You Lost My Business Due To Your Stupidity

... or Why I Hate Sprint. by john patrick.

I have T-Mobile, which has always been good to me. I was actually a VoiceStreamer, but then they were bought by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Before that, I had a Sprint cell phone, and the customer service was terrible. TERRIBLE. It was eight or nine years ago. When people ask me why I switched, I usually tell this story and get mad again, and I know I sound like a maniac, so I'll just keep it simple here.

I was living at my uncle's house, and I went with my friend B to Factoria Radio Shack to get a phone. He had just bought one, too, so I made him go with me, since I was afraid of getting worked over.

I remember a couple of Eastside kids looking at phones next to us; saying about one of the phones "OMG, that is so GHETTO!" and then looking fearfully at B and me; we shot them our toughest "you about to die" look. They moved quietly away.

Anyway, I bought the phone, my first cell, and everything was fine. Then I moved.

I moved into 4111 Whitman Ave. When I sent in my bill, I wrote my new address on the back of the envelope, where you're supposed to write your change of address. Right?

Two months later, my phone was disconnected. I called and asked why I had never received a bill; they said they had sent it. When they confirmed my address, it was the old address; my address change had never been processed. They apologized, I paid, they reconnected.

Two months later, my phone was disconnected. I called and asked why I had never received a bill; they said they had sent it. They asked me my address, and I told them 4111 Whitman. They said, yes, they sent the bill. I apologized, I paid, they reconnected.

Two months later, my phone was disconnected. I called and asked why I had never recieved a bill; they said they had sent it. I said, are you SURE you have my address right? They said, what is your address? And I said 4111 Whitman. Yes, we do have it right. I apologized, paid, and they reconnected.

Two months later, my phone ws disconnected. This time, when I called, they sent me to the collection department.

Why haven't you paid?

Because I never got the bill.

It says here that we sent it.

Tell me the address that you sent it to.

We sent it to 411 Whitman.

Wrong. That's the wrong address. My service has been interrupted three times because my address is wrong. My address is 4111. Fourty one eleven.

Sir, you are still responsible for paying on time even if you don't receive the bill. Would you wait until the power went out every month before paying the light bill?

Ma'am, the power company sends me a bill every month. Look, I am sick of getting my service interrupted because of your company's mistakes. My boss tries to get a hold of me, and he gets a 'disconnected' message? It makes me look like trash to my coworkers.

Sir, we are not responsible for what your coworkers think of you.....

What is your company responsible for? First, I sent the change of address form, and then confirmed my address TWICE over the phone with you! You have it on your computer screen right now! What are you responsible for? Look at your computer screen, two different people were not responsible enough to get my address right! I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. Are you responsible for anything? Seriously, what exactly ARE you responsible for?

Sir, please hold.

The collections dept. lady transferred me back to customer service, to a much friendlier manager, who understood that I couldn't pay a bill that THEY failed to send me. I paid my bill and then cancelled my service.

That week I got a VoiceStream phone. It was a little rocky at first, but now it's just fine.

Ironic update: and now the phone isn't connecting to my sister! Bah!