I was a Sprint customer from 1999 until 2014. I left after many frustrating dealings with Sprint customer service. I got a postcard in the mail the other day stating I could get 50% of all services if I switched back to Sprint from Cricket Wireless (AT&T) before 2/8/16.
Sounded like a good deal and I was ready to purchase another cell phone anyway. As I'm speaking with the salesperson over the phone, she tells me I can get both of my Cricket Wireless phone numbers switched and that I was approved for adding up to 5 lines to my Sprint account. She even set it up to where my bill for both phones would be approx. the same price as I was paying with Cricket for both phones per month. I was happy.
I told her that I only needed one new phone and that my nephew wanted to keep his phone (Nokia Lumia 630). I had her check to make sure the model of the Nokia could be added to the account. She put me on hold and checked (or at least she said she did) and stated that it could be added to my account, however, I would have to wait until my certified pre-owned iPhone 5s arrived in the mail and that I could then call and have the Nokia activated.
I selected the 5s refurbished, based off of what she assured me - which was, "The phones are certified refurbished and have NO defects" and "They are phones that customers had for only 14 days or less and returned them" and "Nothing’s wrong with them because they’ve been checked before being re-sold".
iPhone arrived yesterday. I called and had it activated today. On my first phone call, I noticed that I couldn't hear the person on the other end very well, so I turned up the volume only to hear a vibration every time the person spoke.
So I turned it back down but couldn't hear them clearly. After the conversation ended, I shook the phone slightly to see I could hear something inside moving and sure enough, I heard something rattling.
Something inside the phone was loose. I wasn't happy to say the least…especially since I made my final choice for a phone based off the advice and assurance of the sales person stating that the phones have "no defects" and that there’s “nothing wrong” with them (the refurbished phones).
So I called Sprint customer service, ready to activate the Nokia Lumia. My goal was to tell the representative about the iPhone being defective before she activated the Nokia. After I shared with her the iPhone issue, she tells me that I would have to take the phone in store and have them look at it so they can hear the rattling noise and then exchange it there.
She made it sound so simple. So I asked her to just have another one mailed instead and then I would send the defective one back. She said that she couldn’t do that and I would have to go into the store. Jeez!! One day, actually about an hour of having the phone activated and I already have to waste my time with issues that are no fault of my own!??
So anyway, we begin to go in the process of getting the Nokia activated and guess what!?! The Nokia couldn’t be added to the account! She said she tried using the IMEI number but it wouldn’t take in the system and that I would have to go into the Sprint store to have them activate it because it could not be done over the phone.
So, I change my after work plans and drive all the way to a Sprint store after work. I first ask the store manager if he could check the iPhone to see what I was speaking of and exchange it for another one and he said, “That can only be done at a corporate Sprint store. We’re not a Corporate store”. I began thinking, “could this experience that I thought would be quick and easy, get any worse?” Yes!
Anyhow, the store manager and employees were friendly and also assured me they could get the Nokia registered and activated to my account. The store manager said that he first had to put a new SIM card inside it, in order for it to work on Sprint’s network. After being in the store for almost one hour, one of the representatives came and said, “we can’t get it registered”… “the system won’t accept the IMEI number”.
Then he asks if I want to purchase another phone from Sprint. Really!? As if I just have the extra money lying around to purchase another phone. He said I could use EasyPay to pay for it. Really, again!? Even if it the bill would be in installments, using EasyPay, it is still an unexpected out of pocket expense that I wouldn’t have to pay over time.
Had I been told the truth and facts up front before even signing back up for an account with Sprint, I could have avoided all this OR at least been able to make an informed decision.
After leaving that Sprint store disappointed, I decided to drive the 14 more miles to go to the nearest Sprint Corporate store to see if they would exchange the phone. Guess what, again!? When I walked in the door and explained why I came there, the representative states, “Sorry, our tech dept. closed at 7pm. Come back in the morning”.
I work tomorrow and have plans after work. I don’t have time for this! I was outdone.
So now, my nephew’s phone is still on the Cricket network and mine is on Sprint which means I currently have two separate bills. Just the opposite outcome of what I expected because the two separate bills combined is even a higher price than when I just had Cricket service for both phones! What a nightmare. Sprint customer service still hasn’t improved.
This situation should be a complaint filed with the FCC, however, I'd rather give Sprint corporate an opportunity to straighten this out first. ASAP please.
