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Sprint Refusing to Let Customers Cancel HTC EVO 4G LTE Pre-Orders?

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It appears that Sprint is making things difficult for those that are trying to cancel their HTC EVO 4G LTE pre-orders.

Earlier, we told you that Sprint finally confirmed that the release of the upcoming HTC EVO 4G LTE had been delayed and that it did not know when the device would become available in the United States. In that confirmation, the carrier also stated that while it didn’t want people to cancel pre-orders, customers did have that option.

It then outlined the steps that it would take to accomplish that.

Sprint had this to say earlier today:

  • HTC EVO 4G LTE availability
    The U.S. availability of the HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed.  HTC is working to resolve this issue and appreciates your patience as they work to get products into Sprint channels. We can’t provide specific timing for product availability at this time and we appreciate your patience as HTC works to get products on store shelves as soon as possible.
  • Pre-order status/availability
    Delivery of products for pre-order are on hold and Sprint will provide a ship date as soon as possible. Sprint will maintain the promise for the preorder customers that they will be among the first to receive their HTC EVO 4G LTE units.

While we’d rather you didn’t cancel your pre-order, there are instructions provided in the backorder email on how to do so.  I’ve pasted them here for your reference:

If you would like to select an alternate product or cancel your backordered item, please call 866-789-8292 between 8:00 a.m. EST to 11:00 p.m. EST Monday to Friday or 9:00 a.m. EST to 9:00 p.m. EST on Saturdays and Sundays.Please note that cancellation requests may not always process successfully due to the speed of warehouse processing.If you cancelled your backordered item but still received a shipment, please refuse the shipment or call us to process a return within 14 days of receipt.

However, comments from readers seem to show that canceling a pre-order is far more difficult than Sprint would have it seem.

We have received numerous comments from frustrated HTC EVO 4G LTE pre-orderers who all are having the same issue trying to cancel their order.

They can’t.

In fact, one user, Tim Donohue, has tried to cancel his order six times since yesterday and he has been unsuccessful each time.

He says:

cancelling a pre-order doesn’t work. i’ve tried 6 times since yesterday, and i get the same run around every time. “somehow”, they managed to process my order hours before it became known that the phone was delayed. now they act as if their hands are tied.

Another user, jdub, encountered the same issue:

Tim, Yep me too. I can’t cancel either due to the fact that my order is processing. How is that possible considering the phone is delayed?

Other users are having issues cancelling their orders as well.

NoTrouble says that:

After a 30-minute runaround, I received the same answer. Their solution at this point is to refuse delivery.

And yet another user named OrogenousZones spells out his frustration by saying that:

If I have to wait for the dang phone in order to “cancel” my order, then that’s really not a cancellation, now, is it?

So what appears to be happening is this. Sprint has processed these orders and is now telling customers that they are going to have to refuse delivery of the device. Problem is, Sprint’s language is extremely confusing.

It states, very plainly in its note about cancelling HTC EVO 4G LTE pre-orders, that:

“If you cancelled your backordered item but still received a shipment, please refuse the shipment or call us to process a return within 14 days of receipt.”

Only, it seems that Sprint isn’t letting anyone put in a cancellation request at all and instead, is forcing customers to refuse the shipment. Customers unfortunately have no idea when that shipment might arrive because as of now, neither HTC nor Sprint have any idea when the device is going to arrive.

HTC is obviously hard at work trying to resolve the patent issues it has with Apple – the cause of the delay, but it’s impossible to tell now how long that process might take. That of course leaves customers in limbo.

To be honest, the situation here is pretty tricky and Sprint may be within bounds but we have to say that it’s a little suspect that Sprint processed these orders and is now refusing to let paying customers cancel or pick another device.

Have you had problems canceling your HTC EVO 4G LTE pre-order?

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. Michael

    05/16/2012 at 6:47 pm

    Much ado about nothing. Even if you received the phone and used it, you still have 30 days to return it if you are unhappy. What’s the fuss? Its like a bunch of impetuous cry babies.

    • Jeff sti

      05/16/2012 at 7:25 pm

      Michael, you are missing the point. In my case I was eligible for upgrade April 1. I waited for this phone and pre-ordered on May 7th. Saturday my phone got wet and is inoperable. Waiting six days is not a big deal for me, however now I am left in limbo. Sprint will not let me purchase a new phone. They have not charged me for the EVO, however they say I already extended my contract and the order is processing. They are telling me that I am now under contract and will pay the cancellation fee if I cancel my service and go to another carrier. I am stuck without a working phone. Could be a few days or few months, but they expect me to sit and deal with it. The phone being held up at customs is not Sprint’s fault, however Sprint is attempting to bully me. My attorney is handling tomorrow for me and I’m done. Others are going to be in for a fight and that is not right. So before you are so quick to judge next time, consider there may be more than a simple complaint.

      • Jason

        05/16/2012 at 8:02 pm

        Jeff, sorry to hear about your situation…Have you tried talking to escalations about the problem?

