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Sorry to start another thread, but I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that Let's Talk now has The Fuze. I have been waiting to see if it would pop up there or on Amazon first. I bought it through the Walmart website. You can get the phone for either $99 or free. The free option requires you to start out with a voice plan of at least $59.99. The $99 option let's you choose a voice plan of $39.99. Although, both options make you get a data plan, but I was going to get one anyway. My total price (tax and all) was 195.53 before the $50 mail-in rebate. I'm very happy, and can finally stop wasting time at work.
I was going to upgrade through them, but they told me something completely laughable. You can upgrade a family plan, but EVERY LINE ON YOUR PLAN BEGINS A NEW 2 YEAR CONTRACT!!!
I was like, what're you ****ing kidding me? That'd be five 2 year contracts to get a cheaper upgrade, thanks but no thanks.
I tried this with my 4-line family plan. The configurator allowed me to get two of them free and two lesser phones free of charge. None of my lines are currently under contract... I am finding it hard to see the drawbacks to this.
Black93300ZX said:
I was going to upgrade through them, but they told me something completely laughable. You can upgrade a family plan, but EVERY LINE ON YOUR PLAN BEGINS A NEW 2 YEAR CONTRACT!!!
I was like, what're you ****ing kidding me? That'd be five 2 year contracts to get a cheaper upgrade, thanks but no thanks.
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Was this a representative that told you that or on the internet because it sounds completely inane :O?
If you talked with somebody, i'd try to give it another go.
Interesting, if there is a way to do this without extending all the contracts on the line I'll take mine back to the AT&T store. You can do this in store right?
The website states that whether you upgrade one line or all lines there will be a new 2yr contract for all lines in a family plan.
blkjack74 said:
Sorry to start another thread, but I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that Let's Talk now has The Fuze. I have been waiting to see if it would pop up there or on Amazon first. I bought it through the Walmart website. You can get the phone for either $99 or free. The free option requires you to start out with a voice plan of at least $59.99. The $99 option let's you choose a voice plan of $39.99. Although, both options make you get a data plan, but I was going to get one anyway. My total price (tax and all) was 195.53 before the $50 mail-in rebate. I'm very happy, and can finally stop wasting time at work.
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The upgrade price is $249.99. Be careful when dealing with LetsTalk. They have different terms and conditions in addition to AT&T's that are more strict. You MUST have a data plan to get this deal, and MUST have the data plan active for at least 6 months, or they will charge your credit/debit card at least $250.00.
I maybe retarded but I can't find how to upgrade 1 line on a family plan. It never gives me the option of choosing one line, just selecting a plan. If I select the family plan that I have it asks me to add at least 2 phones to complete the order.
Any ideas on upgrading just one line on an existing plan? Thanks.
Hmm...I just went through the LetsTalk procedure and it's telling me that, with an upgrade, you can get two Fuzes completely free? If this is true, I'm running immediately back to the store and returning this $350 dollar one.
htcfan78 said:
The upgrade price is $249.99. Be careful when dealing with LetsTalk. They have different terms and conditions in addition to AT&T's that are more strict. You MUST have a data plan to get this deal, and MUST have the data plan active for at least 6 months, or they will charge your credit/debit card at least $250.00.
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Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully I won't have any issues, as I was already planning on getting a data plan. If anything "weird" happens, I'll be sure to let everyone know.
Just a head's up. I have been with AT&T for years. Simply put, purchasing ANYTHING from letstalk.com is like walking into a mexican brothel without a condom. I have read many situation regarding these people, they are 100% sales driven. For those not wanting to believe me, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read ALL the fine print. You might save a little now but 80% of the time you will spend much more later.
This has been a public service announcement from KD8DNS
I too have been with ATT for many years, and read of many angry stories related to orders from them. I have ordered from them twice in the past and have not had any trouble either time, BUT... I agree with KD8DNS, there is an expansive amount of fine print with many rules that govern the purchase. Read this twice even three times, so that you won't be one of the many complaining in 6 months that Letstalk charged you $250 per line because you violated terms.
yea...
This looks too good to be true...
I am moving from T-Mobile and need my number ported...
I am planning on getting a hefty voice and data plan anyway, so that shouldn't be any issue...I need the data plan for work and I pay a arm and leg to T-Mobile now so over $100 is par for the course.
I think I am going to wait to see if this comes through for someone else...signing up for new service on ATT, they say that I am only going to have to pay $99, and get a $99 rebate after 6 mos of service...that is not a big deal, but getting the phone for free really seems too good to be true!
BTW, I have been looking to jump from T-Mobile for quite some time now as I need a WM phone on a 3G network and Sprint/Verizon service leaves something to be desired in my area...
I mean, come on...$99 out of my pocket for this phone???? And I get that back with a rebate after having service for 6 mos????
That is just crazy...seems way too good to be true.
I don't get it how people have problems with Letstalk. I have ordered twice from them and had a great experience. The rule is
You can NOT downgrade your plan and you can not be late on your bill. If you do that for 6 months, it is a great deal.
Simply put: If you take the LetsTalk deal, you cannot alter your account in any way for 6 mos. If you move and have to change your number that may cause your rebate to be rejected even worse they may charge you the $250 I mentioned earlier. If you are stable and the features you select are fine for 6 mo. it may be worth it. It is not really to good to be true. They make the bulk of their money in commissions paid by AT&T. However, the commissions are tied to you living up to your commitment to them/AT&T. I have ordered from them before without issue, but I admit that i am a rare breed. If you decide to take the plunge, just know what you are getting into.
aadadams said:
Simply put: If you take the LetsTalk deal, you cannot alter your account in any way for 6 mos. If you move and have to change your number that may cause your rebate to be rejected even worse they may charge you the $250 I mentioned earlier. If you are stable and the features you select are fine for 6 mo. it may be worth it. It is not really to good to be true. They make the bulk of their money in commissions paid by AT&T. However, the commissions are tied to you living up to your commitment to them/AT&T. I have ordered from them before without issue, but I admit that i am a rare breed. If you decide to take the plunge, just know what you are getting into.
