Goodbye Sprint - It's been a mostly great 8 years...

**The Hustleman** · 06-19-2012, 01:10 PM

Well after 8 years with sprint my contract is up, [3g] speeds are down, and I'm leaving for the following reasons

1. Service went downhill QUICKLY!
I used to get decent mobile speeds, very seldom had a dropped call, call clarity was excellent. Now none of that. Speeds are super slow - just a week ago, on 3G it took FIVE MINUTES to load facebook and about a minute and a half to load XDA developers on TAPATALK! Then I've been experiencing a lot of dropped calls. Sometimes I won't even be on the phone longer than 1 minute and my call will drop. I've told people this would happen when the iphone came to sprint - lo and behold, I was absolutely right. I have a few friends who are also upset with sprint for changing up on them, but they're still under contract.

2. Charging miscellaneous fees I never agreed to/changing amounts
I signed up for TEP, had it as long as I've been with them (or as long as it was offered, never can be too safe) and it was 7 bucks a month, now it's 8. Then there was the "spending limit fee" which wasn't charged when I signed my last contract, but now they're hitting me for 5 bucks extra per month, then the regulatory charges, taxes, and all that other stuff. Let's put it like this - how can my bill come to 82 dollars and some change per month when my plan is 79.99, plus 7 dollars (well 8) for TEP minus a 25% discount from an old employer?If anything, it should be less than 79.99!

3. Blatant LIES
We were told "4G wouldn't be an extra charge!" By Dan Hesse, but when it came out all 4G phones were subject to the 10 dollar "premium data fee" um, WTF is premium data when you already have unlimited? They hit us with some crab about "the premium data is the lobster and shrimp at the buffet" So since they were exposed about their blatant lie (I wouldn't have had a problem with a 10 dollar 4G fee AT ALL!) they then suddenly changed it to ANY smartphone - 3G or 4G is subject to the fee.

4. Bait and Switch
When I signed up for my EVO and extended my contract I specifically asked if I would be able to upgrade next year, I was informed that YES, I am a sprint premier customer and I will in fact be able to upgrade at the retail price a year later. Next year (last year) rolls around, I wanted the EVO 3D, but they CHANGED the premier customer program. NOW I had to be a customer with a 90 dollar base plan OR have been there for 10 years. April 1st, 2011 is when they changed it and the phone didn't release until June, 24th. So now I'm cheated out of my upgrade and I was expecting to be able to upgrade to the next best thing - but that was shot down. I took it, let it go. Wasn't happy - never will be, but I let it go.

5. 4G
While it's very fast, it's also very spotty. If i'm in my bedroom, I get 4g. If I go to the bathroom (which is on the other side of the room) no 4g.

If I go in the kitchen, i get it by the fridge and the stove, but NOT by the sink and the dishwasher. I can be on one side of the street and get 2 bars of 4g, cross the street and it reverts to 3g. Some places just have ZERO 4g. It's too unpredictable and it BARELY ever works indoors.

I will say, all isn't bad about sprint. I love the following

1. any mobile any time - great idea, more carriers should follow suit
2. UNLIMITED 3g/4g data - the other carriers are going in the WRONG DIRECTION with this! The 4G is plenty fast, I average around 3-4MB down, 1.1 up, and I've gotten as much down as 13Mbps down still with 1.2 up.
3. Cheapest plans available

I've began using wifi more and more (at work, at mcdonalds, at the chinese restaurant, at home) and last month since I've been doing that, I've cut my data usage to UNDER A GIG! For a reference point, my data at one point was over 20 gigs a month. So that is HUGE to me.

My wife and I have discussed this and we are going with a family plan with T-mobile. A relative let us borrow their t-mobile smartphone and we went everywhere with it, it was FAST, no dropped calls, coverage was much improved, so we're going to t-mobile and getting a family plan with 2 lines for 129.99

Sprint, it's been a GREAT ride except at the end, but it's time to pick up the Galaxy S3 on T-mobile!

Get your LTE up and I WILL be back next year if things don't work out!

**Mercury81** · 06-19-2012, 01:24 PM

I'm curious will that be an unlimited plan your signing up for?

from Evo4GLTE on Android Central

**The Hustleman** · 06-19-2012, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by Mercury81

I'm curious will that be an unlimited plan your signing up for?

from Evo4GLTE on Android Central

kinda.

first 2 gigs at high speed, the rest is throttled.