      • Arameth

        05/17/2012 at 7:01 am

        They said i was still ok with cancelling my accuont and no ETF. They still haven’t provided a return refund option other than those state above. I’m contesting the charge to get my money today.

        • David

          05/17/2012 at 10:48 am

          I have a recorded call with Sprint in which I was told I cannot cancel my order and I have to wait for it to be delivered to refuse delivery. I cannot purchase a different phone and get the upgrade credit because I used it on the pre-order. I cannot switch carriers to Verizon unless I pay the ETF because when I pre-ordered,I signed a 2-year contract. I have to wait to get my pre-ordered phone to cancel my contract with no ETF. Basically they told me I have to wait…indefinitely. I am stuck in limbo with a half working phone similar to Jeff’s situation. I am very tempted to post the recorded call online.

  2. Jason

    05/16/2012 at 7:04 pm

    Call Sprint and ask for escalations, they are the management team and will work better with you. I cancelled my pre-order before this happened because of Best Buy’s $50 gift certificate offer for pre-ordering (and…they don’t make you purchase the phone in advance)

  3. Will

    05/16/2012 at 11:57 pm

    Have you tried contacting the credit card company you used to make the purchase and getting it reversed?

  4. shinbo

    05/17/2012 at 1:56 am

    um, getting your lawyer involved, jeez, ain’t that some malarchy. Whenever someone says that you know 99 out of 100 times it’s bs. Go ahead, you and your attorney vs Sprint or HTC LOL! Over nothing. Go to escalations, deal with it and go get a pre-paid or something, you’ll get your phone soon enough, and while you’re at it, go sue Apple, I’ve got my fingers crossed for ya ;)

  5. Arameth

    05/17/2012 at 6:59 am

    Contest the charge. The credit card company will get your money back.

  6. Hosway

    05/17/2012 at 8:23 am

    File a complaint with the BBB.

    I understand that this isn’t Sprint’s fault. But my phone was broken and I need a new one as it is the communication method I rely on. I could hold out until the new one was delivered Friday, but now I just want to go to a store and get another phone. And I can’t cancel my preorder.

  7. MikeP

    05/17/2012 at 9:00 am

    Sprint has handled this situation completely wrong. First I was told the order is intransit and cannot be cancelled. Then I was told all orders have been processed and the warehouse is just awaiting the go ahead to send. Sprint is playing dumb and trying to push the blame to HTC. They are no longer taking preorders, so that tells me they have an idea this could take some time to resolve. My issue is I ordered multiple phones and my credit card has already been charged. Sprint is holding my money in limbo.

  8. KG

    05/17/2012 at 9:13 am

    I’m in the same situation as others. I tried to cancel my pre-order twice and got the same 30 minute run around each time. The guy I talked to on the phone from Sprint today said that they have no information on when the phones will actually ship. He told me to refuse the shipment, or if it’s left at my doorstep while I’m at work, to call Sprint and ask for a return shipment kit and that the phone needs to be shipped back to them within 14 days to get my credit card refunded and for my upgrade eligibility to be reinstated.

    Come on, Sprint. Learn how to please your customer. You’re telling me that there’s nothing in the system that you can do to cancel my order, which has no ETA on shipment to begin with?? Sounds like a bunch of BS. I bet they’re hoping that some people that are wanting to cancel their orders will change their minds after having the phone in their hands.

  9. kiwicarlos741

    05/17/2012 at 5:40 pm

    i am too in a similar situation as jeff, i made sure that the phone would be available by the 18th with three diff reps that assured me of this. since i new id be getting a new phone i wanted to sell my samsung galaxy s2 on ebay which i did and i would revert to my old evo which has a half cracked screen and data doesnt work on. now a weekened later i hear about this customs bs which apple filed the injuction in the middle of APRILL so sprint and htc were very well aware of the patent dispute a month in advance. now im stuck with a phone that doesnt work, sprint has 200 dollars for my pre order which they are making interest off of everyone, plus i have to pay 90 dollars a month for a phone that cant do anything besides call ppl. this is ridiculous, when i asked if i could get a rep to fix it for me, they said to file a claim with asurion and said i would have to pay 100 dollars deductible. this is bs. i had a perfectly good working samsung before and now im stuck with a outdated broken not working phone cause sprint didnt get there sh** together. thats all im going to say about sprint. o and f*** apple and the us patent system. its a f’ing joke

  10. Mike

    05/18/2012 at 9:33 am

    Why are you guys so impatient??? It’s Just a FEW MORE DAYS!!!! You’ll get the phone, it’s not sprint to blame it’s the DAMN US CUSTOMS! They need to figure how to other things like illegal drugs.

    I would be curious if you guys cancel, what phone would you want to get? Galaxy S3??? lol

    • stan

      05/19/2012 at 4:13 am

      a few more days? the court date is scheduled for August 28th.

  11. DtraindaShef

    05/21/2012 at 9:24 am

    Thats why you never buy from sprint. Just go to best buy, you dont have to wait for a check to comeyou just pay “what the phone costs”. And they give you 45 days to change your mind. Just buy a case! I would never buy another phone from sprint store.

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