentions person, but most people are*
The OP is in a 2 year contract, but his premier status allows him to upgrade at the year mark. He still has one year on the original contract though. So he would be leaving mid-contract if things didn't go his way.
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So you hate your job, don't take it out on me. Quit.
Also if you re read my OP you'll see that I said I won't switch/cancel, I'll tell them that I will. There are tactics involved here. I'm going to try, and if I fail, I fail. I'll wait the 30 days. No big deal. If I don't have to wait then great! That's the point of this thread.

illogic6 said:
Very good possibility that I'll be paying an ETF in near future at least.
One thing I should probably add here... I was instructed to proactively offer early upgrades on EVERY LINE on any account that came through retention. Even if the call was misrouted to us. The carriers don't lose money doing this stuff.
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I think the kicker here would bethat leaving sprint not only costs the ETF, but everyone else has higher priced plans. Double whammy, unless you really liked a phone that was only available elsewhere.
You said your upgrade was november...at the rate phones are coming out, the EVO II might be ready by then lol

VoXHTC said:
So you hate your job, don't take it out on me. Quit.
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I love my job. I dislike rude and disrespectful people.
If you're not the kind of person that talks down to the poor operator on the other end of the line and acts like a complete ass, then I can understand you asking them to make an exception for you. I will apologize for jumping the gun and expecting that you would do it douchingly.
Although I still stick by my opinion that if someone threatens to leave the service over this kind of issue, the carrier should be willing to send them on their way to someone who will be more accomidating.

VoXHTC said:
Also if you re read my OP you'll see that I said I won't switch/cancel, I'll tell them that I will. There are tactics involved here. I'm going to try, and if I fail, I fail. I'll wait the 30 days. No big deal. If I don't have to wait then great! That's the point of this thread.
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Thats the thing. They know that people wont leave most of the time, its just a scare tactic. If you knew someone was BSing you, would you give them what they wanted, or call their bluff?
If one of my customers asks me for something in a respectful manner, I will go out of my way to help them get it. If they try to bully me into it, I am not going to go the extra mile. It's all about how you treat people.
I think thats why this thread took the angry turn it did earlier lol

Bp3dots said:
I love my job. I dislike rude and disrespectful people.
If you're not the kind of person that talks down to the poor operator on the other end of the line and acts like a complete ass, then I can understand you asking them to make an exception for you. I will apologize for jumping the gun and expecting that you would do it douchingly.
Although I still stick by my opinion that if someone threatens to leave the service over this kind of issue, the carrier should be willing to send them on their way to someone who will be more accomidating.
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I would kill them with kindness and facts. Ones that they cannot dispute and tactfully ask them questions in they can ONLY say yes to.
Yelling and screaming gets no one anything. If you're smart enough and think it through and corner them then they don't have much choice.
This is a service I pay for. I respect that. Some rules are a bit overboard and need to be broken and/or not implemented in the first place. 30 days early, 18 days earlier, whatever. It sure as won't cause Dan Hesse to eat off the dollar menu @ Burger King.

i am a sprint employee for a corp store and we can do the early upgrade 18 days before BUT ur current phone has to be broken or juss does not work the way its suppose to and with proof....if i was you i would wait just because price may dropped who knows u could get a better price.

Cool it guys, no need to talk to each other that way.

I can see both sides of the coin here, but if I couldn't wait till october to upgrade and bought a phone outright, then listen to my buddy (who I guarantee will do this) tell me how he called sprint and complained for 2 hours until they gave him the full upgrade price I would feel like a tool. And before some all knowing sprint rep tells me this isn't possible, I have managed to accomplish this a couple times and got my way everytime. I feel for sprint employees who deal with crap all day from rude people, and I've personally never taken to a personal level with anyone, but just like everyone else, I would much rather sit on the phone with some random person for an hour and tell them to give me the upgrade price than give sprint 600 dollars of my money just so they can come out with some other phone a month later and give the one I just bought away free with a new contract. Phone companies I assure you are still making quite a bit of profit, nothing personal to any Sprint employee, but if you don't like people being rude to you, you're in the wrong business. And it's dumb to pay extra money for something when it's not necessary. I will not leave sprint but I'll threaten to all day if it saves me money.

