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T-Mobile rep trying to pull a fast one?

sparrky

sparrky

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 23, 2008
689
10
California
My friend has a Verizon iphone 5 and wants to switch to T-mobile. She knew going in that if she wants the full Tmobile spectrum (AWS, HSPA+ 42 & LTE) that she'd need the new T-Mobile phone. She currently has a T-Mobile sim on the $30 prepaid plan to test out service in her area, and planned to use that with the new T-Mobile iphone 5. The rep she spoke to told her that the $30 plan won't give her "full tower access" on her Verizon iPhone OR the T-Mobile phone, but the $60 plan will ..he specifically promised her LTE even. On her Verizon iPhone.

She texted me to ask me what I think and I told her I think he's mistaken and sent her a link to this article - http://www.tmonews.com/2013/03/taki...urrent-iphone-5-and-how-it-works-on-t-mobile/ ...he took a look at it and said it's wrong. She believed him. She signed up for the $60 plan and kept her Verizon iPhone. She saw 4G on her phone and was convinced she had "full tower access" ... drove 10 miles and is now stuck on Edge.

Am I terribly confused or did this rep give her bad information??
 
Last edited:
dtbratt

dtbratt

macrumors 6502
Feb 6, 2011
465
9
Amherstburg, ON
sparrky said:
My friend has a Verizon iphone 5 and wants to switch to T-mobile. She knew going in that if she wants the full Tmobile spectrum (AWS, HSPA+ 42 & LTE) that she'd need the new T-Mobile phone. She currently has a T-Mobile sim on the $30 prepaid plan to test out service in her area, and planned to use that with the new T-Mobile iphone 5. The rep she spoke to told her that the $30 plan won't give her "full tower access" on her Verizon iPhone OR the T-Mobile phone, but the $60 plan will ..he specifically promised her LTE even. On her Verizon iPhone.

She texted me to ask me what I think and I told her I think he's mistaken and sent her a link to this article - http://www.tmonews.com/2013/03/taki...urrent-iphone-5-and-how-it-works-on-t-mobile/ ...he took a look at it and said it's wrong. She believed him. She signed up for the $60 plan and kept her Verizon iPhone. She saw 4G on her phone and was convinced she had "full tower access" ... drove 10 miles and is now stuck on Edge.

Am I terribly confused or did this rep give her bad information??
Click to expand...

Rep didn't know anything! lol Very bad info. $30 plan would have been fine. Don't matter which plan you are on as far as service goes. Does depend on the iPhone you have though.
 
aphexacid

aphexacid

macrumors 6502a
Jul 31, 2007
936
22
Chicago
She got 4G because she was in an area that happened to be using a particular frequency that tmobile just added to their spectrum. These area's are few and far between for the most part. So she will likely be on EDGE a lot.

She will not get LTE with her verizon iphone at all. The rep was misinformed or a scammer.
 
sparrky

sparrky

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 23, 2008
689
10
California
Thanks for the replies. I'm seeing more and more people getting bad information from T-Mobile reps and even from the Apple store (selling the old a1428 to people who ask for a T-Mobile iphone 5). Shame they didn't give them better training, or at least add something to the model number to make it less confusing for the average person. Who knows how many people have the wrong phones right now and have no idea why they're stuck with EDGE.
 
H

HiRisk

macrumors 6502
Jan 3, 2013
317
0
"Full tower access?"

Ain't coverage slightly different on the $30 pre-paid plan?
 
V

viperGTS

macrumors 68000
Nov 15, 2010
1,560
941
The plan has nothing to do with coverage she would have got. I highly suggest your friend go back to the store and speak to a manager. That guy definitely pulled a fast one.
 
D

doboy

macrumors 68040
Jul 6, 2007
3,765
2,932
"Full tower access" is BS. However, you don't get data roaming (still get voice roaming) with $30 prepaid plan while you get both data/voice roaming with the $50+ postpaid plan.
 
T

TOYSTER17

macrumors regular
Aug 2, 2010
188
0
Those reps at T-mobile authorized retailers don't know anything, maybe that's where she went? I always make sure to go to a T-Mobile corporate store.

It's like when I was getting my iPhone 5 on saturday. Went to the T-Mobile store near my house (authorized retailer) and asked how much I would get for my iPhone 4S if I traded it in and he told me about $50 (even though I already knew the minimum was said to be $100 from what I've read). Well, I saw him buying an iPhone 4S off another customer who wanted to trade it in, bought it with his personal money, and then heard him tell another worker that he "just made $180 off the deal." Shady.
 
Last edited:
M

macalec

macrumors 6502
Mar 12, 2012
252
2
sparrky said:
My friend has a Verizon iphone 5 and wants to switch to T-mobile. She knew going in that if she wants the full Tmobile spectrum (AWS, HSPA+ 42 & LTE) that she'd need the new T-Mobile phone. She currently has a T-Mobile sim on the $30 prepaid plan to test out service in her area, and planned to use that with the new T-Mobile iphone 5. The rep she spoke to told her that the $30 plan won't give her "full tower access" on her Verizon iPhone OR the T-Mobile phone, but the $60 plan will ..he specifically promised her LTE even. On her Verizon iPhone.

She texted me to ask me what I think and I told her I think he's mistaken and sent her a link to this article - http://www.tmonews.com/2013/03/taki...urrent-iphone-5-and-how-it-works-on-t-mobile/ ...he took a look at it and said it's wrong. She believed him. She signed up for the $60 plan and kept her Verizon iPhone. She saw 4G on her phone and was convinced she had "full tower access" ... drove 10 miles and is now stuck on Edge.

Am I terribly confused or did this rep give her bad information??
Click to expand...
I have not heard something more wrong regarding cell service. You will have full access to the whole T-mobile network. However LTE is not available in all areas so maybe that is what they were referring to.
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
I'm fairly certain, though please correct me if I'm wrong, that the $30 doesn't include LTE. This could be what the rep meant by "full tower access". I know att roaming is also supposed to be free. Not sure if that is only with newer plans (roaming is no lte, for sure).

In any case, it's a month to month plan. You are not stuck with it. I would suspect that it was less "pull a fast one", and more just an uninformed rep. Have you ever given misinformation because you didn't know better? I certainly have.
 
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