[dfine1966]

You don't think Sprint reads the forums to see if their is any backlash to the new fee they are charging. When most people should be talking about how great the device is and how the EVO has video chat and simultaneous talk and data, they are instead focusing on the $10 fee. Sprint should realize they need to bury this mistake, at least for now, so people can focus everything that is good about the EVO and the new Sprint network.

At least they could only charge the $10 fee for only the 4g areas. When your home area gets 4G, you then will automatically be charged the $10 fee. When you sign up you will be required to authorize for a $10 extra a month charge once 4G is in your area. That is my suggestion.

[6tr6tr]

Want them to backtrack? TWEET them on twitter. If enough people do it, they will remove the fee.

Sprint (sprint) on Twitter @sprint

[Josh K]

Here's my take on the extra $10. The Evo with all its features, is more expensive than most if not all other smartphones out there, and Sprint really couldn't afford to charge only $200 for so they had a choice. Either charge more upfront or do what they did. I'd say they estimated that charging more upfront would cause less people to buy the phone than doing it incrementally. And I'm not so sure they are wrong. There are a lot of people that would hesitate to shell out more money upfront.
That said, I doubt the phone (if they charged what the phone should cost) would be $440 ($200 + 10 a month). I would understand $5 and would gladly pay that.
What do you think?

[Brainerd]

Here's my take on the extra $10. The Evo with all its features, is more expensive than most if not all other smartphones out there, and Sprint really couldn't afford to charge only $200 for so they had a choice. Either charge more upfront or do what they did. I'd say they estimated that charging more upfront would cause less people to buy the phone than doing it incrementally. And I'm not so sure they are wrong. There are a lot of people that would hesitate to shell out more money upfront.
That said, I doubt the phone (if they charged what the phone should cost) would be $440 ($200 + 10 a month). I would understand $5 and would gladly pay that.
What do you think?

We'll see when other 4G phones come onto their network. If they don't charge the $10 for a less feature laden phone, then your theory is correct. My guess, is that they just want to bring in money to pay for the 4G infrastructure investment. Sprint's books have been running in the red for a while. They need to increase revenue with new users and perhaps additional fees for premium services. I'm sure the accountants and marketers were butting heads on this one.

[vikingjunior]

it's amazing how $10 a month can be the difference between success and FAIL!

[Brainerd]

it's amazing how $10 a month can be the difference between success and FAIL!

Sprint's low prices have keep a lot more people from bailing out of the sinking ship. That $10 gets the pricing ever-so-closer to parity. Yes, they are offering more (4G and a great phone), but it might be too early for them to add $240 to a two year contract.

[Holsum]

it's amazing how $10 a month can be the difference between success and FAIL!

That is definitely not the case, seeing how forums are the minority when it comes to cellphone users I really dont see it as an issue. To many students/kids/adults on forums that dont even meet the middle class mark in the economy are the ones you are hearing complain.

[yazman666]

Ok how im i gonna pay extra $10 if my area does not have 4g yet....they should come out with some kind of agreement because they defenetly turned me off on this thing...

[Brett636]

You'd rather pay more elsewhere for 3g, than pay more for 4g with sprint?

First off, I am not in a 4g area or an area getting 4g. So basically I would be paying $10 a month extra to Sprint for no extra service. Sure on a monthly cost basis Sprint is still cheaper, but their competitors can justify why they cost more. Verizon has a huge network that covers a lot of places, and AT&T you can do voice and data at the same time not to mention you can have the all mighty iphone which is a big plus in my book. It looks like T-mobile is really upgrading their network to support data speeds that equal or surpass Sprint's 4g network. So why am I paying an extra $10 a month? For nothing more than to let Sprint and the other carriers know they can add all the fees they want to my bill and I won't care. Well, I do care, and I will refuse to pay for it. I want the latest and greatest smartphone when I get a new phone, and it looks like for me that is going to be an iphone, HD2, or Incredible. Sprint has lost me as a customer.

[jedisrus]

You can look at it my way too. I live in an area where we just got 3G this very year. So I have been paying the same for 1x that others were paying for 3G. It sucked but it was still a lot more affordable than going to Verizon or AT&T.