I do this all the time... im a premier account myself, and I just sign up for an additional 2yr when my current 2yr is up, so if my contract were up, and is up, 2011 july... when i get the evo I will have to resign early and my new end date will be july 2013, I shouldnt be due an upgrade untill jan 2011, but im always allowed to do this and have never had an issue.
just be nice!, and ask with a please.
I've been on a 3yr 6month contract before due to this, for that lame duck tp

nutswillkillme said:
Phone companies I assure you are still making quite a bit of profit, nothing personal to any Sprint employee, but if you don't like people being rude to you, you're in the wrong business.
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Its sad that not only is it expected that people will be rude to each other fo no reason, but it is also acceptable. Says something about todays society.
As far as paying a bunch of money out of pocket for the phone, that's how I always get mine. Keeps me contract free, and since I only keep them 6-8 months anyway, I just make sure to take good care of them so they're easily sellable and I recoup some of that expense.
Also, the loss for the phone company comes from the fact that they are discounting the original phone (say a hero now) based on a 2 year contract. But at one year the customer upgrades (Evo) and gets another discount before the expected recovery of the original phone's discount is met. (Obviously only applies if the profit has NOT covered the original discount before the early upgrade.) I think it would be cool if they let you trade in your phone that is still under contract in exchange for the chance to upgrade early.

Sprint now requires credit card payment for new phones?

Forgive me if this is already a known quantity around here, but I only just found out this evening that orders placed through Sprint for new devices can no longer be billed to your account. Apparently we now have to pay by credit or debit card up front when we want a new device.

dead78 said:
Forgive me if this is already a known quantity around here, but I only just found out this evening that orders placed through Sprint for new devices can no longer be billed to your account. Apparently we now have to pay by credit or debit card up front when we want a new device.
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yup found out a couple of months ...........i believe there should b a couple of threads on it

lballer69 said:
yup found out a couple of months ...........i believe there should b a couple of threads on it
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they're saying it changed it on October 5. yet another way we're taking it in the pants as a result of Sprint getting the iPhone and another reason to never bother ordering a phone from Sprint.

yep blame that on the iphone
apple started this a few years ago, so no cash at all, even in person at the apple stores for iphones, as people were buying them stateside, and selling them overseas for huge markups, since they were not available at the time
gotta love Apple lol

Amd4life said:
yep blame that on the iphone
apple started this a few years ago, so no cash at all, even in person at the apple stores for iphones, as people were buying them stateside, and selling them overseas for huge markups, since they were not available at the time
gotta love Apple lol
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yep, you're 100% right.
man, I was on the fence before about upgrading my Epic...there's no way in hell I'll do it now. when you look at everything that's gone lately, Sprint's shown they're willing to screw over their entire customer base for the sake of luring in new customers with this gimmick Apple crap. now they've got their big sales figures and they can all pat each other on the backs for a job well done.
do the other carriers require up front payment for their devices?

Just so you guys know, sprint is actually the last of all the big 4 carriers to get rid of bill to account for new phones. Its a fight against fraud. Cutting costs is necessary to keep providing the unlimited data plans. Saving money by reducing fraudulent purchases is one of the best ways to do this. There is a reason behind every choice the company makes. It may not always sound like the best when you first hear it but the reasons why typically justify the changes. Sprint tries really hard to provide what other carriers no longer do but there at reasons that other carriers have cut things, and with sprints new high end world phone lineup we are running into the same things.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

lookout4theyeti said:
Just so you guys know, sprint is actually the last of all the big 4 carriers to get rid of bill to account for new phones. Its a fight against fraud. Cutting costs is necessary to keep providing the unlimited data plans. Saving money by reducing fraudulent purchases is one of the best ways to do this. There is a reason behind every choice the company makes. It may not always sound like the best when you first hear it but the reasons why typically justify the changes. Sprint tries really hard to provide what other carriers no longer do but there at reasons that other carriers have cut things, and with sprints new high end world phone lineup we are running into the same things.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
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frankly, the "we need to do this to keep unlimited data" excuse has lost its appeal. all I'm seeing is a fledgling company pulling back on service in order to accommodate the iPhone and keep itself in business. as it stands now, I live in an area where my data service is horrendous. calls to Sprint are essentially pointless since I'm given an endless string of excuses as to why I can't download faster than .2 Mbps on 3G and why I can't stay connected to 4G for more than a couple of minutes. I've been with Sprint for over 10 years and I've seen all aspects of quality within the company deteriorate considerably in that time. The simple fact is that they're network couldn't accommodate the demand of all the Android devices on it; I can't even imagine what the surge of new iPhones is going to do to service.
meanwhile, we're told that every courtesy we received is being taken away in order to assure a high level of service. that would be fine except there is no longer a high level of service to maintain. I've actually had Sprint tell me that their changes aren't so bad because they're simply doing what all the other carriers do; therein lies the crux of why having 3.5 carriers dominate a nation of roughly 400 million people isn't good for anyone. a struggling company in that setting has no incentive to do anything but keep its doors open. they've lost the will to differentiate because they no longer have to; their sole concern is to avoid being subsumed by one of their competitors. most investors (myself included) doubt Sprint's ability to sustain itself beyond the next couple of years because they're a poorly managed company who've become notorious for making extremely poor decisions - this recent backpedaling from WiMax is one of the worst.
so yeah, great we get unlimited data. we'll see how well that unlimited data that Sprint's stripped away all incentives for holds up when an already super-saturated capacity is unable to withstand the demand from this gadget they've bet the farm on.

