Hi,
I want to sue SPRINT (cell phone company) and would like some thoughts before I start calling lawyers. The case requires some background on my relationship with Sprint over the years. I seriously think this could be a class action lawsuit if I ever saw one as I suspect many thousands out there like me where screwed in such a fashion.
I was a Sprint customer for over 14 years. Around 2006 I considered leaving Sprint for a competitor due to their lack of cutting edge phones. Retention department managed to save my business by offering me a 30% discount (for life). Originally, on my bill for many years it simply said something to the effect of 30% off. This was 30% off the total, taxes, data, etc. I had a good deal. Several years passed and several contracts. With each contract renewed I would get a new phone, and make sure that my 30% discount was still going to be on my bill. Each time I was assured that it would be. I was happy to stay with Sprint. I did notice that at some point around 2011 I started to see my discount labled as 'Employee discount'. I thought this was odd since I was never a Sprint employee. When I asked about this, customer service said that that is how they are classifying my discount now. Umm ok.
So, onto the problem and potential lawsuit at hand: In 2011 I renewed my contract yet again, yadda yadda, got a new phone, was assured my discount would be there and committed to yet another 2 years with Sprint. In July of 2013 I noticed a huge jump in my bill. I was nearly 6 months from the end of my contract. I called to see what had happened. My discount had been removed without warning. I tried to get it back on. Sprint essentially told me to get lost. There was nothing I could do.
Since my bill had now risen as much as 45% with no warning, I viewed this as a breach of contract by Sprint. I no longer wanted to stay with such an inferior service for such a high price. More-so I was outraged that they would not at least honor out their contract with ME. I believe they had a contractual obligation to honor my discounted rate AT LEAST until the end of my contract in November, after all that was the rate we agreed to when I initiated the contract. They simply laughed at me. How could they simply increase my rate on a whim. What if I wasn't ABLE to pay the increase? This was wrong on so many levels. But what about legally?
So, I left sprint a few months early for this breach. They hit me with the ETF (early termination fee) which was pro-rated, but still an extra $100 and change - I wasn't going to pay it. After all, they had broken their contract, and in my opinion I could now leave the company and not be bound to a sudden 45% increase in my bill before the contract end date. My phone which I now had would be unusable on Verizon who I switched to. One high level Sprint manager told me that the discount had been a 'privilege'. Really? I never viewed it this way. It was always presented to me as a deal - a handshake - a clear agreement between two parties, and incentive to stay on board. Certainly, when I renewed nearly 1.5 years earlier the clear expectation was that my rate would not, and could not increase, especially in the middle of my 2 year agreement with them!!
The bill is now on my credit report as an ugly ding. It is my only blemish. I have since paid what I viewed as the past due amount for the 'service' but the early termination fee I will not pay, never. The account is now on my credit report as 'settled'. Still, this is an ugly thing to have on my credit. It's there and it made my credit drop over 100pts.
I did offer Sprint to simply have this completely removed from my credit records and I'd move on. But they refused. I'm now at the point where I want to seek aggressive legal help and sue the f*cking **** out of this pathetic company, for ruining my credit, causing me all types of stress and problems thinking about this garbage for too long, and for breaking the contract - yet expecting me keep the contract until the end.
Do I have a case? If, so, how strong is it? Would anyone be willing to help me take it to these clowns? Or am I the clown here that just got played by Sprint of all lousy companies?
I do now know it appears that Sprint took away these discounts in a sweeping nationwide move last year from many people like me. It would be great to see them have to pay millions over screwing up peoples lives like this if at all possible and not honoring their commitments. Maybe I don't understand 'class action'. But to me this sure seems like one. At least I'd love to sue them personally for ruining my credit, and causing me all this unnecessary stress. I would think that once they broke the contract with me- that frees me from the contract with them.
Thanks for your thoughts and help!
D
(I will say that I do not have the actual contract - or agreement. All it ever was was me agreeing verbally to 2 years at such and such a rate - which IMO makes their ability to toss me to the credit dogs after jacking up my bill even much MORE suspect!