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Yea, that fits me to a tee...
I have done the research and know what I want...I am not going to alter my account at all. I am not going to move at all.
They don't have them in stock though...backordered...D'OH!
It's also only good for new contracts or porting from another carrier. It's $250 for existing ATT customers with a 2 year contract extension.
I already bought my fuze through the At&t store. Can I return it to take advantage of this freebie deal Let's Talk has? What it he penalty for returning it?
I was an out of contract, upgrade available customer. So I ended up getting my phone for 260.
Thresher said:
I already bought my fuze through the At&t store. Can I return it to take advantage of this freebie deal Let's Talk has? What it he penalty for returning it?
I was an out of contract, upgrade available customer. So I ended up getting my phone for 260.
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I took mine back and all that I had to pay was $20.00 a restocking fee. The rest of the fees were all reimbursed. I was told by the 800# that it is up to each store whether they charge the $20.00 dollar restocking fee. The store I went to did.
I bought our family plan almost 2 years ago from Letstalk.com and it was a great experience. I have not changed out plan at all other than changing phones and data/text plans. But the base talk plan has stayed the same.
Jeff
I was actually considering buying from letstalk.com. I have my fuze that I bought yesterday all packed up like it's new and I'm returning it first thing. They also said that if you're returning and it has no problems, they'll take $20. If it has a problem, they'll waive that fee for you. But what's up with this part in LetsTalk's Terms and Conditions? :S
If you extend your contract length on a family plan, all lines will be extended.
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I have been searching all of the forums for the last two weeks regarding the TP2 and Sprint service, which on the surface sounded good. I purchased a brand new (in the box advertised as not requiring a contract) TP2 and called Sprint to port my number and was informed that even providing my own (paid for) hardware, they will not activate service without a 2 year contract. I'm stunned! Even Verizon will allow activation of your own handset without a contract. I called the CS line and was told that they will not activate without a contract. I guess I will sell this one and go with Verizon. No wonder Sprint has been loosing customers!
IIRC its actually illegal to do that, there was a big class action suit several years ago that forced all cellular providers to allow users to buy the phones and activate without contract
FWIW i activated my TP2 without a contract, i already had sprint (my previous 2 year contract was up and i have the 30 dollar SERO plan so i didnt want to change)
bs. all of my phones have been activated without 2 year. ive been with sprint 8 years.
You can activate the phone online.
I, too, recently activated my TP2 w/Sprint after being out of contract for just over a year. You probably fell on bad luck talking to people who were out of the loop. There are some corporate Sprint stores in malls (not kiosks) that will hook you up.
I actually started with a Sprint store ( 2 hour drive) as I intended to port my number. The Sprint employee at the store is the one that first informed me of the 2 year contract requirement. I then tried CS on their toll free number. The CS person was very polite, and did put me on hold while she supposedly spoke with a supervisor, but the answer was still 'no contreact, no service'. Considering that we do not have GSM service in our area, my only option is to get rid of this phone and go with Verizon. At least I know they will activate my equipment without a contract. It will be interesting to see if the legislation currently being considered by Congress will also include regulation over some of the policies of the cell carriers...
defaultdotxbe said:
IIRC its actually illegal to do that, there was a big class action suit several years ago that forced all cellular providers to allow users to buy the phones and activate without contract
FWIW i activated my TP2 without a contract, i already had sprint (my previous 2 year contract was up and i have the 30 dollar SERO plan so i didnt want to change)
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Do you have a link to that legal decision? I have been searching all morning looking for the case, and court ruling. Thanks!
timm9 said:
Do you have a link to that legal decision? I have been searching all morning looking for the case, and court ruling. Thanks!
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this is interesting information, do u mind sharing the actual court ruling document?
i dont remember the details, it was between when i got my first and second cell phone, my first you couldnt just buy a phone, they would only sell you a phone if you got a contract, and when i got my second you could buy the phones (for like $200 more) and activate without a contract, and i was told it was because of a lawsuit
this all like 10 years ago though, so i dont know if that was even the case
http://forums.precentral.net/palm-p...-if-they-buy-phone-full-cost.html#post2231359
Sometimes to get a good deal or something usually requires a 2year contract. No big deal IMO since I have no interest in leaving Sprint anytime soon. Another plus was I was able to get ahold of the department that does discounts and such. (2 years ago I got called for a survey in exchange for a 10% discount). It disapeared from my bill and since I didn't know it was a 2 year only discount (thus the reason for the 2 year contract renewal when they first asked) I asked if there was any way to get another discount. The woman on the phone was really helpful and hooked me up with a $10 off discount for another 2 year contract. HELL YA! So now I have a 1250 Sero plan + $7 insurance - $10. On the bill for April my total after tax, fees, etc was exactly $50.00 on the dot. Love Sprint, Love their service, and their phones are getting better and better. (TP2 has been sweet and the EVO looks ever sweeter. As long as they hook it up with some dang good WM7 phones this summer I can see they have learned a lot about getting into the market with a damn good device to keep competitive.
you need a contract with sprint to get service. They dont do month to month plans.
