Sprint Premier Ends. Changes here.

[novox77]

Apple demanded and got numerous major changes from Sprint in order for the latter to sell the iPhone4S. These changes to the premier program, the upgrade schedule? All these and more are a direct result of Apple's demands.

How sad. Apple tells companies to bend over and take it, and these companies willingly comply.

It's not Apple that demanded this. Not directly anyway. Sprint is investing some serious $$ (20 billion) by entering into a contract with Apple that requires Sprint to buy 30million iPhones in the next 4 years. They won't break even on this investment until 3 years from now. So they are now in cost-cutting mode. And S|P was put on the chopping block.

Apple doesn't give a damn about how Sprint choses to use their own loyalty program.

But I hear where you're coming from. The iPhone's arrival on Sprint IS directly responsible for S|P's downfall. Sprint pretty much said so in their letter to me regarding the cancellation of S|P, which went something like this (paraphrased):

Our customers have stated that having a big selection of smartphones with the best unlimited plan is the most important thing to them, and unfortunately to maintain this, we have to cut costs, which includes closing down S|P for now.

 

[Lord Vader]

It's entirely possible that Sprint made these changes in an effort to keep unlimited data for as long as possible.

All thanks to Apple and its power.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Sure, Sprint bent over for Apple. But what choice did Sprint have? There was no doubt that churn to other carriers was primarily caused by customers buying the iPhone. This is a bet-the-company gamble based on the hope that subscribers will be drawn to Sprint because of unlimited data. If Sprint has to drop everything else in order to keep unlimited data to grab iPhone sales, Sprint will do it.

I think it may just work, too. A good friend of mine who works for Apple was just asking me today about Sprint's coverage in our city, and how I liked them over all. When I asked him why, he said he's seriously considering switching to Sprint from AT&T when he upgrades to the iPhone 4S. Sprint's unlimited data was *the* factor in his consideration of the idea, since he's currently grandfathered in to unlimited data under AT&T (but has no idea how long that will last, and in general hates AT&T as a company).

 

[3VOcrack]

http://premier.sprint.com/premierupdate/?id12=vanity:premier

Why is the Sprint Premier program ending?
Answer: At Sprint, we find ourselves in the type of situation faced by many companies today. In order to continue to offer you the value of affordable unlimited data plans and cutting-edge devices, we have decided that it's necessary to bring the Sprint Premier Program to a close at this time.

What is the last day a Sprint Premier Gold Customer can use their annual upgrade?
Answer: Sprint Premier Gold customers who are eligible for the Sprint Premier Annual Upgrade between now and the end of 2012 can use their annual upgrade until 12/31/12.
Once they take advantage of their Sprint Premier Annual Upgrade, they will qualify for subsequent upgrades under the Sprint New for You℠ Upgrade Program.
If they do not take advantage of their Sprint Premier Annual Upgrade by 12/31/12, they will continue to immediately qualify for an upgrade under the Sprint New for You℠ Upgrade Program. See chart below for specifics:
Months since last upgrade (as of 9/1/11) Sprint Premier Annual Upgrade Sprint New for You℠ Upgrade Program
6 months ago or less Become annual upgrade eligible in 2012 and can enjoy through December 31, 2012. If customer does not use Sprint Premier Annual Upgrade by 12/31/12, they will automatically move under the Sprint New for You℠ Upgrade Program on 1/1/13. At that time, customer will continue to immediately qualify for an upgrade.
7 to 11 months ago Customer will become eligible for the annual upgrade within 1-5 months and can take advantage of their annual upgrade through 2012. If the Sprint Premier Annual Upgrade is not used by the time the customer reaches 22 months from their last upgrade, the customer automatically moves under Sprint New for You℠ Upgrade Program. At that time, customer will continue to immediately qualify for an upgrade.
12 to 21 months ago Customer already is eligible to use their annual upgrade.
More than 22 months ago N/A Customer is immediately eligible for next upgrade under Sprint New for You℠ Upgrade Program.

For more information on the Sprint New for You℠ Upgrade Program visit sprint.com/upgrades.

Are there any restrictions on using my annual upgrade?
Answer: Your account must be in good standing (not suspended) to take advantage of your annual upgrade.

How will I know if I am still eligible to receive my annual upgrade?
Answer: You can check your upgrade eligibility and time since last upgrade at sprint.com/upgrades.

What are the Sprint Premier benefits that expire on 12/31/11?
Answer: Sprint Premier Gold and Silver customers may take advantage of the following benefits through 12/31/11:
Complimentary Plan Checkup
After 12/31/11, customers continue to have the convenient option of using our plan analysis tool to see their usage and recommended plans; or they may also call Customer Service for an analysis.
Accessory Discount – 25% off purchase of two or more accessories anytime, for any line on the account. Available in Sprint-owned Stores.
After 12/31/11, customers can continue to take advantage of promotional accessory offers that run periodically in Sprint Stores.
Anniversary Gift – Choice of 75 bonus minutes, OR a $5 service credit. Customers are able to redeem their gift up to 15 days beyond the month of their service anniversary.
Sprint will continue to notify customers who reach their Service Anniversary date through December. Customers enjoying December anniversaries will have until January 15, 2012, to redeem their gift on the Sprint Premier customer website.
"Just Because" Extras – Exclusive offers and sweepstakes for trips, tickets and more.
After 12/31/11, Sprint will continue to offer all customers opportunities to participate in special events and sweepstakes.
First-to-buy occasions – Learn the inside scoop and be among the first to find out about upcoming products and services.
After 12/31/11, Sprint will continue to look for opportunities to provide customers the ability to buy or trial future devices first.
Sprint Premier Online Community – Place to interact with other Sprint Premier customers and Sprint professionals.
Visit this forum to interact directly with other Sprint Premier customers and the Sprint Premier team.
Sprint Premier Connections – The latest wireless news delivered to your mailbox or online.
The last issue of the Sprint Premier newsletter will be October 2011. However, customers will continue to receive timely, relevant Sprint news through Sprint Connections.

