Carrier T-Mobile Lied - Free Data is $10

[dgdosen]

Intentional "bad wording" in a press release and repeated advertisements thereafter is considered "bait and switch".

Basically, they announced one thing, and they aren't offering it.

Granted, people shouldn't be "pissed". But it's disappointing for sure.

And their failure to mention the $10 extra monthly fee does fall under "lying by omission".



Please read T-Mobile's own words again: you do not need to be their customer. They specifically wrote "even non-customers".

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I think this situation is simply a case of good marketing plan getting backtracked by a corporate decision at the last minute.

Perhaps T-Mobile was indeed planning to offer the FREE finance and monthly data plans as a way to attract more potential customers. However, last minute decisions from the top assessed that they needed to make some amount of profits, hence the $10 fee was added in the end. Despite the press release.

Essentially, they probably assessed that financing $630 or so for so many people would cause a big backlash for their revenues, and they didn't want to take it up anymore.

That's only for the whole financing deal, of course. The 200MB data plan is still FREE. They seem to still want to throw a wrench in AT&T's and Verizon's plans. I bet people would still appreciate at least that.

You know what I'd bet - (I'm a t-mobile customer) - given my experience on their less than stellar web site, they probably just don't have the systems to manage financed customers without a plan. I'd say it's more incompetence than evil.

I'm sure they still make a nice enough profit for every ipad that they can sell - and I'm sure the internalized present value of cash streams of a customer with a working cellular device with their sim in it is worth a lot more than their financing costs over the course of two years for a few hundred dollars.

 

[notmenwohere]

I dont know where John H Leger come from but in the land of the free and on Earth, the word "FREE" means " no payment or cost"

As soon as a 10 dollar minimum data play was slapped on during my check out, a cost was created, thence the word "free" no long applys.

I understand the whole situation completely. I read their twitter post, facebook post, and press release.

The following quote is directly from t-mobile twitter accout:

"via @TMobile
"We have unleashed TABLETS! No strings attached, no commitments, no 2yr service contracts, 200MB FREE 4G data – current customer or not!"

So bait and switch is an understatement.

I was fully intended to use the $5 (500 mb day pass) and/or $10 (1gb week pass) on top of the "FREE" 200 mb, but this again also require you to have a data plan with t-mobile which is the $10/mnth on demand plan.

Jokes all around, this is the exact reason why i left T-mobile from the beginnering.

 

[9secondadidas]

I just got off the phone with an extremely clueless T-Mobile rep. After ten minutes on hold, according to her, the only way for a new tablet customer to get the free 200 meg a month data is to buy the tablet upfront and go prepaid.

Fock it, I just got 0% for 6 months though apple.com, 64gig wifi version. I'll just tether if and when I need to.

 

[outie2k]

I'd say give T-mobile some time to clarify the situation. Today is the first day the free data plan rolled out.

Maybe this is a limitation in their ordering system, or maybe this is really the case you need the $10/mo plan to do installment plan, I don't know.

However, they really are offering the free plan to the BYOD crowds so far, and that's a fact.

 

[supervelous]

I didn't read this whole thread, I'm at work now, but I got my T-Mobile iPad from Apple Store, it made me put in my info but no payment information, and I tested it and my data was working fine.

Got an email:

Your new Mobile Internet Starter Data pass is now active on device #_______ and you can enjoy 200MB of high speed data for use until 11/30/13.

 

[notmenwohere]

I didn't read this whole thread, I'm at work now, but I got my T-Mobile iPad from Apple Store, it made me put in my info but no payment information, and I tested it and my data was working fine.

Got an email:

Your new Mobile Internet Starter Data pass is now active on device #_______ and you can enjoy 200MB of high speed data for use until 11/30/13.

it should be free for life

 

[YodasMaster]

Why don't you guys just pay up front so that you can get the free 200mb of data with no strings attached? It seems silly to finance something that costs so little. Heck, there's credit cards out there that will make the iPad practically free after you spend $3,000 within three months. That would a much better use of the ding on your credit report.

https://creditcards.chase.com/credit-cards/sapphire-preferred-card.aspx

 

[deeddawg]

Exactly. If the $10 a month thing is a big sticking point, just buy it outright from Apple. Sure it's nice to get free financing, but not worth the angst. JMHO but if someone can't get it without financing, they might be better served waiting.

