millwrightbrian

Hello everyone,
First off hope I posted this in the correct spot if not I can move it and sorry in advance

I have always been a huge sprint fan, but I was looking to upgrade my phone at sprint. I am deaf and have the deaf only plan. Little over 2 yrs ago the plan was $29.99 for unlimited text and data. Then sprint bumped the price up to $29.99+$10 for data even if you didnt want data.
NOW SPRINT IS CHARGING $44.99+$10 FOR THE SAME EXACT SERVICE I HAVE HAD FOR FOR YEARS.
THIS IS A 50% PRICE INCREASE AND I DONT SEE HEARING PEOPLE'S PLANS RAISING 50% IN THE LAST 2 YEARS.
This makes me sick that Sprint wants to stick it the deaf community. If they want to charge more for 4G then that's fine its not like 99% of the people even get 4G in the first place. I don't know what to do or how to address this, do any of you guys know how to address this issue correctly?
If you break down the prices a hearing person pays it does not add up. They pay $19.99 for text unlimited and why are we having to pay so much more?
Can I get a lawyer to handle a case like this? Just doesn't seem right that sprint can raise prices 50% in little over 2 years.

Am I the only one that thinks this is wrong.

Please help need guidance
Brian (Use to be a huge Sprint fan, but now heart broken )

Deafness

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soutthpaw

that rate is only for the iphone 4s, if you go with an android device it is 29.99+10 for data.. There is no law from preventing a company from raising their rates on new contracts.

Foxrac

Wow, I used had Sprint for short time in 2007 and monthly cost was $30 for unlimited data, text, phone as modem (PAM). Sprint started adopt cap on tethering to 5 GB in 2009, I think so.

Yup, Sprint has changed so much and if you want iPhone with cheaper data so you should goes with att - only cost $50, only $5 cheaper than Sprint and you will get 4G (HSPA+).

I don't understand why Sprint charged premium data for iPhone 4S because they don't support 4G on Sprint's network.

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Foxrac

Yup, I just checked and you are correct.

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PowerON

Sprint network has grew more coverage. Yes, I'm fine with $40/month.

I'm still on $30/month with Sprint on my Palm Pre.

Of course, I'll get new phone somewhere this year. That make me sad.

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soutthpaw

sprint still is the best deal for unlimited data. if you root your phone you can do unlimited wireless hotspot for no extra charge as well as remove bloatware from sprint and do full backup etc. I am using the Epic. I may upgrade next year, but I really like the physical keyboard...

PowerON

Sprint
$40

at&t
$45

Verizon
$55

Tmobile
no deaf plan but best guess is $50

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Evo Dragon

I'm still using old HTC Evo 4G with $29.99+$10 a month in Sprint Relay store. It won't same deaf data plan with iPhone device in Sprint Relay store online.

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GrayEagle

I have the Samsung Epic 4G (although I keep it a 3G and it's plenty fast without wiping the battery faster). I was a Sidekick user, for several years, on their deaf plan, data only, and loved it. Even upgraded 3 times to new Sidekicks. Then the December before they killed the Sidekick (2010), I bought a new Sidekick Dec. 2010, then got a letter early in 2011 the Sidekick service would be dead in May. I kept going in the shops to ask about the data only plan, were they replacing the Sidekick with an Android, etc. Staff said to hang on, new Sidekick would be coming out before deadline of May when service to old Sidekicks were discontinued. (I was told the reason Tmobile had to stop the Sidekick service was that Danger was bought out and TMobile didn't have the techs to run the programming or something; AT&T bought Danger to shut down the Sidekick ??? ) Anyway, I kept going back and finally they said the new Sidekick Android would cost me over $300; *no* discount for being a loyal previous Sidekick (and I always got major discounts to upgrade to a new Sidekick before), and that the data only plan would now be $50 on top of that. I got and that was it. I walked out.

I used Sprint Relay when I had my TTY for the home phone and they did good service, and deaf friends said to go to the Sprint Relay web site and check it out. So I did. And then went to the store to check out the Epic (I wanted a full keyboard, not touch screen keyboard, as I was used to w/ the Sidekick). Bought it. $40/month unlimited data; no voice. It's actually not as good programming as the Sidekick in some ways, IMO, but not bad. And I've gotten used to the touch screen (had it a year now). I had to get a TTY/VCO call to verify I qualified for the data only plan and because I qualify for the state free captioning phones/ttys, I was approved. The service has been good; reception good. Like I said, though, some of the editing of text and keyboard shortcuts are missing that the Sidekick had, that I really liked, but it's not bad.

And T-mobile lost my entire family because they were so nasty about the whole Sidekick nastiness.

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soutthpaw

The new Sidekick is an Android device just like Epic. The Sidekick devices had the best physical keyboards of any mobile phone.

GrayEagle

I agree. I don't know what the Android version is like and their programming. I know the old Sidekick by Danger was awesome. One reason I got the Epic is it's Qwerty keyboard, similar to the old Sidekick. But I was spoiled with the Danger Sidekick. Epic, even as an Android, just doesn't measure up completely. It's good, just not as good, IMO.