I am usually on the side of the consumer but, this time, I think if you don't have the money to pay for it, why are you upgrading? Wait a month and get it when you have the money. I don't see why it was ever an option to begin with.
The only reason I am still on Sprint is becaue they have the number one best plan for my situation. If I didn't want unlimited data, or the best cutomer service, or the coolest new phones, I would go with MetroPCS. They have the best plan for someone like that. Shop around. Get what is best for you. I'm not preaching. I just want every customer out there to be as happy as can be.

It is probably better this way. When you charge to credit card, they don't add the weird few dollars here and there taxes in the taxes and surcharges sections (this is in addition to the tax they charged on the phone purchase itself) I probably got another $5-$6 in random taxes I had to complain about to get back.

I agree that data speeds on Sprints unlimited plan sucks. I will contest to that. Sprint's network simply is being overwhelmed from all the traffic they get from all the smartphones out there. So Sprint came up with a plan. The plan is going to cost $10b over time I think it was. To come up with the money Sprint has to cut cost and create more revenue. To cut cost Sprint got rid of certain luxuries we were receiving as consumers. To create more revenue Sprint fought to get the Iphone on board (Sprint announce this was their biggest sales day ever). Simple economics. Remember Sprint is a far 3rd behind the top two cash cows we know as AT&T and Verizon. Sprint is not financially stable right now but, making these necessary moves will help us as consumer in the long run. I know you pay now, and, you want it now, but, all we can really do is wait till Sprint finish's with their $10B project in your area.

Seriously? You all look at this as "exploiting the customer"? What they got rid of was effectively an interest free credit card that people were abusing. No, doesn't make any business sense at all, certainly not.
True exploitation would be them deciding to charge interest on your balance.
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buggerritt said:
I am usually on the side of the consumer but, this time, I think if you don't have the money to pay for it, why are you upgrading? Wait a month and get it when you have the money. I don't see why it was ever an option to begin with.
The only reason I am still on Sprint is becaue they have the number one best plan for my situation. If I didn't want unlimited data, or the best cutomer service, or the coolest new phones, I would go with MetroPCS. They have the best plan for someone like that. Shop around. Get what is best for you. I'm not preaching. I just want every customer out there to be as happy as can be.
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Ive been doing bta for years without problems from sprint. The problem was me, with the subject the post is about. Im pretty impulsive at times. More that once ive had financial department calling me wanting money because im past due. I couldnt pay the price of the phone (usually full price because i was in mid contract) and my bill up to date in a month or less. I kept telling myself, after i would get my account completely paid up to date, that i wouldnt do this again and would only get another phone if i had the money in hand to pay for the phone. Sometimes financial emergencies happen that are unforseen and they can really put a person behind for awhile and its a struggle to get caught up. Thats one of my character defects, i admit it (for the first time). Its not sprint's fault for this, its mine for being impulsive and irresponsible when it comes to finances.
I dont know why i felt the need to say this, but it had something to do with the subject and i shared my experience (and foolishness) with you guys.
Shame on me, i know!

I'm right there with you man! I sold a Dell Venue Pro so I could get my Epic Touch and I still have an Atrix on At&t and am looking at over $500 if I leave At&t. All that so I could get a 1/2 inch bigger screen and a slightly faster phone. Oh well at least I got a good one, no Los or any other issues thus far.
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I just paid my Sprint bill the other day. With activation, the phone, and my normal bill, it was $578.06. No more bta? Who cares. If you don't have the money, you probably shouldn't buy the phone anyway.
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Verizon still allows billing to your account. This last carrier nonsense isn't true

heygrl said:
Verizon still allows billing to your account. This last carrier nonsense isn't true
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that's what I thought. quite frankly, this argument that deadbeats have ruined the bta is a bunch of b.s. because that would be a punitive major and not something supposedly introduced to insure a high level of future service. the reason why bta is a solid option is that it means not having to rely on Sprint to refund your money in the event you decide to return a recently purchased phone. what this new move does is allow Sprint access to the customer's money immediately, which is actually a better move from an accounting standpoint since funds collected can be immediately invested. however, my biggest beef with this change of policy is that like all the other changes we've endured in recent weeks, they're all being done to accommodate the iPhone. like many others, I'm not remotely convinced of Sprint's able to even stay in business long enough to see all these supposed service improvements take place, so right now (and for the immediate future) all that's happening is Sprint is pulling back on customer services to pander to the iPhone.