How can a customer take advantage of their Anniversary Gift?
Answer: To redeem your gift, login to your account at sprint.com and click on "Learn More" near the Sprint Premier logo, then click on "Anniversary Gift." Customers who have an anniversary falling in December can redeem their Anniversary Gift through January 15, 2012.

How do I know if the plan I just signed up for qualifies me for Sprint Premier before the program discontinues?
Answer: Customer is eligible based on the following criteria:

Silver Tier: Customers who maintained a 3-month average of $69.99-$89.98 for individual plans or $99.99-$169.98 for shared plans by 9/1/11 qualify for Sprint Premier Silver.

Gold Tier: Customers who were on a qualifying Gold plan of $89.99+ for individual plans or $169.99+ for shared plans by 9/1/11 or had reached 10 or more years of tenure by 9/30/11 qualify for Sprint Premier Gold.

Why should I stay with Sprint if you no longer have the Sprint Premier program?
Answer: Although the program is ending, we remain committed to our customers and still offer you the many benefits that set Sprint apart from our competitors:
A range of unlimited plans at an unmatched value, see sprint.com/unlimited for details
Award-winning phones like the HTC EVO™ 4G and Samsung Epic™ 4G
A 4G network in 70 markets and growing
Right Plan Promise, which allows you to change your plan anytime with no impact to your Service Agreement
Ever-improving customer service – Sprint ranks #1 in most improved customer satisfaction in any industry over the last 3 years (Based on the results from the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index)
Sprint is #1 among all major wireless carriers for highest satisfaction in value (Based on the results from the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index)

How are customers being notified?
Answer: Letters are being sent to customers from mid-September through mid-October. Information is currently posted on the Sprint Premier Community.

Will Sprint introduce a new program to replace the Sprint Premier program?
Answer: Sprint will continue to invest in customer priorities and to investigate new ways to meet customer needs in the future.

Is my monthly service plan impacted by the Sprint Premier program coming to a close?
Answer: No, the removal of the Sprint Premier program does not impact the plan that you are on or any discounts that you may receive on your plan.

Where should I go if I have more questions?
Answer: Dial *2 on your Sprint Phone. Also, you may visit the Sprint Premier Community. Live Chats will be held on the Sprint Premier Community on September 23 at 1:00 PM CST and October 3 at 1:00 PM CST.

 

[argedion]

The Big deal about premier to me was the Yearly Upgrade. However IF they give me better service and no extra charge for data I will be happy with that


Edit: One thing I cannot forget I also hope they never get rid of Anytime Mobile to Mobile. This single plan option has saved me thousands in mobile to mobile calls.

 

[Team420]

Honestly...I couldnt care less! The anual upgrade really dosent save you all that much... My evo is just as good 2day as it was the day I got it... And there isnt anything all that much better out there. Now, I still have 8 or so months to go on my 2 year contract, and when that ends, they will either offer me a great deal to stay with them, or... ley me go to verizon who has the best coverage in my area....

I hope they offer me the great deal..... but... if it only costs me a small amount extra to switch to verizon.....I wont hesistate...

 

[jiggy79]

Did anyone get a mail from Sprint stating the SIP program or sprint premiere is ending on Dec 31, 2011 and they also mentioned about the unlimited data plans that were are currently on. It seem to me they'e gonna be charge more for data like the other carriers are by January 2012

 

[CarrieK]

Did anyone get a mail from Sprint stating the SIP program or sprint premiere is ending on Dec 31, 2011 and they also mentioned about the unlimited data plans that were are currently on. It seem to me they'e gonna be charge more for data like the other carriers are by January 2012

No, I haven't received anything like that. Did you? If so, could you post a copy or quote the letter exactly? From what I read in the post by 3vocrack there is no mention of price increases. It even states that these changes will not affect your current plan. I may not have received mine yet because the post goes on to say customers will be notified through the middle of October. Just curious as to what you received, when, and exactly what it says.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

My letter from Sprint (in the mail, not email), did not say anything about unlimited data costs changing with the new year. It basically just repeated all of the information we have in this thread.

 

[isaemm]

My letter from Sprint (in the mail, not email), did not say anything about unlimited data costs changing with the new year. It basically just repeated all of the information we have in this thread.

Same here, no mention of the unlimited data changes in mine either.

 

[Flaspeneer]

[Post made redundant by long thread that wasn't visible on the first forum page. Learned of the change late because my mailbox was too full and the announcement was being held. Never mind.]

Apparently, a two-year contract is only binding for the customer. At roughly the one-year point in my contract, Sprint withdrew their promise of allowing me to buy a new phone at a discount. Now they're informing me the entire Premier Plan is coming to a close as of December -- ten months before my contract expires -- which means I can buy a new phone early this once, but *only* while losing out on all the other Premier Plan benefits, and *only* if I agree to two more years as a contestant on their promise-yanking game show.

One of Sprint's saving graces has been their willingness to work with customers on discounts and perks. With the Premier Plan no longer in place and the iPhone swallowing their bandwidth and supposedly attracting hordes, I wonder how that's going to play out in terms of flexibility and customer service.

What are they going to yank next -- my corporate discount two months into a second contract?

 

[CarrieK]

I believe we can all agree that no one is happy with the Premier changes. Having said that, I would rather have the choice of paying full price to upgrade between my 22 months than be forced to pay more every month and have tiered data. Jmho. As long as they continue to improve the network and keep their prices low and phone data unlimited then I will stay.