This is just a reminder that as of 1/1/10, Sprint is changing their contracts to add a “Regulatory Charge” of 20 cents per month. This is essentially a fee that they are adding to your contract, as it is not a consumer tax nor is it required by law. Because of this, you can now cancel your Sprint contract without an early termination fee (ETF). You must do this within 30 days of notification (check your billing statement).
After some early pushback, it appears that most Sprint reps are now aware of this legit exit plan. Commenter Stephan also shared a handy script that has been used successfully by several readers:
“Hello. I’m calling about my current contract with Sprint and the new 40 cents per line regulatory charge that Sprint will be introducing this January. The latest Terms & Conditions contract I signed with Sprint was in [year], and under that contract, it specifically states that as a Sprint customer, I have the right to terminate my contract without paying an early termination fee in the event that Sprint makes a material change to its agreement with me, and so long as I notify Sprint of my desire to do so within 30 days of such a change. This new 40 cent per line regulatory charge constitutes a material change to the Terms & Conditions agreement I signed, and therefore, I would like to exercise my right under the agreement to terminate my contract without any early termination fee.”
A few testimonials:
I called today read the script that Stephan wrote and it was like magic.. she didn’t argue just said.. ok sir.. but you will need to wait to cancel till Jan 1st 2010 and forward me to her managers voicemail to state thats what I want to do.
The beauty of information on the Internet! I ordered two Iphones with At&t last week and placed my call today with Sprint. The call took maybe 35 seconds. All I mentioned was “I want to terminate my contract and port both of my numbers to another carrier because of the 2010 regulatory charge”. The sprint rep said “you’re certainly entitled to do that sir”. Then, he gave me a confirmation number which waived the EFTS on both lines. The end. I already ported one Iphone today, working great.
I gave the spiel that Stephan scripted out above, and it worked like a charm:) I was put on hold for about 10 minutes and when the rep came back on the line she told me that I was set up to terminate on January 26th. (This is because my billing cycle starts and ends on the 26th. They cannot prorate, they set the termination at the end of your current billing cycle so keep this in mind.)
If pressed, you should always focus on the fact that they made a material change to your contract and by law you are allowed to cancel without a ETF. Don’t get sidetracked by your satisfaction with your phone, coverage, etc. If you don’t get satisfaction immediately, either ask for a supervisor or simply hang up and talk to another customer service representative. Good luck!
Update: Instead of *2, you may find it faster to call Sprint’s Cancellation (formally called “Retentions”) department directly if you run into long hold times. Try 888-567-5528, 800-235-1185, or 888-211-4727.
Read more about Cancel Your Sprint Contract Without Penalty - January 2010…
AFP - Hundreds of thousands of government supporters took to Iran’s streets on Wednesday in a show of force against the opposition, with a senior cleric telling their leaders to repent or face death.
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Captured Yemeni rebels. Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife
Journalists everywhere were given a rude break from their vacations when Umar Farouk Abdulmatallab attempted his Christmas Day airplane bombing. Al-Qaeda in Arabia is claiming responsibility for the bombing, and mounting evidence shows that he made contact with them in Yemen. This site has writen extensively about why Yemen would likely cause severe problems for the United States in the coming years, and it’s a damn shame to be right on that count.
In the week before Abdulmatallab’s airplane bombing, the United States quietly made
AP - Iranian security forces made a wave of new arrests Tuesday, including Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi’s sister and a relative of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, pressing forward with a broadening crackdown on the reformist movement in the wake of deadly protests this week.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The body of the nephew of Iran’s opposition leader — slain in the deadliest day of anti-government protests in months — disappeared from a hospital Monday, and security forces detained at least seven prominent activists, opposition reports said. Iranian state television reported that eight people had died in the street violence Sunday, but independent confirmation of the casualty toll was virtually impossible because of curbs on media coverage. Tehran residents say restrictions on Internet access were intensified, and Iranians were unable to see opposition Web sites. Cel
AP - North Korea announced Tuesday that it has custody of an American who entered the country illegally on Christmas Eve — first possible word from Pyongyang about a 28-year-old Arizona man who activists say sneaked into the reclusive country to raise international attention to its dire human rights situation.
Read more of North Korea: American detained after illegal entry (AP)…
I wrote back in June about the shameful silence of the Obama administration during the mass street protests that greeted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s fraudulent re-election victory as President of Iran. As White House spokesman Robert Gibbs ludicrously put it, the administration was “impressed by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm this election generated.” Or in Vice President [...]
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I found this interesting chart on Gizmodo about how Blu-Ray players are basically following the same price trajectory as traditional DVD players:
I don’t have a Blu-ray player myself, and I’m sure glad I didn’t buy one at $300. Hopefully this means that the discs will become dirt-cheap just as quickly. I can wait. 
Read more about Blu-ray HD vs. DVD Players: Historical Price Comparison…
The day after his team’s loss in the SEC Championship game, Florida coach Urban Meyer checked himself into…
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The government shouldn’t reward liars. But that’s the effect of changes to the Obama administration’s failing program to help homeowners modify their mortgages.
Read more of ALL BUSINESS: No consequences for lying borrowers (AP)…
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