Like another poster said this is to accommodate fraud. I work for another big name phone company and this is a way to keep people from calling in and ordering multiple phones on an account and having them shipped and once you see that these phones were ordered and you did not order them you call sprint and they have to foot that bill. If there is a credit card used it is tied to the person who used it and fraud is dealt with easier through the CC companies because they have more info. The FCC are coming up with all these rules to help us as consumers. It kinda makes it harder but safer. Anyone who knows your information can order on your account and that is scary. We see people on this forum who call in and tell lies all the time. Fruad is no joke. If it makes it safer why not?
Sent from my hand crippling Epic 4g Touch

Thanks for sharing this. I think you hit the nail on the head and I wish more people were willing to look at their own situation objectively and take some personal responsibility.
Sprint is a business, making business decisions. If they need to make changes to stay viable, then they should make them. If I decide at some point I don't like them, I can go somewhere else. It's the beauty of free enterprise and consumer choice.
oscarthegrouch said:
Ive been doing bta for years without problems from sprint. The problem was me, with the subject the post is about. Im pretty impulsive at times. More that once ive had financial department calling me wanting money because im past due. I couldnt pay the price of the phone (usually full price because i was in mid contract) and my bill up to date in a month or less. I kept telling myself, after i would get my account completely paid up to date, that i wouldnt do this again and would only get another phone if i had the money in hand to pay for the phone. Sometimes financial emergencies happen that are unforseen and they can really put a person behind for awhile and its a struggle to get caught up. Thats one of my character defects, i admit it (for the first time). Its not sprint's fault for this, its mine for being impulsive and irresponsible when it comes to finances.
I dont know why i felt the need to say this, but it had something to do with the subject and i shared my experience (and foolishness) with you guys.
Shame on me, i know!
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Who orders from Sprint anyway? There's always some place cheaper to get the phone of you're eligible for an upgrade. Ordering from places like Amazon or Wirefly at the very least saves you tax.
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My local Best Buy is great about returns and will price match any other vendor that has a unit in stock. I've never ordered from Sprint.
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[PETITION] Make unlocking cell phones LEGAL.

The Librarian of Congress decided in October 2012 that unlocking of cell phones would be removed from the exceptions to the DMCA.
As of January 26, consumers will no longer be able unlock their phones for use on a different network without carrier permission, even after their contract has expired.
Consumers will be forced to pay exorbitant roaming fees to make calls while traveling abroad. It reduces consumer choice, and decreases the resale value of devices that consumers have paid for in full.
The Librarian noted that carriers are offering more unlocked phones at present, but the great majority of phones sold are still locked.
We ask that the White House ask the Librarian of Congress to rescind this decision, and failing that, champion a bill that makes unlocking permanently legal.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7

I believe this only applies to new phones.. and you have 90 days from the date of the law to unlock your phone without any penalties.
page 16 of the docket: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2012-26308.pdf
so most of us are okay. but it sucks for people buying new phones. Might be okay on used phones, but I haven't gotten to that part yet.
chances are they'll revise the law in 2 years.

Seeing as T-Mobile is doing away with subsidized phones and the other carriers will probably follow suit much the same as international markets then one would no longer have a need to lock into a2 year contract unless of course there are to be plan discounts. That said there should be no reason for a carrier to refuse to unlock a phone that a consumer is now paying full price for, which is pushing $600 to $700 for the newest high end models.
I certainly don't agree that we should be paying upwards of $700 for something that has a realistic life span of 2 years, i would expect a laptop of the same price to last 5+. However i do agree that if you purchased a phone at a lower subsidized price and signed a two year contract then no you should not be able to Sim unlock it. Now if you pay your early term fees and are clear of your contact them there should be no reason for a carrier to deny unlocking said device.
If you are a person that travels abroad and need an unlocked phone them you should take that into consideration at time of purchase or contact the carrier to deal with it then.
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I'm not sure but can this be posted in other threads without getting in trouble so we can make everyone know about this situation?
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blakdrew said:
I'm not sure but can this be posted in other threads without getting in trouble so we can make everyone know about this situation?
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I don't see why not...but whats the point? Everyone should know about this by now, its been mentioned on various websites all over the internet.
Also, no offense to the OP but this petition is pretty useless, I mean, we all know how good petitions (ones pertaining to mobile phones) have worked before. Companies don't pay attention to it, so I doubt Congress will. The whole issue is redundant seeing as whoever wants to unlock their phone, will end up unlocking it, whatever the law may be. Its not like the government will set up random checkpoints to take your phone and make sure its not unlocked. People are just over reacting like they usually do. Its been illegal to download music and movies for a few years now and that doesn't seem to stop the people doing it. The only thing I see the this law harming are the various websites and ebay auctions that make money from unlocking phones. The truth is compared to the old Nokia days, smart phones(some, not all) are pretty easy to unlock.

One of the provisions is if you buy a phone from a 3rd party youre exempt.
My opinion? Its a sad day in this country when you dont have complete ownership of some you purchase.
Today its phones, tomorrow its......?

blackangst said:
My opinion? Its a sad day in this country when you dont have complete ownership of some you purchase.
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I know. Even the cell phone industry (CTIA) basically admitted in its arguments to the Library of Congress that the reason they want this is purely in order to protect their business model (based on subsidies) and has nothing to do with copyright. It's bizarre to claim that it can possibly be a violation of copyright to use a physical device that you fully own the way you want. And it's pathetic that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world in terms of having a rational competitive wireless market.

