Sprint Megathread: Dead Man Sprinting

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Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Anyone else been having service problems lately? My phone has not had service in almost 48 hours now and I have no idea what the deal is.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2011 15:26

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 01:42

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Can I activate an HTC Hero on my "dumbphone" SERO plan without upgrading the plan?

# ¿ Jul 7, 2011 18:32

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

At this point, I think the iPhone 5 coming to Sprint is basically the only thing that will get me to upgrade my dumbphone SERO plan.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2011 18:49

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

blargle posted:

Having just come from Verizon, the 3G (and call coverage to a lesser extent) of Sprint in the NYC suburb area is surprisingly terrible in comparison. Friends with Sprint just seemed to be used to it. However my contract is literally half the price, so it's worth it.

This. I'm in Minneapolis, and the coverage isn't even close to what Verizon has. I've been sitting in class with no reception before, right next to my buddy who has 5 bars. But once you factor the cost in, there's really no comparison in my opinion. Sprint's the way to go, at least as long as I can hang on to this SERO plan.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2011 18:41

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

I had some pretty terrible texting issues last week in Chicago as well. There were two days when my texts wouldn't send, despite my phone having full bars. I never figured out what the issue was, but it's been fine now for several days.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2011 03:33

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

dexplosivo posted:

If this is true, hello new phone.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903327904576526690675657466.html

Are we going to be able to get this on the $40 SERO Plan? My Touch Pro 1 can't handle much more use.

# ¿ Aug 26, 2011 19:23

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Hate to bring up Google Voice again, but is there any way to make it so my Google Voice number just rings my phone? When I pick up calls from the Google Voice number, I get a prompt where I have to choose to accept the call or send it to voicemail. I'd prefer to keep my Sprint number fully-functional as well.

Thanks.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2011 18:51

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Repost from the Sprint iPhone 4 thread: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/09/13/sprint_briefs_employees_on_apples_iphone_4_ahead_of_oct_launch.html

# ¿ Sep 14, 2011 23:12

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Duckman2008 posted:

Paying $100 for a TP2 is not a good move, fyi, phone just isn't worth that much anymore. This is a guess, but most people who still are suffering with a TP2 are on $30 SERO.

While we're somewhat on-topic, would you recommend the TP2 over, say, the Replenish or Rumor Touch as the best phone for the $30/mo. plan? Right now I'm still using a TP1, which was poo poo BEFORE my screen started being moody. I'm looking for something else to get me through the next year or so, until I jump on this iPhone bandwagon. I'm not too heavy on browsing the web, but I'd like to be able to look up directions and check Facebook and such on the phone. This low-level web browsing capability and cost are my two main concerns.

# ¿ Sep 26, 2011 14:00

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

A have a friend who works in marketing for Best Buy's mobile department. He claims that the big Sprint announcement this month is that the iPhone 5 is actually coming to the carriers this fall, Sprint included. He told me this in response to my assertion that Sprint was just about to announce the 4 coming to Sprint this fall, with the 5 to follow sometime this spring. Could be complete bullshit, but I thought it was worth sharing.

# ¿ Oct 2, 2011 23:23

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Jensen posted:

http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/03/sprint-guarantees-to-buy-over-20-billion-in-iphones-from-apple-launching-the-iphone-5-exclusively/

Horseshit or no?

I vote horseshit.

# ¿ Oct 3, 2011 20:21

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Looks like they'll be carrying the old iPhone 4 for $99. I assume that's with a contract extension. Wonder how long I'll have to wait to get it for that price without an extension? That'll be a good little goal for me to set for myself, let's see if the TP1 lasts that long.

# ¿ Oct 5, 2011 22:33

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

thisdude23 posted:

iPhone is allowed on SERO but it will be $50, which is still cheaper than others. I was told that even though it's not 4G that because it is a premium phone it will run $50. I'm cool with that.

drat, no iPhone for me then. Someday I'll have to join the big kids and get off the $30/mo. SERO... but that day is not today. It's just so hard to let go of the best investment I've ever made.

