How Sprint PCS Loses Customers

Ever since I hooked up my Vonage phone the amount of time I spend on my cell phone has dropped dramatically. Since 1998 my cell carrier has been Sprint PCS. I like the quality of their service and have never had trouble using my phone during the dozens and dozens of trips I have taken in the past seven years. Since I was not using my cell phone as much as I used to I realized I was just throwing money down the drain, continuing to pay $50+/month for 500 minutes. My last three usage statements show I've barely used 200 minutes a month. I figured it was time to call Sprint and change my plan.

Me: Hi, I'd like to change my service plan.
Sprint: Absolutely. I can help you with that.
Me: I've found that I'm not using my phone as much so I'd like to change the plan I have with Sprint.
Sprint: We currently show that you have the $45 Free & Clear Plan. Would you be interested in our new Fair & Flexible Plan? It's $35/month and you get 300 Anytime minutes and each additional 100 minutes costs $5.00.
Me: That sounds good. Are there any fees involved with switching plans?
Sprint: There are no fees but we do require a 2-year contract agreement.
Me: That sounds odd. I've been a Sprint PCS customer for over 7 years. Why are you locking me into a 2-year plan when I've been such a good and loyal customer?
Sprint: I'm sorry sir. I understand where you're coming from but that's our policy.
Me: I understand. I'm not blaming you. You're not responsible for the company's policy. It just seems strange to me that Sprint is treating their best customers like they are brand new and don't have a history with Sprint.
Sprint: I'm sorry sir, but the best I can do is offer you 5% off your monthly bills for the next year, but we still require you re-sign a new 2-year contract with us.
Me: Please let me speak with your supervisor.
[On hold for a while...]
Supervisor: Hello Mr. Barrett. I understand you have asked to speak with me about our company's policy.
Me: Yes, I've found I'm not using my cell phone as much as I used to and would like to change my plan. But the rep I spoke with tells me I am required to agree to a new 2-year contract just to switch plans. I've been a customer with Sprint since 1998. I'm very happy with the quality of the service I get but am not happy at all with the service plan contract. Why are you treating your loyal customers this way?
Supervisor: Yes sir, that is our policy. I understand your complaint but I cannot change our policy. The best I can do is offer you the $35/mo Fair & Flexible Plan with a 1-year contract.
Me: That is not acceptable. I have been a customer with Sprint for over 7 years. I should not be required to sign a new contract just to switch plans.
Supervisor: I'm sorry sir, but we cannot change our policy.
Me: I understand. It's not your fault Sprint treats their loyal customers this way. Unfortunately, I am going to have to cancel my account with Sprint and find a new carrier that has a more fair and flexible (ahem...) service agreement. Goodbye.

So I actually haven't cancelled my account yet since I am still researching the competition. I need a new phone as well since the Sanyo SCP-5150 I've been using for almost 3 years is on its last legs. I'm taking recommendations.

It just floors me that Sprint wouldn't bend over backwards to keep a loyal customer like myself. I had no intention of cancelling my service with them but their policies are so predatory and unfair that I am going to cancel my service on principle. Companies like that shoudn't be allowed to be in business.

Update: During my research I came across two very good web sites that help the prospective cell phone buyer figure out which phone best meets their needs. The first is PhoneScoop, a blog-like site that breaks down the phones and carriers based on technology, service plans and features. Their Phone Finder section is pretty intuitive but unless you know exactly which features you want it's difficult to choose. The second site I found is called MyPhoneFinder from MyRatePlan.com. It presents a very intuitive Flash-based interface that automatically adds/removes phones based on features. I took it for a few spins and I ended up being recommended to buy the Sharp TM150, a 1.1 megapixel cameraphone that is essentially free with a 2-Year T-Mobile contract agreement.

Update 2: A reader sent me a link to this site called SprintUsers.com, which is very beneficial for people who still use Sprint PCS as a carrier.

Update 3: Please read my more recent post about Cell Phone Hell.

Gouranga Spam

Today I received a few identical pieces of spam that left me scratching my head.

Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 18:14:19 +0100
From: Neateye [nitaigouranga@aol.com]
Subject: Gouranga

Call out Gouranga be happy!!!
Gouranga Gouranga Gouranga ....
That which brings the highest happiness!!

It's a plaintext email, no HTML. No links, phone numbers, pleas for help. Just a cryptic message about something called Gouranga.

I quick Google search returns some info that tells me this is some weird meme propagation effort by an unknown person or group. Very strange.

Recent Links From My Bookmarks

When I surf the web every day I often come across articles I want to read but never get around to. Mostly I skim them, bookmark them and intend to finish reading them later. Here are some links from the past few months:

• Drupal Programming from an Object-Oriented Perspective
• FEMA Concentration Camps: Locations and Executive Orders (tinfoil-hat stuff)
• Transcript of Dr. Jerome Corsi's speech at the Heritage Foundation, Author of "Atomic Iran: How the Terrorist Regime Bought the Bomb and American Politicians."
• How to Get Out of a Life Rut
• Project: Beautiful Soup, a screen-scraper written in Python that parses both good and bad HTML and XML
• SouthWest Airlines: LowFareFinder Page (buried on their site because they do not want people using it)
• Recipe for delicious-looking Peanut Butter Cupcakes (Note to gf, Bonnie. Surprise me with these some day)
• More .htaccess tips and tricks
• The Annotated New York Times
• CNET Networks Advertising Rates
• The songs from Family Guy
• On Plug-ins and Extensible Architectures
• Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide
• Major Hangups Over the iPod Phone (no wonder Apple has not come out with an iPhone yet...the carriers are not letting them)
• Gore Vidal: The Undoing of America
• Council For Secular Humanism: My God Problem

Tom DeLay Is Absolutely Right

"The time has come that the American people know exactly what their Representatives are doing here in Washington. Are they feeding at the public trough, taking lobbyist-paid vacations, getting wined and dined by special interest groups? Or are they working hard to represent their constituents? The people, the American people, have a right to know...I say the best disinfectant is full disclosure, not isolation."

-- Tom DeLay, on the floor of the House of Representatives, November 16, 1995.

Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite

A few months ago when I was shopping for a new bed and mattress for my new apartment, I learned a fact that startled me. Apparently, a mattress will double it's weight in its 8-10 year lifespan. While this figure has been disputed by some it's still clear that a mattress over its lifespan collects all kinds of dirt, dust, dead skin, body fluids and other unmentionables...including the unwanted common bedbug (Cimex Lectularius).

A recent article in the WSJ claims that bedbugs are on the rise again due to the phasing out of pesticides and chemicals that were keeping them at bay. It's not clear whether the claims in this article are well-researched or whether the journalist is taking liberty with quoted materials, but one thing is certain: it's not healthy to ignore such a potential problem.

When I moved in with my girlfriend earlier this year, I had to adapt my lifestyle to meet hers, as she is allergic to so many things. Now, the apartment gets cleaned twice a month, whether or not it needs it. The bedsheets and blankets get washed once a week. Clothes (especially workout clothes) are not allowed to fester and grow mold in piles on the bedroom floor. Taking a shower before bed is a good idea. Dust bunnies under the bed are rounded up and disposed of. Food that has been left in the fridge too long (that I would normally eat anyway) gets tossed.

Perhaps these steps are not just for her benefit. Some days I feel like I'm being trained -- though I don't mind. Trained for what? Marriage? Babies? Last week was my 32nd birthday. I wonder what the next step is...

Introducing Bluefly's FlyPaper, Fashion Blogging

The project I've spent the past few weeks on has launched. Bluefly.com, the leading ecommerce company in discount fashion designer clothing approached me in late March with the idea of a fashion blog that combined the concept of blogging with the promotion of the products they sell. The result is a multi-editor blog that tracks the world of fashion design, using sale items, fashion news and smart commentary.