Since this appears to be switching to the "official" thread to discuss these changes, I thought I'd add some information to my post so people don't have to dig for answers. This comes from Phandroid's main post about the subject, as well as what info I can glean from Sprint's website and what people have posted here. Note: I am not a Sprint employee or representative, just a relatively satisfied customer. If any of this info is wrong Sprint types, please let me know.
Sprint Premier is Ending! What does this mean for you?
If you are Gold:
You can probably use your upgrade one more time.
If you last used your upgrade within the past 11 months, you will be eligible next year on your one year anniversary as normal.
If you are eligible now but have not let 22 months pass since your last upgrade, you can save it to as late as the end of 2012 as long as 22 months do not pass since you last upgraded.
If you are 22 months past your last upgrade or you are eligible but don't upgrade and hit the 22 month anniversary before the end of 2012, you will move to Sprint's new upgrade program, New For You.
Everyone moves to the New For You program on January 1, 2013, regardless of upgrade status or once they use their last upgrade.
If you are Silver:
You are automatically enrolled in the New For You program.
All Premier Members:
You have until the end of the year to take advantage of the other Premier benefits outside of the upgrade program, like the plan review, anniversary gift, etc. Not like this was a big deal.
What's the Cut-off Date for Attaining Gold Premier?
If you qualified for Gold through having a rate plan of $90+ before 9/1/11 or had reached 10 or more years of tenure by 9/30/11, then you are Gold and can take advantage of one more upgrade next year.
What Is "New For You?"
The New For You program is Sprint's "new" upgrade program that replaces the Premier program. I say new in quotes, because it's very similar to what Sprint had before the Premier program. Essentially, if you've been with Sprint for 20 months, you are eligible for a $150 discount on a new phone on top of any other rebates that may be available for that phone at that time if you sign a new two-year service agreement. There are no more one-year agreements or smaller discounts. That's it.
What About the 30 Day Return Policy?
The 30 day return window we knew and loved as existing customers has been reduced to 14 days. You still have to pay a restocking fee. If you terminate service, the early termination fee is waived.
The no-risk 30 day return policy for new customers has been eliminated. New customers get the same 14 day window available to existing customers.
Is Sprint Ditching Unlimited Data?
Not for data originating from your phone, and Stephen Bye, Sprint's Chief Technology Officer, recently reiterated their support for unlimited data. Sprint will apparently be capping "official" mobile hotspot tethering at 5Gb starting October 2nd. It is unknown if this will impact unofficial tethering, wireless or otherwise, but I'd watch your usage if you go this route.
Anything Else?
The $18 restocking fee has been increased to $36.
If you live in Minnesota, the old 30 day return policy will remain in place until November 13th (I assume due to state law or something).
Sprint's New For You program starts October 2, 2011.
Why Are They Doing This?
The common consensus and what Sprint is pushing is it's required in order for them to keep unlimited data available for everyone without raising rates. Thus, they have to cut costs somewhere, and this was the most logical place. Most customers come to Sprint (or stick with them) for the unlimited data, so that's the road Sprint is going to keep traveling.
The scuttlebutt says that the imminent arrival of the iPhone probably was the nail in the coffin for the Premier program, as Verizon made similar changes shortly before getting the iPhone. Other rumors suggest the abuse of the return system (getting a phone for a few weeks, then swapping to another, then another, in order to always have the latest and greatest) had something to do with it. Note that both of these are rumor/conjecture, and Sprint is not saying anything one way or another in this regard.
Thanks to BenChase7, CarrieK, unplugged1, ginglish, marctonixx,and everyone else who has participated in this thread.
Original post:
If I'm reading the recently leaked Sprint documents correctly, starting October 2, 2011, Sprint will no longer offer a discount on new phones to any customer after 12 months, even if you are Premier Gold. Now, you have to wait until 22 months before you can get a discount, or you pay full MSRP on an upgrade.
With the rate of phone development these days, the yearly upgrade from the Gold Premier program is one reason I was happy to stick with Sprint (been a customer for 12 years, so I qualify by age and plan cost). 22 months is a long time in the tech world; go ask any Pre owner. Could this change be yet another indication of a Sprint iPhone in October?
Either way, it makes me very sad if true.