# ¿ Oct 6, 2011 23:01

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

I asked this same question a few pages back. Word on the street is that you're basically doomed. Some people have even reported that they've had to upgrade from their $30 SERO plans to add a new TP2. Our options appear to be: (1) hold out with our current phones; (2) stop being cheap and just upgrade out SERO plans; or (3) find out more about the possibility of adding a new dumbphone to our plans without upgrading them.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2011 23:32

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Alright, with the introduction of the iPhone on Sprint, I'm thinking I might finally step out of the stone age, and upgrade all the way to the $40 SERO Premium plan. What are my best options for phones?

The OP seems to indicate that anything that's not 4G or the iPhone should work on the $40 plan, which leads me to believe that the Optimus and Hero are my best options. Is there a 3G Evo?

I assume my $150 upgrade credit from Sprint will be useless, but I've noticed that the Sprint website offers a certified pre-owned Heros for $80 without the need for a contract extension. Am I better off trying to find something used with a clean ESN, and just calling that number in the OP to get it hooked up? I've got a pretty decent gift card balance with Amazon; do they have good deals on phones without plans?

Blakkout fucked around with this message at 07:34 on Dec 26, 2011

# ¿ Dec 26, 2011 07:29

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Lovie Unsmith posted:

There's no 3G Evo, the current consensus on the best 3G phones are the LG Marquee (Android) and the HTC Arrive (Windows Phone 7). LG Optimus is also decent but a bit older now. Don't bother getting a Hero nowadays, anything newer will serve your purposes less painfully.

Why do you think your $150 upgrade is no good?

And yes, $50 SERO is for the 4G phones and the iPhones.

To be clear, phone upgrades can only be used if you're signing up for a new plan, which they won't let us SERO people do unless we swap to another plan, correct?

My exposure to Window's OS is limited to my terrible time with the Touch Pro 1 (which is what I'm currently using). If the best options on the $40 SERO are the Marquee and Arrive, I think I'll try my hand at this Android thing. Is the Hero an Android? Can I buy my choice phone anywhere, so long as it's a Sprint phone? My issue is that without the $150 credit, I'll be getting rapped on dealing directly with Sprint. The Marquee is going to run me $350 directly from Sprint.

Thanks again.

Blakkout fucked around with this message at 23:50 on Dec 28, 2011

# ¿ Dec 28, 2011 23:21

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Wow. I think you guys just saved me $150. Much appreciated.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2011 03:27

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Chiming in to thank everyone for the LG Marquee recommendation. Huge improvement from my Touch Pro 1, especially considering how hard it was to use the old phone with a broken touch screen. Only gripe is that Android seems to be capable of so much awesome poo poo, that I'm finding it's hard to actually get it to do exactly what I want sometimes. Oh well, fun little project for me to work on.

FWIW, everything about them forcing everyone to upgrade to $40 SERO premium, AND get the $10 premium data add-on seems to be true. All phones available on Sprint after some specific date (varied based on who I talked to) are going to be subjected to this additional cost. The Marquee is the last phone that I know to be universally safe for sure, and the Admiral seemed to be pretty YMMV.

# ¿ Jan 6, 2012 05:18

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Has anyone had any issues using the prepaid phone rebate cards they've gotten?

I got a $50 American Express "prepaid reward" card from Sprint as part of a rebate for my phone. After I activated it, tried to use it at Target, and they wouldn't accept it. They wanted me to take it to a bank to get the value off of it somehow. My trip to Wells Fargo was just as fruitless. The manager there pointed out that on the back, the card clearly says I can't just take a cash advance off of it. They wanted me to take it to some store, and treat it like one of those $50 prepaid Visa gift card. One of the two managers I spoke with is clearly full of poo poo. How do I get my $50 off of this thing?