**ajonesma** · 06-19-2012, 01:54 PM

T-mobile is unlimited but it's throttled. The 2GB plan includes 2GB of high speed data and edge speeds after that. The good thing is no overage charges with T-Mobile.

**briankeene** · 06-19-2012, 07:47 PM

I priced Verizon on their new plan. For 2 smartphones with 6 gb data and unlimited talk and text for $140. That's with 15% off data with work discount. If they had the sg3 today I would do it. My wife would get a better phone with the droid4 slider.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

**The Hustleman** · 06-20-2012, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by briankeene

I priced Verizon on their new plan. For 2 smartphones with 6 gb data and unlimited talk and text for $140. That's with 15% off data with work discount. If they had the sg3 today I would do it. My wife would get a better phone with the droid4 slider.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

What percentage is your work discount?

Not bad for verizon

*swyped from the evo so excuse any typos*

**The Hustleman** · 06-20-2012, 10:49 AM

I've reconsidered.

T mobile is overcharging for the phone and I didn't budget the extra

*swyped from the evo so excuse any typos*

**Seditec** · 06-20-2012, 10:54 AM

Not to be a **** or anything but doesnt sprint throtle your speed once they think you have used exesive data my monthly data ussage is around 70gbs and it allways seems slower after 20gbs

Sent from my LS670 using Android Central Forums

**rawvega** · 06-20-2012, 11:47 AM

They throttled you after 20 gigs? And you still managed to use up another 50 gigs? Those bastards!

Sent from my PG86100 using Android Central Forums

**xXBLACKBERRYXx5** · 06-20-2012, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by The Hustleman

Well after 8 years with sprint my contract is up, [3g] speeds are down, and I'm leaving for the following reasons

1. Service went downhill QUICKLY!
I used to get decent mobile speeds, very seldom had a dropped call, call clarity was excellent. Now none of that. Speeds are super slow - just a week ago, on 3G it took FIVE MINUTES to load facebook and about a minute and a half to load XDA developers on TAPATALK! Then I've been experiencing a lot of dropped calls. Sometimes I won't even be on the phone longer than 1 minute and my call will drop. I've told people this would happen when the iphone came to sprint - lo and behold, I was absolutely right. I have a few friends who are also upset with sprint for changing up on them, but they're still under contract.

2. Charging miscellaneous fees I never agreed to/changing amounts
I signed up for TEP, had it as long as I've been with them (or as long as it was offered, never can be too safe) and it was 7 bucks a month, now it's 8. Then there was the "spending limit fee" which wasn't charged when I signed my last contract, but now they're hitting me for 5 bucks extra per month, then the regulatory charges, taxes, and all that other stuff. Let's put it like this - how can my bill come to 82 dollars and some change per month when my plan is 79.99, plus 7 dollars (well 8) for TEP minus a 25% discount from an old employer?If anything, it should be less than 79.99!

3. Blatant LIES
We were told "4G wouldn't be an extra charge!" By Dan Hesse, but when it came out all 4G phones were subject to the 10 dollar "premium data fee" um, WTF is premium data when you already have unlimited? They hit us with some crab about "the premium data is the lobster and shrimp at the buffet" So since they were exposed about their blatant lie (I wouldn't have had a problem with a 10 dollar 4G fee AT ALL!) they then suddenly changed it to ANY smartphone - 3G or 4G is subject to the fee.

4. Bait and Switch
When I signed up for my EVO and extended my contract I specifically asked if I would be able to upgrade next year, I was informed that YES, I am a sprint premier customer and I will in fact be able to upgrade at the retail price a year later. Next year (last year) rolls around, I wanted the EVO 3D, but they CHANGED the premier customer program. NOW I had to be a customer with a 90 dollar base plan OR have been there for 10 years. April 1st, 2011 is when they changed it and the phone didn't release until June, 24th. So now I'm cheated out of my upgrade and I was expecting to be able to upgrade to the next best thing - but that was shot down. I took it, let it go. Wasn't happy - never will be, but I let it go.

5. 4G
While it's very fast, it's also very spotty. If i'm in my bedroom, I get 4g. If I go to the bathroom (which is on the other side of the room) no 4g.

