On May 14, 7:26 pm, James <J...@noone-nowhere.com> wrote:
> On 14 May 2007 09:21:08 -0700, Steve Crow <steve.c...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >The billing system conversion (P2K to Ensemble) that others speak of
> >in this thread *may* have something to do with it. My questions for
> >you are:
>
> >1. How long have you had this phone number (not phone, not service,
> >the actual phone number)?
>
> >2. Have you recently sold, lost, or otherwise parted ways with an old
> >phone that was once active on this line/account?
>
> >The reason I ask is that "premium content" comes from two different
> >places: the Sprint Vision Content Vending Machine (the "Downloads"
> >area on PCS Vision) and from third-party vendors who peddle their
> >goods via text messaging-- the stuff you see advertised on TV "send
> >xxxxx to xxxxx to get x ringtone").
>
> >We'll look first at purchases from the Vision Content Vending Machine.
> >Errors in these purchase records are very rare, but they do happen for
> >a couple of reasons, which I'll get to in a minute. Every handset with
> >3G data capability is authenticated on Sprint's network through an NAI
> >which contains a username (someb...@sprintpcs.com) and a password.
> >This information is usually provisioned over-the-air, automatically,
> >when the handset is activated on the line. It's also possible to
> >program this information manually if the owner knows the Master
> >Subsidy Lock code (MSL), which Sprint isn't in a habit of giving out--
> >except when they have to, like during the phone programming process.
>
> >If someone were to program their handset with your Vision NAI, they
> >could very well purchase and bill things to your account. Your default
> >Vision password is just a bunch of gibberish, but someone in-the-know
> >who has access to your phone can fetch the information they need right
> >from the handset and plug it into theirs-- and in some early Vision
> >phones, they don't even need that lock code to get to it (a problem
> >which was fixed via software updates in pretty much all affected
> >models). If this has happened, logging in to your account at
> >Sprint.com and modifying your Vision password will block the offender
> >from future access.
>
> >A more common way people gain access to another person's Vision
> >account is through the use of an old handset which hasn't been
> >properly cleared of the old programming and loaded with new Vision NAI
> >details over the air. This can happen if you sell a phone, lose one
> >(and don't report it lost/stolen), etc. As I mentioned earlier, NAI
> >programming is supposed to happen automatically, but there's nothing
> >stopping the user from canceling it as soon as it starts, leaving the
> >old username and password in place. There are also times that the
> >information simply doesn't come down over the air, though that doesn't
> >happen often. The phone will need to be active on another account to
> >access the network, but if the Vision username and password that's
> >programmed in is still associated with YOUR account, YOU get billed
> >for purchases.
>
> >If you have recently parted ways with an old phone from your account,
> >let Customer Care know that it's likely it was still programmed with
> >your account information. They should be able to credit it back and
> >change your Vision password for you.
>
> >Now, as far as those third-party services go, it's true that Sprint,
> >like most carriers, has a policy of not refunding those charges. Think
> >of them as the modern cell phone equivalent of 900 numbers. Someone
> >else is billing you, Sprint's just passing along the bill. Many of the
> >services you see advertised on TV where you send a certain code to a
> >specific number to get a game or ringtone tell you in the (very) fine
> >print at the bottom of the screen that you're signing up for a
> >subscription or that they'll send you a text message once a day for
> >the next fifty years at three bucks a pop. If you have been receiving
> >these messages, even if you're not opening them, you're being billed.
>
> >If you didn't sign up, just about the only way you could be getting
> >bills for these is if it's an error at the service provider, or if you
> >recently got a new phone number and the previous owner was signed up
> >for something like this. If that's the case, it's almost easiest to
> >change your phone number. Explain the situation to Customer Care and
> >they'll typically have a supervisor approve a credit for the charges.
>
> >Those are really about the only ways I've ever seen truly erroneous
> >content charges wind up on customers' bills in my six years selling
> >and servicing the Sprint product.
>
> >On May 13, 2:45 pm, James <J...@noone-nowhere.com> wrote:
> >> In reviewing my recent Sprint bill I found $40 is charges for "Premium
> >> Services" (ringtone and game downloads) that I did not make.
>
> >> Sprint "Customer Service" keeps saying that these were done by me
> >> since they were charged to my phone. Catch 22 here: I didn't do it,
> >> but I must have since they are on my bill, and since they are on my
> >> bill I must have done it. They did tell me that most of the downloads
> >> occurred in the middle of the night when the phone was in my house and
> >> I was asleep.
>
> >> I talked to several people at Customer Service for over an hour,
> >> including a supervisor, all of whom told me that they couldn't or more
> >> accurately, wouldn't do anything to reverse the charges.
>
> >> Since it appears that the downloads were made through their website,
> >> does anyone know if Sprint keeps the IP address of the downloader?
> >> Customer Service doesn't know or won't tell me.
>
> >> Has anyone else had this problem with Sprint? How did you resolve it,
> >> it at all?
>
> >> Tomorrow I call Sprint Corporate and try there.
>
> >> So a WARNING to all: Check your bills carefully!
>
> >> James
>
> To all who responded:
>
> Here's the update. I called Sprint Corporate and talked first to one
> of those CS reps who said, more or less the same as yesterday's
> unknowing CS reps: It's your phone, your fault. Tough.
>
> I spoke to his supervisor who finally got things sorted out. She
> answered my questions and for a change, someone at Sprint listened.
> She asked a lot of questions, but at the end, she gave me a $50 credit
> in the event I am continued to be billed in May/June and told me how
> to remove anything that might be an ongoing rebilling.
>
> And that was the secret door on their website.
>
> The place to go is after the login page. Go to "My Content", then
> click on "My Content Manager". There you can ask for a refund or
> unsubscribe. Of course, the assumption is that you were the one to
> download things. But there is a problem in that you can ask for a
> refund, but the system only allows a maximum of two per month. In
> asking for a refund, click on the radio button for "Other" and say
> "Unauthorized".
>
> I suppose it would have been nice if someone at a not-so-senior level
> mentioned that, but I suspect these people at first tier CS are in a
> call center somewhere outside of the known universe.
>
> So to amend my warning: every couple of weeks, check your account for
> "content". And, if you explain yourself very carefuylly, politely,
> and succinctly to CS, almost universally, with one lone exception
> today, they still tell you that you are wrong.

Or just dump them and go with Virgin Mobile, Sir Richard's separate
Customer Service is the only thing keeping spcs from total
collapse...JG

>
> Two other point: First, if your login name is your cellphone number,
> you've opened the door just a bit too wide. And second, and most
> important, if you go to "Settings and Preferences" you can prevent
> downloads of games, songs, and just plain old crap. (BTW, the first
> several CS reps told me that if I did that I would lose access to
> PowerVision and web access, which I still want. Today's CS supervisor
> told me that that was wrong information.)
>
> James- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -