Sprint's 'satisfaction guarantee' lets customers test out hardware, services for 30 days risk-free

In what appears to be a response to T-Mobile's recently announced iPhone 'test drive,' Sprint on Monday said it will begin a risk-free program in which new customers can try out the carrier's network and services for 30 days.

Under the program's terms, customers who open new lines of service will have 30 days to try out Sprint's network and, if unsatisfied, the carrier will refund the cost of their handset and waive any accrued usage fees, including minutes, data and activation costs.

"We believe customers will be delighted with the Sprint retail experience, our customer service, and the performance of America's newest network," Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said in a prepared statement. "So we're guaranteeing it."

Both new and existing customers are eligible for the plan, though users already on Sprint's network will have to open a new line to take advantage of the initiative. The initiative looks to push users toward the carrier's new LTE network, which today officially added another 28 markets to the coverage list.

Sprint's announcement comes less than a week after competing U.S. carrier T-Mobile unveiled "7 night stand," a program that lets new users test drive an iPhone 5s for one week, including unlimited data.

Unlike Sprint's satisfaction guarantee, T-Mobile teamed up with Apple to provide customers with the latest iPhone hardware. According to T-Mobile CEO John Legere, the Cupertino company is supplying "tens of thousands" of iPhone 5s units to the carrier specifically for the "7 night stand" and will presumably do the same when a new version comes out later this year.

Sprint's satisfaction guarantee initiative kicks off on June 27. Those interested are instructed to visit a Sprint store or the company's website to sign up.