Sprint removing discount grounds to waive ETF?

[Rtbar1]

When I first switched over from T-mobile to Sprint, I was offered a discount to entice me to come over of 23%. I have been using the discount on my account for the past 2 years, and I recently upgraded 3 out of 4 lines. Recently, I got the notice that sprint would be verifying employee discounts, and received an automated call asking me to call in and discuss my discount.

When I called them in and they asked me for verification, I told them I couldn't because I didn't know I had an employee discount, it was just offered to me at the time I initially signed the contract. They told me they would be removing the discount, adding about $25 to my monthly bill (on top of the additional $ added when the reduced the discount from all the lines to only the main line a few months ago.)

I tried to get them to let me leave with no ETF because I thought this constituted a material change to my contract, but they argue the employee discount is not part of the contract and that no ETF would be waived. Keep in mind I never knew this was an employee discount (apparently the rep lied and made up some company to give me the discount.) But I can't see how they can just add $25 to my bill with no recourse, and the only reason I signed with sprint in the first place was because I thought I would be paying less (including the discount).

Has anyone gotten their ETFs waived due to their discount being removed?

 

[Subsound]

I have a 23% discount through BofA. you need to verifiy an email address for them to keep your discount. Mine is 23% as well which is an employee discount. I do agree they are changing a material item on your contract because it is stated on your bill everymonth. Never tried to leave or have an ETF removed. HOWEVER, if you wish to have an Early termination, find a spot where you roam and use over 300 MB of data, that will soon grab their attention and they will ask you to leave. completely waiving the fee in the process. I will quote a Sprint employee here....

"Data and voice roaming are included with your plan. With that said, the terms and conditions or your agreement are that you will be using the services primarily within Sprint coverage. If your plan exceeds 800 minutes of roaming or 300Mb per month, your account can be subjected to termination for excessive roaming. Will this happen if you go over a little here or there - usually not, this typically happens more with people who live in a roaming area and nearly all of their usage is off-network. Here is the verbiage from your terms and conditions:


Off-network Roaming: The primary use of your Device must be for domestic purposes within the Sprint-owned network. Domestic means use in the 50 United States and U.S. Territories (except Guam). Sprint reserves the right, without notice, to deny, terminate, modify, disconnect or suspend service if off-network usage in a month exceeds: (1) voice: 800 min. or a majority of minutes; or (2) data: 300 megabytes or a majority of kilobytes. The display on your device may not always be on and will not indicate whether you will incur roaming charges. You can monitor usage online through My Account. Roaming is not available with single-band phones, or to customers who reside or whose primary use is outside an area covered by the Nationwide Sprint Network. Sprint may limit or terminate service if you move outside of the Sprint owned-network.


Also, just to note, you will not incur additional charges for using occasional roaming services"

 

[Rtbar1]

Thanks that was very helpful, and if I have no luck with persuading them to waive the ETF then I will try the roaming method. It really seems like bull though that their reps can lie like that to get customers and then pull a bait and switch.

 

[Subsound]

Not a problem, If you have a friend who works for BofA all they have to do is put their email address in your account or you can do it for privacy and a conformation email is all they will recieve and can completely ignore it. I looked for some other ways but all seem too sketchy and Sprint knows people try to get out so I wouldnt recommend any, the only PLAUSIBLE one I saw was to have a fmaily member call in and tell them you had passed away.

 

[GiantJay]

They are probably going to bill you for the phones if you upgraded recently or ask for them back.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Darth Mo]

Has anyone gotten their ETFs waived due to their discount being removed?

Sucks but discounts aren't part of your contract so you have no recourse against it.

Even if you had a legitimate employee discount (not saying you did anything shady to get it, seems like a goof), those arrangements are reviewed each year and sometimes just not renewed. It's really on the customer to know the status of discounts available because they're negotiated by the employers, , government, credit unions, schools, or whatever institution.

We have an individual government account and currently receive a 25% discount of the plan. But for close to ten years we were getting a 38% discount on new equipment. Sadly three or four years ago that arrangement went away and we just had to deal with it. But that was a really nice discount.

 

[turtleparadise]

Here is my problem... I am a state employee and therefore receive a discount. They asked me to verify which is no problem.
I went to the website to verify by email address and my address but it was not recognized. I then talked to Sprint in a store to see what I needed to do and they told me that be verifying I would also be signing a new two year contract. I was not okay with that and declined and will now deal with retention.

How can they justify a new contract just for verifying information they already have?

 

[hopefulfarm]

Hmm that's interesting. When I upgraded my phone in October and of course, re-upped on my 2 yr agreement, I DID have to verify my discount, which was easy. Seems pretty silly of them to say that verifying your discount = new agreement, but for them to remove your discount suddenly doesn't = a change in your agreement. Seems a bit sketchy...know a lawyerly type?