yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[EVO 4G General] kenvan19:
It is very cost advantageous sadly. Because of the way US carriers subsidize phones its costs them a lot to offer upgrades. That discount you get on the phone comes from them paying the full price and then selling it to you cheaper, it does not come from the manufacturer.
[EVO 4G General] gpz1100:
For those on the individual plans, why can't you hop over to the pricier plan ($89.99) for 3 months, then revert back after your upgrade?
[EVO 4G General] KB112:
As of this time thats still an option. Who knows if the loophole will close. Sprint could change the rebate terms requiring you to hold your current plan for X amount of months before switching, or pay a fee. Who knows what they might change to close that loophole.
[EVO 4G General] gpz1100:
Good point! Didn't even think of that. Now that you mention it, I do remember reading some terms on rebates stating something to the effect of no downward rate plan changes for x amount of months. Sneaky bastards!@# I suppose one way around that is to wait for a deal that already includes the rebate discount in the purchase price (BB, wirefly, letstalk, amazon, etc).

The last few years i've been pretty lucky in recycling phones on ebay. In fact, my net cost on the evo has been practically nothing other than the $10 prem data fee increase. So maybe bite the bullet and pay the $75 increase.
[EVO 4G General] Noxious Ninja:
You could just Google "sprint etf"... :P

http://shop.sprint.com/en/services/termination_fee/early_termination_fee.shtml?ECID=vanity:etf

In any case, I was already planning on re-evaluating carriers come this summer. I'm getting tired of being on "the nation's slowest 3G network". Depends who has the best and most hackable phones, and how much more it would really end up costing me per month.

Sure, if I jump ship, it'll be a ~$120 ETF, but whatever. I might decide to sell my Evo, and I'm sure I could get at least that much for it.

So, another question: If I am affected by a materially adverse change somehow, would I be able to get out of the contract and keep the same phone and just pay by the month? I realize changing the Premier perks wouldn't count, but if I did somehow get out, I might not be ready to switch or reup or anything just yet.
[EVO 4G General] pecosROB:
I got an email not too long ago about the Premier status. I switched to Sprint for the EVO when it launched - the website told me I get to upgrade every 12 months. And I definitely wouldn't be qualified as a gold member.
[EVO 4G General] Cole28:
If I lose my yearly upgrade I'm definitely jumping ship. Sprint just doesn't have a good enough phone lineup to make me stick with one for 2 years.
[EVO 4G General] ghodzilla5150:
I just spoke with a Sprint Rep and he told me it's all true. I was not happy to say the least. He asked what he could do to keep me a customer and I explained that upgrading every year is one of the main reasons I stayed with Sprint. He annotated on my Account (Supposedly) that I was eligible for an upgrade June 1st and that this notation should guarantee me that I get that upgrade. Well we all KNOW how annotations work ( when it comes time for my upgrade after this all takes affect come April) his "Annotations" will have mysteriously been deleted or there never were annotations to begin with. If I don't get my upgrade in June, then it's Adios Sprint ( I have 3 lines and will take my business elsewhere). Idiots
[EVO 4G General] makisupa79:
Maybe I am in the minority here, but I could see myself staying with my EVO for the full contract. The dual-cores are sexy and all, but the EVO does everything I want, the new phones don't do enough to make me jump ship mid contract. If an EVO 2 comes out, I would go for it, but I don't see myself leaving carriers just because of this. I spent the last 4 with ATT and I like saving $40 a month.

Now if they drop unlimited data, its a whole different story. I tether on 4G like crazy.
[EVO 4G General] ghodzilla5150:
All you guys that are saying you HAVE 10+ years, YOU BETTER MAKE SURE. I have been a customer since 1999 and when I called in today to see what their systems is telling them, I was told it showed I have a date of 2005. What happened is they changed their systems in 2005 and YOU HAVE TO CALL AND ASK THEM TO PUT IN PAPERWORK to look back to see when you actually started with Sprint. Most people don't know this. They filed paperwork for me today and it will look at my account via my SSN to see when I actually started with Sprint. Just a heads up. Don't get caught with your pants down, so to say
[EVO 4G General] hdad2:
If this is true, and they will give only $75 off full retail at 12mo, then this june it will be cheaper to pay the ETF and leave sprint if I was set on a new phone. That seems like a bad idea on their part. If it was $75 more dollars to upgrade (or up your contract for a while) it would make more sense.

Whats pissing me off now is that they are adding $10 to every smartphone plan. No biggie to me cause evo already pays this. But this $10 will NOT count toward any discount or this premier status as a plan add on. Rather than upping the plan price, they keep the fee separate to not count toward benefits. You cant have a smartphone without the fee, but its not part of the plan...Thats crappy
[EVO 4G General] Cole28:
So will the "Everything Data Family - with Any Mobile, Anytime" plan with 3 lines qualify for gold?
[EVO 4G General] Noxious Ninja:
Pretty much.
[EVO 4G General] TheMatrixx:
Indeed, I immediately noticed it was odd how they were careful to phrase the new mandatory $10 fee as only being an addon, despite the fact it is mandatory...now I know why. If Sprint wants to change their upgrade eligibility, fine, but to do it like this? That's pretty underhanded and sleazy in my opinion.

What's worse is I've been eligible for an upgrade for about 6 months now on my main line - I'm just waiting for a device to come out - and now they're saying that will be wiped and I'll be back at square one!?
[EVO 4G General] fixxxer2008:
does this constitute a plan change or contract change? because my line is premier and i think we can leave sprint without etf's over this now.
[EVO 4G General] twiz0r:
Read the thread? You cannot get out of your contract because of this

Swyped from my cyanogenized and gingerbreaded EVO
[EVO 4G General] fixxxer2008:
ill find a way! ;)
[EVO 4G General] twiz0r:
If you do make sure you share how

Swyped from my cyanogenized and gingerbreaded EVO
[EVO 4G General] Cole28:
Looks like I won't be eligible for gold so guess I sell my Evo in march and go some place else. Doubt sprint still will have anything decent out before this goes into effect.
[EVO 4G General] nosfanatic2006:
What would life be like if we sold our Evo's and used the money to pay the ETF....then DIDN'T switch to another plan and lived life cellphoneless?!?! :-O
[EVO 4G General] kenvan19:
Ya I'd love to know. I've been intending to go to Tmobile in a few months but I was just waiting out my wifes contract so I didn't have to pay two ETFs but if I can get out of both of our premier contracts I'd do it now in a heartbeat. Tmobile has the G2 for free and that's a great phone. I'd definitely buy it.
[EVO 4G General] david279:
I just got that G2.
[EVO 4G General] kenvan19:
How do you like it?
[EVO 4G General] david279:
Its in the mail.... :-(
[EVO 4G General] matt2053:
I am strongly, strongly considering this....
[EVO 4G General] FoxRacR17:
Well I think I am finally going to jump ship over to verizon, I bought my epic at full price so that my contract wouldn't extend and I could buy the evo 2 with my upgrade as soon as it came out but that doesn't look like it will happen. Sprint get horrible reception at my work and I have to use roam control to roam to verizon and even though my phone says I have 4 bars of sprint 3G I can browse the internet faster roaming on verizon 1x! I **** you not. I thought I was paying an extra 10 bucks a month for "premium data"???? That was what was mainly making me consider big red, but now with this news of no more yearly upgrade and that there is another mandatory fee of 10 bucks just for 3G, that was the hair that broke the camels back
[EVO 4G General] swaze:
Just an observation.....but whenever a company does something unfavorable I find it quite ironic there are those who come out the woodwork with complaints about signals, customer service or whatever, when prior to this news there were zero issues being posted and everyone was hunky dorey.... im just sayin.
[EVO 4G General] Noxious Ninja:
It's probably also because if they upped the base plan price, all Evo and Epic owners would be able to get out of their contracts. But if they simply give everybody else a new fee, the people who bought expensive phones will be stuck.
[EVO 4G General] gpz1100:
Swaze, it's one of those things. Often times, things are overlooked because the net result is still worthwhile. As companies begin chipping away at the perks, the big picture is not as picturesque as before. The consumer is trying to stretch his dollar as far as possible, while the business is trying to get as many dollars as possible with the least cost. Everyone's needs are different, and for some, getting service with another provider may end up being more cost effective. In any given major market, there are plenty of competitors and even regional providers (alltel, us cellular). I was with USCC for the longest time (4 or 5 years), when my needs changed. Sprint was the next best option.
[EVO 4G General] PikkonX:
True, but I think that's because this isn't generally the place to be complaining about such issues since those are mainly based on luck (when calling into customer service) and your location. These type of topics just seem to open up the door to express those complaints though.

My personal story is that I've been with Sprint since 2008, but I just moved to an area where I have extremely poor reception and my new job offers a 15% T-mobile/20% Verizon discount. T-mobile had been on my mind since before I even picked up my Evo and their HSPA+ network is already here (no Wimax on the horizon). I'm also a big fan of their no-contract plans since I swore to never do anymore 2 year phone contracts. So I'm basically still with Sprint just for the heck of it since the other carriers would actually be cheaper for me. With this news being true, I'm likely gonna have to pay my ETF and jump to T-mobile as soon as their first dual core is announced.
[EVO 4G General] FoxRacR17:
Nicely put, that's exactly my situation, it bothered me that I get horrible service at my work, but the yearly upgrades was worth it. I overlooked the fact that my epic STILL does not have a official OTA 2.2 update, that I had to pay an extra 10 bucks for 4g when I don't live anywhere close to 4g. But now that they are chargng everyone the extra 10 bucks as a fee instead of part of the plan is just sleezy, and since they are taking away the yearly upgrade, and I can see verizon expanding LTE more quickly then sprint will expand Wimax, and verizon has better reception, it just makes sense for me to leave sprint, the yearly upgrade was mainly what was keeping me :/
[EVO 4G General] 4redstars:
EVO = 449 reg price

EVO = 199 on 2 year contract.

ETF after 12 months on Sprint = 120 dollars

EVO on 2 year contract cancelled after 12 months = 320 dollars...I think it is kind of worth it

http://shop.sprint.com/en/services/..._termination_fee.shtml?id16=early termination
[EVO 4G General] KB112:
I hated to be the bearer of bad news, but I had to let ya'll know about the change. Guess I get no love or "thanks" for the info, since i brought bad news to the forum?! WTF! LOL

But I just want the main issues cleared up.

1) Do we get to keep the current 12mo upgrade that shows on our accounts?

2) Does the Premium Data or Add a line fees count towards our MRC for Gold status?
[EVO 4G General] KB112:
Watch that ETF skyrocket in the next few months. Aren't most carriers $350? Although an ETF cannot be changed during a contract, that would be against the terms I believe. But everyone upgrading will probably get a new higher ETF from here on out.
[EVO 4G General] twiz0r:
No and no lol sorry kb

Swyped from my cyanogenized and gingerbreaded EVO
[EVO 4G General] creepyfuz:
Unless they come up with something to sweeten this up some they're gonna lose customers like mad. Again.
[EVO 4G General] Mediocrates:
If true, it really is one of the most boneheaded moves ever by Sprint. If people that signed their contracts were told by Sprint reps, and have gotten their Sprint Premier status, and read their current terms, it still says they are eligible for the discount at 12 months. But if this is not grandfathered in with current customers, I agree, there will be people flocking to other providers. Early upgrade was one of the main reasons I paid an ETF with T-mob, to come to Sprint. I will not hesitate to do the same with Sprint, if they do not grandfather current Premiere customers. Money talks, and I am more than happy to let mine talk elsewhere if this is how they treat their customers.
[EVO 4G General] gpz1100:
Perhaps this is a stroke of genius. Leak this information some time before the change actually takes effect to gauge response and feedback. Adjust terms accordingly when the final revision is released to keep churn to a minimal. Surely sprint monitors these forums to some extent.
[EVO 4G General] nosfanatic2006:
If they don't know the response their customers will have towards this, they're undescribably dumb
[EVO 4G General] akastixx:
it's the cost of doing business. costs go up. as long as they still honor the term of the contract (which it seems like they are) i don't see any fault. they are still priced well, and my evo gets more updates than most other phones if i were to have kept it stock.

those who are thifty enough will not care, because they are either "sero1" customers or "sero2" customers (like me) or call a bunch of times to lower their bill. even though they have to wait 22 months, they end up with the same amount or more money in their pockets.
[EVO 4G General] IceCreaMan:
They wont be flocking to verizon as they just removed that upgrade feature as well.

http://www.bgr.com/2011/01/18/verizon-wireless-confirms-end-of-new-every-two-early-upgrades/
[EVO 4G General] splmonster:
I think everyone is making a bigger deal out of this then they should be. Your still going to get a 1yr upgrade if you have the 69.99 plan or higher, it will just be $75 instead of $150 if your under the 89.99 plan individual. If your that plan or higher you will still receive the $150 upgrade that we all love having. It's not changing much other then everyone under the 89.99 won't receive the 2yr upgrade price every year. Which still beats every other carrier. No other carrier offers a 1yr upgrade anymore, VZW got rid of theirs. So at least Sprint is still offering it, they have just switched around discounts to what plans you have.

· Sprint Premier Gold customers receive all the current benefits of Premier, including annual upgrades on 1 line per qualifying plan (or 10+ years service). All other lines on a Premier account currently are upgrade eligible every 22 months under Sprint's New for You Program.

· To be Sprint Premier Gold, customers must have at least 6 months tenure and meet the following qualifications:

· Individual plans with a 3 month average MRC of at least $89.99 or

· Shared plans with a 3 month average MRC of at least $169.99 or

· Tenure of 10+ years with Sprint Wireless

· Good standing

Silver - $75 upgrade per year or $150 at 22 months.

Requirement:

$69.99 individual plan, or

$99.99 shared plan
[EVO 4G General] fixxxer2008:
that's what im going to have to do with my two lines on sprint. ill probably buy a couple of cheap older flip phones first, swap our numbers to them from my evo and my wifes blackberry then cancel my service so the good phones do not get bad esn's. ill have to make payment arraignments to pay off the eft which will be $400 for two lines. i think between my evo and her blackberry i could get about $350-400 on craigslist.

im still hoping sprint screws up and changes my plan or something in my contract so i can get out for free. as most know ive had tons of issues with sprint since ive been with them. it's time to move on to t-mobile which has a much better lineup of devices and plans. plus it's gsm so i can use whatever phone i want too. ;)

i think if anything these changes to sprint and verizon will hurt both companies.
[EVO 4G General] fixxxer2008:
agreed but t-mobile may get alot of new customers.
[EVO 4G General] kenvan19:
That's where I'm headed!

Sent from my cm7 Evo 4G!
[EVO 4G General] typeadam:
OK, I'm having a hard time understanding this.

When I log into Sprint there's a box saying that I'm a Premier Member. But my plan is 69.99....? + I get an employee discount and I don't think the fees, taxes, extras equal to $90+ ??? So how is this affecting me? I'm curious b/c I always try to get an upgrade every year. And it's worrying me as well.. Am I going to have to upgrade my plan to keep being a Premier Member?

Also, how do you guys check how long you've been w/ Sprint on their website??
[EVO 4G General] KB112:
Far as we know they only count MRC (monthly recurring charges). So what matters is the base price of your plan. If an employee discount lowers your bill it won't affect your premier status. Currently you qualify under the $69.99 Premier terms, as of 04/01/2011 you no longer qualify. So yes you will need to step up to an $89.99 base plan. I just opened a chat window and they were able to look up my time with Sprint.
[EVO 4G General] Evo_Shift:
Sprint's plans were the only thing keeping me which is why I bought the Shift instead of the G2... If this is true I am gone to a carrier with a better phone selection, though I do have awhile to wait now though. Most likely would jump on the T-mobile bandwagon next time I want a new phone probably this summer, ETF be damned.
[EVO 4G General] splmonster:
He will still qualify, just not for Gold. He will become Premier Silver.
[EVO 4G General] Lord Darth Vader:
Interestingly, my 10-year anniversary is 5/3/2011, one month after this plan change effective date. My 1-year upgrade date as it now stands is 10/2/2011.

I wonder if this means I'll get screwed.
[EVO 4G General] bkrodgers:
Premier Silver is pretty much a fancy name for "Not Premier."
[EVO 4G General] N4STYNATE:
Working for one of the big 4 carriers (cant say which :-/) I can tell you first hand, you can get ANYTHING by doing certain things.

1) ALWAYS ASK FOR EMPLOYEE ID #'s AND WRITE THEM DOWN. This gets the rep/sup to be on their best behavior, and you have a paper trail. Saying, "I spoke to John" doesnt help a damn bit

2) Call customer service in the

afternoon

, DO NOT GO TO A STORE

3) Be polite and soft spoken, hint that you are going to leave with things such as "what is my account # <-meaning you are porting out" or "I just cant afford this anymore, do you have any plans like the wal mart plan"... Bait the rep and they will try to get it out of you to stay

4) If you get a rep who doesnt care - hang up and call back

5) When it comes to a point in the conversation where you know its not gonna happen, ESCALATE! Ask for their supervisor. When they get on, have a GOOD REASON FOR LEAVING, such as price (quote other carriers, like boost or criket), having multiple replacements/issues with phone, billing errors, etc... There is a policy for everything. If you say "X", they can do "Y"

6) If the supervisor says no or isnt budging, ask how you can get in touch with corporate. This is the end of the road, and 99% of supervisors will change their tone.

7) All supervisors will be able to give you 2 year pricing on a new phone without any sweat off their back. This will be a win win for them. They get you in contract for 2 more years, and you get an actual reasonable price on a phone...

8) If you get off the phone and you still are empty handed, follow through with your threat and contact corporate (usually by email). Give them dates, times, employee ID #'s, and the like... They will want to keep you.

It sounds corny, but practice the call. It may take 3-4 calls to actually get it. I have done it for customers thousands of times. This is all true stuff. As we say, "just give them what they want and get them off the phone"... All reps are paid based on the amount of time the call takes.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil
[EVO 4G General] gpz1100:
Indeed this gets things rolling fast. Earlier this year I had an issue with one of my utilities. For several months now, during evening hours there were issues. Dealing with tech support was a waste of time. No one bothered to try to really recognize the issue and work out a solution. I had an inside contact that provided me with several key emails. I wrote up a rather professional sounding email, indicating i've been a customer for x years, and i'd like to continue being a customer, but if this does not get resolved, i will have to take my business elsewhere. Within 2 hours of the email I got a call from the head guy at local dispatch informing me of a truck roll. An hr from that time 2 trucks showed up. Within a week, the issue got fixed. The initial call into tech support came about 3-4 months prior.
[EVO 4G General] DirtyShroomz:
That doesnt with with Sprint. We canceled two accounts this month for abusers such as this.
[EVO 4G General] DirtyShroomz:
There is a lot more that goes behind the scenes than a customers threats.
[EVO 4G General] N4STYNATE:
I do not know in which department you work, nor does it matter. There is extenuating circumstances in which loyal customers deserve 2yr pricing on a device. I personally would classify this as one of them. Obviously you would not... But to disconnect an account due to this is violation of FCC regulation, unless the customer calling in was threatening or the like... However I clearly said keep calm tone.

My point was not to just leave sprint. Give them a chance to save your business. Its not like Im giving some code word to get free phones. Everything I said is basic practice when calling a company.
[EVO 4G General] gpz1100:
I think social engineering plays a role, among other factors. If the account is in good standing, always paid on time, customer doesn't demand frivolous credits, etc, then going that extra step will ensure the customer remains with the company.

Changing terms mid contract like this is really not good business practice. For all new and subsequent renewals past 4/1 (or whenever it is they implement this), it's is understandable that new perk terms would apply. I do realize this is technically not part of the contract, but in the customer's eye, it is - especially when it's been a perk for several renewal cycles.
[EVO 4G General] N4STYNATE:
agreed 100%
[EVO 4G General] twiz0r:
Good. Then I'll try this and have them cancel my account lol

Swyped from my cyanogenized and gingerbreaded EVO