But now my area is 4G. It sure would have been nice for the price to stay the same on this phone. And now like others have stated Sprint is getting real close to the same cost as the other carriers. I don't think that is a wise move on their part.

I think one of the main reasons people left Sprint was a lack of "cool" phones to choose from. Partially solved with the EVO.

I think one of the main reasons people stuck it out with Sprint is the affordability of their plans. Partially erased with the Evo.

Bottom line: Sprint will probably continue to lose customers.

[Holsum]

First off, I am not in a 4g area or an area getting 4g. So basically I would be paying $10 a month extra to Sprint for no extra service. Sure on a monthly cost basis Sprint is still cheaper, but their competitors can justify why they cost more. Verizon has a huge network that covers a lot of places, and AT&T you can do voice and data at the same time not to mention you can have the all mighty iphone which is a big plus in my book. It looks like T-mobile is really upgrading their network to support data speeds that equal or surpass Sprint's 4g network. So why am I paying an extra $10 a month? For nothing more than to let Sprint and the other carriers know they can add all the fees they want to my bill and I won't care. Well, I do care, and I will refuse to pay for it. I want the latest and greatest smartphone when I get a new phone, and it looks like for me that is going to be an iphone, HD2, or Incredible. Sprint has lost me as a customer.

Well, then you arent getting the latest and greatest smartphone (HD2 been out over a year, iphone multitasking when? incredible.... please, droid DOESNT)

[ttkk1]

Wondering, I hate to think that Dan and Sprint is this stupid, to hype the phone, get everyone excited then bust the bubble with the $10 fee. I have no insider information but could this be some crazy marketing scam to get people emotionally engaged in their new product so that there is even more hype then to come in right before the launch date to say that they are dropping the fee to respond to public outrage. Then everyone is happy and even more excited and now a rush to purchase occurs. Any one remember the new coke vs. old coke campaign? not really the same but if I remember correctly there was a lot of emotion from loyal coke drinkers. I am not saying this will work or is working but is interesting to at least consider. We still have 3 weeks.... I am hopeful they will do the right thing.

[yazman666]

Ok guys i just spoke to a sprint rep and i was adv even if u live in a no-4g area the charge will be applied...im frustrated right now ...im off the forum uuuuufhhhhffhhhrrrrrr i want to go there and slap some big guy at sprint ..

[hockey4life0099]

i understand they want to try to make as much money as possible with this phone but i sincerely believe that the amount of people that will be turned off by this fee, they will actually loose sales. for those of us in non 4g areas, this is just a highly specced phone that will use data very similarly to the hero or the moment. just cause my processor is faster doesnt mean im watching way more video, or uploading way more.

and salesmen in non 4g areas good luck. i can imagine the sales pitch now "heres the evo, it is a very nice phone and it has 4g, but you cant use it, we are still gonna charge you ten extra dollars a month though. you should definitely buy this"

[xorg]

Seems Sprint is trying to justify the extra $10 even for just 3G users because they think the nature of the phone will mean heavier than average data use. But some may not be heavy data users... how about this... just bill an extra $10 if going over 5GB.

[fry8]

i understand they want to try to make as much money as possible with this phone but i sincerely believe that the amount of people that will be turned off by this fee, they will actually loose sales. for those of us in non 4g areas, this is just a highly specced phone that will use data very similarly to the hero or the moment. just cause my processor is faster doesnt mean im watching way more video, or uploading way more.

and salesmen in non 3g areas good luck. i can imagine the sales pitch now "heres the evo, it is a very nice phone and it has 4g, but you cant use it, we are still gonna charge you ten extra dollars a month though. you should definitely buy this"

Lol thanks. Im a sprint retail store rep and we have 4g in many of the surrounding areas where I work, but we don't actually have 4g at our store so we can't demo it and many of the customers that come to buy phones may not live in a 4g area, so it's going to be somewhat of a hard pitch, but at least 4g isn't too far away. But I do feel bad for the reps who live in an area that doesn't have 4g and/or don't have 4g service scheduled to come to their area. This is why I am annoyed by the $10 charge especially. I get enough customers complaining about prices, upgrade fees, and the like. We're in a recesssion/depression charging more is going to drive away customers. Our mantra is "the best value in wireless" now the best value in wireless just got worse.

