how i got two free sprint phones

[blueindian]

GAM, putting this here cause a lot of "interested parties" may not frequent the hardware forums. won't hurt my feelings if you move it.

so the wife and i have been wanting new phones. i wanted the samsung a900 ($350 regular price, $200 after rebate for new customers) for me and the samsung a920 for the wife ($300 regular price, $150 after rebate for new customers).

I talked to sprint a few times (we've had them for years. i think i've had sprint for 9 or 10 years now) and the best they would do is $150 for teh a920 and $275 for the a900. me not wanting to part ways with $425, i figured there must be another way. ended up talking to the "customer retention team" and, long story short, got both phones for free, free shipping, and 5% off my monthly bill. basically i said, "give me the phones free or I'm switching to Verizon or Cingular.


w00t!

I've always said that sprint was good except for customer retention. i guess you just have to know where their soft underbelly is.

one negative, when i activated the phone there was some shenanigans going on and my bill ended up being ~$10 more than my old bill (pre 5% discount). but, suposedly, i can use the phone all i want as a modem for my axim. we'll see.

[hapoo]

call them up now and switch to a SERO plan!

[AlpineJay]

good job. sprint is notoriously difficult to deal with on customer service. I know verizon's retention program is virtually nonexistent - their attitude is basically "we're the best, so switch to Cingular/T-Mobile/Nextel/Sprint if you want, but you'll come crawling back so we're not giving you squat."

while i'm very good at talking to CSRs and getting concessions, i just have not been able to do that with verizon. but sadly, they are the best in the two areas i frequent, so i have no choice.

[brainsmile]

call them up now and switch to a SERO plan!what's that?

[hapoo]

what's that?
Might have to go through a couple thousand CSRs but its a great plan IMO. (especially for those who use data services)


The Sprint Employee Referral Offer (you get referred by a sprint employee):

1. 500 anytime minutes for $30
2. 1250 minutes for $50
3. 2500 minutes for $100

All plans include:
-Unlimited nights/weekends
-Unlimited Vision (data/web access)
-Unlimited Picture/Video mail
-Unlimited PCS-to-PCS
-Unlimited email/IM

[blueindian]

Might have to go through a couple thousand CSRs but its a great plan IMO. (especially for those who use data services)


The Sprint Employee Referral Offer (you get referred by a sprint employee):

1. 500 anytime minutes for $30
2. 1250 minutes for $50
3. 2500 minutes for $100

All plans include:
-Unlimited nights/weekends
-Unlimited Vision (data/web access)
-Unlimited Picture/Video mail
-Unlimited PCS-to-PCS
-Unlimited email/IM


heck yeah, i'm calling today. imatellem hapoo sent me!

lol.

[kimchicowboy]

i was able to get a kickarse plane (in my opinion) via the retention dept.

i was just 2 months into my service when i wanted to change the plan to one that had nationwide roaming (which i had previously when i first signed up). they told me that they just changed their plans and don't have the plan i had when i first signed up.

so i said that i was moving to DC and i was willing to pay the breaking-contract fee since sprint's network doesn't work in DC's subway while verizon's does. that's when i was told "hang on...let me see what we can do for you."

got me: 1000 anytime. nights starting at 8PM. and nationwide roaming. for $40.

woohoo. although i don't think i have enough leverage to get the A900 for free though. :(

[Burzhui]

i've been doing this for years. Got me a 750 min anytime unlimited nights and weekends starting 7pm. for 35.99 after taxes with my corporate discount. Plus i've been getting 400$ phones for the past 3 years free

[Burzhui]

i'll have to try this sero plan thing, do they ask you for anything?

[mcs328]

The SERO plan seems to be in flux and I think you need a referreal from a Sprint Employee *officially* however if you call it in they bend all sorts of ways. They key is finding the right person on the other end who's willing to do that.

You can go to www.sprintusers.com and see what other people have experienced. I'd like to get on the SERO plan but I'm lazy for one and two it's only good for new customers and not existing customers but that's more of a guideline than an actual enforced rule.

Oh and if you call in you can try and get 500 text messages a month for two years for free for being such a loyal customer.

[LegendKiller]

I am in the market for a new provider for my wife and I. Her contract is done and mine is done in 2 more weeks. We are currently on sprint.

Mine is 750 anytime, unlim 8pm n/w, 44 total bill
Hers is something close.

Both of us need new phones, but Sprint kinda sucks. They limit their Bluetooth down to no-tethering and limit their dataplans like crazy.

I am also thinking of getting a smartphone, but the 700w won't be in Spring till Sept, the 650 kinda sucks, but sprint does have the 6700, but it's overpriced. But I wonder what the possibility is of us getting a 6700 and a a900 if I negotiate...