Last edited by Citizen Coyote; September 27th, 2011 at 12:08 PM.
Reason: Minor Updates
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the difference is that if you're "Premier Gold" you get new customer price on devices every year... if you're not, you get a 75 dollar discount off the retail price at one year. I believe that if you're "Premier Gold" you will still get full upgrade eligibility each year. But, damn, looks like maybe I'm wrong.
Last edited by BenChase7; September 1st, 2011 at 02:21 PM.
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The $75 upgrade is for customers that were previously Premiere Silver. This is not a full upgrade price though. This is only $75 off the price of the phone. The Premiere Gold upgrade is basically new customer price for a phone after one year. On a side note I've seen some things online from the leaked sprint playbook that show that Sprint is going to be creating a 6 month upgrade plan. I'm sure the cost will sky high, but it's something to look for in regards to details.
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The $75 upgrade is for customers that were previously Premiere Silver. This is not a full upgrade price though. This is only $75 off the price of the phone. The Premiere Gold upgrade is basically new customer price for a phone after one year. On a side note I've seen some things online from the leaked sprint playbook that show that Sprint is going to be creating a 6 month upgrade plan. I'm sure the cost will sky high, but it's something to look for in regards to details.
I saw the 6 mo upgrade plan you're speaking of, too. I'm really looking forward to that... would be cool if it involved trading in your phone every 6 months or so for the latest and greatest (of course some cash would have to be paid, too). It could be a good deal depending on how its implemented. Time will tell.. I think it said they were gonna release more info on it in Sep or Oct.
EDIT: I'm thinking it will be kind of like BestBuy's "buy back program'' or whatever its called.
Last edited by BenChase7; September 1st, 2011 at 02:29 PM.
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A 6 month buy back plan would be nice for the phone enthusiasts.
Does the $169 required to be gold count taxes and insurance? I guess I will need to check my during account online...
Unfortunately, no. It's base price only... add-on's do not count towards the required amounts to be Premier Gold ($79 single and 169 family, I believe). Although, I think there is a way around the system if you can plan in advance: upgrade your service plan for 3 mos, then you will be Gold, upgrade your phone, and then downgrade your plan. I've heard through the grapevine this works. Clear as mud?
Last edited by BenChase7; September 1st, 2011 at 07:08 PM.
Reason: spelling
Unfortunately, no. It's base price only... add-on's do not count towards the required amounts to be Premier Gold ($79 single and 169 family, I believe). Although, I think there is a way around the system if you can plan in advance: upgrade your service plan for 3 mos, then you will be Gold, upgrade your phone, and then downgrade your plan. I've heard through the grapevine this works. Clear as mud?
Well the phone comes out in 2 weeks =P
Seems like I am silver... I have the 1500 anytime minutes ($129.99) and 1 additional line ($19.99) So I pay $150 a month according to Sprint. Well, according to my bill I have 3 premier data phones so ($10*3) plus insurance (If I remember right is $10 per phone) so that's another $30 comes to $210. So Sprint is going to give be $75 off of the phone... I hope they have a trade-in program that will knock another $100-150 off... otherwise I will buy the phone elsewhere and Sprint can suck it!
I saw the 6 mo upgrade plan you're speaking of, too. I'm really looking forward to that... would be cool if it involved trading in your phone every 6 months or so for the latest and greatest (of course some cash would have to be paid, too). It could be a good deal depending on how its implemented. Time will tell.. I think it said they were gonna release more info on it in Sep or Oct.
EDIT: I'm thinking it will be kind of like BestBuy's "buy back program'' or whatever its called.
Since the Sprint playbook is only supposed to be read by Sprint employees, if you read the wording about the 6-month upgrades it is a program for Sprint employees.
Since the Sprint playbook is only supposed to be read by Sprint employees, if you read the wording about the 6-month upgrades it is a program for Sprint employees.
I read that as an employee only program too, but perhaps we're wrong and Sprint is planning something special. Not gonna hold my breath, though.
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I agree that the 6 month plan is almost certainly just for sprint employees. I sure love it if it were true but I doubt it is for the rest of us. Sprint would lose their hiney shoving phones out the door every 6 months for those of us who desperately want to have the latest phone, such as myself.
