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Re: Retention and Sprint's new plan
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| Jar-Jar Binks 2008-03-04, 4:33 am |
| Alan,
Don't forget that when you get a Sprint Phone, you will still also have
Verizon on the same phone. If you want to use the Verizon Netowrk on your
Sprint Phone, all that you have to do is go into the" "Roaming Menu" on your
Sprint Digital Phone and select "Roaming Only" mode. Your phone will then
use the Verizon network and it is included in the price that you pay. Your
phone will stay in roaming mode until you go into the menu and set it back
to either "Sprint Only" mode or "Automatic Roaming" mode. It is really the
best deal that you can get. I have my choice of using Sprint or Verizon on
my Sprint Phone and therefore I am never without coverage. It is really the
best of both worlds for a really great price. The deal cannot be beat! All
that you can eat for $99. Wow, that is really kool!
Jar-Jar
"Alan Marryat" < letsgohokies@hotmail
.com> wrote in message
news:8sZyj.13924$ES.11716@trnddc05...
> Yes, both offer unlimited voice. But for $99, Verizon offers voice only.
> I have a Blackberry 8830. In order to get what Sprint is offering for
> $99, I would have to pay $150 to Verizon. I would pay a little more, but
> not 50% more.
>
> "Diamond Dave" <dmine45.NOSPAM@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:4sghs39vc3ildj1
jah12u3k5ao3ot933o3@
4ax.com...
>
>
| |
| Bill T 2008-03-04, 4:33 am |
| Jar-Jar Binks wrote:
> Alan,
>
> Don't forget that when you get a Sprint Phone, you will still also have
> Verizon on the same phone. If you want to use the Verizon Netowrk on your
> Sprint Phone, all that you have to do is go into the" "Roaming Menu" on your
> Sprint Digital Phone and select "Roaming Only" mode. Your phone will then
> use the Verizon network and it is included in the price that you pay. Your
> phone will stay in roaming mode until you go into the menu and set it back
> to either "Sprint Only" mode or "Automatic Roaming" mode. It is really the
> best deal that you can get. I have my choice of using Sprint or Verizon on
> my Sprint Phone and therefore I am never without coverage. It is really the
> best of both worlds for a really great price. The deal cannot be beat! All
> that you can eat for $99. Wow, that is really kool!
>
I have stuck with Sprint for 10 years now, and currently have one phone
and one data card on its network. I think the price is OK, the EVDO
coverage is great, and I love the Verizon "freebie". Yeah, customer
service sucks, but it is comparable to other out-sourced,
script-reading, English-as-a-second-or-third-language phone contacts in
most companies.
One trick is to threaten to quit (and mean it). You get transferred to
a "Customer Retention" rep who speaks perfect idiomatic English,
converses soothingly, has good people skills, and can actually make
independent decisions.
Doesn't always work. I recently got pissed off at the Bank of America
and wanted to drop my all accounts - including a heavily used,
high-limit credit card. They cheerfully said fine, and transferred me
to their cancellation unit.
| |
| Thomas T. Veldhouse 2008-03-04, 10:33 am |
| In alt.cellular.sprintpcs Jar-Jar Binks <jarjar@nospam.com> wrote:
> Alan,
>
> Don't forget that when you get a Sprint Phone, you will still also have
> Verizon on the same phone. If you want to use the Verizon Netowrk on your
> Sprint Phone, all that you have to do is go into the" "Roaming Menu" on your
> Sprint Digital Phone and select "Roaming Only" mode. Your phone will then
> use the Verizon network and it is included in the price that you pay. Your
> phone will stay in roaming mode until you go into the menu and set it back
> to either "Sprint Only" mode or "Automatic Roaming" mode. It is really the
> best deal that you can get. I have my choice of using Sprint or Verizon on
> my Sprint Phone and therefore I am never without coverage. It is really the
> best of both worlds for a really great price. The deal cannot be beat! All
> that you can eat for $99. Wow, that is really kool!
