My most-desired outcome for this post is that you’ll share it with your social network and include the hashtag #SprintSucks— and that your doing so will shame the company into changing its shameful practice.

Here’s my tale of aggravation: over the last four years I’ve subscribed to a Sprint Overdrive portable internet service that lets me get online with up to five devices in most parts of the country. Given the amount that I travel this is usually either cheaper or a wash compared to paying for hotel wifi; it also sometimes makes it easier at meetings since everybody can hop online if need be.

When the little box broke two years ago, Sprint would not replace it unless I signed up for another two year contract. I did so. As with all the telco services, the contract underwrites the cost of the device.

But this only works in one direction.

Starting in August, most of my travel will be international for the next year. While I expect to be in the US off and on, I don’t need to pay a monthly fee for the Overdrive.

My contract is up in a few weeks, whereupon I’ll go month to month.

I called Sprint to ask how I could put my account on hold for the year I’ll be away. They told me that I can’t without paying an $8.99 per month holding fee.

I asked, what about simply canceling the account and then restarting at at a month to month rate when I get back because I already own the device?

That’s where things get annoying.

Even though I have already paid for two Overdrive devices by dint of four years of being a customer, Sprint will allow me neither to put the account on complete hold while I’m gone nor will they let me start a new account when I get back without a contract… despite the fact that the contract exists to pro-rate the cost of a device.

This is ridiculous: Sprint should not charge me $8.99 to keep a service that I’m not using in suspended animation. Nor should they force me into a contract when I already own the gadget.

And it’s all the more ridiculous when I look at the competitive set. There are many pay-as-you-go hotspot alternatives, not to mention growing numbers of hotels and coffee shops that have free wifi and smart phone tethering.

Sprint doesn’t care about its customers.

#SprintSucks

Please share this. Maybe it’ll help… if not me then the next person.