About two years ago Jackson and I went to the Sprint PCS store located on L street in Washington, DC to get a cell phone for me. I was told by the respresentative that I needed to pay a $150 fee because of my credit…today as I close my account, I am told that I should not have been required to pay a fee because my credit was fine and that their records show I didn’t! It’s not good to play with a pregnant lady’s money!
Let’s start from the beginning. In February of 2001, Jackson had just moved to town and convinced me to get a cellular phone - it didn’t take much because I was given a phone in exchange for a car (essentially cuz the guy never finished paying me off!). So, we headed over to the Sprint PCS store located on L Street and met with a representative. Well, when the respresentative at the Sprint store told me about the $150 charge because of my credit I was not going to get the phone - I couldn’t afford it! I was an Americorps Promise fellow at the time, which meant I lived off a very low stipend ($13K/yr in DC!) and every penny counted. But Jackson offered to help out, so I agreed and paid the deposit I believe with a check card.
Flash! It’s almost two years later and we live in Nashville, TN where my Sprint PCS reception has gone down the tubes and calls keep dropping. I decide that it is simply not worth the money, so I cancel my account and pay the required $150 termination fee. I thought that I was done with Sprint PCS, until I get another bill in the mail - a late charge, which I was sure I didn’t deserve. So, I call customer service and a kind rep. named C(K)hristian waived the fee. While on the phone, I remember the original deposit and asked him about it. After a good five minutes of reviewing my account he said that the charge was never notated and I shouldn’t have had to pay one anyway because my credit was fine. Hmmm. So, I told him I would look through my files to see if I saved the receipt from the first transaction. I haven’t found it yet, but have not given up.
I am planning a course of action, and think that I am going to write a letter to Sprint about the incident, and maybe even contact the store or my old bank directly. Someone should have a record of this transaction somewhere in this blasted corporate world. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions please post them! I am tired of “freak” accidents/gliches/etc happening with large corporations that typically involve the consumer losing.
