Sprint HTC Hero Hands-On First Look Video & Review.

[Biker1]

Originally Posted by jbearamus

theyre not interested in selling phones, theyre interested in selling service

They won't sell devices and they won't get customers to spend thousands of dollars more on a plan change in order to get one.

[jbearamus]

yeah its really obnoxious and i would respect them more if they came out and said this is why because this is how the wireless industry works instead of feeding us the bull. att says the exact same thing when they changed their policies about smartphones on 9/6 the official documentation flat out says "we changed this requirement so that our customers may take full advantage of their device without the surprise bill.." blah blah blah b.s.

[Geniuz650]

Originally Posted by Biker1

They won't sell devices and they won't get customers to spend thousands of dollars more on a plan change in order to get one.

Exactly, they are not going to get many customers getting their plan changed and being paying thousands of more dollars so they might as well stop the BS. Not many people will give up their low plan for a plan they will spend a lot more for just one device. They might as well make the phone availble for every plan and they will have more customers buying the device therefore paying them more instead of having requirements.

"I should be able to buy ANY phone I want and have ANY plan that I want - what I do with it is NONE of Sprint's business."

[thacounty]

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Originally Posted by Geniuz650

Exactly, they are not going to get many customers getting their plan changed and being paying thousands of more dollars so they might as well stop the BS. Not many people will give up their low plan for a plan they will spend a lot more for just one device. They might as well make the phone availble for every plan and they will have more customers buying the device therefore paying them more instead of having requirements.

"I should be able to buy ANY phone I want and have ANY plan that I want - what I do with it is NONE of Sprint's business."

I agree that it would be nicet have the ability to put whatever phoneon whatever plan, but I also realize that Sprint is avoiding selling phones to people when they aren't going to get their money back on them. If they sell less phones but make the average customers bill go up Sprint will definitely see that as worth it. They dont care if some people switch to a Razr or a Katana as long as the people on winmo bb's and the hero wll be paying in more. It makes good business sense even though it sucks for us, the end consumer.

[Biker1]

Not good business sense then if it is not for the good of the Customer, their bread and butter.
Many new customers have on choice but to get on the newer plans which are an excellent value.
I am saying that it does not make good business sense to make a very small minority of its Customers that are on older plans that have Unlimited Data, switch plans.
Especially when many of us don't even utilize all of the minutes we are entitled to, during certain months.
Changing this bogus policy is not a big deal to do.
The Unlimited Data reason makes sense for new customers but not for customers that are on plans with Unlimited Data already.
Especially customers like me who have my Mom on my plan. She only uses 50 minutes a month but the phone is very important for her to have.

[thacounty]

Originally Posted by Biker1

Not good business sense then if it is not for the good of the Customer, their bread and butter.
Many new customers have on choice but to get on the newer plans which are an excellent value.
I am saying that it does not make good business sense to make a very small minority of its Customers that are on older plans that have Unlimited Data, switch plans.
Especially when many of us don't even utilize all of the minutes we are entitled to, during certain months.
Changing this bogus policy is not a big deal to do.
The Unlimited Data reason makes sense for new customers but not for customers that are on plans with Unlimited Data already.
Especially customers like me who have my Mom on my plan. She only uses 50 minutes a month but the phone is very important for her to have.

Business sense the way I meant it was they are going to make money. They will see whether people like this or not and if they only make money short run and lose it long run they will change their minds probably. I am not saying that it is good for the consumer. I just think that they are trying to get their money back on the phones they subsidize.

I agree that you should not have to switch plans. I don't work for Sprint and I most definitely think that the SERO plan was a steal (the old one). But I have to say that most of the time they have given me a pretty good deal on the phones. I had a pretty bad run in with retentions over some crap they pulled about my plan and I almost dropped them, but man I hate ATT and all the others so much that I couldn't do it.

[Biker1]

Originally Posted by thacounty

Business sense the way I meant it was they are going to make money. They will see whether people like this or not and if they only make money short run and lose it long run they will change their minds probably. I am not saying that it is good for the consumer. I just think that they are trying to get their money back on the phones they subsidize.

I agree that you should not have to switch plans. I don't work for Sprint and I most definitely think that the SERO plan was a steal (the old one). But I have to say that most of the time they have given me a pretty good deal on the phones. I had a pretty bad run in with retentions over some crap they pulled about my plan and I almost dropped them, but man I hate ATT and all the others so much that I couldn't do it.

I hear ya.
About a year ago, I spent over 100 hours cumulatively on the phone with Sprint clearing up numerous and repetitive billing errors and unauthorized plan changes.
I must say that Sprint's Customer Service has improved over the past year.
If I switched plans, it would cost me approximately $750.00 more than what I am paying now, over a 2 year period.
In addition or rather subtraction, I would lose 500 monthly AT minutes, free roaming, pick 3 and my nights and weekends would start 2 hours later
Now let me think if I would switch.....No.
Btw, you said the following in your previous post >

"They dont care if some people switch to a Razr or a Katana as long as the people on winmo bb's and the hero wll be paying in more."

Just to clarify, the WinMo devices don't require a special plan

[thacounty]

Originally Posted by Biker1

I hear ya.
About a year ago, I spent over 100 hours cumulatively on the phone with Sprint clearing up numerous and repetitive billing errors and unauthorized plan changes.
I must say that Sprint's Customer Service has improved over the past year.
If I switched plans, it would cost me approximately $750.00 more than what I am paying now, over a 2 year period.
In addition or rather subtraction, I would lose 500 monthly AT minutes, free roaming, pick 3 and my nights and weekends would start 2 hours later
Now let me think if I would switch.....No.
Btw, you said the following in your previous post >

"They dont care if some people switch to a Razr or a Katana as long as the people on winmo bb's and the hero wll be paying in more."

Just to clarify, the WinMo devices don't require a special plan

Very true winmo phones don't require a plan, except maybe the Touch Pro 2? Does it require an unlimited data plan? All I have had is winmo but I think it is going to be Android for me next. Maybe try getting it at BB and see if they will upgrade you without a plan change. I would just try it couldn't hurt.

[jbearamus]

Originally Posted by thacounty

Very true winmo phones don't require a plan, except maybe the Touch Pro 2? Does it require an unlimited data plan? All I have had is winmo but I think it is going to be Android for me next. Maybe try getting it at BB and see if they will upgrade you without a plan change. I would just try it couldn't hurt.

if sprint is going to require it then bestbuy won't be able to get around it. i saw it with the Pre, the esn just won't activate without the specific plan codes on the account

[jbearamus]

Originally Posted by Biker1

They won't sell devices and they won't get customers to spend thousands of dollars more on a plan change in order to get one.

i'm not saying its a good idea i'm just paraphrasing what Dan Hesse himself said. it may hurt them in the long run but when it comes down to it, they're just doing what everyone else in the industry is doing. the annoying thing is sprint is doing it device by device where Tmo, ATT, and VZW at least have the guts to step up and blanket an entire product line