An Exercise in futility...

So about a week ago I decide that it's time to start looking for a new cell phone. The one I have has served me well but it's starting to take on more then a bit of wear and tear. It's also a pretty basic phone and I would like to start playing with the some of the cool new stuff thats out there like pictures and bluetooth. Mainly bluetooth though.

Earlier this week I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new phone. And since I haven't been under contract to Sprint for well over a year now I decided to re-up my contract while I was at it so I could get the discounts on the nice new phone. I order the phone I want from Sprint off of the internet. And they send me my order confirmation email. Not a problem phone is on the way.

Next day I get another email.. I have a new cell number... wonderfull. I don't want to give up my exisiting cell number because everyone I know has it and It'a a real pain in the ass to change. Nevermind the fact that it's listed as my primary contact number on I don't know how many resumes and job apps that I've randomly done in the last couple of months. The point in staying with Sprint was so I could keep my number. Their service over the last 6 months has been less then spectacular and it hasn't been just me who's noticed.

I decide to send the phone back as soon as I get the email.

Later that night I'm surfing the internet and decide to check out some cell phone boards to see if anyone else has gotten the same kind of boning as I did from Sprint. I do find a couple and they all descirbe how the person called up said they wanted to to keep their old number but move it to the new plan. Hell I think it's worth a shot.

So the phone arrives today, I call up Sprint. I tell the first woman that I talk to that I want to move my exisitng number to the new line of service and keep the exisitng phone number. She says it's not a problem they will cancel my exisiting line of service reserve my number and I call and activate my new phone tommrow and ask for my old number which will be reserved in my name.

COOL! she just need so to send to one other department before it can all happen.

After about 5 minutes of silence I get someone else. The previous lady has already explained the situation to her. The new lady says it won't be a problem. Cool!

her "Did you buy your new phone off of the internet with the online discounts?"

Me "yes"

Her "you have to keep your new number for 3 months in order to recieve those discounts, if you take your old number to your new account you will lose the discounts and we will charge your account $180 to replace the discounts"

Me "Ya know I think I will just send the new phone back and cancel the new account"

Her "Ok"

So the new phone sits on the table awaiting the box to be sent back to Sprint. I'm not real happy with sprint right now. Their quality of service has gone down in Kingman and do something nice for a customer is apperntly way out of their way.

I would have happily signed up for a 2 year agreement and not worried about it. But instead sprint is about to lose a customer because of fine print.

I think my number and me are going to go check out T-mobile and Cingular now.

Sprint might win me back but it will have to be pretty amazing for them to do it at this point.