I am pretty irritated at the Sprint PCS folks. I want you guys to tell me if I am being ridiculous here (I do want your advice on how to handle this).

I was out at dinner with my mom last night. During an otherwise nice evening out, I got a call on my cell phone from Sprint. They were calling me because they had not yet received payment for their June bill, which was due last Weds (which, by my count, made it 3 business days late). I told him, truthfully, that I mailed out the check a few days ago. Honestly, I don't remember which day, but it went out with my last stack of bills.

The guy on the other end of the phone informs me that:
a) he needs a payment over the phone in order to take me out of their 'system'. If I don't do this, I will receive a call every day from them until they get the check.

b) I need to pay him in order to get taken out of "collections".

c) They cut off service something like 2-3 weeks after a bill is past due.

Since the check was in the mail, I made a credit card payment for this month's bill.

Now, I've had them for a year. I've never paid them late. I really didn't appreciate getting an obnoxious phone call because the mail was slow, or lost, or even if it had been totally my fault and I had misplaced the bill.

Am I being ridiculous here? I realize the bill was a couple days late. It seems to me that they were a bit out of line, and it really left a sour taste in my mouth.

So, I am trying to figure out what to do about this, and I'd love yer advice. Should I just go along, and maybe try to set up some automatic payment system with them so it doesn't happen again? Cancel their service (I am out of the contract, so there is no penalty) and find a better provider (and if so, who do you recommend)? Other thoughts?

Thanks,
Brad
...who values friendly customer service more and more every day...

I wouldn't have paid them. I would have just told them, if you don't get the payment in 5 days, call me. If they called back the next day -- I just would have repeated the above. You are right, what they did was counterproductive.

Let's see a month's cell phone bill is what $20 - $100 (?). Most businesses don't contact until a bill is 30 days late. & even then only by second mailed request. I can understand sending a second request after 10 days but to have a person call after a couple days is both extreme and expensive.

I would consider canceling the phone but that's me & it would depend on the alternatives.

I have never had a phone call from Sprint regarding a late payment, and, yes, I have been late.
I have received a text message on my phone which reads "you have used over 80% of your allowable usage", but never a call.
(I requested a max usage $$ amount on my account for damage control in case anyone gets ahold of the phone - or the elf calls Guatemala while I am in the shower).
But never a phone call. I have also had great CS experiences with them.
Perhaps it's one of our experiences which is the anomaly.
peace & customer service
t

This sounds like a scam to me. I NEVER EVER give CC information over the phone to someone who calls me. I have a SprintPCS phone and they have never ever called me on it. In my opinion I think someone found out your SprintPCS phone number and was trying to scam you out of your credit card number. Have you tried calling *4 and talking to a REAL SprintPCS representative? Have you gone to their web page? You can see your bill on the web page as well (www.sprintpcs.com).

-Matt

So, I am trying to figure out what to do about this, and I'd love yer advice. Should I just go along, and maybe try to set up some automatic payment system with them so it doesn't happen again? Cancel their service (I am out of the contract, so there is no penalty) and find a better provider (and if so, who do you recommend)? Other thoughts?

I'd cancel them. Currently, I use AT&T Digital Wireless, but that's not necessarily an endorsement - my ex set it up and my plan is *insanely* cheap - and not offered anymore. However, they've never made me angry. Alternatively, I use Sprint for my LD (through USAA) because AT&T LD made me angry (I sent the payment, but *they* had a typo, and they (a) wanted to cut me off, (b) nagged me, and (c) wanted to limit me to *prepaying* for the LD I may or may not use.) My credit isn't that bad ::grin::, I'd never previously had an issue with them, and I knew there were other people out there who'd love my business. When I canceled, I told them why (I've been an AT&T customer for 8 years at 3 addresses, and I resent being treated like an unknown quantity - especially when I'd already sent them the money!) I *always* cancel companies who treat me as untrustworthy at my earliest convenience.

Maureen

Sprint PCS and I had "words" over my contract last year. I could not use the phone from my home. It was only until I got about 6 miles down the road when their service would come up. This made it impossible for me to take the benefit of my night/weekend minutes unless I got in the car and drove down the road. I was under the contract penalty so I couldn't cancel.. when I complained the service rep said that cell phone are for use when you are AWAY from home.. not at home. .. I HAVE VERIZON NOW. Works from home fine!

This sounds like a scam to me. I NEVER EVER give CC information over the phone to someone who calls me.

Holy crap! You know, I absolutely never give out info on the phone normally, but I was caught so off guard (I've never received any sort of call like that) on my cell, that I didn't even think about it. They did have my account info (last payment, due date, etc.), so I think they are real, but I will call them this minute to double check.

Thank You!!
Brad

This sounds like a scam to me. I NEVER EVER give CC information over the phone to someone who calls me

I was going to say this same thing. You should contact Sprint right away and confirm that the person you spoke to was really a customer service agent.

They should have been satisfied that you had a check in the mail to them, especially since it was only 3 days late!

How remiss of me!
I posted without giving my opinion on the actual issue.

It is nice to be out of the 'contract' period, so that you can cancel without penalty.
Do you have good reception regardless of which company you use?
(I live in a hilly semirural area and coverage differences here are huge).
If otherwise your service etc has been fine then stick with them- but send an email or letter regarding your experience.
Also- you could pay your bill on line and save the stamp (sprintpcs.com).
peace & cell phones
t

I have also had great CS experiences with them.
Perhaps it's one of our experiences which is the anomaly.


tconi,

my experience with SprintPCS is similar to yours. I've been a customer of their for close to 4 years now, and have had very few problems. I have many friends who are satisfied customers as well. I don't think our experiences are really an anomaly.

d

This sounds like a scam to me.