As I read the document, the subsidized upgrade for people who have been with sprint more than 10 years or have very pricey plans will still be there. But I could be wrong. I hope not, the only thing that kept me from jumping to verizon and faster 4 g before they ended unlimited data was the knowledge that I can continue to get a subsidized phone every year from Sprint.
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Ok I am not 100 percent because that reads strangely but I think they are removing 1 year CONTRACTS. Meaning the only way to get a phone is off contract after a two year or by signing a two year. One year contracts will no longer be an option. I think this leaves upgrades the way they are, meaning you can upgrade at 1 year if eligible but you have to buy a Two Year contract . At least that's how I read that.
Update: After re-reading it it does seem as if they are removing all ability to upgrade at 1 year regardless of the contract you sign. I would bet they are preparing for the iPhone which Apple does not subsidize very much (I think they charge carriers like 350.00 per iPhone) so if you had a yearly upgrade and kept getting iPhones then Sprint would lose their butts. Further proof that the iPhone is ruining the world!
Last edited by sikclown; September 6th, 2011 at 05:59 PM.
F*** the iPhone! We don't want the brainless fanboys on Sprint. We like not getting reamed royally by our carrier. I wish Sprint would remain iPhone free. The iPhone is a plague!
Unfortunately people who abuse the system (like Androidalltheway... yes, I'm calling him out) are costing the carriers more money because they are constantly returning phones for no reason except to get the latest and greatest. They do give you 30 days so you can return a device if it is defective or you are not satisfied with it. Manipulation simply to tide you over and having 4 different devices in 3 to 4 months is ruining it for everyone else. For example, getting the EVO 3D for the second time after returning the first for the Photon, then keeping the second EVO 3D only long enough to get the Epic Touch.
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It is true.. Looks to me like they are eliminating the 12 months all together, no matter if you are Premier Gold or Silver or whatever. Look in the upper right hand corner at the example..
Example:
If a customer is qualified for a 1 year (12 month Rebate Life on File) rebate on 10/1/11, what happens to their eligibility when this program change launches on 10/2/11?
Answer:
This customer would be 12 months qualified on 10/1/11. On 10/2/11 when the change takes place, they will show as ineligible and they will have to wait 10 months, or until 8/1/12. On 8/1/12, they will be at 22 months and eligible for the $150 offer under the current New For You program.
Looks like they are going to screw everybody on that one.. Better get your upgrade before 10/2 if you are eligible..
I admit I haven't reviewed this new policy but if they do it like they did the last upgrade change they may grandfather you in. For example, I had one line that was shy of being eligible by one month when that policy went into effect so no upgrade for an additional 11 months for that line. However, I had another line that was eligible already when that policy started so I retained that upgrade. I actually still have it because when I called to pre-order the EVO 3D, the rep offered me an upgrade to another line so I didn't have to use the one I'd been planning to.
There is no grandfathering at all. I was agruing all morning with Sprint. My big attitude with this is that I was told that I was eligible for a full upgrade after a year when I signed up for Sprint and that was a factor in making my decision. Sprint should honor what they said, even if they don't legally have to. My wife broke her Epic and I was looking for that upgrade to get her out of using her pos blackberry she had as a spare phone. Sprint could have had me for 4 years and kept me happy, as a result, they will see me walk in one more year. I don't care if it cost me more at another carrier, it is the principle that matters to me.
As for wanting the latest phone each year. Can you tell me what is wrong with that? If they are losing money when you upgrade, then who's fault is that? They are obviously not pricing their plans correctly and no one put a gun to their heads and told then to charge less than they need.
There is no grandfathering at all. I was agruing all morning with Sprint. My big attitude with this is that I was told that I was eligible for a full upgrade after a year when I signed up for Sprint and that was a factor in making my decision. Sprint should honor what they said, even if they don't legally have to. My wife broke her Epic and I was looking for that upgrade to get her out of using her pos blackberry she had as a spare phone. Sprint could have had me for 4 years and kept me happy, as a result, they will see me walk in one more year. I don't care if it cost me more at another carrier, it is the principle that matters to me.
As for wanting the latest phone each year. Can you tell me what is wrong with that? If they are losing money when you upgrade, then who's fault is that? They are obviously not pricing their plans correctly and no one put a gun to their heads and told then to charge less than they need.
