T-Mobile CEO Misleads on 'No Strings Attached' Free Data, New Customers Require $20 Data Plan to Finance iPads

[Caliban2u]

frustrating T-Mobile experience overall

Ordered 11/1, was in stock and paid for overnight delivery, which would have been tuesday 11/5. The order "processed" all weekend. Then this morning when I checked was backordered with no estimate given on delivery. I called and the rep, who was certainly very nice, looked in the system and said, "no idea" when it would ship and that he couldn't change the data plan that was added automatically to my order. Called to cancel this afternoon, since I can pickup in store with ATT (I know, I know) and was told my another nice rep that she could try and cancel the order as I requested but that might not be possible--I responded how if they had no idea when it would even be in stock to ship, could the order NOT be cancelled? No answer. So I will maybe get a refund in ten days or so...

 

[dmelgar]

TMobile statement seems fine. This only affects financing iPads.

If you buy an iPad outright, either at TMobile or Apple, you get 200MB for free. Right?

 

[Terrin]

No such thing as a free lunch.

Except there is. You can stick a T-Mobile SIM card into any iPad that is not financed through T-Mobile and get 200 MB's of free data. If you take advantage if its zero percent financing you have to get a twenty dollar data plan that gets you 700 mb's of high speed data, which is an unlimited plan (just gets tethered to Edge and 3G afterwards). Sounds like a lot of people can benefit.

 

[Giuly]

That's because it's a screen shot from the Apple Store website, where you HAVE to buy the iPad Air at full price, which makes it eligible for free, no strings attached, 200mb of data.

This is unlike buying directly from T-Mobile, where financing is an option, and there is a big string attached if you choose to finance the iPad.

Did you know…

 

[terrymr]

The 200mb of data is available free without a plan to anybody who has a compatible iPad.

However interest free financing is only available if you have a voice or data plan with t-mobile.

People are completely confusing the two offers.

 

[karmamule]

TMobile statement seems fine. This only affects financing iPads.

If you buy an iPad outright, either at TMobile or Apple, you get 200MB for free. Right?

Exactly. When I first read T-Mobile's statements on this it seemed clear to me that this covered free 200mb of data per month. I did NOT think it also meant free financing. That's two entirely separate things.

But, plenty of people seemed to interpret their message that way, so T-Mobile's lesson for next time is to be painfully explicit.

 

[VinoGrande]

Oh hunny, you really have no idea what you're talking about. Poor thing.

I'm not your hunny. And I'm sorry if I can afford to buy my tools outright instead of financing them.

 

[darkslide29]

Did you know…
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Good point, I should have worded that more carefully. You can indeed finance it elsewhere and then bring it to T-Mobile. Thanks.

 

[MrXiro]

It royally frosts my keester when these companies try to use a play on words to rip consumers off. Do they really think we are that stupid?
I saw right through their lie when I went to the Tmobile site to sign up for the so-called "free" 200mb of data. Hmm... a $10 monthly charge is added.... yep, they are lying sacks of excrement.
Now, back at AT&T, at least they are upfront about their data plan charges for the iPad..... $14.99/month for 250mb or $10 per month on a family share plan.

I don't know about the rest of you, but i'll go with the company who is more truthful any day, even if it costs more. Tmobile reminds me of Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinski scandal... "It depends on what the meaning of "is" is".....
Yeah, and Tmobile's 200mb data plan "is" free.....

Ok enjoy your 250mb for 15 bucks... while I'll be using my free 200mb on my iPad... for at least the next 2-3 years.

 

[predation]

this thread = waaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaahwaaaaaaaahaaah.. i want my cake and i want to eat it too..

jesus people.

if you want to get the free 200mb and get interest free financing do it through apple.......or just buy the ipad outright.....


** **oh and to the moron who said "if you need to finance, then you shouldn't buy it"... you sir are the biggest dumbass ever... what makes you think that if someone needs to finance something that they shouldn't be buying it/can't afford it? it's interest free money... some people would like to use their liquidity and use it for other things, like make money with it... ****

 

[velleity]

I financed mine - I'm not a current T-mobile customer. I was told at the store that there would be no monthly mandatory data plan. Now...I don't know what's happening.

Definitely shady. If I had been told about the $20/mo, I would have just bought the Air outright. Now I'm likely going to end up returning this Air, just to buy another one. Hopefully someone gets a great open-box deal out of this one.

 

[MrXiro]

Did you know…
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There are plenty of alternatives... these people just wanted to cry about their inability to comprehend retail.

Tmobile should have just said "FREE iPads for all" **after a 2 year commitment of 26.62 and watched these idiots flock to the store.

 

[notmenwohere]

I financed mine - I'm not a current T-mobile customer. I was told at the store that there would be no monthly mandatory data plan. Now...I don't know what's happening.

Definitely shady. If I had been told about the $20/mo, I would have just bought the Air outright. Now I'm likely going to end up returning this Air, just to buy another one. Hopefully someone gets a great open-box deal out of this one.

worst part is that they will stick a 75 dollar restocking fee...so u might as keep keep it, cancel service and pay the remaining fee for the ipad.

 

[ricktat]

0 down plus Free data for life sounds self explanatory. This is from Friday

 

[Taz Mangus]

I spoke with a person named Jason tonight from T-Mobile. He is from the executive offices of T-Mobile. He called me back about a e-mail I sent to them. Anyhow, I told him to take a look at the reaction of the CEO tweets, the way the website one Saturday would allow new customers to EIP and get 200MB of free data and then on Sunday was not offered any longer. I told him to read the two T-Mobile threads here at macrumors. While I had him on the phone, I asked him why I was being charged $10 for a sim starter kit when Apple includes a free sim with every iPad they sell. He put me on hold, after a minute came back on the line and told me I should only get charged if I was purchasing the Sim card by itself. He credited me back the $10 to my account.

