Switching Services

[csiguy4u]

Currently I am using Virgin Mobile prepaid service which runs on the sprint network. I am starting to get to the point it would be more cost effective to go with a monthly service plan which means I would need to switch services providers. I was thinking of going to Sprint. I was wondering if anyone knew whether or not I would be able to use my phone with their service. I would tend to think I could since 1) they sell the same kyocera 2255 phones on Sprint's site and 2) my phone already operates on the Sprint network. If anybody thinks that this would or would not work out let me know.

[Ecompt02]

From my understanding you won't be able to use the Virgin Mobile 2255 b/c the seriel # is going to be tied to the virgin mobile pre-pay account. You can however get a free Kyocera 2255 from Sprint if you sign up for service. Now depending on the strength of your credit you may or may not need to put down a deposit. Prepay is not nearly as cost effective as monthly service and I'm not sure you get all the other basics like caller id, callwaiting, 3-way calling and voicemail with pre-pay service. I you have any questions about service please e-mail me and I'll answer what ever questions about monthly service that you might have.

[csiguy4u]

Thats stupid, can't I just reprogram the phone like what I had to do when I first got the phone? I mean if the serial # is tied to my virigin mobile account, can't i just cancel the virgin mobile account (which i would have done anyways if i went to the Sprint $30 a month plan). It would seem that if the phone operates on the Sprint network already it would be just as simple as deactivating my service with one company and reactivating it with another.

[Ecompt02]

Actually is not just as simple as reprogramming the phone... First off the at seriel # is owned by Virgin Mobile which does use the same network as sprint but is a seperate division...this prevents people from buying a prepay phone and taking into the sprint store and activating on an account. This also prevents someone from buying a regular sprint phone and activating it on a prepaid account. Trust me I know a little bit about this stuff.

[csiguy4u]

what makes u such an expert? any idea how i can email sprint customer service? if there isn't some way i can use my phone with sprint then i am not going to switch services.

[TNDan21]

I believe everything Ecompt02 said is correct.

[Ecompt02]

I'm not claiming to be an expert, but just listen one sec...You can get another 2255 for free if you sign up for service right now...You can probably even get your phone books swapped if you go to the right sprint store...We have a promotion right now where you will ge a 2255 free with service but if your credit isn't that great or not that established you might have $125 deposit...I'm really just trying to help you out and make you realize you can get another 2255 for free..

[CheapArse]

Originally posted by: csiguy4u
what makes u such an expert? any idea how i can email sprint customer service? if there isn't some way i can use my phone with sprint then i am not going to switch services.

For someone who ask so many questions and then questions the person giving the correct answers why not do a little thinking on your own and use common sense for a change.
If you owned a company who sold services piggy backing on another network you would do the same to prevent people like you from swithing a pre-pay service into a monthy charge service.
SprintPCS customer service can be reached at umm like

www.sprintpcs.com where it would be logically placed.
If you werent sure then you could do a "search" on a search engine.
If you still did not find the answer then you could walk into a sprintpcs owned store in your area (store locations can be found on the sprintpcs site.

After all that was said on my part, I take it you wont be swithing services.

[csiguy4u]

i want to use the phone i already paid money for; why would i want two of the exact same phone? I've only had it for a few months now.

[cryogenic]

That's all fine and dandy... yes the phone will physically work on SprintPCS's network... However, the 2255's that are sent to Virgin Mobile by Kyocera are most likely going to be barred in SPCS's activation system. As in, if you put a VM 2255 ESN in the SPCS activation system, it will come up as barred and not allow it to be activated. SPCS will only load the range of ESN's that were intended for use on THEIR network. Any other ESN's will come up as foreign and SPCS will not activate them. It's that simple. It's not a matter of whether or not the phone will physically work; it's just that the carriers have taken precautions to stop people from buying a phone from Virgin Mobile and then switching it over to SPCS in order to save money.

[csiguy4u]

how would you be saving money? if you can now get a free 2255 from sprint, but yet i spent $89 on it from VM. . . I guess i just don't get it. What happend to the saying that "the customer is always be right" ? Sprint would be stupid not to accept new customers.

[spridle]

What happend to the saying that "the customer is always be right" ?

That saying went out the door a long time ago because the customer isn't always right.

Sprint would be stupid not to accept new customers.

Sure they want you as a customer. Thats why they are offering you a FREE phone.

Virgin Mobile has locked your phone so that it can only be activated within the Virgin Mobile billing system. Sprint wouldn't be able to let you use your current phone even if they wanted to.

Glenn

[csiguy4u]

but i already paid for the phone, why would i want another one that is the exact same??

plus its gonna be a few months before i am even ready to switch, so how does a free offer help me now?

[Airb330]

Ok, well if you can get another phone for free, who cares if you will have two! Ok, in a few months, go and get a PCS phone (hopefully for free or really cheap) and sell your VM phone on Ebay. You will probably come ahead.

[CheapArse]

Originally posted by: csiguy4u
but i already paid for the phone, why would i want another one that is the exact same??

plus its gonna be a few months before i am even ready to switch, so how does a free offer help me now?

These questions repeated from csiguy are from someone with no common sense or basic thinking so whatever answers given will be asked again and again. Lets move on.

[csiguy4u]

i mean, it just don't make sense. . .

[setheriah]

I brought a 270 phone from alltel to use on verizon but it had alltel software/firmware and didnt always work as planned.. I brought a new one from a verizon agent the last one.... works fine so far....