Purchase experience with T-Mobile on the phone.

[beto molina]

So, decided to go ahead and spring for the Idol 4s tonight. I went online but was not allowed to buy the phone unless I hopped on their new ONE plan or whatever it is called. I'm not interested in that so I don't even know what it's name is. I'm content to stay on my existing Tmob plan. Anyway, I call them up on the phone and attempt to buy the phone at full retail price, no payments, no strings, just money up front. Long story short, they refused to sell me a phone at full retail price over the phone. The rep said *maybe* a brick and mortar store would sell me one.

Quite frankly, I'm appalled at this. It's unbelievable that money isn't enough any more.

I do not think I'll be going to the store now. I will not support a company that employs these kind of tactics.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

So, decided to go ahead and spring for the Idol 4s tonight. I went online but was not allowed to buy the phone unless I hopped on their new ONE plan or whatever it is called. I'm not interested in that so I don't even know what it's name is. I'm content to stay on my existing Tmob plan. Anyway, I call them up on the phone and attempt to buy the phone at full retail price, no payments, no strings, just money up front. Long story short, they refused to sell me a phone at full retail price over the phone. The rep said *maybe* a brick and mortar store would sell me one.

Quite frankly, I'm appalled at this. It's unbelievable that money isn't enough any more.

I do not think I'll be going to the store now. I will not support a company that employs these kind of tactics.

I guess this answers my question in another thread.

It could just be a rep who thought he could talk you into changing plans or one who didn't know how to sell one for whatever plan you have now.

I didn't have any problem just replacing one phone on our plan with the Idol over the phone.

But carriers might have restrictions or extras hoops depending on the phone or plan in question.

I would call again and tell whoever you get what plan you are on now and that you want to just replace your current phone with the Idol 4S. If (S)he says it can't be done, please ask why and post it to save someone else from going thru it.

I'm betting another rep will figure out how to sell you the phone.

 

[Player Piano]

Just login and order online and save yourself the headache. I sent my idol back before Christmas and they still haven't processed the refund yet. I have to call weekly to get an update. Sad.

 

[beto molina]

Just login and order online and save yourself the headache. I sent my idol back before Christmas and they still haven't processed the refund yet. I have to call weekly to get an update. Sad.

Can't order online unless you buy their new plan and a sim card. I'm not interested in their new plan and I have a brand new T-Mobile sim card I ordered right from Tmob in the past so I don't need them to sell me another one.

 

[editguy]

Just login and order online and save yourself the headache. I sent my idol back before Christmas and they still haven't processed the refund yet. I have to call weekly to get an update. Sad.

He tried that, but they've made a change since I purchased mine. It now locks you to the One plan.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Can't order online unless you buy their new plan and a sim card. I'm not interested in their new plan and I have a brand new T-Mobile sim card I ordered right from Tmob in the past so I don't need them to sell me another one.

And FWIW, my Idol 4S came with a new SIM card inside the factory sealed box. So it doesn't make sense they would make you buy two SIM cards. Especially when you don't even need one. I didn't need any because I just moved the SIM from my wife's old phone that the Idol is replacing. T-Mobile is acting very strange.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

He tried that, but they've made a change since I purchased mine. It now locks you to the One plan.

When did that change happen? I bought mine on Feb 14th and was and still am on my "Simple Choice" plan. I can't understand this unless there is some way to bypass the One plan part if the rep knows how (and is willing to buck policy).

Maybe this is a piece to the puzzle of why the price was reduced from $4xx to $288. It makes more sense if everyone who buys one for $288 has to also pay for an unlimited plan. I'm starting to think I had even better luck on my purchase than I thought. I thought I got the $75 rebate of the $288 for being a long term customer, and maybe I did... BUT maybe they also didn't want to **** me off or didn't know how to deal with the 6 lines on my current plan. I would have been pretty upset like beto molina is if they told me I had to change plans on 6 lines to get an Idol 4S!

I better withdraw that offer to bet another rep can fix him up.

 

[MrockNroll]

Possibly depends on the store, I use a corporate store, that's pretty windows phone friendly and they treat me very well there. try an other store.

