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T-Mobile Automatically Upgrading Users to More Expensive Plans, But There's an Opt-Out Option
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I actually miss the days of the subsidized phone and 2 year contracts. Now the carriers have their own ways of trapping you in contracts. Pay $1000 for the device over 2 or 3 years. Take our $1000 trade in credit for your phone however it will be divided over 3 years and if you leave earlier well you lose that credit and have to pay off the phone.
As long as you can keep the plan, even though you have to call to do so, there should be no violation at this point.
That is probably true however, I don't know why T-Mobile would be handling it quite this way. Why not keep things as they are now and only address potential changes/upgrades as certain plans are actually being phased out in the coming year? This seems like an unnecessary step and will cost them more customers than waiting until next year and dealing with it then.
I travel all over the US and T-Mobile has the worst service out of the big three. It's not even close. So yes, the other big carries are better, meaning AT&T and Verizon in this case. I never said they all don't do shady stuff, because they do.
I travel outside the US also and one of the reasons why I went to T-Mo. I got better service with them than the others. I get it, we won’t have the same result and I tell people to go with the cell carrier that works for you with the best price. There is no such thing as a cell carrier working 100% all over. I was just in France last summer and no issues with service.
This is why I just buy my iPhone through Apple. I can just jump to another carrier without any issues.
A part me doubts this seeing they still offer the old plans now. We can see if they are still there after 10/17.
Attachments
I’d be very surprised if this doesn’t violate consumer protection laws in a lot of U.S. states. If T-Mobile subscribers start contacting state AGs or consumer protection agencies, some states are likely to force T-Mobile to do this diffferently/better.
Among the problems here, though, is that it probably takes more time to deal with state regulators than to call T-Mobile support.
Among the problems here, though, is that it probably takes more time to deal with state regulators than to call T-Mobile support.
But nothing provides good customer service like T-Mobile, especially when they went Uncarrier. AT&T essentially ruined the iPhone experience by being exclusive carrier for years and they took advantage of customers by making most of iPhone feature as add ons.(remember tethering? You had to pay extra to get it) . Verizon, at first they were good, until they too became more like AT&T after they started carrying iPhone.
The other big carriers are bigger and has better coverage but their relations with customers are absolute poor. T-Mobile, they are still customer first compared to the other carrier. (Even though I question this latest move however)
I have an old promo One plan $100 for 2 lines. Going to be very disappointed if they move me. without adding new customer promos we’re looking at way more than $5 a month per line.
They don’t mention it, but if we opt out… how long before they come back and try this again? I doubt they’ll leave it at this.
They don’t mention it, but if we opt out… how long before they come back and try this again? I doubt they’ll leave it at this.
T-Mobile will wind up backing off much of the intended increases. This was a trial balloon. It’s too easy to change carriers these days.
As with anything, it depends on where you travel/live. Where I used to live, and where I live now, AT&T had the 'best signal strength.' However, signal strength and bandwidth availability are two vastly different things. T-Mobile would only have 1 bar but far better throughput.
Where I live now, T-Mobile has by FAR the best signal strength and bandwidth availability; it's not even a contest. AT&T and Verizon are a distant second.
Additionally, I save at least $50/month with T-Mobile, plus hey, free Netflix.
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Because of T-Mobile's new requirement to autobill a checking account or debit card to continue receiving the autopay discount, I just set up a new subsidiary checking account number with my bank. They fully understood the need, considering the security considerations with giving T-Mobile (or others) bank account info, and this is how they recommend dealing with it. It took very little time and can be set up with a monthly auto transfer from my main checking account to this "Express" account (bank's term) to cover the payment going to T-Mobile each month.
The Un-carrier becomes... just one of the carriers. I never found them much cheaper than Verizon, maybe a few bucks, but with much worse reception in my area. RIP competition, now Verizon/ATT will have no incentive to compete. Man, I miss Sprint.
I've been pretty happy so far. I was super nervous to make the switch, but I feel like it's at least as good/bad as T-mobile was in terms of coverage in my area. I was initially looking at Mint Mobile because of price, but pivoted at the last minute because I read that their customer service isn't that good. The Customer Service team at Pure Talk has been great. I had some issues porting over my number, so having a helpful CS team was really appreciated.
Yes. The "no contract" claim is as bogus today as it ever was. It's just two- (or now sometimes three-) year "contracts by another name."