# ¿ Mar 6, 2012 20:52

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

I just got a notice after logging into Sprint's picture mail site (http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/pictureMail/) saying that the site's being discontinued in April. Is there an alternative way to see all of your media messages online, or are we just out of luck after April?

# ¿ Mar 16, 2012 03:57

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Is there a free photo gallery app that displays all of my pictures in one directory by default? The stock app is pretty annoying.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2012 05:24

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Any chance sprint does away with the EPRP plan anytime soon? My girlfriend is grandfathered into some AT&T plan that seems to be cheaper that every plan I've come across other than the EPRP, but her contract doesn't end until February. I'm hoping it'll last until then.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 02:43

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Keshik posted:

Someone add this number to the OP

Sales line for SERO users - 888 882 4030

The SERO customer service number is for stuff related to the plan, etc. If you qualify for an upgrade or want to buy poo poo, that is the number to call.

I can never keep the SERO phone numbers straight, so this is awesome to have for future reference. I guess someday I'll probably go ahead and upgrade to the $50/mo. SERO big boy plan. Someday.

# ¿ Jan 21, 2014 22:47

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Yeah, I've found it seems to be a coin flip as to whether you're able to get the activation fee waived. I always thought you could talk your way around it until my last upgrade, when I just couldn't make it happen. As for the "surprise" screen protector, that is some serious bullshit right there.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2014 17:57

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Stick100 posted:

Sprint phones are crazy cheap on swappa.com.

I've never heard of this site, but I'm in the market for something newer than my Marquee. Is this a legit place to get used phones? Any other reputable online dealer come to mind?

# ¿ Jan 28, 2014 00:05

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

I'm on SERO premium and am eligible for an upgrade. When I browse through Sprint's phones online though, I can only see discounted priced when I have an option selected to renew under a new 2-year deal. I was under the impression that they wouldn't renew any SERO contracts, so am I only able to get the upgrade discount if I give up on my current SERO plan? I'm pretty sure I've successfully upgraded in the past without doing so, but I can't seem to figure this out.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2014 21:36

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Hmm... maybe I'm just making it up. If they'll renew me on a new 2-year SERO deal, I guess that solves that problem.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2014 21:47

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Wilford Cutlery posted:

Just called SERO telesales and ordered a Nexus 5 for my upgrade:
code:
Phone and accessory subtotal: $161.98 
Activation/Upgrade fee: $36.00
Estimated shipping: $12.00
Estimated tax: $22.53
Total: $232.51
Is it too late to call back and ask for some fees to get waived?

What's the phone number for SERO telesales? I've always used the website for past SERO upgrades, but I have one coming up soon. Also, what fees if any are they typically willing to waive? Shipping?

# ¿ Aug 5, 2014 19:01

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

ExcessBLarg! posted:

Is there any reason to think the iPhone 6 would not be available for subsidized upgrade on SERO 500 + Premium Data?

I'm wondering this myself. I called the SERO sales number on Friday (9/12/14) because I'm eligable for an upgrade and wanted to know how much the 6 and 6 Plus would cost. The rep would not discuss it for some reason, which made me worry that they might not let me use my upgrade credit on either of the new iPhones.

heavy liquid posted:

I finally got through on the Sprint website, but it's telling me that I need to change my plan for the iPhone 6. I have SERO Premium 500. Anyone else run into this?

Are you eligible for an upgrade? What prices were the 6 or 6 Plus showing up at?

# ¿ Sep 15, 2014 19:02

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

DarkestLite posted:

I wasn't even told launch day was an option, so you got it better than me. I was told 4-6 weeks straight off, and that I'd be getting a call when it was there. I'm hoping I'll get a call next week, but not really expecting it.

I did get a receipt with the guy telling me rather sternly "Do not lose this." which honestly made me a bit nervous but there's no way I'll lose the $400 down payment I put down, even if I do lose it. That being said, I have it safe.

