Sprint has updated their warranty policy, effective this week. The changes are some of the most broad and sweeping since the Sprint Nextel merger took place.
Sprint’s previous warranty policy (which ended Sunday) has been universally criticized outside of Sprint. The procedures made Sprint the only national carrier which charged for in-warranty service of their own devices. Sprint did this to upsell their Express Service and Repair Plan (ESRP). The $4/month plan offer expedited warranty repairs, a warranty extension, and (at one point) covered significant physical damage. Sprint required customers without ESRP, to either pay a $35 to $55 fee, or mail their phones to the manufacturer… often sitting for weeks without a wireless phone.
Now Sprint has fallen back to the pre-merger guidelines for in-warranty repairs. Customers will now be able to have their phones serviced at any Sprint Nextel service location at no charge. For out of warranty service, customers will pay a flat rate of $99 for phones and mobile broadband cards, or $119 for smart devices.
The one year warranty period will be determined by the date of original activation for the device. The ESRP plan add-on will now act as a standard extended warranty plan. Customers with ESRP will not have to pay for out-of-warranty service, but physical damage will still trigger the $99/$119 fee.
However, the changes are far from perfect. Sprint will now charge the $99/$119 fee for some routine maintenance events on out-of-warranty phones. Something as small as a software update or phonebook swap can trigger the fee, provided the phone is out-of-warranty.
Sprint has not said what policy will be enacted for phones that are more than a year old, and are issued a firmware update (as has happened numerous times in the past). However, as it stands, if the phone lacks Firmware Over The Air, those customers will be looking at paying a hundred dollars… for a software update.
Charging for software updates reinforces the stigma that customers should fear updates. PhoneNews.com has routinely advocated that the wireless industry waive all fees on routine software updates, and provide automated mechanisms that alert, and allow the end-user to opt-in to such updates easily.
Update: Sprint has responded to our reporting, stating that Software Updates are now free, regardless of warranty status. The confusion came from a series of instructions to store employees, which incorrectly grouped software updates and phonebook transfers in the same category as other services to not perform when outside of the warranty.
Under the old warranty policy, software updates were only free if they were deemed “critical” updates (otherwise requiring a $35 fee, which was waived if the customer had the ESRP plan). Under the new policy, all updates regardless of classification will be free.
We are looking for some of that great community involvement, to update our Phone Encyclopedia Sprint FAQ, to reflect these new changes:
https://phone.news/phones/index.php/Sprint_FAQ
U guys should really check your facts corp stores don’t charge for phonebbok swaps and haven’t for years.
A couple of corrections…
1) Broadband cards that are out of warranty are not $119. Its $99 for those devices.
2) Software updates and phonebook swaps are ALWAYS free, regardless if its in or out of warranty. What is changing is that phones out of warranty with mechanical defects and without ESRP or TEP will be charged the $99/$119 fee. The old $35/$55 fees are gone.
Also, From May 1st to the end of May, there will be an open enrollment for TEP, so anyone who doesn’t have TEP on their account can sign up without having to pay a repair fee first,
And lastly, the new in warranty program does not cover wear & tear, so if you have missing/damaged antennas, buttons, or a loose hinge on a flip phone, it will not be free if the customer does not have ESRP or TEP.
It’s about time they took care of in-warranty related issues, but having blanket $99/119 repair costs can make for some absurd combinations. $99 for an antenna. $99 for a simple housing fix. $99 for a little speaker. Etc, etc.
The net effect of this will be that some customers will choose to upgrade rather than pay exorbitant repair costs for a simple fix, and some customers will cancel for that very reason. I
All in all, the changes will probably make less people mad. That’s the reality. This isn’t really going to make a lot of customers say, “Wow, thanks!!!” but it will help eliminate the vast number of customers who were disgruntled at paying for in-warranty related issues. After all the negative impressions left by the last three+ years of it, one would think the company would offer a little more to make up for it.
Last time I took my phone in for repairs, the Sprint tech repaired everything that was wrong with the phone, not just the problem about which I was complaining. Did everything but give me a brand new phone, which, my phone looked practically brand new when I got it back. If the same level of service holds true under the new policy, I’d imagine that other customers like myself will get more for that fee than the article implies…
Way to go (to collapse) Sprint!
…”What is changing is that phones out of warranty with mechanical defects and without ESRP or TEP will be charged the $99/$119 fee. The old $35/$55 fees are gone”.
Summary for current customers:
In other words now you are forced to buy a new phone, but wait, remember not just any new phone, since cool new phones like an Instinct or the new S30 are only available with the “Everything Plans” , which are most likely for converts of other carriers, not loyal,established longterm customers !!
Since your ongoing service device is either going to be out of warranty soon or even is already out of warranty, in which case you have 2 choices:
1.You are forced to spend even more (“The old $35/$55 fees are gone”) to fix it (that is if they can!) or
2. You have to sign up with the “Everything Plans” and hence give up your grandfathered/established plan, that is if you would like to buy a cool new phone like an Instinct or now the new S30.