Ok, I called. It really was them, and they have processed that payment. I should not have given them my card # over the phone, though, and now that you mention it, I am even a little more mad at them for demanding it.

Dump them immediately!

I have Suncom which is part of AT&T. They did call me once after I missed a payment, but they don't call, they send a text message asking me to call their 1-800 number. And it was after the bill was almost a month late, not a few days. And they just asked me to make a payment as soon as possible and wanted to know when they could expect it.

They never threatened to hound me daily about this.

That is harassment and I don't pay people to harass me.

tconi,

my experience with SprintPCS is similar to yours. I've been a customer of their for close to 4 years now, and have had very few problems. I have many friends who are satisfied customers as well. I don't think our experiences are really an anomaly.


I am glad to hear this. The phone actually works great from my house, and I am not eager to go through the hassle of starting a new plan. (Not to mention deal with a new contract... do most providers still work this way?)

So, the current plan is that I will call them, complain, and see if they are at least contrite (and promise not to disturb me again), and let them know that if it does happen again, I will be leaving post-haste.

-Brad

This is a weird story - SprintPCS has never treated me like this when I've been late with the payment. They'd just include the unpaid balance in the next months bill, tack on a penalty (er.. late fee) and that was that. Not even when I was in the depths of overly debt ridden and late with lots of stuff did they bother me about payments.

- David

I would take it a bit further. Since you are so unhappy and distressed by their lack of service, I would contact them in writing and ask for some free wireless time to appease your injured feelings.

Stress that you have always been an upstanding customer and they should certainly "make good" on this unfortunate incident or further action may have to be taken.. ie.. go to another provider.

Give it a shot!

wild :)
always alert for freebies.

This sounds like a scam to me.

I agree. I've seen late payment notices by mail (not for Sprint, but for other things), but have only heard of people being called when it is very late and the customer has been ignoring the mailed notices. Calling the customer is expensive.

Be sure to watch your credit card statements very carefully (if you do not already do so) for unauthorized charges.

gebin

This sounds like a scam to me.

I agree. I've seen late payment notices by mail (not for Sprint, but for other things), but have only heard of people being called when it is very late and the customer has been ignoring the mailed notices. Calling the customer is expensive.

Be sure to watch your credit card statements very carefully (if you do not already do so) for unauthorized charges.

gebin

Oops, should have read the rest of the thread first...

Glad it was legit, but unhappy that it happened in the first place.

gebin

I have Sprint PCS and I neither hate nor love them. I just don't want to lose the phone number. But it does seem that they've gotten worse over time - used to be that they didn't charge late fees and only called if I was about a month late or so. But as I've kept up with changes in policies, I've notices late fees, more random charges, less time in-plan and other things I don't really like (I think they've even started charging for calls that don't fully connect, but I have to double-check that.).

But I've had this number for 2 years and I don't want to lose it now.
And avoiding the garbage gives me incentive to stay within my minutes every month.


-k

I am pretty irritated at the Sprint PCS folks. I want you guys to tell me if I am being ridiculous here (I do want your advice on how to handle this).

Sprint and I are no longer on speaking terms. I'm using Cingular right now, and while I loathe the new "improved" phone they replaced my beloved Nokia 5190 with (it's a 3xxx, TERRIBLE battery life, loaded with weird bugs...BLECH!), their service has been outstanding.

Considering how expensive it is for a cell phone company to recruit you in the first place, I think it entirely appropriate for you to ditch them in favor of a new True Love...there are certainly a lot of plans out there waiting to carry you off on their white horses to the land of eternal, static-free chatter...

Onward!
Tamarian

Brad:

I would set up automatic payment system, but things can go wrong with that as well.

Catleen

Brad:

I would set up automatic payment system, but things can go wrong with that as well.

Catleen

FWIW, I have paid my SprintPCS bill automatically (charged to credit card) for many moons, and have had no problems with it. I signed up at sprintpcs.com.

d

I would ditch any company that had the NERVE to call on your mobile without getting permission to do so. Considering that they are a mobile company they doubly should understand how rude this is. I would have given them a piece of my mind had they called me!

I'd complain about this, and ask if it is their policy to intrude on your privacy in this way. If they indicate that it won't happen again, and you like the service, give them a second chance. It wouldn't hurt if they threw in a credit to your account for your trouble!

If you are looking to switch, I'm happy with the features and airtime offered by Voicestream in my area. Their coverage area seems smaller than others so YMMV.

I think you can pay online as well at PCS.

Whitemat

Other thoughts?

I have mine set up to auto-bill my credit card and haven't had any problems at all. You might think about going with that option.

Cindy

I have received calls on my office phone from Sprint when my bill is late. They have never called me at home nor on the cell phone itself. I did once receive a text message to call them for a bill. I called and explained that the check had been sent. They noted it down and that was it.
I Never - repeat Never give out credit card info to someone who called me. You have no way of knowing who they are.

I have had Sprint for 3 years and have been generally happy. I am considering switching to VoiceStream as they have a family plan to add more phones that is much more inexpensive than Sprint.
Sprint charges $10 per month per phone to share minutes of the main plan. 4 phones means an extra $40 a month.

VoiceStream charges a family plan rate which costs the same for 2 - 4 phones. This rate is $10 higher that the one phone plan.

I can imagine why they would call you at home if the bill was late. Usually, you should get a couple of warnings or overdue notices in the mail first. Why not use autopay/or Web based pay? I autopay/internet-pay everything except for gasoline, groceries and donations that I make to charities. And I don't pay any fee for any of these...Rent, Insurance, Credit Card Snowballs, you name it...