THATS THE BIG PROBLEM WITH SPRINT THEY HIRE SOME OF THE DUMBEST CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE,but when i have problems i go into the store BECOUSE I KNOW THE PEOPLE THERE HAVE THEIR BRAIN CELLS AND THEY TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME.Sprint has its drawbacks but what company doesnt overall im very satisfied with the company i mean verizon may have better service in my area but they cost more and i have free roaming so now i have better service and im content
At this point I have returned the TP2, and have gone with Verizon without a contract. On this site a post indicated that the 'contract required' is no longer legal based on litigation, but it's not worth my time and energy to fight over it. Like my wife said, "After all this, why would you want to do business with Sprint"?
That about sums it up...
Thank you all for the responses!
Existing Customer - New Customer
I read through some of the posts. I have activated several phones with Sprint, out of contract. I have 4 lines with Sprint, and I've not been on contract with them for maybe 3 years now. During this time I have activated maybe 6-8 different phones that I have bought on my own (usually on ebay), and never once been required to enter a contract.
The difference with me (and most other respondents) and yourself is we are existing Sprint customers; we have gone through our 1yr or 2yr contract with Sprint.
Verizon is obviously different in that, if you don't get a free or discounted phone from them, then you can obtain service without a contract.
Those of you sharing experiences of not signing a contract when swapping ESn's are off track here.
O.P is NOT an existing customer (*mentions porting his number to Sprint) and was wanting to join Sprint as a new customer but with his own Sprint handset. Sprint does not do month to month service (anymore, though they use to for an additional $10/month yrs ago).
Any current Sprint customer can change out hardware as much as they want and they're not required to modify their contracts. But a new customer joining Sprint whether he/she is bringing their handset is being required to sign a contract, it seems.
LordLugard said:
Those of you sharing experiences of not signing a contract when swapping ESn's are off track here.
O.P is NOT an existing customer (*mentions porting his number to Sprint) and was wanting to join Sprint as a new customer but with his own Sprint handset. Sprint does not do month to month service (anymore, though they use to for an additional $10/month yrs ago).
Any current Sprint customer can change out hardware as much as they want and they're not required to modify their contracts. But a new customer joining Sprint whether he/she is bringing their handset is being required to sign a contract, it seems.
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this is true to a certain extent....if you bring a line from a shared account into a separate (new) line but have bad credit, you only have to sign a 6 month contract and go month to month from there. (trust me, i know )
timm9 said:
I guess I will sell this one and go with Verizon. No wonder Sprint has been loosing customers!
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timm9 said:
At this point I have returned the TP2/QUOTE]
:| why didnt u just flash it to verizon..
well if u lost no money doing this then w/e.....
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This is really on how you play it out man. You can't give up like that homie. Really someone gave you bad info in the first call. You have to be in a contract to get service. But you can get out your contract really easy down the road. If you sign up you have 30 days to kill your service no questions. So if you were going to leave them someone might fix it for you spri-nt is dumb like that. But you have to keep calling you might get someone who is like F&*k my job I'm doing what ever today I'm going to quit. Talk to a female, guys their be tryin to mr tough I know everything you know.
Just wondering and thinking out loud i guess but you could goto a sprint store or online get a crappy feature phone with the cheapest plan that meets your needs then go online and activate your TP2 or whatever smartphone you want. I mean you will be stuck with sprint for 2 years but there prices are really good and if you want to switch devices again say when WP7 comes out your going to have to buy it used or pay full price again anyway idk just my 2 cents
EDIT:
sorry to revive a dead thread
sprint fan
i am more than happy with sprint.
while sprint has always bent over backwards to help me out other providers with whom i dealt to help out friends and family seem to tun around with their heads so far up their ass they need a glass stomach to keep from running into things.
go sprint
I've been unable to get the forwarding code to work (even tried individually editing the call forwarding settings in the menu), and it says that out doesn't work with "prepaid" plans. I don't think that FlexPay counts as prepaid, though.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
Google voice with flex pay does not support the forwarding needed to use google voicemail. I went through this with my N1. I switched to the post paid plan just for this reason. To switch you need to have decent credit and have had your flex pay account for over 6 months with no delinquent payments.
That was the deal six months ago when I switched.
irishrally said:
Google voice with flex pay does not support the forwarding needed to use google voicemail. I went through this with my N1. I switched to the post paid plan just for this reason. To switch you need to have decent credit and have had your flex pay account for over 6 months with no delinquent payments.
That was the deal six months ago when I switched.
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Thanks for the info. I guess I'll have to wait six months then switch over. Did you have any problems changing over?
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
No problems except finding competent T-Mobile employee that knew how do this fairly rare task.
I'd call T-Mobile just to make sure the 6 month rule is still valid.
This is my only issue on the even more plus plan I have. It's killing me!
Sent from my Nexus S
If you have good credit you don't need to wait 6 months necessarily depending on why you are currently flex pay.
They put me on a flex pay account without asking or even checking my credit (> 750) when I signed up with my nexus s at the store (emp 500 plan). I called T-Mobile and told them to get me off of this terrible flex pay and on to a proper post paid account. I found out it was a flex pay after I tried to forward my voicemail and it kept failing, logged into the website to see I was flex pay. They were apologetic on the phone and quite helpful.
They will do a hard pull on your credit, but as long as you qualify they should switch you.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
krohnjw said:
If you have good credit you don't need to wait 6 months necessarily depending on why you are currently flex pay.
They put me on a flex pay account without asking or even checking my credit (> 750) when I signed up with my nexus s at the store (emp 500 plan). I called T-Mobile and told them to get me off of this terrible flex pay and on to a proper post paid account. I found out it was a flex pay after I tried to forward my voicemail and it kept failing, logged into the website to see I was flex pay. They were apologetic on the phone and quite helpful.
They will do a hard pull on your credit, but as long as you qualify they should switch you.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
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My credit is fairly nonexistent since I'm a college student, but hopefully after half a year of on-time payments and a bit of arm-twisting I can get a normal account.
