I recently received a free phone from nextel for signing up with
service and once I got home we had terrible service to none.  I
cancelled the service within the 14 day (risk-free guarantee) return
policy and have yet to return the phone.  I have paid all usage fees
and costs associated with the time that we used their service per
their return policy and they have closed our account.  Am i obligated
to return the phone?  I did receive it for free!  Let us know.

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Clarification of Question by vinneh-ga on 21 Jun 2006 13:39 PDT

We also purchased a phone for $24.99, forgot to add that!

It depends what the terms and conditions were when you signed up.  You
can find these on their website here:

http://www.sprint.com/ratesandconditions/residential/index.html?refurl=rates_residential

It is very unlikely that you can keep the phone.  At this time new
free phones are offered with the following condition: "*This offer
requires activation on a new line of service with two-year subscriber
agreement."  If you cancel the service, you are also obligated to
return the phone.

I would be very careful about keeping it - they may decide to send you
a bill for the full amount if it is not returned in the cancellation
window.

Actually, the 'pricing' of the phone was determined by the contract he
would have been signing into.

I'm a customer service rep in a center dealing with Nextel/Sprint, and
as I understand it, you would only need to return the phone to be
refunded the "price" you paid for it. Since you got it for free there
is no price to be refunded...admitedly it's not fair to the company,
but it is an existing hole.

Simply call customer care and verify the account is cancelled and not
'open' - as long as account services has processed that request
without billing the early termination fee (inquire to this as well)
then you may keep the equipment at no extra cost. I can speak with
certainty there is no "un-returned equipment fee" relating to new
phones (there is with damaged insurance claims).