 

[Player Piano]

Can't order online unless you buy their new plan and a sim card. I'm not interested in their new plan and I have a brand new T-Mobile sim card I ordered right from Tmob in the past so I don't need them to sell me another one.

That's crazy. I don't know why they try to keep forcing us onto their new plans. I have recently added 5 additonal lines onto my family plan and did everything online and saved me the hassle. That was a couple weeks ago now and I had no problem keeping my old plan then.

 

[anon(50597)]

Possibly depends on the store, I use a corporate store, that's pretty windows phone friendly and they treat me very well there. try an other store.

This. Just because one store or one customer rep wouldn't do what you wanted is no reason to give up. Just have to find the right one.

Sent from my Alcatel Idol 4S

 

[PerfectReign]

I've had TMO for about ten years. I also have been asked to change plans bit have resisted. As it is, my 950xl and x3 are both dual SIM. Since my work supplies me with a S6, I just take the SIM out and put it in my phones.

FWIW, I find TMO to have better coverage and more consistent LTE in my area (Los Angeles) than AT&T.

I've even showed this to my corporate AT&T rep. She said AT&T knows about the disparity. Have not tried Verizon for about five years so cannot comment.

I suggest going to a store if you can.

Sent from mTalk

 

[Sekyal]

Why call when it is easier in person? I went to a store and bought my phone. It was easy to stay on my $30/mo plan by buying the phone outright. Love the phone. It is well made for sure.

 

[beto molina]

You are right. That is the only thing I did not try in person. However, I did call the store, which is a not so local 45 minute drive away one way, and they said they weren't sure if they could sell me one or not.

 

[MrockNroll]

beto molina, Ask them if its a corporate T-Mobile store, they treat you better and work harder to Gain/keep you as a customer.

 

[beto molina]

Ok, I got one *smiles* :grin::smile:

 

[MrockNroll]

Very good to hear that ??????. Hope you enjoy using it as much as the rest of us here are now.;-)

 

[beto molina]

Well, I'm having fun and frustration all at once but overcoming some of the strangeness is part of the fun. I've been strictly Android once I left by beloved Treo 600 back in the day. Ahhh...what a phone that was. It took till my newest Android, Nexus 6, for me to be able to say I liked any phone better than that old Treo.
Thank you everyone for your advise.

 

[anon(50597)]

Well, I'm having fun and frustration all at once but overcoming some of the strangeness is part of the fun. I've been strictly Android once I left by beloved Treo 600 back in the day. Ahhh...what a phone that was. It took till my newest Android, Nexus 6, for me to be able to say I liked any phone better than that old Treo.
Thank you everyone for your advise.

Glad you got your phone! Give it some time. Its not Android, but it does have many benefits of its own.

Sent from mTalk on my SP4

 

[RickInFla]

Going to a store doesn't help either. I tried that last night (yes, it was a corporate store). The clerk not only insisted that I must also by a new SIM card, but that they needed to program it there in the store (thus rendering my existing SIM card useless). And they wouldn't even DO that last night (if I had let them) because I am not the administrator user of our plan (the administrator must authorize the burning of a new SIM card). So it is not possible (for me anyway) to just walk in and buy one for cash, take it home, and put the SIM from my Lumia 635 into it. (I thought that was one of the great things about SIM cards; the user could simply move one from phone to phone. I might as well go back to Sprint where CDMA doesn't have SIM cards and they "program" the phone in the store.)

Similar problem trying to buy online; it only gives two options: Buy the new plan along with the phone, or login with your userid.... I don't HAVE a userid to login with; my nephew "owns" the (business) plan and is the admin user. Only he would be able to login.

So, I cannot buy in the store, and I cannot buy online. Guess I will try over the phone next....

 

[HoosierDaddy]

So, I cannot buy in the store, and I cannot buy online. Guess I will try over the phone next....

Since they can't see if your fingers are crossed over the phone, you might want to tell them the phone will be a gift for someone else to avoid them trying to force you to link it to some existing account at time of sale.