If I go in the kitchen, i get it by the fridge and the stove, but NOT by the sink and the dishwasher. I can be on one side of the street and get 2 bars of 4g, cross the street and it reverts to 3g. Some places just have ZERO 4g. It's too unpredictable and it BARELY ever works indoors.

I will say, all isn't bad about sprint. I love the following

1. any mobile any time - great idea, more carriers should follow suit
2. UNLIMITED 3g/4g data - the other carriers are going in the WRONG DIRECTION with this! The 4G is plenty fast, I average around 3-4MB down, 1.1 up, and I've gotten as much down as 13Mbps down still with 1.2 up.
3. Cheapest plans available

I've began using wifi more and more (at work, at mcdonalds, at the chinese restaurant, at home) and last month since I've been doing that, I've cut my data usage to UNDER A GIG! For a reference point, my data at one point was over 20 gigs a month. So that is HUGE to me.

My wife and I have discussed this and we are going with a family plan with T-mobile. A relative let us borrow their t-mobile smartphone and we went everywhere with it, it was FAST, no dropped calls, coverage was much improved, so we're going to t-mobile and getting a family plan with 2 lines for 129.99

Sprint, it's been a GREAT ride except at the end, but it's time to pick up the Galaxy S3 on T-mobile!

Get your LTE up and I WILL be back next year if things don't work out!

I use to work at a sprint call center. The $10 premium data fee is for any smartphone not just 4G. If you didn't experience it on a previous smartphone its because it was grandfathered in.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

**bnceo** · 06-20-2012, 12:22 PM

Lot of the reasons stated are why I left. Quality of data was lacking and I saw the writing on the wall when they started penny pinching all willy nilly. Most members of this forum are power users and Sprint is not a carrier for those people. Sprint is for value customers who like smartphones and don't need constant data and like the peace of mind of unlimited (however long it lasts).

**The Hustleman** · 06-20-2012, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by robertelkins

I use to work at a sprint call center. The $10 premium data fee is for any smartphone not just 4G. If you didn't experience it on a previous smartphone its because it was grandfathered in.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

That's the point I was making when they originally came up with that fee it was ONLY for 4g phones! No other phone was subject to that fee.
It was only after people complained en masse that they began to apply it to ALL smartphones activated after a certain date.

*swyped from the evo so excuse any typos*

**everyday17** · 06-20-2012, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by Seditec

Not to be a **** or anything but doesnt sprint throtle your speed once they think you have used exesive data my monthly data ussage is around 70gbs and it allways seems slower after 20gbs

Sent from my LS670 using Android Central Forums

Not to be a **** but you deserve to be throttled.

**The Hustleman** · 06-20-2012, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by everyday17

Not to be a **** but you deserve to be throttled.

Why does he deserve it?

*swyped from the evo so excuse any typos*

**Seditec** · 06-21-2012, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by The Hustleman

Why does he deserve it?

*swyped from the evo so excuse any typos*

Because I use my phone to download a full 32gb sdcard worth of at least every month

Sent from my LS670

**Linkchomp** · 06-21-2012, 01:19 PM

That's too much data even for someone on unlmtd data. Get on a computer and stop abusing cellular bandwidth.

**ajk511** · 06-22-2012, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Seditec

Not to be a **** or anything but doesnt sprint throtle your speed once they think you have used exesive data my monthly data ussage is around 70gbs and it allways seems slower after 20gbs

Sent from my LS670 using Android Central Forums

I find those numbers hard to believe. What are you doing to hit 70 gigs a month? Proof?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

**cgardnervt** · 06-22-2012, 01:42 PM

I also left Sprint too...Why should we pay them a $10 premium fee when the data is hardly useable? I was hoping they would fix their network and I waitied out a 2nd 2 year term and they never did. So off to ATT I went. If your in a good area that awesome! But sadly for many of their customers this is not the case. And for what they charge per month you see little no upgrades in most areas. Even when the plan was to roll out WiMax...

Just saying. I like their prices but the network is nothing more than a giant dial-up network at the moment. Maybe and I hope their LTE gets better. But it doesnt help the people with their 3G network. ATT did it right. HSPA+ for 3G then LTE roll out after. HSPA+ I get 5-7 megs down a lone. So when I do see LTE I will be blazing fast I am sure!