I want to sue SPRINT (cell phone company) and would like some thoughts before I start calling lawyers. The case requires some background on my relationship with Sprint over the years. I seriously think this could be a class action lawsuit if I ever saw one as I suspect many thousands out there like me where screwed in such a fashion.
I was a Sprint customer for over 14 years. Around 2006 I considered leaving Sprint for a competitor due to their lack of cutting edge phones. Retention department managed to save my business by offering me a 30% discount (for life). Originally, on my bill for many years it simply said something to the effect of 30% off. This was 30% off the total, taxes, data, etc. I had a good deal. Several years passed and several contracts. With each contract renewed I would get a new phone, and make sure that my 30% discount was still going to be on my bill. Each time I was assured that it would be. I was happy to stay with Sprint. I did notice that at some point around 2011 I started to see my discount labled as 'Employee discount'. I thought this was odd since I was never a Sprint employee. When I asked about this, customer service said that that is how they are classifying my discount now. Umm ok.
So, onto the problem and potential lawsuit at hand: In 2011 I renewed my contract yet again, yadda yadda, got a new phone, was assured my discount would be there and committed to yet another 2 years with Sprint. In July of 2013 I noticed a huge jump in my bill. I was nearly 6 months from the end of my contract. I called to see what had happened. My discount had been removed without warning. I tried to get it back on. Sprint essentially told me to get lost. There was nothing I could do.
Since my bill had now risen as much as 45% with no warning, I viewed this as a breach of contract by Sprint. I no longer wanted to stay with such an inferior service for such a high price. More-so I was outraged that they would not at least honor out their contract with ME. I believe they had a contractual obligation to honor my discounted rate AT LEAST until the end of my contract in November, after all that was the rate we agreed to when I initiated the contract. They simply laughed at me. How could they simply increase my rate on a whim. What if I wasn't ABLE to pay the increase? This was wrong on so many levels. But what about legally?
So, I left sprint a few months early for this breach. They hit me with the ETF (early termination fee) which was pro-rated, but still an extra $100 and change - I wasn't going to pay it. After all, they had broken their contract, and in my opinion I could now leave the company and not be bound to a sudden 45% increase in my bill before the contract end date. My phone which I now had would be unusable on Verizon who I switched to. One high level Sprint manager told me that the discount had been a 'privilege'. Really? I never viewed it this way. It was always presented to me as a deal - a handshake - a clear agreement between two parties, and incentive to stay on board. Certainly, when I renewed nearly 1.5 years earlier the clear expectation was that my rate would not, and could not increase, especially in the middle of my 2 year agreement with them!!
The bill is now on my credit report as an ugly ding. It is my only blemish. I have since paid what I viewed as the past due amount for the 'service' but the early termination fee I will not pay, never. The account is now on my credit report as 'settled'. Still, this is an ugly thing to have on my credit. It's there and it made my credit drop over 100pts.
I did offer Sprint to simply have this completely removed from my credit records and I'd move on. But they refused. I'm now at the point where I want to seek aggressive legal help and sue the f*cking **** out of this pathetic company, for ruining my credit, causing me all types of stress and problems thinking about this garbage for too long, and for breaking the contract - yet expecting me keep the contract until the end.
Do I have a case? If, so, how strong is it? Would anyone be willing to help me take it to these clowns? Or am I the clown here that just got played by Sprint of all lousy companies?
I do now know it appears that Sprint took away these discounts in a sweeping nationwide move last year from many people like me. It would be great to see them have to pay millions over screwing up peoples lives like this if at all possible and not honoring their commitments. Maybe I don't understand 'class action'. But to me this sure seems like one. At least I'd love to sue them personally for ruining my credit, and causing me all this unnecessary stress. I would think that once they broke the contract with me- that frees me from the contract with them.
Thanks for your thoughts and help!
D
(I will say that I do not have the actual contract - or agreement. All it ever was was me agreeing verbally to 2 years at such and such a rate - which IMO makes their ability to toss me to the credit dogs after jacking up my bill even much MORE suspect!
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