Sprint's Vision is Blind
Written: Sep 21 '02
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Pros: uh, pros?
Cons: customer service, dropped calls, service failures, Claire, expensive
The Bottom Line: Vision is a step down from the already dreadful PCS. Don't do it, please, save yourself! Don't be fooled by the cool phones.
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| CreamChief's Full Review: Sprint Mobile Phone Service in Washington/Baltimor... |
How excited I was to get the new Handspring Treo 300 - a nice upgrade from the Samsung Palm phone. But, oh, what a tragedy dealing with Sprint. From the very first conversation with the Sprint rep activating my account, the lies and misinformation began accumulating.
The Vision plan
Sprint Vision promises high speed data connections for Internet use on the phone. Sure, that's great, but paying for each kilobyte can add up quickly. It would be nice to know how much data I have sent back and forth, but there is no way to know. So, let me summarize the various cons of the Vision service:
Expensive - 2MB included in the plan and 2 cents for each additional kilobyte. You can add 6MB for another $10.
Activation - Sprint needs to 'provision' the service once you get the phone. The man who set up my service told me that it would be active at midnight. At 1am I called, and was told it would be active in the morning. In the morning I called and was told that it would take up to 72 hours and I needed to leave my phone on and unused for a period of four hours.
Let me digress a moment about this provisioning . . . The phone must be on for an uninterupted period of four hours so that Sprint can 'provision' it - essentially downloading your user name and password into the phone. But, they cannot tell you when that four hours will be. So, they ask you to not use your phone, not even press a button, for four hours, but not knowing which four hours means that you are essentially being asked not to use your phone at all. They cannot say when this magic provisioning will happen, but apparently it will over the next 72 hours.
But, then the next guy said in 24 hours. Uh, I then have a phone that Sprint tells me not to use until they provision it.
Claire - This is the voice activated customer service system. I understand that some people like it, but it seems to take me to the wrong place whenever I call customer service. Perhaps, that is just an issue with my lack of patience. (Incidentally, Claire does not seem to understand profanity.) But then I just end up on hold for long, long, long periods of time - no matter what time of day I call.
The Sprint PCS Web site - Supposedly you can manage you account online. That would, however, assume that their Web site is functioning when you want it to. Oh, yes, it would also assume that your usage information is actually there, but it is not. I think it only works after a complete first billing cycle. I can't even get credit for dropped calls. Claire tells me that that information is not available for your account. Huh?
I still have not figured out how to logon to the Web site with the Vision account password. This is almost too convoluted to explain. In brief, the phone needs to have the same user name and password that you set up on the web site. But, that is a different user name and password than the PCS account. Yet, still, if you set the password on the Web site (which you are supposed to change after you logon the first time), you need to change it on the phone. Further, at that point, the password does not work on the web site. Aaargh . . .
The Phone service
So, I am merrily making calls, assuming all is well. I call my mother the other day. She tells me that she could not get through to me for something like 30-40 minutes before she gave up - 'all circuits are busy.' Okay, I shrug it off - busy day at the cell phone towers, I figure. Tonight I find out someone spent an hour trying to call me and got only a busy signal. A busy signal? - no call waiting, no voice mail, no error message, just a busy signal.
Sprint customer service says they will make a trouble ticket and fix it in 24-48 hours. I had to ask specifically to be notified if it will be fixed or not. How do you know if you are not receiving calls if people cannot call you to tell you?
The coverage and reception is spotty at best in the DC metro area. When I had the regular PCS service before, I got hit roaming even in Sprint coverage areas. If another signal is stronger, it seems that the phone will use that roaming service if it finds it before Sprint.
Like every other service, evening hours now start at 9pm. That really isn't evening any more - I consider it plain old nighttime by 9pm.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 60
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Epinions.com ID:
CreamChief
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Location: Maryland
Reviews written: 57
Trusted by: 13 members
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