Ripoff

More than a year after spending $300 for a wireless pc card and agreeing to pay $60 per month, I lost the pc card.  After searching in vain for six weeks, and of course not using the device, I called Sprint and reported the pc card lost or stolen.  Sprint told me that they would list the device as lost or stolen and block it's usage.  I was told that the only way I could close my account was to pay the bill including early termination fees in full.  And so even though I had not used the device at all in six weeks, I did pay my bill in full for $168.34.  I was told that my account was paid in full and closed.  Then, the following month, I got another bill from Sprint for an additional $120+.  When I called Sprint to ask about this bill, I was told that even though the device was reported lost or stolen and blocked from usage, Sprint charged me for another month of usage, plus other fees that I had been previously told were paid in full.  When I replied that it made no sense that I was being billed an additional month for a device that was blocked after paying the early termination fees and closing the account, Sprint said that they would get a supervisor on the phone.  I held on the line for and hour and twenty minutes until the battery went dead on my phone.  I called another time to resolve the issue, and getting passed from person to person and answering the same 20 questions over and over and over, I was left on hold another  40 minutesI

I realized that not only was Sprint intentionally charging for services that were not delivered, but they were intentionally avoiding all attempts to get a resolution to this matter.  For all I know Sprint is going to try to bill me again next month for another month that the device was blocked.  Sprint did tell me that if I don't pay the bill, they will send it to collections and ruin my credit.  I pay my bills.  But, out of principle I'm going to fight this one.  $120 is not a lot of money, but if Sprint rips off a million people for $120 that is a lot of money.

I have filed a complaint with the FCC.  I have filed a complaint with the BBB.  I have filed a complaint with the Arizona Attorney Generals Office.  I have mailed two  certified letters to Sprint (with no response).  The terms of the contract state that I have given up my right to civil litigation, and must submit to binding arbitration.  I have requested binding arbitration from Sprint, with no response.  I have contacted two local television stations (ABC 15 Investigates, and 3 On Your Side) and hope to get an on screen interview with both.  I am now in the process of posting my story on 30 different complaint forums like this one.

Sprint does this because they know that these corporate practices will be profitable to varying degrees in 99.99% of the cases.  Unfortunately for Sprint, I am that 1 in 10,000.