I am not certain as to whether you were responding to my post or not, but since you mentioned grandfathering I presume that you were. If you were not, then I apologize.
First, there is nothing wrong with wanting the latest and greatest device. What IS wrong is manipulating the system so that you have 4 phones in 3 months for no good reason. It costs them every time you return a device. If the device is defective, that is one thing. To return perfectly good devices just because you have "buyer's remorse" or because something new is out that you like better is plain out wrong and ends up costing everyone. You can thank the people who abuse the system for ruining it for all of us.
As for the grandfathering in, yes, I WAS grandfathered in on one of my lines because the upgrade I had was already available before the new policy went into effect. In the example I gave, one of my lines was NOT eligible for upgrade at the time the policy went into effect and so I lost that one.
As unfortunate as it is, if the line you are wanting to upgrade was not eligible at the time the new policy went into effect this Spring then you will not be eligible for an upgrade.
I can guarantee that while you are unhappy with not being able to get an early upgrade because your wife broke her Epic and you/she did not have insurance, you will be treated no better elsewhere and you will definitely pay more for your service.
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I would also like to point out that I would much rather have lower-priced plans than yearly-subsidized phones. I prefer having the choice of paying more between upgrades for a new device rather than having to pay more every month for service regardless of the age of my device. I am so thankful that we have unlimited everything and don't have to worry about going over or data caps.
not trying to flame, but I didn't buy insurance due to the one year warrenty that came with the phone. With the expectation of getting a new one in a year, why bother? Consumer reports doesn't recommend phone insurance due to high monthly cost and high deductible. If I was told from day one that I wasn't getting an upgrade for two years, I would have had been able to ws
Weigh the risk and, reward fairly
Trust me, if sprint is around, they will be the same price as everyone else, add the ten buck smartphone charge and added fees and see how they are nickle and diming you to death.
not trying to flame, but I didn't buy insurance due to the one year warrenty that came with the phone. With the expectation of getting a new one in a year, why bother? Consumer reports doesn't recommend phone insurance due to high monthly cost and high deductible. If I was told from day one that I wasn't getting an upgrade for two years, I would have had been able to ws
Weigh the risk and, reward fairly
I always insure my phones. You never know when something can happen. Your wife could have just as easily broken her Epic one day, one week, or one month after purchase. What would you have done then? Your upgrade would have been useless under even the old upgrade policy and it wouldn't have been covered by the warranty, which is only for manufacturer defects.
I have been with Sprint for 9 years now and they have treated me well. If or when they raise their rates or resort to tiered data I will look into switching. For now, as for me and my needs, no other carrier comes close to matching services and low cost.
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Annual upgrades are indeed coming to an end, though we will get one more, looks like. If the above is accurate, we will need to use the final annual upgrade by Dec. 31, 2012. They are cutting the regular upgrade time down from 22 months to 20 months.
D@mn. I knew I shoulda gone to Verizon before they did away with new unlimited data!
Sprint is doing away with their Premiere Program (for Gold Members) and if you don't use it by Dec 31, you loose it. They also will only give you 14 days to try phones instead of 30, ETF's are now $350. Unlimited Data will soon be gone replaced by Data Caps and Bandwidth Throttling.
What's funny is I just spoke with a Retentions Manager and he told me that the e-mail came out 30 minutes ago and how did I know about it already. I told him the Webz is a Blaze with the news already. They want to be Verizon and AT&T with lesser service (Data Speeds), their 3G is a Joke compared to the other 2 and 4G (WiMax) is no where near LTE. He claimed they will have LTE, but that will take forever and a day. I have had a Tower down by my house for 2 months now and need an Airwave just to get 3G service in my house.
This is what happens when you get the Darn iPhone. It's the Carrier Killer. They think their Crap does not stink now. I HATE the iPhone and wish it stayed far away from Sprint Looks like the Bionic is in my near future. I just bought the Photon too. Guess I will eat the OLD ETF as I am still Grandfathered into that one and go with Verizon.