Again the last two posts even though they stated the point they missed it. The carriers offer phones at a subsidised price to get subscribers to sign two year contracts not because they want to give you a good deal but because they want you to use and pay for their services fort that time. Prior to this law anyone could go and purchase a phone at a lower price and a month later decide to jump ship, sim unlock their phone and go to another carrier or worse stay with said carrier and sell the new phone for a profit. I could feasibly add a line to my account for an extra $5 a month which comes to $120 over two years, get a $600 phone for around $200 sim unlock it and sell it on eBay at the $600 price. That's a $280 profit in my pocket.
So the carriers shouldn't protect themselves from this type of activity.
Don't get me wrong i think all the carriers rape their customers every chance they get and i don't agree with 95% percent of what they do but trying to petition Congress over this is totally dumb. Maybe petition Congress to get reasonable cell phone pricing. Or how about the fact that i pay the same rate in an area with sketchy service as a person that live in Seattle and had great service.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

yeah, but all carriers have ETF's (Early Termination Fees) that you have to pay if you jump ship before fulfilling your contract. That should take care of the subsidized cost of the phone.

mike-y said:
yeah, but all carriers have ETF's (Early Termination Fees) that you have to pay if you jump ship before fulfilling your contract. That should take care of the subsidized cost of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes if those fees actually get paid. Or most likely someone who is being shady in the first place will just let those fees go to collection and later written off in bankruptcy or simply forgotten about for years and years.
Take me for example, i got my phone for $99 (2 of them actually) and i am very unhappy with T-Mobile but still have 18 months on my contract well my thought is to unlock the phone, jump ship, and worry about the early term fees at a later date which by the way wouldn't be in my name anyway. So really if i break up with my girlfriend then I'm not responsible and i just made a $400 profit. Now i have two reasons not to do all that 1I'm not a shady person and 2 its now illegal.
My point is that all one needs to do is ask the carrier to unlock the phone and if there are no contact obligations then the carrier has no reason not to. The only ones that should have issue are those trying to be shady.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

explodingboy70 said:
Again the last two posts even though they stated the point they missed it. The carriers offer phones at a subsidised price to get subscribers to sign two year contracts not because they want to give you a good deal but because they want you to use and pay for their services fort that time. Prior to this law anyone could go and purchase a phone at a lower price and a month later decide to jump ship, sim unlock their phone and go to another carrier or worse stay with said carrier and sell the new phone for a profit. I could feasibly add a line to my account for an extra $5 a month which comes to $120 over two years, get a $600 phone for around $200 sim unlock it and sell it on eBay at the $600 price. That's a $280 profit in my pocket.
So the carriers shouldn't protect themselves from this type of activity.
Don't get me wrong i think all the carriers rape their customers every chance they get and i don't agree with 95% percent of what they do but trying to petition Congress over this is totally dumb. Maybe petition Congress to get reasonable cell phone pricing. Or how about the fact that i pay the same rate in an area with sketchy service as a person that live in Seattle and had great service.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
explodingboy70 said:
Yes if those fees actually get paid. Or most likely someone who is being shady in the first place will just let those fees go to collection and later written off in bankruptcy or simply forgotten about for years and years.
Take me for example, i got my phone for $99 (2 of them actually) and i am very unhappy with T-Mobile but still have 18 months on my contract well my thought is to unlock the phone, jump ship, and worry about the early term fees at a later date which by the way wouldn't be in my name anyway. So really if i break up with my girlfriend then I'm not responsible and i just made a $400 profit. Now i have two reasons not to do all that 1I'm not a shady person and 2 its now illegal.
My point is that all one needs to do is ask the carrier to unlock the phone and if there are no contact obligations then the carrier has no reason not to. The only ones that should have issue are those trying to be shady.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, sir, I believe YOU are missing the point if you honestly believe this is about carriers trying to recoup their $$$ from subsidized phones. Seriously? NOTHING in the bill states carriers can unlock phones after a contract is fulfilled, or that they have to. Therefore, after said contract is fulfilled, you STILL own a device you dont have control over.
Do you own a house? Do you have a mortgage? If so, you know that just by paying off the mortgage it doesnt give you any more property ownership rights that you didnt have when you signed the mortgage. Once you've signed it, you legally own it, even though you still owe money on it. Until this overreaching law took effect, it was that way for phones (for the most part).

