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Had to pay $1,017.80 today for a damn iPhone

Steve.P.JobsFan

Steve.P.JobsFan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
1,010
613
Columbus
[RANT]

I feel this is a T-Mobile issue, as their computer systems are as reliable as Windows ME was (that is, not at all)... but what was supposed to be a $250 transaction actually was four figures.

My mom + I switched to T-Mo in July from AT&T. We have flawless credit. T-Mobile rates us at their highest credit tier and we have the highest dollar amount they give for EIP and Jump - $2,000.

Sent my mother to get my iPhone 6s Plus (128 GB) from the Apple Store, as I didn't have time to get out of classes at 3:00, drive 100 miles round trip and still get to work by 5:00. Told her to buy it under JUMP, and if that wasn't possible, then get it under EIP. Should only cost $199.99 upfront (because it's 128GB) plus taxes.

I get a phone call from her, and she says "Something is wrong. Here's the Apple Store guy."

Apple Store guy comes on the phone, says their computer is saying that I am ineligible for Jump AND EIP at the Apple Store, I must go to a T-Mobile store.

We all know T-Mobile doesn't even stock anything on launch but 16 GB. That wouldn't work.

I have a phone number to an executive rep. at HQ in Seattle, I call them. They don't see any issues, but they double my credit limit -- now I have $4,000 in available credit -- and we make sure everything else is okay. My account is perfect. Balance due? I have a credit. I've never had a late bill. I have PLENTY of financing available.

They (T-Mobile) can't tell me what the problem is, and for me to "wait until next week for an answer when people are back in the office."

At this point, I'm about ready to cry. I just want my phone, it was never this much of a struggle with AT&T Next.

I tell the Apple Store guy, and he says my two choices are:

1.) Wait until stock isn't constrained (October), and get one from T-Mobile
2.) Pay full pricing - $949.99 + taxes.

I kind of need the 6s as it supports Band 12 - I get terrible service in my town with my 6 because it doesn't support Band 12.... and if I'm paying for cell service, I want to be able to use it.

So I'm $1,017.80 poorer now. Doesn't even include AppleCare. Just an iPhone, a case, and taxes. I understand I didn't have to spend that money, but I made the decision to because I would like to be able to use the cell service I pay $140 a month for.

Maybe T-Mobile will pay me my $1000 back and manually add my iPhone under EIP, and I can pay it back monthly. I'd rather do that, as I'd rather put that money towards bills.... I feel that is going to be a "no."

Sigh.
 
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It is possible to have them put you on an EIP despite paying full retail but let me tell you it's a pain in the ass.

Several months ago I swtiched to T-Mobile as where I moved had great coverage. I picked up a 6+ and threw it on the Jump on Demand. Fast forward a few weeks and I wanted to get it unlocked as T-Mobile has bad coverage where I work and I wanted to throw an ATT prepaid SIM in it. I called up T-Mobile paid off the balance of my phone like ~$800 and they said they would push an unlock through DESPITE not having it active on the line for 40 days.

Of course the unlock was denied as I figured it would be but I figured 2 reps told me it would be fine and could be pushed through, no. I was upset, upset I just paid full retail for a phone that must stay on T-Mobile. Probably dumb on my part. I asked that the place me back on the EIP.

They did that, put me back on the EIP. They credited my T-Mo account back the ~$800 instead of my credit card I used for points. It took me over a month and hours of calls to get that ~$800 back on to my credit card. At that point I had already paid the credit card off and didn't want an ~$800 T-Mobile bill credit I would have rather had the money on my card to pay for other things.

TL;DR yes you can have it reversed into an EIP but you might have a bad time like I did. If you can't afford the $1000 return it, wait it out (sucks I know) and do it the EIP way.
 
You've had a phone without Band 12 for a while now; I can't help but feel like you could have waited but didn't want to. I sympathize with you for things not going the way that you had been hoping, but I don't really feel bad that you spent the money. I also seriously doubt that TMo will retroactively finance a phone that you already bought, but will be interested in hearing how that goes.
 
