newsflash, they apprently don't need your permission to renew your contract
any time you change ur plan or add certain features that require renewal of
contract (aka 7pm n&w minutes... 8pm n&w minutes for customers who
previously had 9 pm that sorta thing)...  i dunno if sprint's the only one
that does this or what... anytime they've renewed my contract i've never
consented to it, it doesnt matter i guess.

Did they reccently offer you 7 PM nighttime minutes? Did you take it?
Did they tell you it would extend your contract?

When SPCS changed their website, my account showed that my AA expired in
Dec/2002, when I knew it would expire in Dec/2003. I sent them an email to
inquire about it. I received an email back in a day where they mentioned
they had a coding error on my account and fixed the problem. This might be
something that applies to your account as well.

I'd suggest that you go to your manage page, go to the bottom of the page,
click on contact us, then click on the email link on the next page, select
the Topic on Other Services, and type in your inquiry on the length of your
contract, that you were under the impression your contract expired in 2003,
and ask them to research your account and check all the coding on the
account as well.

Bob

Sprint's billing system is apparently very badly designed. There are a lot
of things that shouldn't require a contract extension where the CSR ends up
being *required* to extend the contract because the system won't let them
put in a specific date.

That's a big problem. The bigger problem is that the CSRs say nothing about
it happening.

The unilateral change in your contract is not legally binding.

Call *2 or 888-211-4PCS and talk to Customer Service. I did, and was told
that a "high-priority" note was put on my account that if I cancel after
11/28/03 (yesterday!) there is to be no early termination fee. (Yesterday
was my contract end date, but when I moved my account to CA from OH the
date got changed in the computer to next July.)

My whole problem is:

1. The CSRs say nothing about it.
2. I don't trust that the note will stay on my account.

Since, on the whole, my SPCS experiences have been good, when we FINALLY have
time to drive down to the closest Sprint company store (about a half-hour
away), I will insist on getting a discount on the phone we need to buy for
my wife. I generally haven't had problems and am willing to let the contract
date end in July if they're willing to give me a phone subsidy in return.
(See, that way I can get a cheaper phone without being locked in for another
year. It would be, at most, 7 or 7 1/2 months. I figure that's a fair trade.)

However, if you don't need a phone, that tactic would be useless.

I really think that what we *need* to do is make this idiocy public, and
put a *lot* of pressure on Sprint to fix their problem. I don't fault the
CSRs for the idiocy, although I am rather irritated that they don't feel the
need to say anything. On the other hand, I suspect that they have been told
by management not to say anything.

You may want to talk to your state's Attorney General or Consumer Affairs
office about this. I'd recommend the Public Utilties/Public Service
Commission too, if you're in a state where wireless is regulated as a utility.
However, in most states that is NOT the case.

IANAL, but having been in business for myself for several years and being
familiar with basic contract law, I can tell you that it's not likely that
what SPCS is doing is legally binding. You may want to ask your friendly
neighborhood attorney just to be sure, though.

Hope this helps. I enjoy using the service and the network, and in general
Sprint PCS has been good to us. This contract issue is the one major problem
I have with Sprint.

Especially now that number portability has gone into effect, I think we need
to raise a huge, public stink about this policy.

I had this happen as well, although it was only a month's extension. I
believed it was the representation on the website that was incorrect,
not their actual records.

Indeed, when I called to inquire, they gave me the correct contract end
date. Although the website is still incorrect, at least I know that they
have something that shows the true end date.

  Joel

Update-

I received a useless e-mail back from them claiming I had a 2 year account
so I should call the number that told me I should send the e-mail.  I don't
understand why Sprint invites bad press.  Now I'll be forced to contact the
FCC, the BBB and just to make sure that they make sure their policies are
clear, I will be contacting Mike Boguslowsky, since I'm sure he'd love to
have something nice to report on to coincide with WLNP.   I really despise
sinking to this level but Sprint just invites this sort of behavior.  They
could have just said that was an oversight, offered me a nice deal to try to
retain me.  What better time for Sprint to shoot themselves in the foot?
Why can't Sprint try to find some more people like O'sirus/BOB who actually
try to retain customers instead of drive them off.

I asked for a copy of my written or oral consent to the 2 year contract.
She said she would transfer me.  I spoke with a rep today after about a 10
minute hold. She told me it is an automatic agreement and I would have to
write the London KY address to get a copy of the "agreement".

I wonder what would happen if you asked Sprint to prove you authorized a
contract extension??