SprintPCS Sprint steals $250 Deposit from LOYAL CUSTOMER Internet

I have been a sprint customer on and off since 2002. At first sprint didn't require a deposit. However there policies have changed an a $250 deposit is required to start a 2 year contract. My 2 year contract was ready to expire and I didn't plan to renew as I have decided to attend college full time and was given a phone from my mother under her discounted family plan also from Sprint. I contacted sprint on the last month and told them I don't plan to renew and wanted to make sure I was getting my $250 back as I have paid every bill on-time for the 24-month term. I was assured I would. The rep went a step further by saying that the final bill will be deducted from my deposit before issuing a refund on the remaining funds (Trying to cancel took 2 separate call attempts as I was placed on hold for more than 30 minutes each time as soon as I told a rep I was terminating services).

I do not recall receiving a final bill from them and moved. In the process of moving and getting on with a new chapter in my life I had forgotten all about the bill and refund (since so much time passed without anything from Sprint). Two years later I look into my credit report to find a collections account linked to my previous account with spring (almost 2 years later after closing my account with sprint), which was puzzling as I never received a single letter or even a phone call (there was an alternative number linked to my account and I have properly forwarded my mail). I called sprint directly and asked what was going on. They told me that they sent the final bill and never received a payment! I told them that I was told by the rep that I should be receiving a payment for the remaining balance of my deposit after sprint deducts the amount of the final bill. The rep then informed me that they do no such thing. He said that they send a final bill first, wait for payment, and then send the full deposit once they received payment. This was the complete opposite of what I was told. I calmly told them this and also told them that if that was the case, why didn't they attempt to collect the bill if they felt it was delinquent by going ahead and keep the deposit that would cover the bill. The rep said "that's not how our policy works". I was under the impression that the opposite is true.

Not only did they not do what the original rep said was going to be done, they kept my $250 deposit and still demanded I pay them the final bill which amounted to over $100 with late fees. So they expected to collect $350 for one month of service (I take it as punishment for not renewing the contract?) I was never late during my contract, I called and followed instructions as was given to me by the rep, and then they turn around and keep my deposit and then try to collect on a debt that was covered by my deposit? And this is fair practice? Because of this situation I have convinced my family to terminate their services with sprint once the contract expires. I realize this probably would have not been a problem had I not moved or kept religiously logging in to check my account balance but I have a life. They should have taken into consideration that I may be a potential returning-customer (as they already received almost $1500 for every 2-year contract) so they should have made a better effort to contact me. They need to revise their policy so that they collect their final bill, return the remaining deposit, and make a potential returning customer happy. My family and I will never used Sprint again. That's thousands of dollars they lost because they sent me to collections for $150. I'll gladly pay a few bucks more elsewhere where they don't punish customers for not renewing contracts.

As this is the only issue dinging my credit, I am considering in bringing a civil suit. I don't mind spending time (and even a little more money...NOT to sprint or the collection agency by the way) to have this erased.