 

[notmenwohere]

This is a matter of principle.

Nobody likes to be lied to.

I'd fight for my right even if the charge is $1

 

[sl33pyhead]

Turned off the iPad, replaced the SIM card with the data T-Mobile SIM. Turned on the iPad, turned off Wi-Fi, and it found the T-Mobile LTE Cell. I then went into settings, cellular data,view account. It then asked if I wanted to activate, put in my info and that was it! Very quick and easy.

I purchased the $.99 Broadband Sim with free shipping, don't know if the free SIMS will also work.

http://find.t-mobile.com/controller?N=1000639&Ntk=primary&Ntt=Sim+Cards&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial

Am I supposed to buy the free activation kit, free starter kit, 99 cent nano or... There are 12 options. If they were numbered 1-12 left to right, which number/model is everyone getting? I'm on iPad 3 Verizon

 

[YodasMaster]

Am I supposed to buy the free activation kit, free starter kit, 99 cent nano or... There are 12 options. If they were numbered 1-12 left to right, which number/model is everyone getting? I'm on iPad 3 Verizon

You want the "Broadband only" micro SIM.

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phone/T-Mobile-Mobile-Broadband-SIM-ONLY-KIT-Micro-SIM

 

[matneh]

Turned off the iPad, replaced the SIM card with the data T-Mobile SIM. Turned on the iPad, turned off Wi-Fi, and it found the T-Mobile LTE Cell. I then went into settings, cellular data,view account. It then asked if I wanted to activate, put in my info and that was it! Very quick and easy.

I purchased the $.99 Broadband Sim with free shipping, don't know if the free SIMS will also work.

http://find.t-mobile.com/controller?N=1000639&Ntk=primary&Ntt=Sim+Cards&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial

I have an iPad 4 on AT&T Network, and my steps were even simpler (I already ordered the Micro SIM from T-Mobile):

1) Pulled out AT&T sim (didn't even turn iPad off)
2) Inserted T-Mobile sim
3) Turned off Wi-Fi and turned on Cellular Data
4) Went to Safari, gave my e-mail address
5) Got the 200MB confirmation, boom! data!

and then step 6) Cancelled AT&T plan

 

[babbit]

I just got off the phone with an extremely clueless T-Mobile rep. After ten minutes on hold, according to her, the only way for a new tablet customer to get the free 200 meg a month data is to buy the tablet upfront and go prepaid.

Fock it, I just got 0% for 6 months though apple.com, 64gig wifi version. I'll just tether if and when I need to.

Since you bought the iPad through Apple, all you need is to get a T-mobile sim (free), and register (free), and then you can have your 200MB per month free. Why do you need to tether?

 

[nixiemaiden]

Since you bought the iPad through Apple, all you need is to get a T-mobile sim (free), and register (free), and then you can have your 200MB per month free. Why do you need to tether?

Fock it, I just got 0% for 6 months though apple.com, 64gig wifi version. I'll just tether if and when I need to.

.

 

[vmaniqui]

So I went through the TMobile order process and was billed $10 month for an on demand data plan as seen below. I expressed how I am a verizon customer and that I can add an iPad on my contract for 10$ and would like to cancel. The CSR's said they already received an email that the 10$ will be taken off your bill as soon as your iPad is activated and this was an error in the ordering process.

Plan
ON DEMAND
$10.00/month

Here is the number I called - 1-800-672-5390

Please let me know if anyone gets different info.

i am chatting with a Tmobile specialist as we speak and she says i need to have a plan to get the free 200MB for life. i said it's contradictory to the press release. we will see how it goes. she totally said it's regular plan and you get the 200MB free. Oh well i will wait for your input guys since i am anyway waiting for an iPad Mini 2 before diving into their 200MB free for life plan.