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Parien

The same thing happened to me. I was a Sprint fan. I had a BlackBerry but when it stopped working they said I had to upgrade to a new phone and start paying a higher monthly rate for the data only plan. I could not afford it so I got the Tracfone LG500g. The LG500g is cheap and kind of crummy. But for now I am stuck with it. When I had the BlackBerry I used it for texting, email, and sometimes it was good to have mobile relay. The Tracfone texting is OK and I downloaded PicoMail so that I can send and receive emails with the Tracfone. At this point, I have not yet found a company that has an app for mobile relay. If you are stuck money-wise the Tracfone is not bad for a temporary solution.

radioman

thats correct. If you switch phone for any reason ie upgrade, replace, etc it will go up 10 bucks a month more no matter what. I am a sprint user too and it made me sick too. I got smart and switched over to family plan since its cheaper when you have 4 pagers/phones or more on same plan. Before - it was cheaper data only 3 phones or less. Call it my part to simulate the economy .

purplecatty

I'm a long time sprint user. Before I had Blackberry Curve 8830 for 2 years including PAM. Then HTC EVO 4G. The price went up to $40 a month plus insurance. I don't mind that because of 4G for Android phones. I am planning to check out new HTC EVO 4G LTE to see if front facing camera video smooth or not (must be iPhone-like quality). I am just being picky. If not then I would go for Motorola Quantum phone.

Catty

LDNanna

Virgin Mobile unlimited text, data and 300 voice minutes we will never use is 35 per month. Period. Very good for cheap.

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PowerWCRulez

My VM still have $25 a month, if price increased to $35 is only new customer to join in.

Radio Shack did great service, you don't have to get a codes from them, they can entering into the RS computer to refill my VM account. So my VM phone under Best Buy Geek Squad for phone repairs.

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GISJason

I love Sprint!!!!!!! HTC 3D here... Tho yeah that price is for the iphone due to the fact iphones suck more bandwidth and cause internal network issues from time to time...
Used to be with Verizcu#t OH BOY!!!!! They constantly changed rates on me the bill WAS NEVER the same month to month... But at Sprint its been the same since I signed up!!!! Also added benefit is they're not anti-modder like Verizcu#t is!!!!! They don't care if you root or mod your phone or change out roms. Still will cover your phone if insured or under warranty even if you've unlocked it!

Foxrac

False... All smartphones, including iPhone, Android phone, Windows Phone 7 use much data at same time (equal).

Att and Verizon have same monthly prices for iPhone and Android phone.

Sprint is more expensive than att and they have premium data for all smartphones since att doesn't.

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GISJason

Ok...Just was posting a option. Remember things like when it first came out the carriers were having a rant feast about how troublesome these iphones were to handle and weren't even planning on launching it on their networks til Apple made changes to the IOS on their devices. So I Don't really see it that way...Even NY ATT divison went down and was crippled when they launched and released iPhones.
Android users have the ability to change settings to where it uses no data at all on the providers network and strictly only wifi or even kill applications and processes in the background that send data continously while iphone doesn't since it has features that leak and use data no matter what the end user did. Even when you jailbreak a iPhone it's still leakin data like a wh0re, and the smaller version uses even more data than the big one does. Not sure about window smartphones I avoid windows whenever possible ;-)

Exclusive: iPhones hog much more data than other smart phones

Foxrac

This article happened in 2010 when Android was developing and prior to turn into biggest market.

I found one.
http://mashable.com/2011/05/31/android-data-usage/

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GISJason

Nice! Yeah so love my android phone literally no need for a computer anymore!!! ;-)

Foxrac

I like Android because tethering, best map program and unique OS experience.

I'm not happy with Google Map on my iPhone but Apple developed the app that used licensed Google Map. They don't have landscape orientation, bird eye view and navigation.

Apple doesn't allow tethering on App Store, unless you want jailbreak to destabilize the iPhone with numerous bugs. Android has many tethering software on Google Play but Sprint blocked some of tethering software, however you can install tethering software directly from computer.

Android has desktop feeling, however their gaming selection isn't great as iPhone because every Android phones have different hardware that could cause different bugs since iPhone is uniformed hardware, just like game consoles (Xbox, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP).

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zerodog

Compare to look at Verizon and Sprint. The 4G coverage compare with data that cost monthly fair price for Verizon while Sprint doesn't... Sprint doesn't cover much as Verizon coverage and recent expanding to Mississippi.

Where Sprint have been expanding lately?

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naisho

This problem exists for a lot of hearing contracts also, the prices increase or they need to stick with grandfathered plan. Verizon will try to get rid of the grandfather plans.

Cheapest and best data service I've seen is using a loophole with AT&T so you get unlimited HSPA with no throttling, unlimited texting. It costs ~$40/month per family plan because needed to split cost between 3 people, otherwise $1440/year for 3 lines. You can only do this loophole with certain android and non-apple phones.

problem is I think there is no LTE service for any deaf plan right now. It's only WiMAX and HSPA.

3G and 4G Wireless Speed Showdown: Which Networks Are Fastest? | PCWorld

The fast/better internet service (my opinion) is ranked like this:

#1. Verizon LTE
#2. AT&T LTE
#3. AT&T HSPA
#4. T-mobile HSPA
#5. T-mobile UMTS
#6. AT&T UMTS
#7. Verizon CDMA
#8. Sprint CDMA

GISJason

Sprint uses Verizon's towers so I assume coverage is just as good as Verizons cept for maybe in some areas they don't let Sprint in on the data plans thru their towers since they want people to use them if they need data coverage.

Yeah love mapping apps on my phone Foxrac mapping is something I've had a passion for a long time. Love working with data and information converting into map features. ArcGis on android is schweet with maps I've output via ArcMap on PC like a weather basemap where we can access live weather data for all regions anytime needed. Navigation is schweet as well Geocaching is Fun with it!!!