Sprint Shuts Down Your Phones, Demands $500 Deposit 2 Days After Activation

Peter is a longtime, but not particularly happy Sprint customer. Still, his nephew could get more from Big Yellow than with his previous provider, so the two went to the Sprint store to move his service over. It wasn’t unexpected that a young man without much of a credit history would have a limits on his account, but Peter was surprised when Sprint disconnected his nephew’s phones and demanded a $500 deposit that they had been assured at the Sprint store wasn’t required.

I’m a 10 year customer of Sprint, having lots of downs and very few ups.

Sunday I took my college bound Nephew to Sprint to port his number over from another service, giving him more services than his previous provider.

A customary long delay later and we were told that due to his credit history (or lack thereof) he was only approved for 2 lines and a $300 spending cap on the line. We asked about a 3rd line they called into their credit department to inquire – nope only two lines and $300 cap.

We paid for the phones, being notified of the cap and that our porting the numbers over would result in a credit after two months then we were sent on our way with working phones.

Two days later, the phones are disconnected – my Nephew calls in and learns that their accounts are beyond the spending limit. He is told that he would have to pay $250 per line deposit in which to have service re-enabled.

At the Sprint store we are told repeatedly that if a deposit were due, then it would have to be paid before service was enabled as the system blocks activation if it’s required.

After multiple calls to Sprint, ‘supervisors’ and the Sprint credit department they continue to state a deposit must be made to continue the account. All the while ignoring the fact that a contract was signed and phones activated without one.

Now we have a 7 day grace period in which the phones have been re-activated while Sprint demands $500 to be paid or the service will be disconnected again.

Sprint has been unable to explain why these phones were sold and activated without requiring a deposit at the point of sale. I’ve been told to pay the $500 or return the phones, have them re-ported over to the previous provider and go away. I feel Sprint agreed to a contract and now wants to change the terms after the fact, and should not be able to just get away with that.

Are they picking up tips from sleazy car dealers?

Maybe. Perhaps someone at the Sprint Consumerist Hotline can help.

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