I was suckered into FlexPay once, and I literally had to cancel the account to move to a postpaid account. On the second account, I was nearly forcibly sold a flexpay account again; the phone rep. literally denied knowledge of any non-contract postpaid accounts. It took another call (on a Saturday, no less) to move to a "regular" postpaid account.
TheBiles said:
My credit is fairly nonexistent since I'm a college student, but hopefully after half a year of on-time payments and a bit of arm-twisting I can get a normal account.
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Actually, good news on that front, no arm twisting needed! They will change your account over to postpaid if you've had 6mo of consistent on-time payments.
I stopped my local T-Mobile store when the G2 came out, curious about my ability to purchase it on contract with them given my good account history (also a college student with shoddy credit). Sure enough, the only thing that's required is the 6mo of on-time payments, took a few minutes to change my account over, and everyone walked out happy. They did ask me for my SSN, not sure if they looked up my score or not, but it didn't matter. They did stress the importance of the consistency. If you make your payment on time for 5mo, then miss it, the clock starts over.
URPREY said:
This is my only issue on the even more plus plan I have. It's killing me!
Sent from my Nexus S
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I have Even More Plus, and it works fine for me.
unremarked said:
Actually, good news on that front, no arm twisting needed! They will change your account over to postpaid if you've had 6mo of consistent on-time payments.
I stopped my local T-Mobile store when the G2 came out, curious about my ability to purchase it on contract with them given my good account history (also a college student with shoddy credit). Sure enough, the only thing that's required is the 6mo of on-time payments, took a few minutes to change my account over, and everyone walked out happy. They did ask me for my SSN, not sure if they looked up my score or not, but it didn't matter. They did stress the importance of the consistency. If you make your payment on time for 5mo, then miss it, the clock starts over.
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Awesome! Thanks for the info! I've got automatic payments set up, so it would be tough for me to miss one!
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
I'm a T-Mobile employee so I figured I can shed some light on this situation. Yes, the 6 month on-time payment policy is still in effect. In fact, they just starting that policy not too long ago. When T-Mobile runs credit, it is NOT a hard pull and doesn't effect your credit like your applying for a mortgage or a car loan. We also don't see an exact credit score either. It actually goes by credit class. From what I was told by tech support about Google Voice and call forwarding, FlexPay does not have call forwarding as a feature which is one of the reasons why Google voicemail doesn't work with FlexPay plans. A far as the conversion from FlexPay to Postpaid, it's a good idea to have automatic scheduled payments taken out of a credit or debit account just to make sure the payments are on time and to avoid paying the 4.99 Control Charge.
If you are within the 14-day Buyer's Remorse period, you do not need to wait 6 months. Just cancel your FlexPay plan under Buyer's Remorse. They will refund your payment. Then go to a T-Mobile store and start new service with a non-contract postpay plan.
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For anyone who wants to feel my pain, this is how I found out:
I bought my Nexus S without contract ($529 at Best Buy) and called T-Mobile to activate service. At that time, I was told that FlexPay and post-pay without contract would give me the same features, and I chose FlexPay.
After a week of Google Voice voicemail mostly not working, I Googled and found the threads about FlexPay not supporting this feature. Called T-Mobile phone support and had the following conversation:
Me: Hi, I bought a Nexus S at full retail price less than a week ago, activated a non-contract FlexPay plan after being told it had all the same features as a post-pay plan, but have come to find out that this is not true and that the FlexPay plan doesn't fully support Google Voice, which is one of the advertised features of this phone. I would like to switch to a non-contract postpay plan.
T-Mobile Representative: I would be happy to assist you... In order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
Me: That makes no sense. I just bought the phone. I am within my return period for the phone at Best Buy, and I am within my trial period with T Mobile. I'm entitled to cancel my plan altogether and start a new one, right? So why can't I switch plans?
T-Mobile Representative: I would be happy to assist you. In order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
Me: Did you really just repeat exactly the same thing to me? Did you understand a word I just said?
T-Mobile Representative: I am sorry for your frustration. We have certain eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
Me: I would like to speak to a supervisor.
T-Mobile Representative: I would be happy to get you to a supervisor, but there are very few supervisors available right now. It may be better for you to go to a T Mobile store for help.
Me: My closest T Mobile corporate store is pretty far away. I'll hold for a supervisor.
I then held for about 20 minutes with the representative occasionally checking in with me to ask if I'd rather go to a store instead of continuing to hold. I finally gave up and called back. Got a new representative this time.
Me: I just called and explained to someone my predicament. She showed no understanding and repeatedly read eligibility guidelines to me. Hopefully you will comprehend what I am calling about. Please refrain from reading me any eligibility guideline involving waiting 6 months.
T-Mobile Representative #2: Sorry for your frustration. How can I help you?
Me: I bought a Nexus S at full retail price less than a week ago, activated a non-contract FlexPay plan after being told it had all the same features as a post-pay plan, but have come to find out that this is not true and that the FlexPay plan doesn't fully support Google Voice, which is one of the advertised features of this phone. I am within my return period for the phone at Best Buy, and I am within my trial period with T Mobile. I would like to switch to a non-contract postpay plan.
T-Mobile Representative #2: I would be happy to assist you. In order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
Me: This is very frustrating. I am within the 14 day Buyer's Remorse period entitled to cancel my service with T Mobile for a full refund. At that point I could start new service as postpay. I could understand if you were to tell me "I understand that what I am telling you makes no sense, but unfortunately my system does not allow me to do what you ask"; however, you showing no comprehension and repeating these eligibility criteria is very frustrating.