 

[ncbill]

apparently you need to be a _post-paid_ voice customer, as I've been a prepaid voice customer for years but could not add an ipad on the monthly finance plan w/o converting my voice plan to post-paid

per the chat I had w/ a csr this afternoon.

The 200mb of data is available free without a plan to anybody who has a compatible iPad.

However interest free financing is only available if you have a voice or data plan with t-mobile.

People are completely confusing the two offers.

 

[nostaws]

Actually, It was advertised that way on their web site (all weekend). I went to the T-mobile web site multiple times on Sat and Sun and read all the fine print.

Paid for tablet = free data
Financing through t-mobile = fee for non customers.

Because that's not how it was advertised. And even then we're still getting conflicting reports about how T-mobile is handling this. This may turn out to be how it is, but it's not consistent with how they pushed their deals initially. Which is why many are upset.

 

[Terrin]

I don't understand what is misleading about this? Yes, the 200mb is still free for whoever. No, they aren't going to give you free financing and free data. You either buy the iPad straight up, or you pay for monthly access. It's called business.

Me either. Anybody who owns an iPad outright can take advantage of the deal. It seems silly to think T-Mobile is going to give you zero percent financing (which hardly anybody I know of does does), and free Internet.

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0 down plus Free data for life sounds self explanatory. This is from Friday

Yes, except you can see there is fine print right below the advertisement.

 

[ricktat]

Me either. Anybody who owns an iPad outright can take advantage of the deal. It seems silly to think T-Mobile is going to give you zero percent financing (which hardly anybody I know of does does), and free Internet.

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Yes, except you can see there is fine print right below the advertisement.

Ok read the fine print. It doesn't say you have to pay for data to get the 0% 0 down.

Further down it said you needed a pre-paid account as everyone else needs to get the 200 mb

 

[Taz Mangus]

Not really since until I saw the Twitter message by the CEO, I intended on buying the WiFi version, which I now am again. So really, it's a bad taste in my mouth about T-Mobile and not even the potential for a customer to them.

If your intention was to buy a WiFi only iPad, I am not sure why you would want to buy it from T-Mobile since you would not be able to use the cell service. You could easily have done the interest free finance through Apple or Bestbuy.

 

[Terrin]

Totally doesn't make it okay. Misleading is misleading, doesn't matter if it's "herpderp marketing!"

This seems pretty clear to me (from T-Mobile's website):


Four ways to enjoy free data for life.

1. Bring your own tablet. Use a tablet you already own and love on T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE network. Simply activate a Mobile Internet account with a SIM card.
Get a SIM card for your tablet
2. Add a tablet to your T-Mobile account. If you already have a postpaid phone line with T-Mobile, add a tablet to your account and enjoy low monthly payments and 0% interest with our exclusive Equipment Installment Plan (EIP).
Log into My T-Mobile and Shop now
3. Switch over to T-Mobile. Let one of our award-winning retail stores introduce you to our selection of smartphones and tablets, and enjoy the benefits of EIP when you add a tablet to your phone purchase.
Find a T-Mobile retail store
4. Just buying a tablet. No billing relationship required. Shop our selection of great tablets. They come with a T-Mobile SIM to un-leash our nationwide 4G network whenever you need it.
Shop Pay in Advance tablets

 

[wootberg]

There is no charge to activate a prepaid account... they charged you 10 bucks for the SIM despite what they say. I purchased one of the 99 cent Tmobile SIMS about a month back to put in my iPhone when I jump to Tmobile (they're free now BTW) and created my account and had my 200mb data up and running in under 30 min... I'd say more along the lines of 10 min. tops... didn't pay a dime more than the $1.08 for the SIM plus tax.

Actually they gave me an invoice which said $0 for the SIM and $10 for activation. One time, so who cares

 

[ellsworth]

I was really looking forward to this all for when the iPad retina comes out later this month. I yelled at a few people (on here) for not listening reading the article correctly. I was pushing for T-Mobile. Glad I don't have to purchase an iPad from them any more.

I'm sure the execs over at AT&T were $**tting bricks last week and now they're sitting with their fat-bellies and hands in their pockets stuffed with money.

Now to decided what other carrier to go with.

Bah!

So I'm curious. Can't one purchase an iPad Air (or mini retina) through At&t's Next Payment installation plan and take it over to T-Mobile for free 200mb data (after $10 sim card fee)? or does AT&T force you to choose a plan as well?
Hmm...

 

[Ferc Kast]

With all this confusion about T-Mobile's plan, perhaps I'll stick with a WiFi only model of iPad mini when I upgrade my Mini. I was only thinking to get a cellular model if T-Mobile's 200mb data plan was/is truly free.

 

[Terrin]

Dumb people will finance it, feel betrayed, and wonder why they're broke at the end of the day. As they've always done. Death by a thousand cuts.

You are making a generalization. As a T-Mobile cellular subscriber, I can finance the device at zero percent, and truly get the 200 MBs of data free with no separate iPad data plan. It, however, really does not mean much because T-Mobile allows an iPad through wi-fi to use my iPhone's cellular data plan for no additional cost. So, I pay $60 a month and have unlimited data for both my tablet and phone.

Further, if you were going to subscribe to a data plan any way, taking advantage of the T-Mobile zero percent financing plan for the iPad is not a bad deal. for twenty dollars a month, you essentially get an unlimited data plan. Sure, only the first 700 Mbs is LTE or 4G, but it is still unlimited.

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With all this confusion about T-Mobile's plan, perhaps I'll stick with a WiFi only model of iPad mini when I upgrade my Mini. I was only thinking to get a cellular model if T-Mobile's 200mb data plan was/is truly free.

It is truly free. Buy the iPad outright, and obtain a T-Mobile SIM card.