I'm in the Bay Area and could walk to AppleHQ. That should be an option for pickup

I'll be curious to see how long the turn around time really is for the 6 and 6+. Really looking forward to upgrading my LG Marquee running 2.3.4 from like 2011. If this really takes forever I might just stay on the non-4G/iPhone SERO for another two years and just get something that at least runs 4.4.4. I'm so lame, but My ~$45/mo. cell phone bill is pretty great.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2014 18:53

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

td4guy posted:

I seriously doubt that you're gonna find a phone running 4.x that qualifies for the SERO $40 plan. The LG Marquee was, like, the last phone released that qualified. Any 3G phone released after ~October 2011 requires the extra $10 Premium Data just like the 4G phones.

Sprint's site says the HTC One M8 qualifies for the plan. I think it runs 4.4.4.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2014 22:14

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Yeah, sorry to say it, but everyone on SERO needs to call the SERO sales number to buy new phones. FWIW I ordered the iPhone 6 on Wednesday, had it in my hands on Friday, and they waived the activation fee (still paid $13.XX for shipping).

EDIT: It's happening: http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/03/technology/mobile/sprint-layoffs/index.html?iid=Lead

Blakkout fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Nov 3, 2014

# ¿ Nov 3, 2014 20:01

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

td4guy posted:

I found a post on HoFo mentioning this. Apparently they want to force you onto unlimited minutes for $60, rather than 500min for $50. Looks like I'm gonna be forced to upgrade to the $50 SERO Premium plan ASAP, a year or two before my town even gets LTE.

edit: plan change went smoothly

This is bullshit. The minutes are probably the least important aspect of the plan, especially considering your weekend and weeknight minutes don't even count toward the 500 minute total. I usually use like 15-30 minutes per month.

# ¿ May 15, 2015 19:29

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

I'm holding onto my SERO until they kill it. Probably the best investment I've made through SA.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2015 17:23

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

the littlest prince posted:

Old, normal SERO is $30. The SERO Premium plans are $40 and $50.

Also, they warned pretty strongly that you may not be able to go back to the old plan later. I haven't heard of anyone trying it but I would guess that they would not allow it for anyone.

This is right. The SERO $50 Premium/Whatever plan is the most expensive the plan gets, and should work with every Sprint phone out there. I just upgraded to the iPhone 6 in October and my total bill comes out to like $56.XX each month. Be sure to call the number in the OP when you're trying to do anything related to the SERO plan. You can also call them and ask things like "How much will it cost for me to add phone X to the plan?," etc. The website and it's information isn't always accurate.

# ¿ Jul 13, 2015 17:43

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Imaginos posted:

Looks like Sprint has a preview of the Black Friday deals on their site.
I am still on SERO and was hoping to get an S6 out of it at least to replace my S4. And yes, I am eligible for an upgrade right now. Just wanted to see if there was a sweeter deal before I pull the trigger.
I know the S7 can't be far. Hold out longer?

I'd wait until spring for the S7 unless there's a killer Black Friday deal. It's just too close to settle for less without a real reason. $0.02.

# ¿ Nov 23, 2015 20:49

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

With Amazon increasing their free shipping threshold to $49, this might actually be worth it if you can pay $11 for only one month and get out thereafter.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2016 16:30

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

If I'm eligible for an upgrade, do I have any alternative other than these 18-month "lease" programs or 24-month installment programs? The last time I upgraded was only about two and a half years ago, but at that time they didn't have this system. Seems expensive. Are the days of buying the new iPhone for a one-time $200 fee over?

Original SERO if that matters.

Blakkout fucked around with this message at 04:54 on Apr 20, 2017

# ¿ Apr 20, 2017 04:27

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Those two: 18-month lease or 24-month payment plans (that total like twice what I'd expect an upgrade to cost).

# ¿ Apr 22, 2017 07:25

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 01:42

Blakkout: Aug 24, 2006; No thought was put into this.

Fair enough. Might have to go the same route.

# ¿ Apr 23, 2017 05:56

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