T-Mobile Representative #2: I am sorry for your frustration. Our eligibility guidelines specify that in order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
At this point, I said goodbye and disconnected. It was some of the most unhelpful customer support I had ever encountered. I can only assume that those workers are not allowed to express any thoughts which aren't written on the page/screen in front of them.
I drove to my local T Mobile store, and the support there was top notch. The representative there explained that the phone support training was very limited and that in order to get what I wanted with them, I would have to have called and said "I would like to cancel my service under Buyer's Remorse", cancel, and then set up new service (which would be much easier to do with a new SIM, so better that I came into the store). Apparently, the training of the phone support was such that they were to do anything possible to avoid canceling a customer's service, so they were not going to suggest that as the solution for my issue.
The in-store customer service representative then called back the same folks I had just spoken to at phone support and had them cancel my FlexPay plan and refund all that I had paid (that's how Buyer's Remorse works). He then promptly set up non-contract postpay service for me, and I walked out with working Google Voice.
The T Mobile phone support experience made me thing twice about sticking with T Mobile, although the excellent in-store customer support made up for it at least partially.
Verizon phone support is so much better. For starters, I called Verizon on Christmas day and got a US-based rep without any hold time. The T-Mobile phone reps had clearly been outsourced, although this would not have been an issue to me if they had been helpful.
Here's how my conversation went with the Verizon rep:
Me: I got a new phone with T Mobile and would like to know what the early termination fee would be for my Verizon contract which ends in April.
Verizon Representative: That fee is $280
Me: Ouch. Can I drop the data plan from my contract?
Verizon Representative: Unfortunately you are required to have a data plan with that particular phone (HTC Incredible). If you won't be using the phone much, you could pay for the $15 data plan, which gives you 150MB, instead of the $30 data plan you are currently using. Do you or someone you know have an old Verizon phones which is currently not in use?
Me: Yes, why?
Verizon Representative: You can associate your Verizon plan with a non-smartphone and then stop paying for a data plan.
Me: Great!
She then helped me change over to the other phone and also saved me a few extra bucks by putting me on a family plan with my wife. Bottom line is that for the next five months, instead of paying $70/month for a phone I'm not using, I'll be paying $20/month for that phone thanks to a thinking customer representative who did more than read to me from a script.
Amin Sabet said:
If you are within the 14-day Buyer's Remorse period, you do not need to wait 6 months. Just cancel your FlexPay plan under Buyer's Remorse. They will refund your payment. Then go to a T-Mobile store and start new service with a non-contract postpay plan.
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For anyone who wants to feel my pain, this is how I found out:
I bought my Nexus S without contract ($529 at Best Buy) and called T-Mobile to activate service. At that time, I was told that FlexPay and post-pay without contract would give me the same features, and I chose FlexPay.
After a week of Google Voice voicemail mostly not working, I Googled and found the threads about FlexPay not supporting this feature. Called T-Mobile phone support and had the following conversation:
Me: Hi, I bought a Nexus S at full retail price less than a week ago, activated a non-contract FlexPay plan after being told it had all the same features as a post-pay plan, but have come to find out that this is not true and that the FlexPay plan doesn't fully support Google Voice, which is one of the advertised features of this phone. I would like to switch to a non-contract postpay plan.
T-Mobile Representative: I would be happy to assist you... In order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
Me: That makes no sense. I just bought the phone. I am within my return period for the phone at Best Buy, and I am within my trial period with T Mobile. I'm entitled to cancel my plan altogether and start a new one, right? So why can't I switch plans?
T-Mobile Representative: I would be happy to assist you. In order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
Me: Did you really just repeat exactly the same thing to me? Did you understand a word I just said?
T-Mobile Representative: I am sorry for your frustration. We have certain eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
Me: I would like to speak to a supervisor.
T-Mobile Representative: I would be happy to get you to a supervisor, but there are very few supervisors available right now. It may be better for you to go to a T Mobile store for help.
Me: My closest T Mobile corporate store is pretty far away. I'll hold for a supervisor.
I then held for about 20 minutes with the representative occasionally checking in with me to ask if I'd rather go to a store instead of continuing to hold. I finally gave up and called back. Got a new representative this time.
Me: I just called and explained to someone my predicament. She showed no understanding and repeatedly read eligibility guidelines to me. Hopefully you will comprehend what I am calling about. Please refrain from reading me any eligibility guideline involving waiting 6 months.
T-Mobile Representative #2: Sorry for your frustration. How can I help you?
Me: I bought a Nexus S at full retail price less than a week ago, activated a non-contract FlexPay plan after being told it had all the same features as a post-pay plan, but have come to find out that this is not true and that the FlexPay plan doesn't fully support Google Voice, which is one of the advertised features of this phone. I am within my return period for the phone at Best Buy, and I am within my trial period with T Mobile. I would like to switch to a non-contract postpay plan.
T-Mobile Representative #2: I would be happy to assist you. In order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
Me: This is very frustrating. I am within the 14 day Buyer's Remorse period entitled to cancel my service with T Mobile for a full refund. At that point I could start new service as postpay. I could understand if you were to tell me "I understand that what I am telling you makes no sense, but unfortunately my system does not allow me to do what you ask"; however, you showing no comprehension and repeating these eligibility criteria is very frustrating.
T-Mobile Representative #2: I am sorry for your frustration. Our eligibility guidelines specify that in order to be eligible for changing from FlexPay to a postpay plan, you should have 6 months of on time payments and...
At this point, I said goodbye and disconnected. It was some of the most unhelpful customer support I had ever encountered. I can only assume that those workers are not allowed to express any thoughts which aren't written on the page/screen in front of them.