After all, I would sign a 2-year agreement, get a high-min family plan (1500 or so min) and get data. Thats a bundle of money for them.

[brainsmile]

got a 25% bump in minutes and 33% reduction in price.

1000 anytime minutes @ $40 a month. Not too shabby.

[esme]

i'm going to have to try this!! i need a new phone

[mcs328]

after taxes I pay about $43 on a $35 MRC plan that includes 410 anytime, u/l after 8pm, free sprint mobile to mobile and well that's about it. Sprint has such a crappy clone like line up of phones. I like the a900 but I'm really looking for the a candybar phone that takes decent pictures, bluetooth, txt messaging and gets great reception. If I were to go really basic I opt for great reception and sub megapixel camera for those times you just need to take a pic for like car accidents.

[hapoo]

I am in the market for a new provider for my wife and I. Her contract is done and mine is done in 2 more weeks. We are currently on sprint.

Mine is 750 anytime, unlim 8pm n/w, 44 total bill
Hers is something close.

Both of us need new phones, but Sprint kinda sucks. They limit their Bluetooth down to no-tethering and limit their dataplans like crazy.

I am also thinking of getting a smartphone, but the 700w won't be in Spring till Sept, the 650 kinda sucks, but sprint does have the 6700, but it's overpriced. But I wonder what the possibility is of us getting a 6700 and a a900 if I negotiate...

After all, I would sign a 2-year agreement, get a high-min family plan (1500 or so min) and get data. Thats a bundle of money for them.

there are many ways to get around the no bluetooth tethering thing. My 650 has DUN built in so no fuss, and there are hacks to get it to work with other phones. So long as you don't use gigs a month they don't really care.
If you like palm you can wait about a month or two for the new 700P to come out. Sprint by far has one of the cheapest data plans around (not to mention fastest if you have evdo).


The SERO plan seems to be in flux and I think you need a referreal from a Sprint Employee *officially* however if you call it in they bend all sorts of ways. They key is finding the right person on the other end who's willing to do that.

You can go to www.sprintusers.com (http://www.sprintusers.com/) and see what other people have experienced. I'd like to get on the SERO plan but I'm lazy for one and two it's only good for new customers and not existing customers but that's more of a guideline than an actual enforced rule.

Oh and if you call in you can try and get 500 text messages a month for two years for free for being such a loyal customer.


I was in contract until august but they switched me over at no cost. The key is to tell them that you'll still be a customer, your just switching plans, then ask them to waive the cancellation fee.

[LegendKiller]

Talked to Sprint....


I negotiated a 6700 and a A-920 for $150 with a 1500/min family and a data plan, although that hasn't been ironed out. Had to talk to the wife to make sure that's ok. She might want to go to an A900 for the extra 50. But 200 isn't bad for all of that :).

[Jenny]

I guess I got lucky. We signed up with T-Mobile and got a free phone (upgraded to a camera phone for $25), plus 1500 anytime/anywhere minutes for about $45 after taxes, etc.

[LegendKiller]

I guess I got lucky. We signed up with T-Mobile and got a free phone (upgraded to a camera phone for $25), plus 1500 anytime/anywhere minutes for about $45 after taxes, etc.


Not bad for 1500 min...

[hapoo]

btw i just emailed them concerning texting (they charge 10c per text sent or recieved) and they gave me 500 text a month for free (usually costs 8 bucks). I love my plan :D

[esme]

btw i just emailed them concerning texting (they charge 10c per text sent or recieved) and they gave me 500 text a month for free (usually costs 8 bucks). I love my plan :D


they were trying to give me that BUT my phone doesn't do sms txt's ...... :thumbdown

[brainsmile]

well then ask for a new phone :D


btw i just emailed them concerning texting (they charge 10c per text sent or recieved) and they gave me 500 text a month for free (usually costs 8 bucks). I love my plan :D

what email addy did you use to voice your concerns?

[esme]

well then ask for a new phone :D



what email addy did you use to voice your concerns?


im calling back after work cuz they're charging me over $100 on my bill w/charges i wasn't aware of!! :bash:

[brainsmile]

suckage

[cheapie]

what's that?


pm me for my brother's contact info if you're interested. he's a store manager for sprint/nextel.

[brainsmile]

pm me for my brother's contact info if you're interested. he's a store manager for sprint/nextel.

YGPM

[hapoo]

well then ask for a new phone :D



what email addy did you use to voice your concerns?

I already got a treo 650 two months ago (without any contract extension, got hooked up with a $200 discount and i get to use my $150 off this summer as well, don't ask how ;))

As for the email, log into your sprint.com account and use the "contact us" link on the upper right.

[brainsmile]

I got two treo 650 phones as well when I started my plan. Came out to $150 each.