How to Sue Sprint in Small Claims Court

(You should know: Sprint is now part of T-Mobile, but we’ve kept this content up for people looking for it…)

So you want to sue Sprint?

At FairShake we’ve helped thousands of users with claims against Sprint and other big companies that ripped them off get over $5 million in settlement offers… [continued below]

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Maybe you’ve tried all the Sprint customer service escalation options. Maybe you’ve even tried other ways to bring your Sprint complaint.

Either way, you might think you know how suing Sprint works. Especially if a bunch of people have the same problem, wouldn’t you find a lawyer and bring a class action suit against Sprint?

Well, that’s where an obscure term of company contracts comes in — it’s called consumer arbitration — and it’s incredibly common.

If there’s a consumer arbitration clause in your contract with Sprint then you probably can’t sue Sprint in a “real” court — like state or federal court. And you probably can’t sue Sprint as part of a class action.

So what can you do?

Two ways to Sue Sprint

The first way to sue Sprint is through consumer arbitration. If your contract has an arbitration clause it gives you the right take legal action against Sprint through an officially-designated, independent dispute process that’s not a court and won’t require showing up in person. This can be a better option for a lot of regular people.

The second way to sue Sprint, if you have the time and dedication, is to use Small Claims Court. If you’re ready to sue Sprint in Small Claims Court, read on below:

Taking Sprint to Small Claims Court Step-by-Step

Make sure your claim qualifies for small claims court.

Ready to sue Sprint in small claims court? Small claims courts are only for certain types of claims, so your first step is to make sure your claim can be filed. There are two things you need to pay attention to:

The amount of money you're owed, and the type of relief you want

The amount of money: Every small claims court sets a maximum dollar size for the claim you can bring against Sprint (or any other company). In most states that size is either $5000 or $10,000, but in states like Kentucky and Rhode Island it can be as low as $2,500. You can find a list of all 50 states’ monetary limits here.
The type of relief: There are two types of awards that you can seek in a lawsuit – monetary (a dollar value payment) and equitable (any non-monetary request). Most small claims courts can only grant monetary awards which means you can only get a settlement for a dollar amount (not, for example, damage to property).

If your claim against Sprint doesn’t fall within the limits of your state’s small claims court, you’ll have to arbitrate your claim instead.

Send a demand letter.

Most small claims courts require that you ask the person you’re suing (the “defendant”) to fix your problem voluntarily before you file your claim. So if you want to sue Sprint in small claims court, you need to send them a demand letter first.

Your demand letter can be simple and straightforward – tell Sprint who you are (your name, address, phone number and account number), what the problem is, and what you want from them. The whole letter can be a few sentences – remember that you are just checking a box before you file your actual claim.

When you’re done writing, you need to mail a hard copy of the letter, preferably as certified mail or some other service that allows you to confirm delivery. Sprint has become part of T-Mobile USA, which is based in Delaware and receives mail at:

T-MOBILE USA, INC.
C/O CORPORATION SERVICE COMPANY
251 LITTLE FALLS DRIVE
WILMINGTON, DE 19808

If you would like examples of demand letters or more information about how to write them, you can find an excellent guide here.

WAIT! FairShake can help you send a notice of dispute to Sprint now in 10 minutes or less. Don’t go it alone! Start your claim now for free.

Fill out court forms.

In order to sue Sprint in small claims court, you’re going to need to fill out some paper work.

Each state has a set of forms that need to be filled out to file a claim, and sometimes counties will provide additional forms. The correct forms for your location will be available for free on your state court’s website.

Make sure you fill out enough forms – most states that require you to file forms by mail or in-person (see Step 3) will ask for 3 or 4 copies. If you don’t have the right number, they will not accept your claim.

File your complaint form with the court.

When you’re done filling out the court forms, it’s time to give those forms to the court. This process, called “filing”, can be a bit tricky because most courts have very finite rules like 1) you have to come to the courthouse in person and hand deliver the forms to the county clerk and 2) you have to pay the small claims court filing fee before you can sue Sprint in small claims court.

Note: this fee, which will be published on your court’s website, can sometimes be waved if you are a low income plaintiff.

When you file your forms, the court clerk will provide you with a stamped copy of the forms and a court date. Keep it safe and bring it with you on the day of your hearing.

“Serve” your forms to Sprint.

If you’ve made it this far – good work! Suing Sprint in small claims is a long and tough process.

Now that you’ve filed the papers required to start your case against Sprint, you need to tell Sprint that it’s been sued. This is a called “serving” Sprint. To do this, you need to deliver a copy of your filed papers to Sprint.

Look at your court’s website for instructions on how to properly deliver your forms to Sprint, or search for “[your state] small claims service of process”. Courts have many strange rules about how to serve a defendant, and your claim will be dropped if you do not follow them perfectly. So be careful!

Show up for your court date.

When the court clerk gives you a court date (after you file your forms), make sure to put it on your calendar.

Make sure you know which courthouse to go to, because lots of big cities will have lots of different buildings scattered around town. Bring your copy of your filed forms, and any other evidence that backs up your case against Sprint.

Sometimes, Sprint will not show up to oppose you. If that happens, take advantage of the situation to focus on your side of the story.

Taking your complaint to small claims court can be a long and expensive process. Submit your claim now for free instead:

How to Sue Sprint