I drove to my local T Mobile store, and the support there was top notch. The representative there explained that the phone support training was very limited and that in order to get what I wanted with them, I would have to have called and said "I would like to cancel my service under Buyer's Remorse", cancel, and then set up new service (which would be much easier to do with a new SIM, so better that I came into the store). Apparently, the training of the phone support was such that they were to do anything possible to avoid canceling a customer's service, so they were not going to suggest that as the solution for my issue.
The in-store customer service representative then called back the same folks I had just spoken to at phone support and had them cancel my FlexPay plan and refund all that I had paid (that's how Buyer's Remorse works). He then promptly set up non-contract postpay service for me, and I walked out with working Google Voice.
The T Mobile phone support experience made me thing twice about sticking with T Mobile, although the excellent in-store customer support made up for it at least partially.
Verizon phone support is so much better. For starters, I called Verizon on Christmas day and got a US-based rep without any hold time. The T-Mobile phone reps had clearly been outsourced, although this would not have been an issue to me if they had been helpful.
Here's how my conversation went with the Verizon rep:
Me: I got a new phone with T Mobile and would like to know what the early termination fee would be for my Verizon contract which ends in April.
Verizon Representative: That fee is $280
Me: Ouch. Can I drop the data plan from my contract?
Verizon Representative: Unfortunately you are required to have a data plan with that particular phone (HTC Incredible). If you won't be using the phone much, you could pay for the $15 data plan, which gives you 150MB, instead of the $30 data plan you are currently using. Do you or someone you know have an old Verizon phones which is currently not in use?
Me: Yes, why?
Verizon Representative: You can associate your Verizon plan with a non-smartphone and then stop paying for a data plan.
Me: Great!
She then helped me change over to the other phone and also saved me a few extra bucks by putting me on a family plan with my wife. Bottom line is that for the next five months, instead of paying $70/month for a phone I'm not using, I'll be paying $20/month for that phone thanks to a thinking customer representative who did more than read to me from a script.
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I feel your pain. The reason why the customer service was very poor when you first called in was due to the fact that you were speaking to the Flex Pay customer care department and they are 80% outsourced. Every other department is not, especially Post Paid Customer Care.
However, your situation is different than a lot of other people in the same position as you. You were approved for a postpaid account but opted for the Flex Pay account and not everyone will be qualified for both because it's based on credit.
drew_grant said:
I feel your pain. The reason why the customer service was very poor when you first called in was due to the fact that you were speaking to the Flex Pay customer care department and they are 80% outsourced. Every other department is not, especially Post Paid Customer Care.
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^ Truth. When I had my Nexus One, I was on the FlexPay plans and the support was pretty terrible. But once I went postpaid with my G2 and MT4G, support was vastly improved aside from this one jerk who tried to convince me that my last eventually returned MT4G had received it's update while in it's box, while unpowered, and that Android 2.2 was the latest version.
Once I got past him and talking with an actual phone tech about my issue, I was very impressed with her knowledge/skills/customer service. I wish I had written down her name, because I'd pay extra/wait on hold forevers just to talk with someone who knows her stuff again. She even threw in a $10 account credit just because. Heh.
I just got back from the T-Mo store - they switched me to a post-paid account and my Google Voice works now. It's still the same Even More Plus plan, but it's post-paid instead of Flex-Pay. I have no idea why they stuck me on that plan in the first place.
I got a new number, but I really didn't care because I use Google Voice anyway.
Amin Sabet said:
If you are within the 14-day Buyer's Remorse period, you do not need to wait 6 months. Just cancel your FlexPay plan under Buyer's Remorse. They will refund your payment. Then go to a T-Mobile store and start new service with a non-contract postpay plan.
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This was extremely helpful, and exactly what I did. Thanks!
drew_grant said:
I feel your pain. The reason why the customer service was very poor when you first called in was due to the fact that you were speaking to the Flex Pay customer care department and they are 80% outsourced. Every other department is not, especially Post Paid Customer Care.
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Thanks, I'm happy to hear that!
drew_grant said:
However, your situation is different than a lot of other people in the same position as you. You were approved for a postpaid account but opted for the Flex Pay account and not everyone will be qualified for both because it's based on credit.
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I wish that when I had been presented with the options, they had given me a bit more info to differentiate them. All I was told:
- FlexPay costs $5 more per month unless you have automatic recurring payments
- Post pay has $35 activation fee and FlexPay does not
- Post pay checks your credit and FlexPay doesn't
- Post pay you pay after and FlexPay you pay before
- Same features - no differences at all
I figured I'd save myself the activation fee, avoid a credit check (in case this was not good for my credit) and go with FlexPay with automatic/recurring payments. If they had told me that FlexPay doesn't have call forwarding or that there was a different level of phone support, I never would considered it.
Amin Sabet said:
Thanks, I'm happy to hear that!
I wish that when I had been presented with the options, they had given me a bit more info to differentiate them. All I was told:
- FlexPay costs $5 more per month unless you have automatic recurring payments
- Post pay has $35 activation fee and FlexPay does not
- Post pay checks your credit and FlexPay doesn't
- Post pay you pay after and FlexPay you pay before
- Same features - no differences at all
I figured I'd save myself the activation fee, avoid a credit check (in case this was not good for my credit) and go with FlexPay with automatic/recurring payments. If they had told me that FlexPay doesn't have call forwarding or that there was a different level of phone support, I never would considered it.
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Flex Pay is a HUGE hassle. It's all systematic and if one thing goes wrong it can mess everything up for the customer and for T-Mobile. As a technicality, I don't expect many people to know about the call forwarding thing on Flex Pay because it's hardly ever used except in the case of GV. The only way I found out about it was last year and it was for on a Sidekick. But like I said, if you can qualify for a Postpaid account, go for postpaid. There's no 4.99 control charge, and you don't have to pay everything up front as far as changes in plans and features goes...and last but no least, the CS is WAY better . Also when they run credit, it's a soft pull that won't damage your credit unless you go to every single wireless carrier around and have them run your credit; THAT will affect it negatively.