>
Unless Sprint has changed much since I used their "roaming" plan, they don't
allow more than 50% of the used minutes to be roaming from month to month and
if it is found to be the case, they have the option to cancel the free
roaming [at their descretion]. So, if you leave your phone in "Roam Always",
you will trip up on this issue very quick. I work with a guy that uses Sprint
and where I am currently working, Sprint barely works at all, so he puts his
phone in roaming mode. He has forgotten to switch back a few times [usually
he figures it out when voicemail or other features don't work as expected],
but he did get a notice from Sprint, which he called and protested. To my
knowledge, they haven't given him any more trouble on the issue.
--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
In the land of the dark the Ship of the Sun is driven by the Grateful Dead.
-- Egyptian Book of the Dead
| |
| George 2008-03-04, 12:33 pm |
| Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
> In alt.cellular.sprintpcs Jar-Jar Binks <jarjar@nospam.com> wrote:
>
> Unless Sprint has changed much since I used their "roaming" plan, they don't
> allow more than 50% of the used minutes to be roaming from month to month and
> if it is found to be the case, they have the option to cancel the free
> roaming [at their descretion]. So, if you leave your phone in "Roam Always",
> you will trip up on this issue very quick. I work with a guy that uses Sprint
> and where I am currently working, Sprint barely works at all, so he puts his
> phone in roaming mode. He has forgotten to switch back a few times [usually
> he figures it out when voicemail or other features don't work as expected],
> but he did get a notice from Sprint, which he called and protested. To my
> knowledge, they haven't given him any more trouble on the issue.
>
I know a few people who tried Sprint and gave up for that reason. Lets
just say Sprint has much less than optimum signal in my local nad nearby
markets (to be fair tmobile is similar). They bought the phones and
Sprint canceled their roaming as you described.
If you go to the local mall the person in the Sprint both is sitting
there daydreaming and the three people at the VZW booth are always busy.
| |
|
| George wrote:
> I know a few people who tried Sprint and gave up for that reason. Lets
> just say Sprint has much less than optimum signal in my local nad nearby
> markets (to be fair tmobile is similar). They bought the phones and
> Sprint canceled their roaming as you described.
>
> If you go to the local mall the person in the Sprint both is sitting
> there daydreaming and the three people at the VZW booth are always busy.
AT&T has also been extremely strict about excessive roaming.
Sprint is tempting, due to their low SERO pricing, early off-peak start
time, etc., but in much of California you'd end up roaming so much that
it wouldn't work if Sprint is serious about preventing too much roaming.
| |
| Jar-Jar Binks 2008-03-04, 10:33 pm |
| > Sprint is tempting, due to their low SERO pricing, early off-peak start
> time, etc., but in much of California you'd end up roaming so much that it
> wouldn't work if Sprint is serious about preventing too much roaming.
If you are located in Southern California, then Sprint's network is as good
as Verizon's network. I don't have experience in NoCal, but have heard that
the Verizon network is much better. Nevertheless, if you get the Sprint
unlimited plan for $99, they will not terminate you for excessive roaming.
The all you can eat plan includes all the roaming that you want. It also
included all of their services and Telenav navigation. It really isn't a bad
deal.
Jar-Jar
| |
| George 2008-03-04, 10:33 pm |
| SMS wrote:
> George wrote:
>
>
> AT&T has also been extremely strict about excessive roaming.
>
> Sprint is tempting, due to their low SERO pricing, early off-peak start
> time, etc., but in much of California you'd end up roaming so much that
> it wouldn't work if Sprint is serious about preventing too much roaming.
I know someone who did that last year and they cut him off because of
the huge amount of roaming. I don't know where people are who proclaim
Sprint is great but it likely isn't the NE where I am.
The other consideration is free M2M. I think at least 95% of the people
I call have VZW so my billable minute usage has gone way down.
| |
| Jack Hamilton 2008-03-04, 10:33 pm |
| "Jar-Jar Binks" <jarjar@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>
>If you are located in Southern California, then Sprint's network is as good
>as Verizon's network. I don't have experience in NoCal, but have heard that
>the Verizon network is much better.
I'd say they're comparable but not identical. My Verizon phone often
dropped calls on I-80 outside Davis, and Sprint doesn't. On the other
hand, Verizon might have been better on parts of 99. I spend more
time on 80 than on 99, so Sprint wins in this particular comparison.
