Carrier Sprint $100 down payment effective 11/6/15

[Love Divine]

Walked in to sprint to switch my iPhone 6 Plus 64GB to a 6S+ 64GB and switch to the new iPhone Forever plan.

I inquired about it back in September and was told that once I made my 10th payment on my lease, I qualified to switch. Pay a $50 early upgrade fee, turn in my phone, then be on the new plan with a new phone. I asked to do it over the phone, but was told it was an in-store deal only.

Fast forward to today, where I can finally make it to the closest store - it's about 100 miles away. Everything's all good until the time of purchase. I was told that, effective YESTERDAY, I had to pay an additional $100 down payment, on top of the $50 early upgrade fee. The fee is apparently to any phone purchased with Sprint that is higher than the base model. It's one time only. Since I was getting a 64GB, I had to pay the fee. Even though I was already coming from a 64GB. The fee didn't apply to the 16GB.

What the ****? Doesn't make any sense. They wouldn't budge, despite the fact that it started YESTERDAY, and that they denied me from doing it over the phone earlier (which they will let me do now, except with the new extra $100 fee). Anybody else run into this? It's outrageous. Unfair that they denied me from doing business earlier, and now sprung a 100$ charge on me when I could finally make it down.

 

[eyoungren]

I can understand your frustration, having been told one thing and then this. I was with Sprint for 16 years so I'm quite used to them doing that.

That said, this year was my very first lease with Sprint (back before this new iPhone Forever thing) and I qualified for $0 down on a 128GB 6+ and a 128GB 6. Which was surprising because I am always used to having to pay something up front having always been on 2 year subsidized contracts.

When we ported over to T-Mobile last month they charged me $216 for a 128GB 6s and $216 for a 128GB 6S+. The 16GB models would have been $0 down.

So, the fact that Sprint is charging you something does not surprise me. I'm guessing they might have had too many people defaulting on the lease with higher capacity models. But I don't know.

I do agree with your outrage though over your main point. Not telling you and then having this happen is not a nice surprise.

Be aware for the next one. They don't tell you when signing up for iPhone Forever, that while the upgrading when you want part is true - you do not retain the special pricing once you do your first upgrade. A whole bunch of Sprint users are going to get a nasty surprise on their phone bills when the iPhone 7 comes out.

 

[Love Divine]

I can understand your frustration, having been told one thing and then this. I was with Sprint for 16 years so I'm quite used to them doing that.

That said, this year was my very first lease with Sprint (back before this new iPhone Forever thing) and I qualified for $0 down on a 128GB 6+ and a 128GB 6. Which was surprising because I am always used to having to pay something up front having always been on 2 year subsidized contracts.

When we ported over to T-Mobile last month they charged me $216 for a 128GB 6s and $216 for a 128GB 6S+. The 16GB models would have been $0 down.

So, the fact that Sprint is charging you something does not surprise me. I'm guessing they might have had too many people defaulting on the lease with higher capacity models. But I don't know.

I do agree with your outrage though over your main point. Not telling you and then having this happen is not a nice surprise.

Be aware for the next one. They don't tell you when signing up for iPhone Forever, that while the upgrading when you want part is true - you do not retain the special pricing once you do your first upgrade. A whole bunch of Sprint users are going to get a nasty surprise on their phone bills when the iPhone 7 comes out.

What sucks is that they sprung it on me and wouldn't remove it despite me having tried earlier. It effectively adds 100 to the price of an already expensive phone. I'm perfectly fine with my 6+ - I was only wanting to do this because it saved me money monthly.

Can you elaborate on the iPhone forever? How much would it increase?

 

[eyoungren]

What sucks is that they sprung it on me and wouldn't remove it despite me having tried earlier. It effectively adds 100 to the price of an already expensive phone. I'm perfectly fine with my 6+ - I was only wanting to do this because it saved me money monthly.

Can you elaborate on the iPhone forever? How much would it increase?

I hear you and that's what I was meaning when I said they told you one thing and did another.

Right now, the iPhone Forever monthly lease fee is $1 per month I believe. When you upgrade the first time, the lease fee will go back up to somewhere between $20-35 depending on the capacity of the new iPhone you buy. That's the standard lease fee.

Very few people are reading the fine print so when their bills jump $20+ each month when they are still expecting the $1 lease fee they are going to be surprised.

The $1 lease fee was just a promotion to get people in the door. It's not permanent - unless you never upgrade. Which would defeat the purpose of iPhone Forever.

 

[GoldenDust]

Walked in to sprint to switch my iPhone 6 Plus 64GB to a 6S+ 64GB and switch to the new iPhone Forever plan.

I inquired about it back in September and was told that once I made my 10th payment on my lease, I qualified to switch. Pay a $50 early upgrade fee, turn in my phone, then be on the new plan with a new phone. I asked to do it over the phone, but was told it was an in-store deal only.

Fast forward to today, where I can finally make it to the closest store - it's about 100 miles away. Everything's all good until the time of purchase. I was told that, effective YESTERDAY, I had to pay an additional $100 down payment, on top of the $50 early upgrade fee. The fee is apparently to any phone purchased with Sprint that is higher than the base model. It's one time only. Since I was getting a 64GB, I had to pay the fee. Even though I was already coming from a 64GB. The fee didn't apply to the 16GB.

What the ****? Doesn't make any sense. They wouldn't budge, despite the fact that it started YESTERDAY, and that they denied me from doing it over the phone earlier (which they will let me do now, except with the new extra $100 fee). Anybody else run into this? It's outrageous. Unfair that they denied me from doing business earlier, and now sprung a 100$ charge on me when I could finally make it down.