URPREY said:
I just got back from the T-Mo store - they switched me to a post-paid account and my Google Voice works now. It's still the same Even More Plus plan, but it's post-paid instead of Flex-Pay. I have no idea why they stuck me on that plan in the first place.
I got a new number, but I really didn't care because I use Google Voice anyway.
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Hey man, if you want your old number back, it is possible. I'd call the store you went to or just go up there and have the rep request your old number back. It migrates over in 36 hours or so. But yeah, it's totally possible if you would like it back.
I can't find this now for some reason ... but FWIW I called my VZ corporate store today and they had "no information" on price yet ... yet BB knows it's $250, why is this?
I'm assuming it's going to be 249 @ vzw as well as BB? Or do you think VZ is going to hit us w/299 and expect us to do a 50 rebate?
I'm going to get the TBolt and if I end up not liking it I'll just sell it after the DInc 2 comes out I'm scared to get a larger phone, I love the size of my Eris .... and we all know SIZE MATTERS
heehee
$250 from Verizon on a 2 year contract, confirmed by V today in a tweet...
This is not the same question as the poster, but it kind of falls under the topic. I was going to order by calling verizon and having them send me the phone(can't get a certain monthly discount on wirefly(so the customer service person tells me)) and they offered to waive the activation fee. But I found a midnight launch here locally and was wondering if those employee's have the ability to waive the activation fee as well? I would try and entice them with buying the same amount in accessories of course.
snerfu said:
This is not the same question as the poster, but it kind of falls under the topic. I was going to order by calling verizon and having them send me the phone(can't get a certain monthly discount on wirefly(so the customer service person tells me)) and they offered to waive the activation fee. But I found a midnight launch here locally and was wondering if those employee's have the ability to waive the activation fee as well? I would try and entice them with buying the same amount in accessories of course.
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Verizon retail employees can waive alot of things and give additional discounts. Just say that you really want this phone, but the price is too much. They would want you to be a loyal customer and have you pay $20 less than just walk out.
snerfu said:
This is not the same question as the poster, but it kind of falls under the topic. I was going to order by calling verizon and having them send me the phone(can't get a certain monthly discount on wirefly(so the customer service person tells me)) and they offered to waive the activation fee. But I found a midnight launch here locally and was wondering if those employee's have the ability to waive the activation fee as well? I would try and entice them with buying the same amount in accessories of course.
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I wish you the best w/the waiving of the fee .... I recently added a line and they charged the $35, it took a call and then a request to talk to a supervisor .... and many minutes on hold before she came back and told me that, as a one time courtesy they would waive it. They also wanted me to "be sure to understand" that going forward all extra lines would have a fee.
I had to laugh when I hung up 'cuz the CS rep assured me in the first place that I would NOT be able to get the fee waived, even after I asked to speak to a supervisor ... moohoowahhahahahaha, I win! And the fact that she was all *****y about it and I got it waived made it even sweeter!
yay me. From what I understand the store people will tell you they don't have the authority to waive it .... let us know what you find out.
ITGuy11 said:
$250 from Verizon on a 2 year contract, confirmed by V today in a tweet...
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Thank you!
I just ordered from Wirefly.com for 199.99, no rebate required. If you don't mind waiting for FedEx that's the lowest price around right now.
Sent from my Droid using XDA App
Verizon is 249.99 plus a 25$ activation fee at their stores. Just checked at store
Just found it on AmazonWireless
Phone 1: HTC ThunderBolt 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)$ 749.99List Price: Remove $ 179.99Price:
In Stock. Usually ships in 24 hours
http://wireless.amazon.com/HTC-ThunderBolt-Android-Verizon-Wireless/dp/B004M5HB6U/ref=sh_br_ph_1
wirefly is still cheaper. 199-25 for the fatwallet cashback. 175 total
plus using the coupon code you get a free 4gb card
I am eligable for an early upgrade but I think it will only work through Verizons website. Wirefly said I am not eligable and Amazon keeps reporting a problem with my info.
This sucks.
An interesting note: I called verizon to ask why i couldn't upgrade though a third party website and they said I just can't. I asked what their price will be and the lady said she didn't know the price but she sees that there will $100 rebate on it.
Any lawyers out there? (It's a joke)((unless you're a lawyer))
So the other day I moved to a new area. With that came dropped calls, data speeds of 42 KBs(dial up anyone), and the kicker for me getting ATTs network more often then my own. I've been on the phone a lot with CSR's and you guessed it my call was dropped.
So is there an easy way I can extract my call log to prove this? I just want what I paid for and this isn't it. Not a Tbolile hater as I've been with them for over seven years. Just really frustrated with there level of service in my new area.
And to all that follow with:
1) You signed a contract deal with it?
2) Tmobile rocks!
Leave the thread as is!
I for once just need some help(ie extracting call logs)
Are you just trying to terminate the contract, or are you trying to terminate it without paying the fee? I believe it's up to $200 per line... I forgot.
Maybe you can try talking to a customer representative and explain your situation? T-Mobile is very understanding most of the time.
Tmobile for the past six years has done well by me. No problem relating a problem to CSR. Now a huge problem just to get let out of a contract that they are not honoring(ie dropped calls and sloWWWW data speeds). Change in company policy or change in consumer demand?
I think with a merger coming they just don't give a ****.