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Edit: humm.. must be iPhone related, IMO. If you'll notice, the return policy change starts on the 16th... the day that the Galaxy S 2 (Epic Touch) is launching... that would put the end of your return time frame just before the iPhone 4/5 is rumored launch on Sprint. ...Just a possibility (its fun blaming Apple for this shit, and usually true).
However, there is some good news... Full upgrades are now available at 20 months instead of 22.
Last edited by BenChase7; September 14th, 2011 at 11:14 PM.
Reason: noted in post
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Do you really think they care. They are getting the iPhone and feel they can be Jerks now. The Retentions Manager TOLD me he just got the email within the last 30 minutes. It's happening. The Raping is coming. When it does come don't act surprised.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BenChase7
Yup, Sprint Primere benefits are ending. And, now the 30 day return policy is only 14 days (likely due to abuse, imo).
This is what Android Central's Jerry Hildenbrand wrote in response to a reader who questioned his support of Sprint in making difficult decisions:
That's a bit uncalled for, don't you think?
Sprint is dying. They haven't expanded their network footprint in almost a year, lost a huge favorable roaming contract, and have spent all their time and money trying to block the AT&T-Mobile deal so they can ensure that T-Mobile goes bankrupt and not them.
At this point, they have three choices:
1. Kill the data plans, which is the only real reason they get ANY new subscribers.
2. Raise rates to the level of the two competitors.
3. Kill customer loyalty plans that drain their bank account, and clearly aren't drawing new customers.
Anyone who thinks Sprint (or any carrier) cares about anything other than the bottom line is a fool. Besides, if they run themselves out of business, they can't offer you a damn thing.
Now you may not agree with my analysis. You don't have to. But don't insinuate that I didn't write what I think.
I agree with Jerry. Sprint has to take action to avoid failure. I believe Sprint offers a competitive service and without Sprint, Verizon and AT&T would raise rates without a response.
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^^
I saw JH's response, too. I couldn't agree more with him, and think he sure worded it well. Like he says, without Sprint, we'd all really be screwed (no matter what carrier you're on). As long as Sprint keeps their unlimited plans that include everything, They'll be my favorite carrier. I wont deny this sucks, especially since I was a Premier Gold customer, but jeez... I've gotten a new phone every year for the last 6 or so years at new customer price... and getting another new one on Friday. Thats pretty hard to complain about. I guess I'll just have to live with upgrades every 20 mos, now. My only complaint w/ Sprint is the 3G speeds can be slow at times, but I'm hoping that the Network Vision upgrade that is underway will fix this for all of us. Anyways, sorry to make a short story long... just sayin, for now, I'm not turning my back to Sprint.
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There is no doubt in my mind that these changes are all due to Sprint getting the iPhone and that they've been forced to implement them because of Apple. I can't see any other reason why Sprint would remove such attractive incentives with the exact same pattern both AT&T and Verizon did as the iPhone's popularity grew.
Unlimited isn't going away but unless people start moving to Sprint for unlimited plans, it'll become more difficult for Sprint to justify them.
Best thing you can do is to get as many friends and family members to switch to Sprint and proclaim very loudly that it's all because of unlimited data. One thing that Sprint has been doing very well lately is listening to their customers (example - allowing the removal of bloatware from their phones).
Last edited by Draiko; September 15th, 2011 at 02:06 AM.
I would think that Sprint would know that the way to lose the most customers is to raise rates and move to tiered plans. I would much rather have the choice of paying more for a new device between upgrades than to be forced to pay more for service per month, regardless of carrier.
I have been noticing huge improvement in data speeds and service so as long as they maintain and continue improving and retain the lowest prices then I am good.
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Annual upgrades are indeed coming to an end, though we will get one more, looks like. If the above is accurate, we will need to use the final annual upgrade by Dec. 31, 2012. They are cutting the regular upgrade time down from 22 months to 20 months.
D@mn. I knew I shoulda gone to Verizon before they did away with new unlimited data!
Yep, looks like our awesome perks are going away. We do at least get one more upgrade under our old policy as long as we use it by the end of next year. By then most people will have forgotten about how it used to be.
What's more annoying is the downgrade of the 30-day return policy to 14 days as well. This pretty much guarantees I won't be buying a new phone on release day in the future but instead wait for 4-6 weeks to make sure all the launch bugs are worked out (or at least acknowledged). Especially if upgrading will be far more expensive over the next 20 months, I'll want a phone I *know* works.