[fry8]

Do you recall anything like that ever happening?

Actually I think they did backtrac the extra $10 charge for the 4g aircards. The 4g aircards were supposed to be $69.99, but they came out as $59.99. I did comment on your post before stating that sprint hasn't charged extra from going from 2g to 3g, but I believe you meant has sprint backtracked an extra fee before. I hope this clarifies things.

[Corriewf]

FRY8 thanks for your contributions. I wish you luck selling this phone.

[emeraldayotte]

First off, I am not in a 4g area or an area getting 4g. So basically I would be paying $10 a month extra to Sprint for no extra service. Sure on a monthly cost basis Sprint is still cheaper, but their competitors can justify why they cost more. Verizon has a huge network that covers a lot of places, and AT&T you can do voice and data at the same time not to mention you can have the all mighty iphone which is a big plus in my book. It looks like T-mobile is really upgrading their network to support data speeds that equal or surpass Sprint's 4g network. So why am I paying an extra $10 a month? For nothing more than to let Sprint and the other carriers know they can add all the fees they want to my bill and I won't care. Well, I do care, and I will refuse to pay for it. I want the latest and greatest smartphone when I get a new phone, and it looks like for me that is going to be an iphone, HD2, or Incredible. Sprint has lost me as a customer.

And again I say you switching to get an iPhone, HD2 or Incredible will cost you MORE still for 3G than if you stayed with Sprint and the Evo.

So why the need to switch?

[DocLee]

And again I say you switching to get an iPhone, HD2 or Incredible will cost you MORE still for 3G than if you stayed with Sprint and the Evo.

So why the need to switch?

I think your Tmobile calculation is off a bit. If you go with the unsubsidized plan, and compare straight included minutes, you can do a $59.99 plan for 500 minutes, nights+weekends, data, text, mobile-to-mobile. I think that's a bit better comparison than to slap the $40 in additional charges (unlimited data and text) on there. Running the totals:

EVO4G (Sprint):
$199.99
+
$79.99 * 24
$2119.75

HD2 (Tmobile):
$449.99
+
$59.99 * 24
$1889.75

The HD2 in this case would be the better bargain if comparing straight included anytime, anywhere minutes by $230 over 2 years, or if you want to put it another way, basically the additional cost of 24 months of 4G coverage ($10 a month) minus one month.

But, that's beside the point. The question is can Sprint charge a fee for a service that they knowingly acknowledge that some people won't be able to use given the extremely limited market penetration of the 4G service? Think of it this way. Let's say AT&T provides satellite TV service (Direct TV). However, in order to get TV service with them, they are also going to charge me for DSL internet. But, they don't offer DSL internet in my area. Should they still be allowed to charge me for DSL internet even though they know I would never be able to use it because of lack of service on their part? The same situation applies here. Through no fault of the customer, Sprint is charging an additional $10 a month for a service that they know the majority of their customers will not be able to take advantage of. You can't charge me to mow my lawn and then not mow my lawn just because you are not available.

After spending a lot of time on the phone with Sprint today talking about it with various people, I hope they do the right thing and not charge customers the $10 premium data where premium data (i.e. 4G) is not available. If not, then this sounds like a case for the FCC. I've already got my forms filled out.

You can download an FCC form at:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/Form2000B.pdf

And email the form to fccinfo@fcc.gov

Or you can use the online form at:

FCC Online form

Doc

[fry8]

I think your Tmobile calculation is off a bit. If you go with the unsubsidized plan, and compare straight included minutes, you can do a $59.99 plan for 500 minutes, nights+weekends, data, text, mobile-to-mobile. I think that's a bit better comparison than to slap the $40 in additional charges (unlimited data and text) on there. Running the totals:

EVO4G (Sprint):
$199.99
+
$79.99 * 24
$2119.75

HD2 (Tmobile):
$449.99
+
$59.99 * 24
$1889.75

The HD2 in this case would be the better bargain if comparing straight included anytime, anywhere minutes by $230 over 2 years, or if you want to put it another way, basically the additional cost of 24 months of 4G coverage ($10 a month) minus one month.

