Expert: DebiN - 12/16/2010

Question
Debi, My family has been with Sprint for 10 yrs. I think their customer service sucks, but we'll probably renew soon because we have an excellent rate. If we renew, we'll also replace our phones with whatever is available for free with a contract. We use our phones primarily for calls & texting. My problem: My daughter has had a Palm Treo and LG Rumor Touch. Both constantly drop calls. Sprint insists the problem lies in the phone, not the line. What phones are available that don't consistently drop calls? Thanks for your time.

Answer
If both phones drop calls, it isn't the phones, it's the network. If one did and one didn't, it would be the phone. It's likely that where you live or work or are most times, Sprint's network is not the best. It could be over saturated...too many people and not enough cell towers. Getting a new phone won't solve that problem. I'm curious why Sprint thinks it's the phones. What did they do to test that? If they just looked up your area and saw that there was coverage (which is likely what they did, if anything), it wouldnt' tell them that the area was congested. If other people you know use other carriers, I would recommend that you test their phones in places where you drop calls. If they don't drop calls, consider another carrier. A good rate is important, for sure, but so is good reception and service. Before you renew, you might want to try another carrier, just by having a friend or family member show you how theirs works where you are. Try T-Mobile, they are very inexpensive or AT&T or Verizon. Sprint is a little less expensive, but there are also many hidden costs to Sprint that might be getting you without you even realizing it. And, if you are on an old plan that they don't offer anymore, when you upgrade, you have to go to a new plan that may be more expensive. Just something to think about. Phones don't typically drop calls (when a major carrier sells them) the network drops calls.