T-Mobile to Expand 'Un-Carrier 4.0' Initiative, Offer Switch Incentives to U.S. Cellular, Regional Customers

[MacRumors]

T-Mobile will expand its recently introduced "Un-Carrier 4.0" initiative, which saw the company offering to pay up to $350 in early termination fees for Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T customers who switched to T-Mobile. As part of the expansion, first detailed by Re/code, T-Mobile will pay the same contract termination fees for customers currently with U.S. Cellular and a dozen other small regional carriers.

T-Mobile also has plans to entice additional customers by accepting a larger number of handsets for trade-in, including damaged phones, albeit for a lower trade-in credit.

"This is not just a promotion," T-Mobile marketing chief Mike Sievert told Re/code on Thursday. "What we are trying to do is bring an end to unfair one-way onerous contracts in this country."

First unveiled last week, T-Mobile's early termination deal pays up to $350 per line in fees for individuals and families with up to five lines who switch from their current carriers and trade in their phones to T-Mobile.

Under the terms of the program, customers have to leave their current carriers, trade in existing phones (T-Mobile offers up to $300 per trade-in), sign up for a new T-Mobile plan and port a phone number. After the above qualifications are met, customers can send the final bill from their previous carrier (with termination fees listed) to T-Mobile for reimbursement via prepaid MasterCard.

According to T-Mobile, upwards of 80,000 "break-up" letters have been shared on social media sites in the last week by customers leaving their carriers for T-Mobile and signups have increased as a result of the program.

Article Link: T-Mobile to Expand 'Un-Carrier 4.0' Initiative, Offer Switch Incentives to U.S. Cellular, Regional Customers

 

[Klae17]

Break ups are getting funner nowadays.

Break ups are getting more fun nowadays.

 

[bran0216]

This is genius on T-Mobile's part. All 6 people on my plan are switching ASAP. See ya Sprint! The company that doesn't believe in coverage at one of the most popular tourist attraction in the country. (Central Florida)

 

[Rhyno37]

If Tmobile just had better coverage in rural areas they'd have me sold. Verizon and US Cellular are about the only carrier's around here with decent speeds.

 

[goobot]

So what's stoping me from buying a brand new iPhone from att with an upgrade, swapping the sim out with an old dumb phone i have on hand, and getting t-mobile to then pay the ETF for me. I know they have to take a phone that's on my plan but the dumb phone will be there so then i can either be on t-mobile with my brand new iPhone with no extra fees or move back to another carrier with another "upgrade"/cheaper plan.

 

[NeoMayhem]

So what's stoping me from buying a brand new iPhone from att with an upgrade, swapping the sim out with an old dumb phone i have on hand, and getting t-mobile to then pay the ETF for me. I know they have to take a phone that's on my plan but the dumb phone will be there so then i can either be on t-mobile with my brand new iPhone with no extra fees or move back to another carrier with another "upgrade"/cheaper plan.

Nothing, many people have been doing this. The phone you trade in must be on the 'list' though. There is a $30 prepaid one that qualifies.

 

[aajeevlin]

So what's stoping me from buying a brand new iPhone from att with an upgrade, swapping the sim out with an old dumb phone i have on hand, and getting t-mobile to then pay the ETF for me. I know they have to take a phone that's on my plan but the dumb phone will be there so then i can either be on t-mobile with my brand new iPhone with no extra fees or move back to another carrier with another "upgrade"/cheaper plan.

I believe one of the requirement is that you HAVE to purchase a smartphone from Tmobile. So in that case, you will end up paying more for the purchase from Tmobile.

On a completely different note, whatever happened to Carly from Tmobile?

 

[yeah]

Innovating and kicking the other carriers' butts, one T-Mobile event at a time.

 

[jayducharme]

If Tmobile just had better coverage in rural areas they'd have me sold. Verizon and US Cellular are about the only carrier's around here with decent speeds.

That's my problem as well. I really want to switch to T-Mobile if for nothing else than to support their new direction. But I'd also like to be able to make phone calls and receive e-mail. Their coverage is just too spotty where I am.

 

[Rhyno37]

That's my problem as well. I really want to switch to T-Mobile if for nothing else than to support their new direction. But I'd also like to be able to make phone calls and receive e-mail. Their coverage is just too spotty where I am.

Exactly, I really like their initiative, but they only have 2G in my town. Currently have verizon and average about 50mbp/s down and 15 up.

 

[DJsteveSD]

I hope this is still going on when the iPhone 6 comes out!!

 

[alent1234]

So what's stoping me from buying a brand new iPhone from att with an upgrade, swapping the sim out with an old dumb phone i have on hand, and getting t-mobile to then pay the ETF for me. I know they have to take a phone that's on my plan but the dumb phone will be there so then i can either be on t-mobile with my brand new iPhone with no extra fees or move back to another carrier with another "upgrade"/cheaper plan.

You have to port your number to t mobile which closes your AT&T account

 

[dizmonk]

Just switched

From Verizon.. They were giving me **** because I wanted to return a 2nd phone... I just said screw them and moved over.. So far so good...

 

[pittpanthersfan]

I would really like to do this, but I believe that you have to buy a device from T-Mobile after the switch. Don't want to part with my 5S...

 

[blevins321]

I would really like to do this, but I believe that you have to buy a device from T-Mobile after the switch. Don't want to part with my 5S...