But, that's beside the point. The question is can Sprint charge a fee for a service that they knowingly acknowledge that some people won't be able to use given the extremely limited market penetration of the 4G service? Think of it this way. Let's say AT&T provides satellite TV service (Direct TV). However, in order to get TV service with them, they are also going to charge me for DSL internet. But, they don't offer DSL internet in my area. Should they still be allowed to charge me for DSL internet even though they know I would never be able to use it because of lack of service on their part? The same situation applies here. Through no fault of the customer, Sprint is charging an additional $10 a month for a service that they know the majority of their customers will not be able to take advantage of. You can't charge me to mow my lawn and then not mow my lawn just because you are not available.

After spending a lot of time on the phone with Sprint today talking about it with various people, I hope they do the right thing and not charge customers the $10 premium data where premium data (i.e. 4G) is not available. If not, then this sounds like a case for the FCC. I've already got my forms filled out.

You can download an FCC form at:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/Form2000B.pdf

And email the form to fccinfo@fcc.gov

Or you can use the online form at:

FCC Online form

Doc

I don't agree with the extra $10 charge, but the fcc won't do anything about that. They aren't charging you $10 for 4g, it's $10 for the "premium data pack" which allows you unlimited internet (no cap). Sprint can charge whatever they like as long as they aren't directly selling you something you aren't getting. They aren't charging you for 4g directly, they're charging you for the "premium data pack."

[Brett636]

And again I say you switching to get an iPhone, HD2 or Incredible will cost you MORE still for 3G than if you stayed with Sprint and the Evo.

So why the need to switch?

Quite simple really. I don't believe in junk fees, and the $10 charge is a junk fee. I am already paying for "unlimited data" so this "premium data charge" really has no basis other than something for Sprint to use to spread 4g to areas other than where I live. I have no interest in subsidizing someone else's 4g network. Either get me 4g coverage or don't charge me the fee. Its just that simple.

[DocLee]

I don't agree with the extra $10 charge, but the fcc won't do anything about that. They aren't charging you $10 for 4g, it's $10 for the "premium data pack" which allows you unlimited internet (no cap). Sprint can charge whatever they like as long as they aren't directly selling you something you aren't getting. They aren't charging you for 4g directly, they're charging you for the "premium data pack."

You said it yourself in the poll thread on the topic. The premium data pack is basically a 4G surcharge. It may not be a direct charge for 4G by the language. But it *is* a surcharge on 4G. This is exactly the type of situation that the FCC would get involved in especially with their recent foray into wireless billing practices.

Doc

[kjparfekt]

I was hesitant to leave my Pre for $200 when it does everything I want just for a little speed, bigger screen and wow factor. But this extra $10 means I'd be paying closer to $440 after 2 years of $10 a month charges. I'm not going to do it. I was the biggest Evo supporter just 2 months ago when it was announced and now I won't be getting it. Sprint is really messing up here. Only way I'll adopt now is a few months after it's been out when the price drops and there is no $10 a month fee. No wow factor at that point but it be a solid phone. Sprint messed up AGAIN!!!

[emeraldayotte]

I was hesitant to leave my Pre for $200 when it does everything I want just for a little speed, bigger screen and wow factor. But this extra $10 means I'd be paying closer to $440 after 2 years of $10 a month charges. I'm not going to do it. I was the biggest Evo supporter just 2 months ago when it was announced and now I won't be getting it. Sprint is really messing up here. Only way I'll adopt now is a few months after it's been out when the price drops and there is no $10 a month fee. No wow factor at that point but it be a solid phone. Sprint messed up AGAIN!!!

Well I disagree but everyone's allowed their opinon. I still see this as the cheapest and best smartphone deal being offered by any carrier. I don't mind helping investing in more 4G coverage and still be able to brag to my iPhone and Incredible friends how much cheaper my plan is and what I can do with it.

To each his (or her) own. Evo here I come!