explodingboy70 said:
Again the last two posts even though they stated the point they missed it. The carriers offer phones at a subsidised price to get subscribers to sign two year contracts not because they want to give you a good deal but because they want you to use and pay for their services fort that time. Prior to this law anyone could go and purchase a phone at a lower price and a month later decide to jump ship, sim unlock their phone and go to another carrier or worse stay with said carrier and sell the new phone for a profit. I could feasibly add a line to my account for an extra $5 a month which comes to $120 over two years, get a $600 phone for around $200 sim unlock it and sell it on eBay at the $600 price. That's a $280 profit in my pocket.
So the carriers shouldn't protect themselves from this type of activity.
Don't get me wrong i think all the carriers rape their customers every chance they get and i don't agree with 95% percent of what they do but trying to petition Congress over this is totally dumb. Maybe petition Congress to get reasonable cell phone pricing. Or how about the fact that i pay the same rate in an area with sketchy service as a person that live in Seattle and had great service.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You forgot an important point in your comment. YOU HAVE TO PAY 20-30USD PER MONTH FOR DATA! Therefore, your cost of adding a line is 120$+20x12=360$. So the profit is not as great as you mentioned.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app

What's next? Putting restrictions on oxygen?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using xda premium

Signed and reposted on Hackforums.
http://www.hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=3226550
Hope you don't mind.
I linked this thread, and quoted the contents of the OP.
Figure it'd be good to get it out to a broader audience.

45,000 more signatures needed.

Go ahead and put my name on it. I'm too lazy to register, and I don't want a bunch of new e-mails trying to get me sign a bunch of other petitions.
And to the debate: Use an Obama phone, Save your money, and BUY a phone outright. The faster they see that this hurts the big TWO (AT&T, Verizon), it will change.
If you're impatient and want a phone NOW, understand the consequences. You are licensing that phone, and may never own it. And you'll also be advertising for whatever company you go with.
Yes, I know I'm advertising for T-Mobile in my signature. That's because I think they are honest, and very beneficial to the XDA community.

explodingboy70 said:
Again the last two posts even though they stated the point they missed it. The carriers offer phones at a subsidized price to get subscribers to sign two year contracts not because they want to give you a good deal but because they want you to use and pay for their services fort that time. Prior to this law anyone could go and purchase a phone at a lower price and a month later decide to jump ship, sim unlock their phone and go to another carrier or worse stay with said carrier and sell the new phone for a profit. I could feasibly add a line to my account for an extra $5 a month which comes to $120 over two years, get a $600 phone for around $200 sim unlock it and sell it on eBay at the $600 price. That's a $280 profit in my pocket.
So the carriers shouldn't protect themselves from this type of activity.
Don't get me wrong i think all the carriers rape their customers every chance they get and i don't agree with 95% percent of what they do but trying to petition Congress over this is totally dumb. Maybe petition Congress to get reasonable cell phone pricing. Or how about the fact that i pay the same rate in an area with sketchy service as a person that live in Seattle and had great service.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WELL SAID! BRAVO! This I would support as well as many others!
I have been on this side of things for a long time! I used to live in Seattle, had Sprint and Verizon because ATT and T-Mobile are both very sketchy up there, Verizon is top dawg and since Sprint uses Verizon's towers and is cheaper than anyone else, you get the best phones (imo) and best value, not to mention unlimited data.
That being said, I recently moved to Dallas, and Sprint/Verizon down here are really terrible! I mean Seattle, West Seattle I was pulling upwards of 70mb down and 50-60's up, ridiculous speeds, but made it a lot better when you paid your bill because you felt like you were getting something! Down in Dallas I never saw it go past 10-15mb. Not to mention my signal bars never reached full unless I was under a tower.
Tmobile, my current provider (only for another week or so) is just terrible everywhere. Best I have seen them anywhere is 6-10mb, and I'm sorry but they claim to have better call quality than ATT now, which is horse$hit! Dropped calls, taking over a minute just to start dialing, and when you do talk, lets just say its not good.
I just think that payment plans should be based on where you are at in their coverage area. (If you leave state/town for a trip that's on you). That's like car companies making you pay retail price for a used car same as a new one! Would you do it?

I hope you guys know they unlocking your device is legal. What's illegal is buying an unlock code from online sources. You can no longer just go online and pay a small fee (like $10) for the unlock code. You can call your service provider (T-Mobile as an example) and ask them for the code. (They shouldn't have a problem giving it to you.) Another way of legally unlocking your device is by doing a method like the one in this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2024514
Or you could have someone that knows coding and have then do it for you. (As long as it is not through an online coding site you are good.)
Source: T-Mobile employee and target mobile employee.
----------------------------------------------
I'm full of great idea's, but don't have the time to create them or learn the coding to create them. If you want to make one of my ideas a reality just message me and I will give you my idea as specific as possible.
ideas:
Spoiler
-launcher/lock screen
-line rider type game where you control the character
-2d fighting game like art of fighting for the SNES
-multiplayer fps where you create your own map with a creative mode (minecraft style)
-roller coaster tycoon style game
-many more!
Just message me which idea you want info on and I'll tell you!
----------------------------------------------

Well said Ariana....

