Remember Sarah? She wrote to Consumerist after she went over on her minutes with Sprint after a death in the family, and was told she’d have to pay $100 as a result. If she had called customer service before she got her bill, however, she could’ve avoided such fees. We’re happy to report Sprint has agreed to help her out.

Sarah wrote in with an update, after we put her in touch with a Sprint rep who’d contact us regarding her story. Not only did her situation get resolved, but Sarah took the time to make a few suggestions to Sprint as to how they can improve customer service.

Sprint escalated the issue to their executive and regulatory services department, and it has since been resolved. As requested, they reimbursed me an additional $35 (plus any associated taxes). This means I paid for the overage minutes at the “bundled minute” price of $5 per 100 minutes instead of 45 cents per minute… meaning my out-of-pocket charges will be $15 instead of $100. This is a win-win for both of us. I paid for my incurred overage minutes (so they still get extra money) but at a fair price (which makes me a happier consumer).

I also requested that Sprint consider adding a process to alert customers when they are at or near their limit, so they can take action. I know Sprint does this for data plans, so it doesn’t seem like a stretch to put this into place. The manager I spoke with didn’t sound convinced about the need for it since Sprint customers “have many ways to check their minutes”; however, she said they would look into it.

See? All it takes is a little berating on our behalf.

Previously: Sprint: You Have To Call About Your Bill Before You Know You Need To Call About Your Bill

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.