Example:
My 2.5 year old Samsung m610, 2.0 meg camera/camcorder does no longer work, no pics or video, does no longer read the micro sd files, battery life max talktime down to 40 minutes, frequently loses service contact at random for as long as 7 minutes at a time.
I was supposed to get the m800/Instinct as replacement 2 years ago, the rest is history, now I was going to get a samsung s30 so that i can transfer my files/phonebook without butchering it MS mobile style, again they are saying no, it works only with the “Everything” plans!
I have been out of contract for well over a year, they want me to give up my fair and flexible mod plan, otherwise I can forget my pick of phones!!
This is after 11years!
In conclusion, if you are an established customer, this “bonus” is in addition to the forced, unchallenged “Administrative Fees”, that are shoved down the consumer’s throat on every monthly statement.
The timing on this new policy, demonstrates the desperateness of Sprint, this is surely not going to stop the account losses, by not only lacking gratitude or appreciation for current or longterm customers,in addition completely disregarding the economic state of the country, how patriotic, completly in line with the cancellation letters send to the Marines not toolong ago, due to “excessive roaming” in the middle of wartime service to the country!
Way to go (to collapse) Sprint!
Hi. I work in the corporate communications department for Sprint. I wanted to make sure everyone had the correct information regarding Sprint’s warranty program.
Sprint offers competitive warranty protection programs for our customers. With the Total Equipment Protection program, customers can have service and repair on their handset at no charge and if a phone is physically damaged beyond repair would only have to pay their deductible for a replacement device. Below are bullets outlining the new structure for the warranty program:
Phone book swap and software upgrades – no charge; Sprint has not charged for these services for many years
Wear and Tear damage including missing components and phone failure with noticeable cosmetic damage — $99/$119 if customer does not subscribe to Sprint’s Total Equipment Protection Plan (TEP)
Physical Damage including broken hinge, lenses, or port; cracked housing or LCD — $99/$119 if customer does not subscribe to TEP or Equipment Replacement Program (ERP)
Damaged beyond repair or lost/stolen – upgrade/buy new device if customer does not subscribe to TEP or ERP
Thanks!
Kristin Wallace
Thanks crystal I’m a retail rep so u just made my job so much easier 🙂
*Kristin sorry I get a little heated when I see usd get flack like this
Kristin, any idea when the samsung lucello will launch ? Or the the htc touch pro 2 ?
I have been a sprint customer for 7 years and I have to say that the warranty from Verizon kicks sprints butt. If your phone is out of warranty and you don’t qualify for an upgrade you can get the same phone for a courtesy $50 charge. Also their warranty costs are cheaper. So maybe sprint should take a page from verizons book.
Kristin, corporate communications might want to communicate to the executives that it is exorbitant to charge $99 for some mundane repairs- ones that have little materials cost and less than half an hour of labor involved.
A more customer friendly program would have repair costs that matched the actual work done. I might take my car to the shop and pay $1000 for a transmission overhaul, but I wouldn’t expect that same cost for brakes or a fan belt or something petty in comparison. The only reasoning I can see for a flat $99/119 cost is to price it out of budget and coerce someone into upgrading or maintaining TEP. Upgrading is great, if that’s what the customer really wants, but a person with a year or two old phone shouldn’t have to choose between an overpriced repair and swallowing a new contract and a phone they might not have been ready for. TEP is also a nice value for a lot of people, but not everyone. For those, they shouldn’t feel forced into it. Imagine a car dealer saying, “all standard repairs and maintenance will be covered by your purchased repair plan, but without it you’ll pay (insert absurd amount here) for everything (including basic and inexpensive events).
Sprint’s done a lot to improve things the last year or so, but there is still a disconnect. I think upper-upper management has the right mindset. I know the field is on board to make Sprint into #1. However, I don’t think that the people who decide and write the end policies are in touch with customers or customer facing employees. These changes give back something that should have been there all along, and takes away a tiered and semi-sensible approach to pricing repair events. That’s hardly a net plus for customer perception, something that is vital and even a king maker in today’s market.
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JJ that’s the same insureance Assurion offers except Sprint will waive the deductible if you have TEP in lots of cases by replacing the phone on the spot
Does this allow a customer to leave Sprint with no ETF because of this change? I have the warranty on my plan and would love to leave.
it sounds like it is sayint that esrp is just an extension of manufactures warranty past the 1 year manufactures warrenty. and no longer covers wear or tear or physical damage. sprint needs to get its shit together regarding service and repair. before nextel merger it was rediculous than they took nextel service and repair policity which was the best. NSP(pre merger nextel) is what ESRP is supposed to be now. but sprint never did it right ( i know i worked for nextel corporate retail store, then sprint corporate retail after merger. Nextel NSP(now esrp) replaced any problem with the phone or gave them another phone(most likely refurbished), it covered everything except water damage and if the phone was broken beyond repair, motherboard exposed or broken, or if phone was broken in 3 or more peices for flip phones or more than 1 peice for candybar. Nextel had awesome technichians and always had an abundance of refurbished motorola phones. sprint never really had refurbished phones, so if they couldnt fix it they would have to replace with brand new phone. which cost money. thats why bullshit sprint would hardly ever replace a phone through esrp, and always made people go through insurance company. which really pissed people off, ecspecially me when i stopped working for sprint and tried to take a coulpe phones in for esrp service. Those ******* technicians would always claim phone was water damaged, and had corrosion on it which was never thier and even the sticker under the battery never turned red, which is supposed to be if there was water damage. Sprint just sucks their policys blow and they ruined a great company Nextel. They need to learn how premerger nextel did things, and sprint can come back and be successful. I even remember that if you got a phone replaced and you had your phone for like 1 year and a half, and you where only half a year away from being elegble to upgrade, they would restart your upgrade elegibilty for another 2 years cause the esn changed. Any company who thinks like that is not worth existing, but after the merger they stopped that practice by learning what nextel did, now they need to keep doing other things the way nextel had and theyd be good.