Customer care doesn't generally tell you if you'll need to make a deposit.

May I ask a few questions?

1.) When you first came to Sprint. Did you have to pay a deposit/down-payment?

2.) Is your account ASL?

 

[Love Divine]

Customer care doesn't generally tell you if you'll need to make a deposit.

May I ask a few questions?

1.) When you first came to Sprint. Did you have to pay a deposit/down-payment?

2.) Is your account ASL?

No.

And no.

I was told very specifically at the store that the charge had started yesterday and was to be applied to any phone over the base model. So despite me trying to have purchased it earlier, and them having written records of such, they didn't waive it. Complete bs, really no two ways about it in my mind. Feel free to prove me wrong.

Sticking with my 6 Plus till the 7 - not a big deal. But that did feel like a slap in the face.

 

[lordofthereef]

It sounds like exactly what T-Mobile
Does. They have a base lease price per model of phone. You pay the difference in storage size upgrades up front ($100 plus tax for 64gb and $200 plus tax for 128gb). I got around that with an over the phone promo T-Mobile was running, but it took more
Phone calls than it was worth.

Anyway, sucks this happened. I wish they'd just roll these fees into monthly bills. That's how Verizon and ATT do it. It's around $6 a month per storage jump. A lot easier on the wallet than $100-200 up front particularly on multiple lines.

I may just end up going with the Apple upgrade program next upgrade unless T-Mobile offers
Something very nice.

 

[eyoungren]

It sounds like exactly what T-Mobile
Does. They have a base lease price per model of phone. You pay the difference in storage size upgrades up front ($100 plus tax for 64gb and $200 plus tax for 128gb). I got around that with an over the phone promo T-Mobile was running, but it took more
Phone calls than it was worth.

Anyway, sucks this happened. I wish they'd just roll these fees into monthly bills. That's how Verizon and ATT do it. It's around $6 a month per storage jump. A lot easier on the wallet than $100-200 up front particularly on multiple lines.

I may just end up going with the Apple upgrade program next upgrade unless T-Mobile offers
Something very nice.

I was actually fine with the $200 I paid up front. Considering what my bill is now after porting over and adding two iPad Air 2's, having to pay this over time, no, no thanks.

Maybe being given an option to do one or the other though. I could see that.

 

[lordofthereef]

I was actually fine with the $200 I paid up front. Considering what my bill is now after porting over and adding two iPad Air 2's, having to pay this over time, no, no thanks.

Maybe being given an option to do one or the other though. I could see that.

I was more just explainging where the $100-200 down paymnt comes from. You could have stellar impeccable credit and TMO will still want $100 for 64gb and $200 for 128GB current gen iphones as down payment. It's nice for people planning on keeping the phone. It sort of kills the JUMP on demand three times a year deal though. In the first month I am no less than $100 (plus taxes) out. I am sure that is why they do it. Still hoping we get a 32 (or 64 LOLOLOLOLOLOL) GB base device next year.

 

[eyoungren]

I was more just explainging where the $100-200 down paymnt comes from. You could have stellar impeccable credit and TMO will still want $100 for 64gb and $200 for 128GB current gen iphones as down payment. It's nice for people planning on keeping the phone. It sort of kills the JUMP on demand three times a year deal though. In the first month I am no less than $100 (plus taxes) out. I am sure that is why they do it. Still hoping we get a 32 (or 64 LOLOLOLOLOLOL) GB base device next year.

Oh, I get you. I was just explaining that I was ok with paying that up front, versus over time. In the past year I have sought to reduce my phone bill twice and each time it's gone up! So, eliminating any pay over time fees is preferable to me.

Although I can totally see why a lot of people would want to do that (pay the fees over time).

 

[capathy21]

Walked in to sprint to switch my iPhone 6 Plus 64GB to a 6S+ 64GB and switch to the new iPhone Forever plan.

I inquired about it back in September and was told that once I made my 10th payment on my lease, I qualified to switch. Pay a $50 early upgrade fee, turn in my phone, then be on the new plan with a new phone. I asked to do it over the phone, but was told it was an in-store deal only.

Fast forward to today, where I can finally make it to the closest store - it's about 100 miles away. Everything's all good until the time of purchase. I was told that, effective YESTERDAY, I had to pay an additional $100 down payment, on top of the $50 early upgrade fee. The fee is apparently to any phone purchased with Sprint that is higher than the base model. It's one time only. Since I was getting a 64GB, I had to pay the fee. Even though I was already coming from a 64GB. The fee didn't apply to the 16GB.

What the ****? Doesn't make any sense. They wouldn't budge, despite the fact that it started YESTERDAY, and that they denied me from doing it over the phone earlier (which they will let me do now, except with the new extra $100 fee). Anybody else run into this? It's outrageous. Unfair that they denied me from doing business earlier, and now sprung a 100$ charge on me when I could finally make it down.

I work for Sprint and completely understand your frustration. In fact, I just went through the exact same thing. I decided to pay off my 6 and upgrade to the 6s Plus. I paid off my 6 but completely forgot that they changed the down payment policy on higher storage capacity devices. Even though I always had zero down, I had to pay 100 for my 64gb S Plus. Pissed me right off. For what it's worth, that 100 isn't wasted. It comes off of the price of the device, so your monthly payments will be a few bucks less because of the 100 you put down on it. But either way, those with good credit and a good standing payment history shouldn't have any down payment, regardless of storage size.