**xXBLACKBERRYXx5** · 06-22-2012, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by cgardner

I also left Sprint too...Why should we pay them a $10 premium fee when the data is hardly useable? I was hoping they would fix their network and I waitied out a 2nd 2 year term and they never did. So off to ATT I went. If your in a good area that awesome! But sadly for many of their customers this is not the case. And for what they charge per month you see little no upgrades in most areas. Even when the plan was to roll out WiMax...

Just saying. I like their prices but the network is nothing more than a giant dial-up network at the moment. Maybe and I hope their LTE gets better. But it doesnt help the people with their 3G network. ATT did it right. HSPA+ for 3G then LTE roll out after. HSPA+ I get 5-7 megs down a lone. So when I do see LTE I will be blazing fast I am sure!

Yeah att did it right

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

**The Hustleman** · 03-09-2013, 08:30 PM

I ended up going with T-Mobile and I'm miserable.

Network is fast but calls drop like crazy!

sent from the best smart phone (not phablet) on the worst network- the Galaxy S3 unfortunately on T-Mobile

**Almeuit** · 03-09-2013, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by The Hustleman

I ended up going with T-Mobile and I'm miserable.

Network is fast but calls drop like crazy!

sent from the best smart phone (not phablet) on the worst network- the Galaxy S3 unfortunately on T-Mobile

That sounds awful. I've been holding out. I've been seeing LTE more and more as I drive around Jacksonville so.. Soon it will be just the norm to have LTE. Also in some areas I've noticed 3g getting better.

A example would be I'm on 3g right now downloading music off of Google Music but still browsing AC and my apps with no issues .

Sent from my Sprint S3 using AC forums.

**Almeuit** · 03-09-2013, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by cgardnervt

I also left Sprint too...Why should we pay them a $10 premium fee when the data is hardly useable? I was hoping they would fix their network and I waitied out a 2nd 2 year term and they never did. So off to ATT I went. If your in a good area that awesome! But sadly for many of their customers this is not the case. And for what they charge per month you see little no upgrades in most areas. Even when the plan was to roll out WiMax...

Just saying. I like their prices but the network is nothing more than a giant dial-up network at the moment. Maybe and I hope their LTE gets better. But it doesnt help the people with their 3G network. ATT did it right. HSPA+ for 3G then LTE roll out after. HSPA+ I get 5-7 megs down a lone. So when I do see LTE I will be blazing fast I am sure!

Originally Posted by robertelkins

Yeah att did it right

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

My how things have changed in a few months.. Data is usable for me and LTE is popping up around town

. I just couldn't survive without overage fees. I get to bored at work and I am a streamoholic usually lol.

Sent from my Sprint S3 using AC forums.

**yankeesusa** · 03-09-2013, 09:10 PM

Dropped calls is one problem I never had with Sprint. Data speed is only issue. I was thinking of switching to tmo but I've seen many complaints regarding dropped calls and I can't have that. Luckily Sprint has been improving little by little in my area and I've hit 4g several times in my town and in several towns ive visited. I even got 4g in Disney world which is awesome. Can't wait for it to keep improving. In the end I will try tmo if nothing improves within next 3-4 months. I guess we'll see

Sent from the Beast that is Galaxy Note 2

**The Hustleman** · 03-09-2013, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by yankeesusa

Dropped calls is one problem I never had with Sprint. Data speed is only issue. I was thinking of switching to tmo but I've seen many complaints regarding dropped calls and I can't have that. Luckily Sprint has been improving little by little in my area and I've hit 4g several times in my town and in several towns ive visited. I even got 4g in Disney world which is awesome. Can't wait for it to keep improving. In the end I will try tmo if nothing improves within next 3-4 months. I guess we'll see

Sent from the Beast that is Galaxy Note 2

Be careful, T-Mobile will come with perfect reception the first 14 days then suddenly it will drop

sent from the best smart phone (not phablet) on the worst network- the Galaxy S3 unfortunately on T-Mobile

**kawana72** · 03-09-2013, 09:48 PM

I left Sprint after being told for the majority of my 2 year contract that 4g (wimax) would be coming to my city next month, the month after, next year, etc... They never could justify, in my eyes at least, the 4g phone charge. If I'm being charged for the privilege of having a 4g phone, shouldn't I at least get 4g coverage? I finally had enough and after my wife's prodding, joined her on Verizon and couldn't be happier with the service. I guess it's just something about not being lied to constantly.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums