I'm willing to bet that he'll get an ETF billed on his final bill, for which he will have to call and start the process over. Any takers?

I didn't realize you could do stuff like this over chat.

@AngrySicilian: Sounds pretty on the level, but knowing Sprint, they'll cook up something to get more money.

But, if the email was sent from sprint and it has the full chat session, they will not get far trying to enforce the ETF on him...

@Zeniq: It makes sense really, everything has a text record, which is more reliable and less resources to record. You can record every conversation rather than just a few sessions as a sample. And no "accent rage".

@AngrySicilian: Either that or he'll get a bill 6 months to a year from now with some outrageous charges including the ETF and monthly charges and fees accumulated.

What I want to know is, why is Hillary Clinton jumping off the plane?

@AngrySicilian: I'm guessing they'll pull a "We didn't process your final payment until Dec 2. ETF REINSTATED!"

Or they'll be total nice guys about it. By the way, how does "Mhm" end up in chat? Or is this a transcript of a phone call?

@MrFalcon: LoL

I canceled a Sprint account after my contract was up and they still charged me an ETF, then refused to remove it and sent it to collections where it sat without me knowing for a year. Then I got a letter saying I owed over $300 and I disputed then heard nothing for another year and got another letter...Damn that Sprint!

Does anyone know if Rogers has anything like this? I'd love to get out of my contract with them.

@MrFalcon: Since she doesn't have a parachute, it must mean my wish has come true!

@AngrySicilian:

What kind of odds are you offering? I may take a piece of that action.

$170.34 ??????

$170.34 ??????

Anything over $19.95 per month is way to much and the OP is spending $170.34? Gezus Fhrist.

I sympathize with people who hate sprint but having snagged a 30$ a month SERO plan last year I feel like I want to keep sprint forever.

I'm betting the CSR had the Jordache look

@JPMarat: High-five. Same as you.

@Carias: I too, am stuck with rogers, as soon as there is a letter with my bill about a change to the contract i will be leaving. unfortunately they don't seem to change their contract often

@Corporate-Shill: Well, two lines, so two phones, which probably means he's paying off the price of two phones, meaning mandatory plans. I agree, that's a bit pricey, but if there's data plans, or other things like that, they can rack up the charges.

Jermaine B blew him off because he was about to go over the 3 minutes time limit that he could spend with one customer, thereby jeopardizing his performance bonus.

He will be charged the ETF.

i really hope he doesn't get charged the termination fees.
those fees are ridiculous glorified scams, and phone companies know it.

the only selling point on a contract is the "rebate" discount on the phone.
check a best buy newspaper ad; you can see those discounts are basic lies.
motorola razr $50 after supposedly huge contract rebates on one page,
but the same motorola razr as a "pre-paid" phone for $50 on the next page.

we truly need people to stand up to this in any way,
and even more than that we need someone to fight to end them.

Printed off this page at 4:00pm. Dialed up Chat Sprint at 4:05pm. Phone line canceled at 4:26pm.

We'll see if the ETF is on my bill at the end of the month, but I have the documentation to back up the cancellation, and the conversation went exactly like Ken's. I'm optimistic.

My contract is void. Effective immediately! I can port my number right away!

Thanks Consumerist!

@parad0x360: Their Jamaican collections division is a real treat to deal with. I had a very similar thing happen (because of a Sprint F*ckup), and I had several active lines with the bastards. Their "collections" people have no clue or way of researching whether the debt is valid, or even if you were aware Sprint even had anything in dispute!

Lucky you, as the Sprint mafia couldn't threaten to shut off your phones "tomorrow" if you didn't cough up $2,000.00 that you did not owe them.

If Sprint didn't f*ck their customers over so much, they could have had a chance at being taken seriously as a phone company. But instead, their powerless employees tend to want to play amateur mafia bosses instead. (is there anyone selling "protection" from the Sprint goons?)

@JPMarat: Don't worry - Sprint will be coming for the SERO people soon. Your peace with their system will be shattered, and they'll aim right at your soul with their evil customer mishandling. I pity the tens of hours I've spent with the Sprint assclowns since they made their last "agreement" with me (Sprint's "agreements" turn out to mean they can change every damn thing they want, as often as they want, and I need to take it up the ass or fight hard).

I think that new "Hesse" Sprint CEO character we see on TV may be behind trying to screw up what wasn't already f*cked at Sprint. And after Sprint has chased away all their customers, Hesse'll probably be flying his private jet over to Washington to beg for some bailout money for that mismanaged company too.

@Blueskylaw: I'd count on it. At least Sprint can't threaten to cut off his service "tomorrow" if he doesn't pay them.

OP: Retain a lawyer if you can, perhaps a simple letter with a copy of the chat text will chase off the Sprint shit buzzards.

Sprint asked me to verify what page the language was inserted in my bill (which I did not know since I have not received it)...Can anyone tell me what section/page they found the offending text in?

Also, what is the procedure to port to another carrier? Do I cancel first with Sprint and then go to one of the others or is it the other way around?

Thanks in advance!

@snowlock: actually, the low prices of the PAYG phones are subsidized by their exorbitant per minute rates and/or daily access fees. they can risk this since most who buy these phones do so because they have no ability to get a post-paid contract and WILL use it. but there is also a reason why these PAYG phones are bottom feeder devices and not top-of-the-line models, i.e. you'd never see a $300 retail device in a PAYG blister pack at your Walmart checkout line.

simply put, you're comparing apples to oranges on many different levels to support your weak argument.

granted, the ETF system is a fraud, but only because of the prior practice to indiscriminately charge the full fee no matter how long before the contract is due to expire. the only way it's fair to the consumer is by pro-rating it.

your complaint is also moot as you're more than welcome to avoid any contract by paying the full retail price of a phone. for those who want that shiny, new, cutting edge device but are unable or unwilling to drop $200+ upfront, subsidizing is a valued option.

sorry, but you and others need to simply realize that some of the more advanced phones on the market are NOT worth $50. even the sum of the iPhone 3g's parts totaled over $130 (parts only, no labor or R&D factored in).

lastly, to cap off this novel i've written, a contract is a contract, and anyone signing one should be aware of its terms and conditions. all consumers are able to reject the contract before signing and just buy the phone full price. no matter how unfair the contract may be, the person signing should have enough personal pride and honor to live up to that contract, no? or if it's truly that unfair, pay full price and go contract free, yes?

i just tried this and if you cancel now you will see an ETF on your bill. So wait until after the 1rst where you will have 30 days to to chat in or call in and cancel to have the ETF waived. The change takes effect on the 1rst of january so you have to wait until the first of january to cancel.

@AngrySicilian: eh, when I canceled my T-Mobile in July, I did get a bill with the ETF included. When I got it, I called and it fixed literally within 2 minutes.

Does anyone have a link for sprint chat? I figure it would be easier, and more reliable to cancel through that than over the phone, and I cannot seem to find it anywhere.

I tried to leave Sprint using a similar method, and it worked. They told me I wouldn't be charged the ETF, but they sneaked it onto my credit card two months later. After that, my credit card company charged it back, Sprint charged again, and then my credit card company charged it back. I never heard anything more of it after that.

@Burgandy: Secret Service visit in 3...2...1...

Where do I go to chat online with Sprint? I can not find it anywhere. I'm having a really hard time getting out of my contract of course. Seems like you guys get it done right away. I have been to about 15 different people.

@xman31: Yes but Tmobile and Sprint are MILES APART in customer service.

With Sprint you'd be lucky to get it fixed in 2 HOURS if at all.

@cynical_bastard: It's not something that companies want widely known, because there is a solid written record as opposed to only a phone conversation that may or may not be recorded.

@BenettaAsclepius: You need to start your new plan prior to canceling. Otherwise, the number will be released back into the company's pool of numbers.

Make sure the number has successfully ported before canceling. Though you may want/need to call your current provider to handle the ETF thing.

Hey to all those people saying,"oh don't bother it didn't work for me" Please, obviously they didn't know hwo to handle a customer service scenario playing the angry customer and probably didn't handle it maturely. I called them in, no arguments, no screaming, just two adults intelectually speaking. I told her the issue, she told me they were waiving them. Of course she did her best to save me, but I no longer needed my sprint contract, but she was very helpful and was able to get me out of my ETF and waive it. It is possible. You just have to talk smart.

@NVsinner: thanks for the enormous response

the specific example i've used is a bit outdated.
the deals available have since gotten a lot better,
in addition to the improvements you've pointed out.

i have long since began to do just what you've suggested,
buying a brand-new "unlocked" phone online without renewing a contract.
it is a brand i trust, it has the features i need and it cost around $90.
my contract is up at the end of the month, and i'm intersted to see
just how it will go if i walk into a different carrier's office with phone in-hand.
i would say it might take more "pride" to get out of a raw deal,
rather than just sort of go with it and pay something you dislike.

i tend to believe average joe consumer doesn't need a $400 phone.
upselling aside, there should be an affordable alterative to such a thing
that doesn't involve signing a contract, or paying an exorbitant upcharge.

none of that changes my core argument:
there are still phones that can cost $200 "with contract rebate,"
but could be found elsewhere, sans contracts, for the same price.
one just has to compare prices between a wireless company's official site
and somewhere like ebay, where the phones may even be unlocked.
doesn't that mean more labor was involved than at the phone company?

i don't know a lot about setting retail prices for electronics,
but for me the value of something is set by the lowest price i can find.

Has this worked for anyone with T-Mobile? They signed me up for a two year contract when I explicitly asked for one year. I tried to cancel thinking I was well out of my contract and they told me I have to wait until the end of July.

@LucyTuzy: I found it easier with T-Mobile to cancel the account with an ETF, charge it to my AmEx, and then file a chargeback/dispute with AmEx explaining my reasons for canceling (I was being charged for services I was not receiving, and T-Mobile never fixed it after 6 months and a dozen or so calls). AmEx took care of all the work for me, and I never heard from T-Mobile again.

I was able to also get this done via Sprint Chat for my Connection Card. Mine went easier than this one. See below:

09:34:20 System System Connected to sprint-ap2.cnxchat.com
09:34:20 System System Session ID: 4222726
09:34:26 System System Please hold and the next available agent will be with you shortly.
09:34:26 System System Hi! Thanks for waiting. Because we take your security and privacy very serious, please be prepared to provide your account PIN or password or security answer.
09:34:26 System System Christopher B has joined this session!
09:34:26 System System Connected with Christopher B
09:34:36 Agent Christopher Thank you for contacting Sprint. My name is Christopher. How may I assist you today?
09:34:44 Customer Matthew I want to cancel my account.
09:35:51 Agent Christopher B Matthew, may I ask why you would like to cancel your account?
09:36:04 Customer Matthew Numerous reasons, too complicated to get into.
09:36:41 Agent Christopher B Before you are able to cancel the account, the balance of 95.44 must be paid. Would you like for me to take a payment for you?
09:37:13 Customer Matthew I have until Dec 1 to make that payment
09:37:44 Customer Matthew I'm sorry, Dec. 14
09:39:16 Agent Christopher B One moment please while I transfer you to account services.
09:40:45 System System You are being transferred to another queue. Please stand by...
09:40:45 System System Christopher B has left this session!
09:40:51 System System Sarah HH has joined this session!
09:40:51 System System Connected with Sarah HH
09:40:51 Agent Sarah HH Thank you for contacting Sprint, my name is Sarah. Please allow me a moment to review your previous chat.
09:41:26 Agent Sarah HH Thank you for your patience. I am accessing the account at the moment
09:42:21 Agent Sarah HH For account verification, may I please have the 6-10 digit PIN number on the account or the answer to your security question?
09:42:28 Customer Matthew XXXXXXX
09:42:51 Agent Sarah HH Thank you for that information
09:43:06 Agent Sarah HH Do you perhaps know of anyone that would like to have this line? If so then we would be able to have this line transferred to their account or have an account set up for them.
09:43:35 Customer Matthew No I do not. Also, I am interested in only closing my Connection Card, not the phone plan
09:44:25 Agent Sarah HH Thank you. That's not a problem. Did you know that you would be able to change that connection card into a phone line?
09:44:55 Customer Matthew No. Also, I was told also that my ETF would be waived because of the Admin Charge clause now in my contract: "Administrative Charge Effective Jan. 1, 2009, the Administrative Charge will increase to $0.99 per line. For details on surcharges, please see Sprint Terms & Conditions or visit sprint.com/taxesandfees"
09:45:46 Agent Sarah HH Thank you. You are correct. I would be able to waive that in this case.
09:46:23 Customer Matthew Thank you. I do not need another line. I will pay my outstanding balance once I receive confirmation of the cancellation of my connection card.
09:46:41 Agent Sarah HH Thank you. Please allow me one moment to process this cancellation
09:47:32 Agent Sarah HH Thank you. It has been set to cancel on 12-20 which is the last day of your billing cycle. It get set to this date because Sprint charges for one month in advanced so you will not be charged for the last month of service. And the early termination fee has been waived
09:47:51 Customer Matthew Thank you very much for your help.

Sadly, my experience from the original "Escape Sprint ETF free..." article wasn't as pleasant as this. I called up customer service as normal, and told them I'd like to cancel my account and wanted my ETF waived and why. The representative said that they weren't going to be able to waive the fee because it was a government mandated tax increase. Naturally she quickly sent me to the "cancellation" department, where I mentioned that I was told my ETF would be waived due to the administration charge increase... Immediately the representative got defensive and told me there was "no way that could happen unless we sent you a notice saying you could have your ETF fee waived." He mentioned that the fee's changing "aren't covered as a modification of contract." When I told him the breach of contract and note detailing said change was grounds, he began getting upset, raising his voice, and repeating himself. I quickly asked to speak to his supervisor, to which he transferred me. The supervisor seemed nice enough, and I pleasantly asked her to waive my ETF and explained why I would like her to do so. She said that in the terms and agreements it states that they can modify fees at any time. I repeated that this was a violation of our contractual agreement and that as such, my end of the contract (ie. the fee) didn't have to be paid. It went on for some time until she "made a note" in my account. I told her I'd be calling back and we were done.

Given the success rate of the online conversations, sounds like I'm gonna switch it to that.

Question -- For those who are fine with Sprint at the moment (best price for 4 lines), are you able to just cancel the contract and stay on as a customer with Sprint? I guess I want the flexibility of being able to jump ship any time I want. Anyone know?

Thanks.

This worked for me as well. Had almost the same questions Ken has chatting with Jordache (I had a different CS rep). I had major issues with reception in my area so I built a case with multiple calls, tickets, etc. I used that and the admin fee as basis for my account cancellation without fees.

@VimalVarus:

I know how to handle customer service, you just got lucky who spoke to over the phone. You just better hope that they don't actually charge you on your account, cause they are known to do so, cause they can tell you one thing over the phone and another on the account. For myself I have an email detailing it. Good Luck

I just got them to cancel my account too. it will be cancelled as of dec. 16th, with no ETF. First i called and had a discussion with a very rude account services rep. and she told me the only thing they could do was waive the fee until the end of contract.... Its a lot easier to cancel on sprint chat but make sure to say that you are cancelling because of a material change in the contract not just because of the increase in charges they will try to sucker you into staying.

Has anybody had any luck doing this and transferring their phone number onto a new cell account? If so, how do you think I best go about this to keep my number?

Another data point: I got total success! Using the OP's magic words over chat, no muss, no fuss.

I just did it and it went smooth as silk. Sprint rep said 3 seperate times no EFT fee will be charged. I got the whole chat in notepad so if anything fishy happens I can dispute it.