This case is a bit unusual. Alina Steinberg had been receiving a 15 percent discount from Sprint since 2004. She doesn't work for Sprint, but received the discount through the company she works for, but then in December the discount stopped and it proved hard to get back.
Steinberg has three phones with Sprint. Her monthly bill averages $200, so the 15 percent employee discount she received each month was appreciated.
"The reason I even signed up with them is because of this discount they have been offering," said Steinberg.
But back in December, Sprint asked her to re-verify her employment. No big deal, she figured. She was wrong.
"I'm submitting a pay stub to them along with a document they had asked to fill out which is basically a form," said Steinberg.
She's been calling every other month since December inquiring about the status of her discount. Each time she was asked to resubmit the documentation. Each time she resubmitted it. But when she received her bill, there would be no discount
"It's unfair and I didn't feel like giving up on this," said Steinberg.
So she called 7 On Your Side in July, eight months after Sprint originally asked her to reconfirm her employment. Again she was asked by Sprint to reverify her employment. When she did, they told her she could get the discount, if she renewed her two year contract. Her last one was signed in November.
"I'm saying to them it does not seem to make sense to me. I just signed. I bought a new phone, upgraded my phone and signed another two year contract," said Steinberg.
Then this week, Sprint issued a statement saying, "We have sent Ms. Steinberg an email confirming that Sprint has applied the discount and waived the requirement for a new two-year service agreement. We have applied a credit to Ms. Steinberg's account equal to the discount that would have applied back to December 2012."
Sprint did not offer an explanation about what caused the delay.
