[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] TooSlo:
I've had a somewhat similar story, getting the run-around between online, phone and in-store support.

On day 10 I called in and requested a replacement device, as I ordered the phone through my corp avenue. (We get discounts on service/upgrade fees/etc) I went through the standard tech support process. Reflashing the phone to stock, having documented the times when I received LOS, as well as the impact that it's had on me personally.

One of the main reasons I ordered through my corp channel was that I don't own a car and getting to a Sprint corp location isn't on any bus route I would use and is generally a pain in the ass to get to.

Day 11, I get to a corp store and they offer to let me exchange the device for the low price of $35 since the LOS problem doesn't actually have anything to do with Sprint service, and it's a software issue. They also offered to sell me a 64gb iPhone for $700. I contacted CS while at the location and was told that I didn't have any option but to mail the phone back, as I didn't buy it at a brick & mortar store. They offered to send me shipping materials, but it would take 3-5 business days, which would take me outside of my 14 day return policy. At that point, I was stuck with the phone and nobody in-store or out in phone land wanted to step up to the plate to take care of a 5 year customer.

The tech in store told me that it would be best to just restart my phone every 30 minutes and even offered to help me set up a timer to remind me. He also said to call in and request an account credit each time I had a loss of service.

Day 13, I called into CS again, requesting the corp accounts team. After speaking with the supervisor that was on-duty, he told me they couldn't issue any credits to accounts, as it was a hardware or software problem, not a lack of ability for Sprint to provide service. Once again I was given the run-around, being told to go to a B&M store and they would "resolve my issues." I requested a return kit in hopes they would still return my device for a full refund.

Day 14, Manager from Sprint corp accounts team calls me and wants to discuss my issues and wants to help me resolve the problems I've encountered. After discussing hardware, he verified that it's against Sprint policy to offer a credit for service when there are no outages on Sprint's end. He requested that I restart my phone regularly, though he was aware this wasn't a viable solution for a customer. He also verified that because of the 3-5 day wait on the packaging to return my phone, they would not honor the 14 day return policy. He apologized and hoped that it wouldn't have a negative effect on my view of Sprint. Inside I was fuming, but I realize that CS doesn't always have the opportunity to make hard calls. At least he verified that Samsung knows this is an issue and is "working on readying a patch for phones on the market." I'm unwilling to hold my breath after the last patching debacle with Galaxy S phones.

Day 15, I contacted CS again after losing service 3 times within 8 hours. After once again telling me they wouldn't offer a credit for the time I couldn't use my service, I asked for retentions. The retentions employee I spoke with was fantastic. She wanted to understand and document why I wanted to cancel my service. After speaking with her manager, they are currently willing to waive the ETF on my account. I only received a $150 credit while purchasing my E4GT, so the amount I'll end up selling it for will pretty much break even at this point. She's calling me back on Saturday to work out the final details of the account term, but has been nothing but fantastic. She's the type of person you want on the front lines to make a customer feel wanted, not the one to say goodbye when a customer decides to cancel their service.

I'm now figuring out where I want to go with service. Frustratingly, other providers in my area (The big 4) don't offer unlimited data, so I may end up porting my current phone to my Google Voice line ($20) since I've had the number for so many years, and just open a new line with a phone that will actually get service at all times.

Working on-call, it's unacceptable to have a phone that may or may not be able to receive calls. The CS people that I've spoken with understand how frustrating it could be to pay for service that can't be provided, even more so when you've paid a huge amount out of pocket to pick up a new device.

That's my story of dealings with Sprint CS and the run-around I received. I don't think it's truly that uncommon, as none of the departments you speak with will want to suck up a return. They'll try to get you to another location, department, etc. It happened that way when I worked for Verizon Wireless back in the day, and it's still happening now.

/soapbox