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Understandable frustrations.

I get that your phone service is crappy without band 12, but October is only a few days away. You chose not to endure the couple extra weeks of crappy service to get your 6S today, and paid 1000 bucks for it.
 
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ZombiePete said:
You've had a phone without Band 12 for a while now; I can't help but feel like you could have waited but didn't want to. I sympathize with you for things not going the way that you had been hoping, but I don't really feel bad that you spent the money. I also seriously doubt that TMo will retroactively finance a phone that you already bought, but will be interested in hearing how that goes.
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CE3 said:
Understandable frustrations perhaps, but this is a decision you made. I get that your phone service is crappy without band 12, but October is only a few days away. You chose not to endure the couple extra weeks of crappy service to get your 6S today, and paid 1000 bucks for it.
Click to expand...


Not looking for sympathy... I did decide to spend the money. Just wanted to blow some steam off... T-Mobile seems to have computer glitches all the time compared to AT&T. When I was with AT&T, stuff like this never happened.

Perhaps that's what happens when you go from the #2 carrier to the #3 carrier? I've only been with T-Mobile for a few weeks now. I was with AT&T from May 2013 to just a few weeks ago.

I love T-Mobile, but I can't handle "No Service" or EDGE every time I go indoors in a building other than my home, which gets LTE inside because I'm a block away from the tower.. :)
 
I will say, though... If it was me (and I'd rather have the cash in pocket), I probably would have put up with a slower network connection for a month, since you've been putting up with it for awhile already. Or I would have ordered the phone online, rather than sending my poor mother out to deal with Apple geeks.

C
 
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Not time to actually go and get the phone, but plenty of time to do all the rest in your post? If they would not grant you credit you have a negative history. Pull your own credit report and have look.
 
This is why T-Mo was so aggressive in getting wifi calling on all their phones, they knew their network had significant weak spots.

At least you still got the phone you wanted. What blows my mind are the stories of people who want a specific phone, like a 128 GB rose gold, and settle for a 16 gb space grey that they will use while they continue to hunt down the phone they really want. Is your current phone so unusuable that you have to buy two phones and return one just because the one you wanted wasn't available to you on day one?
 
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I read your post and I do feel for you man but..

My total (albeit on Sept 12th) was $1,046.46 so it could be worse.

Also I had it held for pickup @ UPS, they came through as always and I could have picked up the phone at 8 AM when they opened but I decided to stroll in the afternoon. On top of that, I STILL went to the store to try for the upgrade program (and to get the obligated case for the new phone of course), so it could always be worse my friend. :)
 
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I was young and dumb once too. Impulse buying is something you will hopefully get over as you age.

What I'd be more concerned about is the fact you have paid $1000+ and paying $140 per month for just the calling contact. That is ***** nuts. I buy my phones outright too, but only pay $20 per moth for $500 worth of calls and a gig of data.

Don't worry about the phone, sort that terrible plan out.
 
Quit crying. You got a new iPhone. Many others would gladly be in your situation and have no problem paying it. :cool:
 
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laudern said:
I was young and dumb once too. Impulse buying is something you will hopefully get over as you age.

What I'd be more concerned about is the fact you have paid $1000+ and paying $140 per month for just the calling contact. That is ***** nuts. I buy my phones outright too, but only pay $20 per moth for $500 worth of calls and a gig of data.

Don't worry about the phone, sort that terrible plan out.
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exactly if i have bought iphone at full price and t mobile sucked in my area I would switch to AT&T MVNO for $20- $50 a month with much better coverage in little towns. Even AT&T gophone $40 plan looks better than t mobile.
 
mac.cali said:
Quit crying. You got a new iPhone. Many others would gladly be in your situation and have no problem paying it. :cool:
Click to expand...
Unless their Mom's told them to stuff it when asked to make a 100 mile round trip and a crazy amount of time in a crazy store on Release Day.LOL!:D
 
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