Service provider must ... unlock the device at any time and at no charge.
At least that's what the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is recommending.
It's warm day in February when I have something good to say about the CRTC but they do finally appear to cracking down on service provider fees, lengthy contracts, and cell phone locking.
I mention this because the title of this thread sounds like the opposite of ongoing discussions in Canada about how North American consumers are paying more than cell phone customers the world over.
More information by search for "Buyer's remorse" and CBC or go to the Canadian governments CRTC website to download a full pdf of current proposal.
(I'd give you the links, but I'm newly registered here

Sprint's incredible lack of empathy

I just wanted to share this experience of total lack of empathy on Sprint's part.
First I've been a Sprint customer for 13 years and have recommended their service many times over.
I've become ill and am now disabled. Because of this we're trying to reduce our monthly expenses as you may imagine.
So, I called customer support to ask if it may be possible to waive our EFT so that we may switch to another carrier that offers a much lower family plan.
I spoke to a person named Michelle in the retention department; who showed no sympathy what so ever. In fact, and I am quoting, she said "the fact that you're now disabled is a personal problem".
I understand that I am basically asking that they allow me to keep my phones (2 of the 4 were bought through sprint both over a year ago) the other 2 were purchased outside of sprint (eBay) and activated. There are no mitigating circumstances programs or even any sign of wow 13 years we've made a ton of money from you already. How about I am sorry that this has happened but unfortunately we can't help you.
She was starkly unemotional and represented Sprint as a cold heartless company that ONLY cares about your $$$$ period end of story.
I will be sharing this story on every web site and even news organization that will take it.
They want loyalty yet they show no appreciation for said.
Shame on you Michelle from retention, you're a heartless person you could have handled that MUCH MUCH better.
I'll be leaving this company and spreading my experience.

Sprint sucks.. Ive had real issues that have been escalated as far up the food chain as I could get them and Ive never had a satisfactory resolution.
The service here blows. I dropped at least a dozen calls today but you call Sprint and its all rainbows and butterflies.
Good luck.. sorry to hear about your issues

Probably best for the off-topic threads...

Let's help John Legere send a message to Verizon & AT&T

T-Mobile is doing an amazing job trying to give consumers what they deserve. Let's help continue to push AT&T and Verizon to do better... I've signed
http://androidandme.com/2015/04/new...end-a-message-to-verizon-and-att-on-overages/

Umm, no thanks. I am very thankful At&t is not more like Tmobile or I would have spotty, at best, cell service. From a root standpoint with the advent of Lollipop on my Note 4 I have more apps then ever able to be put on the SD card, and file explorers can now write to the external card. Many to most of the bloatware can have data deleted, giving them many times 0 data, and then frozen. Yes I would like root for some other reasons just because I like have full control and I wish At&t didn't lock down the phone, but I want reliable cell and data service more.
As for overages, I just went and re read the agreement just to be sure nothing has changed. They still will throttle you and may be before you have reached your limit. And of course as I mentioned above, does me no good even if truly unlimited unthrottled if I don't have a signal.

2swizzle said:
T-Mobile is doing an amazing job trying to give consumers what that deserve. Let's help continue to push AT&T and Verizon to do better... I've signed
http://androidandme.com/2015/04/new...end-a-message-to-verizon-and-att-on-overages/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know, I have been devving for a long time, i have seen many devices come to the consumer locked down. I can count the number of times that ANY change.org or emails to carriers/mfg's has made any type of difference and that number is "0", zilch, zip, nada no way not once. what many people seem to forget is that the percentage of users who are members or devs here at XDA or any other forum is way less than 1% of the total market, more than 99% of users never even know anything at all about root or custom roms so unfortunately signing petitions and emails is nothing more than a futile waste of time.

yeah......... despite these nay sayers here, I'll always hope for a better tomorrow, and ill still vote in my local elections, and ill still take the 30 seconds to sign a change.org petition when it's for something I support.
signed.

cstayton said:
You know, I have been devving for a long time, i have seen many devices come to the consumer locked down. I can count the number of times that ANY change.org or emails to carriers/mfg's has made any type of difference and that number is "0", zilch, zip, nada no way not once. what many people seem to forget is that the percentage of users who are members or devs here at XDA or any other forum is way less than 1% of the total market, more than 99% of users never even know anything at all about root or custom roms so unfortunately signing petitions and emails is nothing more than a futile waste of time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would agree with you but this one is setup by the ceo of T-Mobile. I believe he carriers a little more power and credibility than someone on xda...
Sent from my SM-N915V

soraxd said:
yeah......... despite these nay sayers here, I'll always hope for a better tomorrow, and ill still vote in my local elections, and ill still take the 30 seconds to sign a change.org petition when it's for something I support.
signed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the support. I don't usually jump on board with change.org but the ceo of T-Mobile is awesome. Yes T-Mobile coverage can't compare with Verizon or AT&T, but they are trying to change that. Obtaining frequencies is not easy or cheap. T-Mobile morals are correct, and that's why I support them. I personally have Verizon unlimited coverage, but I hate Verizon the company.
Sent from my SM-N915V

I think I had signed this petition back when it started. I've always thought overages were just fees they charged to give the CEO a nice bonus...