I don't spend much time in the boonies, so I don't know how they
compare in more rural areas.
| |
| Alan Marryat 2008-03-05, 7:33 am |
|
"George" <george@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:H9qdne1cTOoIelD
anZ2dnUVZ_vSdnZ2d@co
mcast.com...
> SMS wrote:
[color=darkred]
> I know someone who did that last year and they cut him off because of the
> huge amount of roaming. I don't know where people are who proclaim Sprint
> is great but it likely isn't the NE where I am.
>
> The other consideration is free M2M. I think at least 95% of the people I
> call have VZW so my billable minute usage has gone way down.
Same here, in the NE and 95% of the mobile users I speak with are on VZW.
It would be nice to be able to call landlines though. And have included
text messages; even though I have a Blackberry, I still send and receive TXT
messages to phones.
| |
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| Alan Marryat wrote:
> "George" <george@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
> news:H9qdne1cTOoIelD
anZ2dnUVZ_vSdnZ2d@co
mcast.com...
>
>
> Same here, in the NE and 95% of the mobile users I speak with are on VZW.
> It would be nice to be able to call landlines though. And have included
> text messages; even though I have a Blackberry, I still send and receive TXT
> messages to phones.
Yes, M2M is a big deal for me. Remember, Verizon has the most retail
customers of any carrier, and those are the only ones with M2M. AT&T may
have a lot of MVNOs using its network, but these users don't get M2M
included. It's especially an issue out west, where Verizon has an
overwhelming lead in subscribers. I don't know a single person with
Sprint anymore. It just doesn't work well in most of California once you
get outside the city. Look at how poorly they rate in the Consumer
Reports survey, including for Northern and Southern California.
However if you can force roaming onto Verizon, and there is no penalty
for too much roaming, Sprint can be a good deal. If you pair Sprint's
$30 SERO plan with Sprint to Home and a service such as Voicestick, you
essentially can get unlimited calling for around $52.
| |
| Michael Stroh 2008-03-05, 3:33 pm |
| > If you want to use the Verizon Netowrk on your Sprint Phone, all that
> you have to do is go into the" "Roaming Menu" on your Sprint Digital
> Phone and select "Roaming Only" mode. Your phone will then use the
> Verizon network and it is included in the price that you pay. Your
> phone will stay in roaming mode until you go into the menu and set it
> back to either "Sprint Only" mode or "Automatic Roaming" mode.
If you put the phone in "Automatic Roaming" mode does it automatically
switch to Verizon if Sprint is not available or poor quality?
I am contemplating making the switch to take advantage of the lower cost
for data and family coverage.
Michael
| |
| Dennis Ferguson 2008-03-05, 10:33 pm |
| On 2008-03-05, Michael Stroh <stroh@nospam.cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>
>
> If you put the phone in "Automatic Roaming" mode does it automatically
> switch to Verizon if Sprint is not available or poor quality?
It will when Sprint is not available, but it probably won't when
it can hear a Sprint tower but the tower is too far away to be useful.
I've never had a CDMA phone which did this well; even with that manual
setting the Sprint phones will probably do badly when trying to chose
between a priority 2 and and priority 3 roaming partner in the PRL.
In my experience GSM phones are just as bad for this, in fact, but at
least they have full manual network selection menus (unless they're running
AT&T software). CDMA carriers are such control freaks.
Dennis Ferguson
| |
| Jar-Jar Binks 2008-03-05, 10:33 pm |
|
> If you put the phone in "Automatic Roaming" mode does it automatically
> switch to Verizon if Sprint is not available or poor quality?
>
> I am contemplating making the switch to take advantage of the lower cost
> for data and family coverage.