Thats the only thing stopping me; especially since AT&T unlocks iPhones after contract terms/ETF are paid. I'd have a perfectly functional phone since the 5S is GSM universal, but TMO won't let me use it

 

[alent1234]

T-mo has the 5s

 

[mtneer]

Thats the only thing stopping me; especially since AT&T unlocks iPhones after contract terms/ETF are paid. I'd have a perfectly functional phone since the 5S is GSM universal, but TMO won't let me use it

Why not sell the now unlocked AT&T 5S and get T-Mobile's 5S which they require you to get??

 

[sadastronaut]

So what's stoping me from buying a brand new iPhone from att with an upgrade, swapping the sim out with an old dumb phone i have on hand, and getting t-mobile to then pay the ETF for me. I know they have to take a phone that's on my plan but the dumb phone will be there so then i can either be on t-mobile with my brand new iPhone with no extra fees or move back to another carrier with another "upgrade"/cheaper plan.

Well, you can use a phone different than what's on your current plan. I actually did this myself, trading in an old iPhone 3GS instead of my current iPhone 4. I'm not sure about dumbphone vs. smartphone though.

 

[bookwormsy]

So what's stoping me from buying a brand new iPhone from att with an upgrade, swapping the sim out with an old dumb phone i have on hand, and getting t-mobile to then pay the ETF for me. I know they have to take a phone that's on my plan but the dumb phone will be there so then i can either be on t-mobile with my brand new iPhone with no extra fees or move back to another carrier with another "upgrade"/cheaper plan.

Nothing. Effective today, you can trade in any working phone, and even if it isn't on their list, they have a generic SKU. You'll get like a $5 trade in for dumb phones, 50 for apple, etc. The only thing is, you'll have to buy a phone through TMobile to qualify for the ETF reimbursement. But you can buy and resell their cheapest phone and still come out ahead.

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Nothing, many people have been doing this. The phone you trade in must be on the 'list' though. There is a $30 prepaid one that qualifies.

Effective today, you can trade in any working phone and they have a generic SKU.

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Why not sell the now unlocked AT&T 5S and get T-Mobile's 5S which they require you to get??

1. You're selling for a loss, 2. you can buy and resell their cheapest phone.

 

[koban4max]

how about cheating with another carrier?

 

[serenemind]

Switched to Tmobile

Here's what I did:

I had 4 lines on At&t with 2 iphone 5s, 2 dumb phones used by family members (I use these for cross upgrades)

1. Bought 4 At&t go phones from Target for $65
2. Turned them to Tmobile. They were not on their approved list but the guy in the 2nd store I went to, took it without any problems (Which satisfied the returning device part)
3. Bought 3 $72 dollar phones and 1 Nexus 5 for $660 total (Paid those outright without monthly payments) : which satisfied the must buy Tmobile phone part
4. Ported the numbers from At&t

Pending Steps

5. Waiting for At&t bill with ETF
6. Submit the bill to Tmobile and get back the ETF amount
7. Request At&t to unlock the 2 Iphone 5s
8. Use T-Mobile sims in these phones
9. Sell the T-mobile $72 phones on craigslist or ebay for whatever

Despite spending roughly $ 700 on this move to Tmobile I will still be saving roughly $80 on my monthly bill (At&t was $190 T-Mobile will be $110 after taxes and corp discount)

Will update you guys when I get the mastercard from T-mobile in a couple of months. I was with At&t for the last 8 years. I have decent Tmobile coverage; not as fast as At&t LTE but a few mbps lower.

Cheers,
SM

 

[firedept]

Wish we had some competition in Canada against our big three. Verizon tried and the big three whined so loud to the government, that Verizon lost out getting its foot in the door.

 

[patent10021]

Wish we had some competition in Canada against our big three. Verizon tried and the big three whined so loud to the government, that Verizon lost out getting its foot in the door.

The big three in Japan are also a complete nightmare.


Staff: Unlock? What's that? Leaving the country and terminating your contract even though your phone contract ended two years ago? Oh you still need to pay a $100 bye bye fee. Want to share one data plan with say 3 different iDevices? Huh? They let you do that in north America?!? You want to give your WIFE or MOTHER authorization to cancel your contract a week after you've left Japan so you can use your Japanese phone until you get a north American phone? No no no. Not allowed!

 

[Amplelink]

T-Mobile is being so aggressive wit their tactics that at some point you have to ask what kind of a hit their bottom line is taking. This can't be cheap!

 

[kingtj]

Why?

I don't think this is going to hurt T-Mobile much at all?
I mean, look at the facts here:

1. Every offer they've done requires you buy a new device from them, basically at full price. (Yes, they offer time payments with no interest, but they also do a credit check that seems to be fairly strict. Even people with "pretty good" credit scores wind up making $100 or more down-payments in most cases.) Meanwhile, this gets people motivated to sign up with their service -- a task they otherwise have to accomplish with a lot of expensive advertising. (And probably still less effectively than giving the consumer a true bonus like this.)

2. Most offers have been "for a limited time only", to date. A lot of the great pricing on devices they brag about initially vanishes after only a month or two, silently replaced by paying $100 or so more than the price that initially excited people.

T-Mobile is being so aggressive wit their tactics that at some point you have to ask what kind of a hit their bottom line is taking. This can't be cheap!