Sprint SERO Users, Check Your Bill
Heads up to all of you that followed my instructions for signing up for a Sprint SERO plan… While the plan is supposed to include 500 minutes, free nights and weekend, unlimited data, and unlimited text messaging, all for $30/month, I just took a closer look at my bill.
Guess what? They’ve been billing me for text messages! A quick e-mail to customer service sorted things out. They agreed that I’m supposed to have free text messages, added it to my plan, and credited me for the previous charges.
So… If you signed up for Sprint SERO, check your bill and make sure you’re gettting everything they promised.
Another possible gotcha: they initially denied my $100 rebate saying that I had received all applicable discounts at purchases. Here again, a quick e-mail was sufficient to straighten it all out.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, I’m posting this from the airport using my Treo 755p as a modem to access the Spring data network. Very, very handy. And totally worth a couple of setup glitches given how little I’m paying for what I’m getting.
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I used to work for Sprint and still have a bunch of friends in the industry. As a rule you should always read your cell phone bill. There is stuff that comes up that you just would not believe. My company is switching billing systems and my plan is not really supported any more. So now I get charged every month whenever I make a roaming call even though my plan says I have no roaming. If I hadn’t been checking my bill I would have been paying this month after month without knowing.
Comment by The Saving Freak — Jan 10th 2008 @ 3:19 pmNow that Sprint is again letting existing customers change our plan without extending our contract, I wonder if I can change to the SERO plan? Would you be so kind as to ask this of the Sprint folk?
Comment by Colin McConnell — Jan 10th 2008 @ 3:46 pmColin:
If you are out of contract, you should call Retentions and see what they can do for you. Some have said that you can get switched into the SERO plan. You might need to have a sprint email address available so make sure you have that in hand. Also if it wasnt obvious, be nice when talking to CS. They are more willing to do something for someone nice then angry.
By the way, love SERO and my Palm 755p too.
Comment by Jeremy — Jan 10th 2008 @ 6:28 pmIm on the SERO plan as well…out of curiosity can use the 755p as a modem for your laptop without paying more?
Comment by Trey — Jan 10th 2008 @ 8:16 pmYes, there is a $25 shareware hack that allows you to do phone-as-modem without paying an extra monthly fee. It’s called “USB Modem”. In fact, I’m using it right now!
Here’s the link:
http://www.mobile-stream.com/usbmodem.html
Just don’t abuse it. If they see tons of bandwidth usage, they might look more closely at your account.
Bummer! But I am not surprised. For me, my bills on the plan (that are supposed to be around $30) have been averaging $150 to $300, so it’s pretty obvious they’re overcharging me. I signed up in September and as of my most recent bill, was still being charged for data.
Word to the wise is to avoid Sprint, based on all the horror stories I’ve heard since I signed up. But it’s such a GREAT deal that it’s kind of, almost, worth it to me. Complaining to executive offices and filing an FCC complaint seem to have gotten me a customer service rep who will actually help me.
Fingers crossed that the troubles are really over.
And thanks for the mention of the rebate … I have not received mine, either.
Comment by Cheap Like Me — Jan 11th 2008 @ 11:31 amWho did you email about the rebate (the address please)? I didn’t get mine either-sounds like a pattern- and have had no success calling. I’ve spoken to them twice and both times they transferred me to a phone tree where there is no option to speak to a live person.
Comment by grasshopper — Jan 12th 2008 @ 6:10 pmdoes anybody know of an employee email adress for the sero plan???thanks
Comment by croat — Feb 29th 2008 @ 6:43 pm