In April of 2009, having heard that Sprint had a device that would allow me to use the internet while I was on vacation, I went to the local Sprint store to pick one up. I spoke to a salesman named Christian, and told him that I needed one for a month only. He said that was no problem, just return it within 30 days and I'd only be charged the $60 monthly charge for the month I was using it. He didn't say anything about any "cancellation fee", and I didn't read the fine print on the reciept I signed while waiting in line to pay.

I returned the device after 32 days, and the store accepted it without raising any issues about it. I got a bill later on for more than $170, which I paid, figuring that I was paying for the extra month (of which I'd used one day) and some miscellaneous extra charges, and that I was done with this.

Then a while later, I started getting bills from Sprint for over $200 over and above what I'd already paid. I contacted their "customer support" department and asked about this, and was told that this represented their "early termination fee" and it couldn't be waived; that I'd have to pay it. I refused, telling them that if they had a policy like that, they should have told me about it at the time of purchase (as I never would have agreed to that, and would have left without purchasing their device).

After that, I was contacted by a collection agency "West Asset Management" representing Sprint. I told them that it wasn't a valid contract but a bogus one based on deceit, not a meeting one based on a meeting of the minds between a willing and informed buyer and seller. They seem to have accepted this and stopped bothering me.

So then I started getting early-morning phone calls about this from yet another collection agency: "Enhanced Recovery Services". They have persisted in harassing me by phone on a daily basis for nearly a year. They have apparently reported this as a delinquent debt in an effort to impugn my (heretofore perfect) credit rating. I always pay my bills, but this is not a legitimate debt; it is fraud. I will never pay this bogus fee; I don't owe Sprint anything, and to knuckle under to this sort of thing is against my principles.

If they took me to court over this, I'm sure I would prevail, but they probably realize that as well, so they persist in this cowardly course, harassing me through third parties. What is needed is a class action lawsuit to make them stop trying to levy these unjustified fees on unsuspecting customers. I would be happy to assume the role of lead plaintiff in such an action, or to join the class and support it. Any attorneys interested in pursuing this matter are encouraged to contact me about it.