The Simply Everything + BlackBerry BES Blunder

Enjoying your Simply Everything plan from Sprint? Most everyone does - especially BlackBerry Users. Mostly this is because with one of the 'everything' plans, a seperate Blackberry data pack is not required (it's a $30 addon with all other plans, even if standard data is already included - which is why almost every Sprint BlackBerry user has some version of the 'everything' plan, it's all built in and included, truly 'everything'. This is of course only for the standard BIS, or Blackberry Internet Service - which is what most everyone uses that doesn't have their BlackBerry attached to their corporate/work IT department. So that's all and good, and will continue to be. Here's the catch...

On the flipside of 'BIS' (the personal version) there is BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server/Service), which means that the BlackBerry not only connects to your company's IT dept., but can also lets you access anything inside the  corporate firewall, direct access to your exchange server, etc... this is also the version that allows your company to 'push' applications and settings to your device, along with wiping its contents clean if you loose it or someone steals it, or you're terminated (lol, seriously - I've had IT depts inform folks that their BB was not functioning because they were term'd - and they weren't informed by HR until later that day... what a way to go, heh).. but anyways, it would seem that someone in the billing dept here at Sprint forgot that we actually charge for the BES addon/upgrade, which gives the BlackBerry the ability to do all off this. All of our tech docs and marketing materials have indicated this, but it would seem that only now, in this time of cutbacks and penny pinching, did someone notice that customers were indeed told and quoted the cost, but it was never billed or collected.

The process of identifying which accounts are not being charged hs started, and those impacted will get a letter in May (2009) letter explaining the error and that BES has always had an additional charge of $20 for the Simply Everything plans, they were just not being charged.

• BES is the service that allows Sprint customers, with BlackBerry phones access to their corporate e-mail account. Sprint incurs a fee to offer this service and therefore it has an additional charge for our customers.


• BlackBerry web functions and BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) for personal e-mail such as gmail, yahoo, etc. are included in the Simply Everything Plan at no additional charge.

Here's what you'll hear when you call care:

• I am sorry for any inconvenience, but BES access for corporate e-mail has always been an option that was available for an additional $20 per month. Sprint incurs additional charges to offer BES service so it has an additional charge. Due to a Sprint error, you had been receiving this premium service for free.


• If the customer wants to continue to have BES service, tell them there is a $20 per month charge in addition to their Simply Everything plan of $99.99.


• Apply the following SOC codes in CSM if customers wish to continue to have BES service
  CDMA: PDSBKBESE
  iDEN: PDSBKBES