There are dark times in every relationship, especially with your preferred wireless carrier. Sometimes they just don’t have the phone you decide to buy. Maybe it’s the exorbitant amount of money they charge you for services you can get elsewhere that makes you question why you’re with them. Maybe the network coverage is not up to your standards. Whatever the reason, breaking up with your carrier can be difficult. When you try to cancel the Sprint, you can expect a bit of a long process like the others.
As the fourth largest wireless carrier in the United States, Sprint has come a long way in recent years. It has increased the availability of the LTE network and made sure to offer the latest smartphones. Still, there are reasons someone might want to break up with them. Flagship smartphones from them sometimes cost more than other networks. While their networks are solid, it’s not the size of an AT&T or Verizon network. T-Mobile is busy luring users with the promise of seamless international messaging and calling, unlimited video streaming, and lower costs.
If you think you can cancel the Sprint. Here’s what you need to know and do.
How to Cancel Sprint: What You Needed Before
Canceling any wireless carrier, not just Sprint, is complicated and sometimes complicated. There are agreements to consider and contracts to fulfill. Eventually, you’ll probably spend a day moving and placing everything on your new carrier. Wait for it to get into it.
You’ll want to have some information ready to cancel the Sprint. First, get a copy of your invoice so you have your account number. Second, the carrier uses PIN codes and security questions to verify that you are who you say you are. You’ll want to have the PIN code or answers to these security questions on hand.
Only the account holder can cancel Sprint. If you’re on a family plan, you’ll need to let the person managing this account handle this.
How to Cancel Sprint: Calling to Cancel
Like other carriers, Sprint has online customer service available, but you’d better cover this in a call instead. 1-888-211-4727 is the number to call to cancel Sprint. You will be given a list of options and asked what you are looking for.
Once you’ve made it clear that you’re calling to cancel Sprint, you and the call agent will need to review the details. How easy this will be depends on your account status and how your account is structured.
Sprint offers both traditional contracts and device installment payments. When you cancel an account with installments, the remaining amount on the phone becomes due. If you signed a two-year contract to receive your phone, you can expect to pay an early termination fee.
These costs are on top of anything else that has to be paid for. You will need to pay your final bill with Sprint to keep your account in good standing. This is very important if you decide to buy the phone you purchased from Sprint and use it on another carrier such as AT&T or T-Mobile.
How to Cancel Sprint: Early Termination Fees and Costs
To keep your account in good standing, Sprint’s representatives will likely ask you if you want to pay off any remaining balances in your account. It’s a good idea to do this because it saves you from worrying later. Think of it as a clean break.
The good news is that anyone who brings their own phone directly should not have to pay an Early Termination Fee when they cancel Sprint. Because they already have their phones. The same goes for those who meet the terms of the contract and do not upgrade their smartphones.
Things get interesting when you don’t finish your contract or pay in full for your phone. Those who sign a two-year contract can expect an Early Termination Fee of up to $350 per line on their contract. They are also charged for any remaining balance they have not paid on their bills.
If you signed up for monthly payments on your device, you will have to pay for that device in full, but you will not be charged an Early Termination Fee.
Sprint says it determines how much your ETF is, how many months you have left in your contract, and multiply it by $20. The most it could be is $350, but it could be as low as $100 for a smartphone.
In any case, it’s a good idea to pay in full because you want to be able to take your phone with you.
How to Cancel Sprint: Taking Your Phone With You
Now that you’ve completed the process of canceling your plan, it’s time to start making adjustments to your new service. So, if you haven’t already.
Paying the Early Termination Fee and other costs means you can pick up your Sprint phone and use it on another carrier that can communicate with it. Formerly, Sprint relied on CDMA-compatible phones that only worked with Verizon Wireless, but a growing number of its devices will work on AT&T and T-Mobile once unlocked.
While the person at Sprint is still on the phone, tell them you want to unlock your smartphone. They will review the requirements and be able to unlock your device for it to work with other carriers.
Only these smartphones can be unlocked for use with another carrier in the United States. Sprint may need to provide you with a different code for older devices when a standard unlock is not possible. Sometimes MSL unlocked phones called MSL will not work on other carriers.
When unlocking your phone, make sure the device is turned on and the SIM card is inside. Once unlocked, you will still see a Sprint logo when you turn on your device, but your new carrier’s name will appear in the top left corner of your device’s screen when you insert a SIM card for that carrier. AT&T, T-Mobile, and more offer SIM card kits for switchers who bring their own phones to their network instead of buying a new phone. These usually run around $20 each.
Good luck trying to cancel Sprint and switch to a new wireless carrier. It’s definitely a process, but at least it gets a little easier to understand and navigate.
