Sprint subscribers who aren't happy with the service will no longer have to pay fees and service costs if they cancel within 30 days of signing up.
The carrier's "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money Back" policy began on April 1st. It reimburses customers on activation fees, restocking fees, the cost of service, taxes and fees associated with the service, as well as device costs. Early termination fees are also waived. The only costs that remain are on premium services, usage that exceeds the subscriber's monthly plan, third-party billing, international calls and associated fees.
Here's a chart from Sprint that compares itself with other U.S. carriers:
As you can see, trying out a phone on AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile can be pricey. AT&T, for instance, charges a $36 activation fee for new lines, and T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless both charge $35 per line. You won't get that money back with those carriers more than three days after purchase, and you'll pay taxes, fees and monthly service charges no matter what, so you're looking at roughly $100 for trying and returning a phone with a basic service plan.
As great for consumers as this is, it'd be better with a carrier that offered a more impressive stable of high-powered smartphones. There's only so much you can learn about, say, the iPhone or the Droid through a few minutes at the store. You won't get a feel for battery life, app store offerings, customization or day-to-day comfort.
That said, Sprint's money-back guarantee will certainly come in handy this summer when the carrier launches the HTC EVO 4G, which is generating lots of buzz for its large screen, front-facing camera and 4G support. I'll definitely want to try that out when 4G comes to Los Angeles. In the meantime, maybe other carriers will follow Sprint's lead, and we can all take the phones we're most curious about on other networks for a test drive.
