Sprint will cancel the accounts of CDMA customers who “excessively” use roaming, starting March 15, 2007, according to a company document provided by an internal Sprint source.

Starting February 26, 2007, CDMA customers who roamed more than 50% during either November and December, or December and January (we’re not quite sure which, sorry!) will receive a mailed notice that their service will be canceled.

Graciously, Sprint won’t charge these customers an early termination fee.

For some customers, the cancellation will come as welcome release from Sprint. For others, it will be an annoyance and inconvenience.

So what of Sprint’s promises of “free roaming” or “roaming included?” Sorry folks, the all-you-can-eat buffet has a three-plate limit.

A source inside Sprint says,

The true irony is that during the summer when we stopped waiving ETFs for moving to an area outside of Sprint coverage, we would instruct specialists to offer a roaming package as a solution for no coverage… And now we are coming back and saying, “But roaming-included plans do not allow for the customer to live outside of Sprint coverage”

Full copy of the Sprint internal document announcing the change, inside…

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Sprint Enforces Terms and Conditions for Excessive Roamers
Communication to customers for excessive roaming which violates Terms and Conditions of Roaming Included Service Plans

Summary: Communication to customers for excessive roaming which violates Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) of Roaming Included Service Plans and results in Sprint’s enforcement of T&Cs through termination of service.
Specialists: All CDMA
Customers: CDMA customers identified with excessive roaming use.
Effective Date: 2/5/07
Details:

• Mail date of customer notification: 2/26/07
• Cancellation of customer account: end of bill cycle on or after 3/15/07
• CDMA customers were identified with excessive roaming usage which violates T&Cs specific to Roaming Included Service Plans.

Identified customers were notified by letter of the following:

• Level of roaming usage is not permitted by the terms of the Roaming Included Service Plans
• As a result, Sprint wireless service (and any other lines of service associated with the same Roaming Included Service Plan) will be terminated at the end of the next billing cycle that ends on or after 3/1507.
• Impacted customers will not be charged an Early Termination Fee (ETF)
• Impacted customers may be eligible for the Sprint Phone Buyback Program

Requirements:
• Customers identified with excessive roaming use

• Over 50% for 2 or more consecutive months.

• Customers who received notification of their excessive roaming use will be impacted.

Actions:
• Confirm information within the Customer Notification Letter
• Do not attempt to save these customers.
• Do not transfer these customers to Account Services to save.
• Do not re-activate the cancelled account for these customers.
• Do not establish a new account for these customers.
• Direct these customers to information on the Sprint Phone Buyback Program at http://www.sprintbuyback.com
• If customer’s final invoice is not correctly pro-rated.

• Follow standard procedures to properly final their account

Suggested Scripting:

‘Mr/Ms Customer, I do apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused. This is a final decision by Sprint and I have been given no ability to reverse the actions outlined in the letter you received. I can tell you that Sprint offers a program to buy back eligible phones and you can learn more about that at http://www.sprintbuyback.com. Again, I apologize that I cannot assist you any further at this time.’

— BEN POPKEN

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