>
> Michael
Michael,
If you put the phone in the "Automatic Roaming" mode it will not make the
switch if the Sprint Signal quality is poor. This is true for all of the
cellular providers. They want you to use their signal even if you are
dropping calls and have poor voice quality as a result of low signal. Sprint
gives you the option of "forcing" your phone to the roaming carrier by
setting the digital Sprint Phone to "Roaming Only" mode. This forces the
phone to use the roaming carrier even if you are standing right under a
Sprint tower. It is a really great feature and no other cell phone service
provider offers this feature. Technically savvy folks don't have a problem
dealing with this switching to the roaming carrier. I am in the computer
software business (professional geek) and quite a lot of the folks that I
workd
Keep in mind that Sprint is not for everyone. Verizon actually has the best
implemented network, however there are areas when Sprint or another carrier
may even perform better because no single carrier is "the best" in all
areas. I have experienced this firsthand because I was also a Verizon
customer. I hope that answers your question.
Jar-Jar
| |
| The Bob 2008-03-05, 10:33 pm |
| Michael Stroh <stroh@nospam.cfl.rr.com> amazed us all with the following in
news:47cf01d7$0$6474
$4c368faf@roadrunner
.com:
>
>
> If you put the phone in "Automatic Roaming" mode does it automatically
> switch to Verizon if Sprint is not available or poor quality?
Not available- yes.
Poor quality- no. It will always hang on the Sprint signal.
>
> I am contemplating making the switch to take advantage of the lower cost
> for data and family coverage.
>
> Michael
>
| |
| Jerome Zelinske 2008-03-06, 10:33 am |
| If you set your phone into "Automatic Roaming" or "Digital only"
or "Roaming only" it will automatically switch to another carrier,
should one be available and on the prl, but not necessarily verizon.
For example, for a large portion of Wisc., central, southern, and
eastern, there are almost no areas that do not have a Sprint PCS signal,
but do have a verizon signal. If your phone is dual-band, the most
likely roaming carrier would be uscellular or altell. Not all phones
have "Roaming only". My phone has "Sprint" and "Automatic".
| |
| William H. Bowen 2008-03-06, 10:33 am |
| Jack Hamilton <jfh@acm.org> wrote:
>"Jar-Jar Binks" <jarjar@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>
>I'd say they're comparable but not identical. My Verizon phone often
>dropped calls on I-80 outside Davis, and Sprint doesn't.
The reason that happens is that area is the dividing line between the
Verizon Bay Area and Sacramento systems (on I-80 that line is approx.
at SR113 between Davis and Woodland). It is interesting that in the
digital age VZ doesn't have seamless handoff between the 2 systems.
In my own experience, within the City of San Francisco Verizon has
better coverage (but some dead areas). Numerous reasons why.
> On the other hand, Verizon might have been better on parts of 99. I spend more
>time on 80 than on 99, so Sprint wins in this particular comparison.
In Sacramento coverage is darnn near identical, with the exception
that Sprint has issues with voice coverage in Elk Grove if you get off
Elk Grove Blvd. (what is really weird is EVDO data coverage is rock
solid in that area) and in some parts of South Natomas, and, as Jack
mentioned, some spotty coverage south of Sac on SR99.
>I don't spend much time in the boonies, so I don't know how they
>compare in more rural areas.
Only thing I can add to that is going out SR50 towards Eldorado County
I've had no issues with Sprint, nor with coverage on I-80 east of
Sacramento out as far as Applegate.
Regards,
Bill Bowen
Sacramento, CA
| |
| William H. Bowen 2008-03-06, 12:33 pm |
| Michael Stroh <stroh@nospam.cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>I am contemplating making the switch to take advantage of the lower cost
>for data and family coverage.
>
Michael,
Take a look at the Sprint coverage maps before you switch. In a lot
of areas the data and voice coverage footprints are NOT the same
(especially EVDO data coverage).
Regards,
Bill Bowen
Sacramento, CA
| |
|
| William H. Bowen wrote:
> Take a look at the Sprint coverage maps before you switch. In a lot
> of areas the data and voice coverage footprints are NOT the same
> (especially EVDO data coverage).
Even by looking at the coverage maps, its hard to tell. I was using
my Sprint aircard in an area they showed only roaming coverage (on
US Cellular CDMA).
| |
| Jar-Jar Binks 2008-03-07, 4:33 am |
| That is because either you have an older phone, or you have a phone that
supports analog mode.