So if you look at the OP and can help me isolate the call logs let me know
Thanks
hechoen said:
Tmobile for the past six years has done well by me. No problem relating a problem to CSR. Now a huge problem just to get let out of a contract that they are not honoring(ie dropped calls and sloWWWW data speeds). Change in company policy or change in consumer demand?
I think with a merger coming they just don't give a ****.
So if you look at the OP and can help me isolate the call logs let me know
Thanks
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Im sure does idiots wil make you pay honeatly!
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App
daxecutioner24 said:
Im sure does idiots wil make you pay honeatly!
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App
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Not idiots more like automatons. Hours of costumer care = no ability to provide a signed contract. "Sorry sir we can't email you that signed copy of contract"
Me "Why?"
CSR "We have no ability to email"
Me "Why?"
CSR "You signed your contract in a store we have no record of it"
Me "Why?"
CSR "insert automaton response here"
Lol pathetic..yea most of them are program like that..as if they are getting paid six figures by Tmobile!
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App
If there's a local T-Mobile store, maybe you can go to them and prove the poor service that you're getting. I'm sure you'll get better responses and help with someone who's probably not a robot, lol. Try to have them help you with actually calling customer service and cancelling your contract without fees.
I can't really tell you about the call logs, but maybe you can prove the poor speeds by running speed tests. Be sure to run them at different times to show that it's not your phone, but your lack of service at your new location.
Of course, all of this can only work if there is actually a T-Mobile store really close by.
bkoon1218 said:
If there's a local T-Mobile store, maybe you can go to them and prove the poor service that you're getting. I'm sure you'll get better responses and help with someone who's probably not a robot, lol. Try to have them help you with actually calling customer service and cancelling your contract without fees.
I can't really tell you about the call logs, but maybe you can prove the poor speeds by running speed tests. Be sure to run them at different times to show that it's not your phone, but your lack of service at your new location.
Of course, all of this can only work if there is actually a T-Mobile store really close by.
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call tmobile from a landline not your cellphone
ask to be transfered to retention.. explain to them the issues you are having and tell them the phone does not work in your area. By tyhe way you dont need to icolate the call logs there system flags dropped calles for them.. So they can see how many dropped calls u have. Anyways there about the only ones that can let you out of your contract without paying the termintaion fee. Fyi it is possable to get out of your agreement without the termination fee if you can prove that the service they are providing does not work in your area.. THere is a clause for that..
raver thanks for the tip.
I'll try and see what happens. Is retention the same as costumer loyalty? cause those guys have not been that helpful about my issues.
It sucks cause I really like this phone just want a different carrier at this point.
no theres a retention department if u call and talk to cancellations.. there the last line of defense for them to try n keep you as a customer in your case since you dont have service were u live there the only ones that can let you out of your contract without etf..
No dice. Ten minutes on the phone and quote "It says in our terms and agreements that we don't provide coverage in all area so there is no way to release you from contract without ETF's"
Anyone wanna call them and tell them I'm dead?
Anyway thanks for the help and your roms do kick ass.
Just because there's a clause doesn't mean they will honor it..at the end of the day their contract are probably a thousand pages long..so they will find something to screw you over..kinda like college and the stupid fees they bring out of nowherr!
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App
At least stupid college fees get you some type of education all this is doing is pissing me off. There Terms and agreements are long and involved(not quite 1000 pages but close).
Actually maybe I did get some education out of this. NEVER sign a contract with a wireless carrier. It will only end up costing me the ETF. On that note let this thread die.
Your SOL regardless of coverage l.. or lack there of
NEW ATT-esque policies. They have your signed contract filed away somewhere
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ya with the att merger ya u are prob sol... id just pay the etf honestly if u can afford it...
Haha yea just pay the fee and dont deal with wireless carriers again!,good luck!
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Almost a month to the day of this post I am out of my tmobile contract. It only took being on the phone with 611 for about an hour every other day. So Fuc? You Tmobile. Sorry had to get that out. I hope the rest of you have an amazing experience with them. RANT OVER
hechoen said:
Almost a month to the day of this post I am out of my tmobile contract. It only took being on the phone with 611 for about an hour every other day. So Fuc? You Tmobile. Sorry had to get that out. I hope the rest of you have an amazing experience with them. RANT OVER
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Congrats on getting out of the contract! That was an exception to many rules and someone will probably get spoken to about it. No carrier (to my knowledge) will let you out of your contract without etf because you moved out of their coverage area, by policy. And on top of that, your contract generally includes mandatory arbitration (meaning its very difficult to take them to court, not that doing so would save you money...)
For anyone that may have a problem like this in the future, your best shot is to use your phone while roaming in one area, to make that look like the place you use it the most, more than you do while not roaming (check to make sure your carrier wont charge you roaming before doing this) for a couple of months. This costs your carrier and they will generally terminate your service without fees, or your consent for that matter, or at the very least gives you better ammo when you call. I know tmo and vzw do this, as do most other carriers that allow free domestic roaming.
On a side note, loyalty and retentions are the same department. Loyalty is the name used with customers because its a friendlier term, retentions is used internally because it a is more accurate description since you don't talk to them for being loyal. If you need to talk to them just call 611 and enter your phone number when asked to do so then say you want to cancel service, it'll take you right there (you learn some tricks when you work at a T-Mobile call center... lol)
Sent from my V6 Supercharged GSB Eris
csstone
I'm in there coverage area which was how I was able to get out of contract. Bad tower bad signal and the kicker is I get ATT on MY phone. Service request twice. One trouble ticket and one good CSR. Bamn no more tmobile. I will be keeping the phone though. And they were nice enough to unlock it for me!
Wasn't there a lawsuit sometime ago where they can't force you to stay in a contract if you move to a new location that they don't cover?