 

[csrini1]

Since you bought the iPad through Apple, all you need is to get a T-mobile sim (free), and register (free), and then you can have your 200MB per month free. Why do you need to tether?

I thought the sim already comes with the ipad.

 

[vmaniqui]

this is what the chat specialist told me:

'Thank you for that information. Yes, existing customers with a voice plan receive a $10 discount per month by adding a broadband plan.'

'New customers must have a qualifying rate plan to get the additional 200MB for free.'

 

[mytakeontech]

Seems like lawsuit worthy!!

 

[AnalyzeThis]

In their press release and in multiple places on the web T-Mobile clearly stated that they would offer the iPad Air for $0 down in 24 monthly installments and an option for 200mb of data per month for FREE. No matter if you were an existing customer or not.

When you go to their web site to make this purchase you are forced into a $10 monthly plan for that 200mb.

They say that if you have a voice plan with them then you will get that $10 credited back in your monthly bill.

This is NOTHING like what they said in their official release and comes across as a shady lie.

No they not lying. I just called them. You need to select OnDemand plan. It is $10/month indeed, but when you activate your account, just call them and tell them you only interested in 200MB/month free data. At this point they will remove monthly charge. I think system requires to select data plan in order to provision sim to you.

Buy-Buy ATT...

 

[ronkuba]

According to their twitter page new customers will be credited also

 

[PLin]

I have an iPad 4 on AT&T Network, and my steps were even simpler (I already ordered the Micro SIM from T-Mobile):

1) Pulled out AT&T sim (didn't even turn iPad off)
2) Inserted T-Mobile sim
3) Turned off Wi-Fi and turned on Cellular Data
4) Went to Safari, gave my e-mail address
5) Got the 200MB confirmation, boom! data!

and then step 6) Cancelled AT&T plan

It was just as easy for me with an AT&T iPad 3 running iOS 6.1.2. I was afraid I was going to have to update to iOS 7 to activate the T-Mobile service, but it wasn't necessary. I didn't even have to type in any APNs.

 

[supervelous]

it should be free for life

Right, I assume they gave me the 11/30/13 date as my current month period for 200MB, at which point it'd reset again. I sure hope I don't only have 200MB "for life"

 

[notmenwohere]

According to their twitter page new customers will be credited also

i sincerely hope that they do a 10 credit monthly instead of removing it all together, cuz having able to put $5 for 500mb for a day or $10 for 1gb for a week is very convenient. Other wise, i would have to get some pre-paid sim card ready on the go incase i will more than 200mb

 

[MaxPower49]

I'm trying to sort through all of this... can somebody clarify what is going on? If I go buy a T-Mobile ipad... pay full price up front... do I get the 200mb/month free or not?

 

[AnalyzeThis]

Trust me I'm disappointed. I was going to get one through them, now I have to go to Best Buy this evening to pick up an At&t model and putting in my 99 cent TMobile SIM.

The $10 charge is only for people who aren't on contract already AND want to do their 24 month no interest financing.

There was never the sentence "$0 DOWN 24 MONTH FINANCING AND FREE DATA FOR EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER." (sarcastically written before some decides the unnecessary need to call me out on the verbage)

You own an iPad (no matter where you got it) that will work with TMobile's network, you get your free data. And they totally hold true to that.

As for financing... Best Buy does 18 months. No big deal to me.

Wow interesting line of thought?

What about this posted with big font size on t-mobile web site?
Tablets Un-leashed
Get FREE 4G LTE data every month for life
Bring a tablet you already own to T-Mobile and get 200 MB FREE data every month. Simply activate a Mobile Internet account. No annual service contract.

http://www.t-mobile.com/landing/bring-your-own-tablet.html?AID=11031750&PID=227502

Hm, it is actually for everyone with compatible tablet.

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I'm trying to sort through all of this... can somebody clarify what is going on? If I go buy a T-Mobile ipad... pay full price up front... do I get the 200mb/month free or not?

The moment you turn on cellular data and enter your email account it is free for life (200MB/mo). When you buy t-mobile one, it has sim card installed, so you do not need to order one from them.