"Jerome Zelinske" <zelinskej@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:LYSzj.12775$5K1.12442@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net...
> If you set your phone into "Automatic Roaming" or "Digital only" or
> "Roaming only" it will automatically switch to another carrier, should one
> be available and on the prl, but not necessarily verizon. For example, for
> a large portion of Wisc., central, southern, and eastern, there are almost
> no areas that do not have a Sprint PCS signal, but do have a verizon
> signal. If your phone is dual-band, the most likely roaming carrier would
> be uscellular or altell. Not all phones have "Roaming only". My phone
> has "Sprint" and "Automatic".
| |
| The Bob 2008-03-07, 10:33 pm |
| "Jar-Jar Binks" <jarjar@nospam.com> amazed us all with the following in
news:Th7Aj.5006$GW5.3261@newsfe12.phx:
> That is because either you have an older phone, or you have a phone
> that supports analog mode.
>
>
> "Jerome Zelinske" <zelinskej@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:LYSzj.12775$5K1.12442@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net...
>
>
>
And for the record:
"Sprint may terminate service if (1) more than 800 minutes, (2) a majority
of minutes or (3) a majority of data kilobytes in a given month are used
while roaming."
Form the T&C of the Simply Everything plan. They will shut you down for
excessive roaming, no matter what you heard from a rep.
| |
| Jar-Jar Binks 2008-03-07, 10:33 pm |
|
> And for the record:
>
> "Sprint may terminate service if (1) more than 800 minutes, (2) a majority
> of minutes or (3) a majority of data kilobytes in a given month are used
> while roaming."
>
>
> Form the T&C of the Simply Everything plan. They will shut you down for
> excessive roaming, no matter what you heard from a rep.
Only partially correct. If you have the unlimited plan, this doesn't apply.
Please get your facts straingt before hitting "SEND".
Regards,
Jar-jar
| |
| The Bob 2008-03-07, 10:33 pm |
| "Jar-Jar Binks" <jarjar@nospam.com> amazed us all with the following in
news:sOmAj.5029$GW5.291@newsfe12.phx:
>
>
> Only partially correct. If you have the unlimited plan, this doesn't
> apply. Please get your facts straingt before hitting "SEND".
>
> Regards,
>
> Jar-jar
>
>
>
I got that from the Unlimited plan, fanboi. Please get your facts straight
before calling someone else out.
| |
| Jar-Jar Binks 2008-03-07, 10:33 pm |
|
>
> I got that from the Unlimited plan, fanboi. Please get your facts
> straight
> before calling someone else out.
Again you are incorrect. Call executive services or the retentions
department at Sprint to get the true story. Don't hit "SEND" until you do.
:-)
| |
| The Bob 2008-03-07, 10:33 pm |
| "Jar-Jar Binks" <jarjar@nospam.com> amazed us all with the following in
news:6GnAj.11773$CD7.8375@newsfe11.phx:
>
>
> Again you are incorrect. Call executive services or the retentions
> department at Sprint to get the true story. Don't hit "SEND" until you
> do.
>:-)
>
>
>
So, you are saying that the written terms and conditions for the unlimited
plan are wrong?
| |
| Steve Sobol 2008-03-07, 10:33 pm |
| On 2008-03-08, Jar-Jar Binks <jarjar@nospam.com> wrote:
> Again you are incorrect. Call executive services or the retentions
> department at Sprint to get the true story. Don't hit "SEND" until you do.
Legally, written agreements always hold more weight than verbal agreements,
so I'd believe the contract before I'd believe what an Executive Services or
retention employee says.
--
Steve Sobol, Victorville, CA PGP:0xE3AE35ED www.SteveSobol.com
Geek-for-hire. Details: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesobol
| |
| The Bob 2008-03-07, 10:33 pm |
| Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net> amazed us all with the following in
news:slrnft44fh.jc0.sjsobol@amethyst.justthe.net:
> On 2008-03-08, Jar-Jar Binks <jarjar@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>
> Legally, written agreements always hold more weight than verbal
> agreements, so I'd believe the contract before I'd believe what an
> Executive Services or retention employee says.
>
>
Exactly.
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