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Fight ESN Swap Fees: Cancel Service
Posted on Saturday, November 26 @ 19:44:05 MST by Christopher_Price |
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ESN Swap fees. Savvy customers generally think they are the most evil creation ever by a AMPS/TDMA/CDMA-based carrier. Not only does the ESN system present a much less elegant solution to replacing handsets than the SIM/R-UIM card, but, it also allows for draconian fees to be attached to personal choice of handsets.
There's only one effective way to fight back against this system; create churn. Specifically, by canceling service. While this does seem drastic, one of the only ways carriers evaluate if these fees should remain is if outrage forms or not. One of the best ways to demonstrate against it is to use Sprint's terms to cancel service without paying the early termination fee.
The new ESN swap program creates a material change wherein Sprint has re-defined a handset change to a new device to be an upgrade, followed by an $18 fee of course. Because of this, as has been reported, you have 14 days from your next bill to cancel service and not pay an ETF. Yes, many in customer care will argue, or try to say they will waive the "activation fee" fee (even though they can't waive the fee fully for your duration of contract). Don't listen, ask to be transferred to cancellations, and escalate there if they refuse.
If everyone under contract (or not) reading this site chose to cancel service, the loss in revenue generated would be enough to cause Sprint to reconsider this move. An ESN should be as transparent as a SIM, and customers should not be penalized because their carrier of choice does not use SIMs.
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Article Rating
Average Score: 4 Votes: 4
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Re: Fight ESN Swap Fees: Cancel Service (Score: 1) by johnmont on Saturday, November 26 @ 20:35:48 MST (User Info ) | Does cancelling service in this manner allow you to transfer your phone number to a different carrier.
Also...I don't consider myself a Sprint/technology noob (been a subscriber for 7 years), but could you go into a bit more -- basic -- detail about what the ESN swap fee is?
Thanks...and great site! |
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Re: Fight ESN Swap Fees: Cancel Service (Score: 1) by JamieinMN on Monday, November 28 @ 20:58:49 MST (User Info ) | What would be the best way to approach this?
Can you give me specific details in the "before" and "after" T of C's.
I'd like to have a smoke gun at my finger tips and read the differences in case a rep likes to argue.
I have a friend who has 2 lines, and would like to cancel one of them. Could this ESN swap fee allow him to cancel one line without the ETA fee but still keep the other line?
Also, do you think a person could bluff Sprint into giving you a good rention plan by threatening to cancel because of the ESN fees but let them satisfy you with a good plan in agreement with staying?
Any ideas or advise would be appreciated. |
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Re: Fight ESN Swap Fees: Cancel Service (Score: 1) by macjeff on Tuesday, November 29 @ 10:04:29 MST (User Info ) | Great idea but I tried it and they said I have 4 other phones I cant cancel on the same agreement and also they said I am still liable for the $399 I paid for my phone!!!
Jeff |
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Re: Fight ESN Swap Fees: Cancel Service (Score: 1) by Big_Poppa_TN on Saturday, December 03 @ 18:49:15 MST (User Info ) | Can someone please explain to me WERE this violates the Terms of Service?
I am even reading the terms of service from as far back as 2003. and it is as follows:
Phone Activation Fee
You may be required to pay a non-refundable phone activation fee when you activate a new Number, have us switch a Number to a different phone, have your current Number changed, we activate a different phone on your existing account or your Service Plan says so.
This to me sounds like Sprint has covered thierself pretty well. I do not see were Sprint charging a phone activation fee would allow you to get out of your contract. |
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Re: Fight ESN Swap Fees: Cancel Service (Score: 1) by snipe77 on Sunday, December 04 @ 12:05:14 MST (User Info ) | I just called in and talked with Sprint cancellation, and they said that I would HAVE to pay the ETF. What exactly should I say to a rep if I want to cancel because of this change in contract. He told me it wasn't even a change in contract, and I couldn't argue with him because I wasn't sure what I should say to convince him that it was. Thanks for the help. |
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Re: Fight ESN Swap Fees: Cancel Service (Score: 1) by falconier on Saturday, December 10 @ 02:11:37 MST (User Info ) | I agree with Big (I thought I was the only one who read the terms and conditions),
The tems and conditions all the way back before Sprint even started charging for activations and esn swap allways stated "there may be a fee...." Sprint started not charging a fee then started charging and then stoped charging for a while, now their policy is to charge. Since there have been no changes to the terms since the change from a 14 day dispute period for the bill to a 60 day, they do not legaly have to waive the cancelation fee. They only have to if there is a adverse change in the terms and conditions, IE. if they were to change back to a 14 day that would adversly affect you as a consumer and you could ask for your cancelation fee to be waived. The terms and conditions are pretty through and I recomend you read them so you know your rights and Sprints responsibilities to you. Its not one sided (ok, it is mostly one sided) but the more you know the better off you are. Oh, BTW somewhere in the terms is a clause that says if you pay your bill after a change in terms you are agreeing to the new ones. On the back of every bill is a statement on where to find the newest version of them so they even have that covered. |
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