[…] from any Palm authized source for a full year for FREE with NO TEP and NO ESRP — NO Asurion. Sprint Updates Warranty Policy, No More In-Warranty Fees (Updated) | PhoneNews.com Stop the […]
SPRINT SUCKS! I have to echo Pete’s sentiment above. The hinge on my wife’s flip phone broke through NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. She didn’t drop it or abuse it. We’ve been paying for the ESRP coverage on this phone for the past 2 years. Ok, so I go and check the ESRP contract to see if a repair or replacement phone would be covered, contract says “What is covered: If the Designated Wireless Device fails due to an Operational Failure, We will repair it, or, at our sole option, replace it with a device of comparable kind and quality.” Ok, makes sense, but what is an operational failure? Again, from the contract: “Operational Failure means failure of the Designated Wireless Device to operate due to operational, mechanical, or structural failure from defects in materials or workmanship and normal wear and tear.” Ok, broken hinge, could be considered a mechanical or structural failure, right? And it happened through normal wear and tear. So cool, good thing we have this ESRP plan so we can get this fixed. WRONG! Sprint refused to cover it under the ESRP, claiming that the phone must have been dropped or abused to cause the hinge to break (they like to call this “physical damage”, it’s a nicer way of saying it I guess). More or less calling my wife and I liars. They also tried to justify it by saying “this isn’t a known issue with the phone,” even though there’s nothing in the contract saying only “known issues” are covered. I even went back to the sprint store a second time, contract in-hand, to get the same line of bull. It became painfully clear that the sprint store reps had no idea of what was actually in the ESRP contract, nor did they care. They just kept regurgitating the same lines over and over, “it’s physical damage”, “it’s not mechanical”, “outside forces (dropping) must’ve caused it to break”. This is completely deceptive and shady as hell. I’m cancelling this ESRP plan, demanding a refund for all money I’ve paid into it and cancelling Sprint as soon as this stupid contract expires.
[…] here is a tip that might save you money. The tep does cover those things but the warranty on your phone does too. guess what you phone warranty is free and sprint does honor it. I am thinking all those things are defects that the manufacturer can take care of through sprint. Call the store and see what they say. Sprint Updates Warranty Policy, No More In-Warranty Fees (Updated) | PhoneNews.com […]
i wonder if can change my sprint phone..i just bought it 3 mos. ago but im experiencing a problem with my unit..i want to change it for a new one since i bought it with a big box and i have all this problem with this phone..sometimes if im using it ,it just suddenly froze and i need to turn it off..i have no patient for this kind of phone…so maybe you can advice me for this…
It’s back! I have a 3 month old Sprint Samsung Seek that just keeps cycling on and off and will not allow me to make calls, I was just told by Sprint Technical Support and the Sprint Store that unless you now buy a service plan they charge you for fixing their phones and that Sprint does not warranty their phones any longer. They both told me this was the new policy that was instated Saturday. I have sent an e-mail to customer service to see if this is correct. I’ll let you know what they say.
Sprint requiring service contract to support phones under warranty
Since this article has been written Sprint has not changed. It is now 2011 and I am getting the run around from the store, customer service and tech support. I was treat4ed very poorly by a woman named Ashley in the tech. department. My daughter has only had her Blackberry phone for 5months. The light behind the screen went out. The phone is still under warranty. They told her $35.00 because she didn’t have insurance, I got the same story. Not one person could actually explain what the $35.00 actually was for. I requested a corporate number and no one could give me a #. They claim there is no one to talk to above them. So frustrated and so done with Sprint. They suck and do not back up their products that they buy. When they bought the phone from blackberry the took responsibility for the warranty and will not hold up to their bargain f the deal. They cheat their customers. Shame on you Sprint!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with Kristin 100%, Sprint even talked me into buying their TEP warranty and now they will not honor it. They flat out lied to me to get me to buy the extended warranty, and now tell me I have to send the phone into Asurioun Company myself to get it fixed, well actually they don’t fix it they send me an old one they have fixed, NICE…..I made a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, but Sprint still refuses to uphold their promises. BBB says most companies have 10 days to respond to a complaint, but because Sprint gets so many complaints they have 35 days, You would think Sprint would try and make their customers happy but they just don’t care. We will be switching to a different company soon!!.