John Legere is one of the most obnoxious people of the current wave of "media hungry" senior executives. Crashing another company's client event? Fighting with Donald Trump on Twitter? He's running a multi-billion dollar corporation not pledging a frat.
I have no interest in aligning with T-Mobile but am grateful that in their quest for market share they've forced the entire industry to lower its profit margin which has benefitted me personally. With discounts I'm paying $90 a month for two phones on AT&T with 7GB for of data which I'm thankful to John for. It doesn't mean I ever want to be part of his circus though or deal with the challenges of all their high frequency spectrum.
I also moved from Cox to U-Verse recently and am saving a fortune on similar service because of my "wireless customer" buy-more-and-save discount from AT&T. Communication and content delivery is a sophisticated game of which wireless is only a small part. Only VZW and AT&T were smart enough to make investments in other related categories like Internet and TV to guarantee them some revenue diversity and to position themselves to capitalize on the IoT of things as it evolves. I wouldn't count AT&T and VZW out; they may not be the low price leaders but they aren't stupid either.

Seems like some people just don't understand.
The only reason ATT and VZ could invest in the internet was because they are the only companies that have access to the utilities that provide them other than the cable companies.
Traditional Telecom companies like ATT and VZ are government assisted monopolies even if someone wanted to invest in the internet they would have to request access to the public utilities that are literally managed by ATT/VZ biased government
Remember they bought out all the baby bells to build their monopoly they are not going to just let anyone walk into their territory.
The only threat to the telecoms is technically Google Fiber but that is only possible due to Google's popularity and economic power. If tmo or any competitor tries to encroach into the telecom giant's territory it would be red tape nightmare. And they will be stuck on some gov. inspector's desk for a decade until they get anywhere.

Even the largest share holder of t mobile thinks it's a failing company, http://www.computerworld.com/articl...stainable-while-legere-calls-it-nonsense.html
Att has won 4 out of 5 jd power awards for customer care in a row, t mobile has no stores to go to and a lack of caring customer care reps. Why back a company who doesn't care about you? They offer better deals? Yeah because they are failing, if I was gonna go out of business as a company id offer you the world to join my company for services too, once I'm back up and running the deals are gone and its business as usual. That's why att and Verizon aren't dropping prices on plans anymore, they saw what t mobile did, reacted and saw t mobile just kept throwing out more crazy deals and just shrugged and went about their own business. T mobile is a time bomb

If course t mobile has stores, I pass one almost every day.

The funny part in all this is that most T-mo subs would never have overages since they dont have any data coverage to go over with..
Hey John, how about less corny "pr stunts" and talking crap and worry about coverage..

thanitos said:
Even the largest share holder of t mobile thinks it's a failing company, http://www.computerworld.com/articl...stainable-while-legere-calls-it-nonsense.html
Att has won 4 out of 5 jd power awards for customer care in a row, t mobile has no stores to go to and a lack of caring customer care reps. Why back a company who doesn't care about you? They offer better deals? Yeah because they are failing, if I was gonna go out of business as a company id offer you the world to join my company for services too, once I'm back up and running the deals are gone and its business as usual. That's why att and Verizon aren't dropping prices on plans anymore, they saw what t mobile did, reacted and saw t mobile just kept throwing out more crazy deals and just shrugged and went about their own business. T mobile is a time bomb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't care if they are a time bomb or not they forced at&t to do some changes and at&t forced verizon, if not for them I would never have the double data plan on my verizon plan.:good::fingers-crossed:

2swizzle said:
T-Mobile is doing an amazing job trying to give consumers what they deserve. Let's help continue to push AT&T and Verizon to do better... I've signed
http://androidandme.com/2015/04/new...end-a-message-to-verizon-and-att-on-overages/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blah blah blah, that's all I hear out of T-Mobile but their coverage doesn't improve in my area. I am VERY grateful for the pricing strategies they've introduced which forced ATT/Verizon to follow suit, means cheaper service for me. But the last time I compared ATT to T-Mobile the savings were minimal in exchange for a marked worsening of reception, no thanks.

2swizzle said:
T-Mobile is doing an amazing job trying to give consumers what they deserve. Let's help continue to push AT&T and Verizon to do better... I've signed
http://androidandme.com/2015/04/new...end-a-message-to-verizon-and-att-on-overages/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
John Legere is douche. T-Mobile won't last for too long until someone buys them out or just dies.