Edit: on the plus side, it looks like Sprint is doubling down on keeping unlimited plans, even with the imminent fruit invasion. Hopefully the Lightsquared LTE deal will prove better than the one with Clear/WiMax. I really don't want to pay the Verizon tax.
Last edited by Citizen Coyote; September 15th, 2011 at 08:52 AM.
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Sprint announced 14 days trial period starting tomorrow.
Read on Engadget last night that Spring is pulling a new rule starting 09/16 the trial period will be shortened from 30 days to 14 days. What the heck? Are they doing it so people don't return their phones when new iPhone hit the shelves?
I don't care about iPhone, but still care about regular 30 days of making up my mind, especially if newer Android announced during these times.
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As long as Sprint keeps unlimited data plans, I'm perfectly fine with whatever else they want to do, within reason, of course. If they do go to tiered plans, it won't be worth it anymore and I'll be jumping ship to Verizon, and I'm sure I won't be the only one. I do like how they moved full upgrades up by two months, though.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SFBayArea
Read on Engadget last night that Spring is pulling a new rule starting 09/16 the trial period will be shortened from 30 days to 14 days. What the heck? Are they doing it so people don't return their phones when new iPhone hit the shelves?
I don't care about iPhone, but still care about regular 30 days of making up my mind, especially if newer Android announced during these times.
It has been mentioned in some other threads that the understanding is that people have been abusing the return policy. And frankly, you hear it all the time on these forums. "Gee, I tried the Evo 3D/Photon for 25 days, and now that the Galaxy 2S is here, I think I'll bring in my phone and get the new one."
And yes, I suppose the iPhone is driving a LOT of these changes. For instance, the premier gold is going away. I read somewhere that the subsidy on an iPhone is about $200 more than a standard premium cell phone. If customers are permitted to upgrade every year, that means Sprint is probably losing $400 out of pocket for iPhone replacements every year. That is a lot of money to keep a program that no one else in the industry has.
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A good compromise (good to me at least, because it would let me keep my premier gold status) would be to get rid of plan price based premier levels but keep it for the 10 year+ customers. That way you could both reward and encourage loyalty.
Is there any way to determine what percentage of premier gold customers are there for longevity rather than the plan they've purchased?
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I don't necessarily like it but I understand why they are lowering the return window. Too many people playing musical chairs with their devices on day 30. I cannot tell you how many times I have read on here about people having 3 devices in 3 months simply because something better came along that they wanted.
Last edited by CarrieK; September 15th, 2011 at 01:51 PM.
Reason: typo
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Didn't Verizon pretty much do the same thing right before they got the iPhone?? I could be mistaken but it seems like they made changes to their upgrade program & to their return policy just in time for the iPhone.
So sprint won't grandfather any of their customers? That seems fairly bogus to me. Both AT&T and Verizon have grandfathered in previous customers.
There is some mild grandfathering going on. If you are a Gold Premier customer now and have used your upgrade in the past six months, you will still be eligible to upgrade one more time next year (as long as you do it before the end of 2012). If you are now eligible for an upgrade, you can also hold on to it and use it next year if you wish. I think the second option may also apply to Silver members too, but don't quote me on that.
I fully blame the upcoming iPhone for this, but as long as they hold on to unlimited data I'll stick with Sprint. From the language of the leaked documents, this is why they're eliminating these loyalty programs and reducing the return period.
I don't necessarily like it but I understand why they are lowering the return window. Too many people playing musical chairs with their devices on day 30. I cannot tell you how many times I have read on here about people having 3 devices in 3 months simply because something better came along that they wanted.
No joke. I guess it was a matter of time. We'll just have to be more cautious in our phone buying. I'm also feeling better about this after I priced out my family plan on Verizon out of curiosity. Since Verizon does not offer unlimited data anymore, for the same price I'm paying now I was limited to 4Gb of shared monthly data. According to their own usage charts, you could burn through that in a couple of hours by streaming movies! No thanks.
(And I just realized I forgot to throw in warranty/TEP on my two lines in my test pricing, which would either bump the price or lower the data allotment.)
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Sprint Premier Ends. Changes here.
