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If your Sprint cell phone contract expires in the near future, get ready for a rude surprise. Sprint 'rewards' its past customers, by providing loyalty credit dollars towards the purchase of new phones under renewed contracts. One would expect to get the benefit of this loyalty credit, by getting a brand new phone at a reduced price or by an appropriate reduction in the monthly charges. Not true. The loyalty credit dollars is a phantom credit. It does not exits.

We asked Sprint to renew our family contract of two lines and utilize the loyalty credit of $150 per line towards the purchase of two new phones. Sure enough, they offered two new phones absolutely free... after applying a loyalty credit of $150 for each line. However, we checked the savings for any new customer. The savings were exactly similar. It would cost a new customer the same amount as a returning customer pays. The manufacturer's mail in rebate and online rebate account for the same savings as promised by Sprint to its loyal customers. The loyalty credit is not an extra saving as suggested by Sprint in its mailers, both printed and on line. It is a gimmick. The extra savings does not exist. It is meant to entice you to sign a new contract and has no real value.

The gimmick was disappointing to me because I wanted to utilize my loyalty credit to purchase blue tooth head sets to go along with the free phones. However, Sprint would have none of that. They wanted their fifty dollars for each blue tooth head set. When I pointed out the inconsistency in their targeted ad, they responded that I was unable to understand.

I found a new carrier in T Mobile. They offer free phones, free blue tooth sets, similar plans at the same price. I was able to find a better phone with blue tooth, absolutely free and under a comparable calling plan for somewhat reduced price at T Mobile.

While I recognize the need to entice new customers with attractive offers, I find it absolutely dishonest to deceive loyal, paying customers by lying to them... all in the name of business. Next time a carrier promises something, make sure you investigate the truthfulness (or truthiness, as Comedy Central would call it) of their claim. If your carrier is Sprint, remind them to negotiate your contract again and come clean.

Learn more about this author, Matthew Jacob.
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