After enticing customers with a deal to cut their bills in half, Sprint is now baiting consumers to switch over by offering to pay the cost of them abandoning their current contracts with other wireless carriers.
Within 15 days of making the switch, Sprint will cover the costs associated with moving by tendering prepaid American Express cards. The offer covers early termination fees and unpaid balances on phone installment plans.
Sprint is dedicated to its roughly 56 million customers, has invested millions in its network and its rates are the most competitive in the wireless industry, according to Tom Roberts, senior vice president of marketing at Sprint.
"And, now we are making it easy to see what Sprint is all about by paying your costs to switch, including early termination fees," says Roberts. "We want all U.S. wireless consumers to find out what our 56 million customers already know — Sprint offers the best value in wireless."
To take advantage of the deal, consumers will need to bring their numbers and handsets, tied to their old accounts and in good condition, over to Sprint and activate an eligible plan or pay full retail for a new phone. Eligible plans include Sprint Easy Pay, Sprint Lease and iPhone for Life.
Customers will need to upload their old bills to Sprint within 60 days of activating new service with the company. Once this evidence has been submitted, Sprint will tender the reimbursements in under 15 days, it says.
Sprint is also offering prepaid mailing kits, with which new customers can use to turn in their old mobile devices.
Sprint's "Cut Your Bill in Half" offer is still live, though the wireless carrier didn't make it clear if consumers can combine the bill-halving with the fee reimbursement offer.
The Cut Your Bill in Half offer is only available to AT&T and Verizon customers, omitting customers from T-Mobile. While Sprint and T-Mobile are very much rivals, the two companies have been discounting each other and taking aim at the country's top two wireless carriers.
Roberts' remarks earlier in the story referenced Sprint's 56 million customers, a figure contested by T-Mobile. Last year, T-Mobile CEO John Legere said his company would move out of fourth place and pass Sprint this year.
T-Mobile says its 55 million customers puts it ahead of Sprint and claims the rival carrier has been leaking subscribers, falling from the 55 million it once had itself. Sprint asserts that it has been adding customers and is now up to 56 million, which would still keep it ahead of T-Mobile and in third place behind AT&T and Verizon.
