Complain about a product or service

T-Mobile - Defective Phones

Lisa of Menomonee Falls, WI September 21, 2009

Horrrrrrible Customer service. They have alot of employees, but none of them are able to help. Back in January I had one of those Green Flip Motorola phones. The screen went dead. I went to the store, the best they could do was send me a refurbished one. Well a week later, the same thing happend. I went back, said I did NOT want the same phone again. They said they could not do anything. So, I had to buy a new phone.

I asked if I could get some sort of discount, they said only if I re-signed a contract. So 130- later with no help, I had a different phone and a new contract. I tried calling, they could do nothing, I tried e-mailing, no-one could do anything, I wrote corporate, I have heard nothing. This is the wor[st] cell company ever! There coverage [is bad] too. I am now an AT&T cusomter. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING WITH T_MOBILE

christine of Brooklyn, NY September 17, 2009

I have been a wireless customer with TMobile for about 4 years. My experience with the cell phone plan and services I had was always very satisfying...that is until my Blackberry cell phone became disabled (the scrolling button got jammed) and my phone had to be replaced. I went to my local TMobile store (on Manhattan Av. Greenpoint, Brooklyn), and was easily convinced by the young salesman to acquire a new, exciting unit called "My Touch" by TMobile; this new cell phone was sold to me brand new, as the "latest in technology", , backed up by gigantic in-store billboards advertising "My Touch" as being the Game and Travel cell phone...

A week after I purchased that new cell phone I had to take a trip to France-as I do every year- and as always I called TMobile to have them activate the international roaming plan (which they add to my service plan for an extra 19.99/ month and gives me full access to my email- while abroad- without any surcharge); this simple call takes no more than a couple of minutes and is usually placed on my way to the airport from the taxicab. On that departing day, July 20th 2009, I was told by the TMobile customer service that this plan was not available for this new phone, and that if I wanted again a roaming plan, I should switch back to my old phone!

I told them it was a bit late to disclose this kind of information, and after a frustrating conversation that left me unsatisfied and with a "travel" phone that doesn't have a roaming plan, I decided I simply wouldn't use my phone in France so I wouldn't be charged extra items outside of my regular plan...The day I departed I had decided I had to return the phone when I was back, which I did. At first, the TMobile clerck refused an exchange, then finally agreed; I stated that I am a business woman who needs to be contacted when travelling, and that phone had been a huge deception in terms of its "tavelling-friendly' features.

I switched back to a Blackberry phone with the same plan, as I was assured by the clerck that "nothing had changed" as far as my service was concerned; then my next bill arrived in the mail, and from a 110 month charge the new one was 928 !!!! As it states on the bill the "roaming charges" were applied during my French trip, eventhough I never used the phone. I called customer service and after an hour long conversation they agreed to give me a 25% discount which would still put my bill at over 700.

I am a very cautious person with my contracts, and scrutinizes everything; I'm 48 years old, not a teenager who doesn't inquire about responsible behavior with a phone. My cell phone bill has been the same for the last 4 years because I behave responsibly; I am totally offended by these unincurred roaming charges, which apparently occur just if your phone is turned on.

I told TMobile agent Jeff (who handled me) that the "My Touch advertising campaign was deceptive in nature, and that none of the agents ever disclosed the terms of "roaming" and the pricing of megabytes in human langage or otherwise. It is absolutely shocking that such insane some of money should be applied to a responsible consummer like me, in the form of a phony friend (the latest phone), and that customer service should tell me that these charges are valid! I have told the company that I refuse to pay this bill (I can't afford it anyhow), and that I would contact consumers affairs to let them know of their fraudulent practices.

katia of jacksonville, FL September 1, 2009

I had dash with t-mobile that was messing up.. the phone would not turn on and T-mobile sent a replacement phone which was a blackberry and the same thing happened with that phone as well.. Each time I returned the handsets that was not working back to them. I called T-mobile and requested to just a dash back to see how it would work. They sent me a dash phone without a back cover. their explanation was becasue I already had a dash I should already have a back cover, and after some research they found out that the dash phone was returned to them.. the back cover and all. I couldn't use the phone without a back cover, so I had to return that phone back too and then they sent me the correct phone... Now they are saying that they are charging me for a phone I purchased which didn't happen.. I didn't purchase a phone. I got a replacement and the company refuse to remove that from my bill. No one in customer service has helped me and some were even rude and one lady even hung up the phone on me.

Patricia of Cartersville, GA August 26, 2009

I called to inquire about a pre-paid unlocked phone that my husband could use in Australia. He sold me a Nokia and a 50 prepaid minutes sym card for Australia. He told me how much it would cost per minute (1.35 I think) from Australia for calls, texts, etc. and free evenings and weekends.

I paid for overnight delivery and when I received the phone the next day I called to activate it and asked how it worked witht he 50 sym card and where was it. She told me she had no record of a 50 ppd card and asked if I received the card with the phone. I told her no, I didn't recieve it and after being transferred to 3 other people, I finally spoke to Josh who informed me that the sym card would not work in Australia. I was horrified, since my husband was leaving that day. I told him the phone and card would do me no good if I couldn't use it in Australia and that I was returning it and also wanted a refund for the card, which I had not received. He said that they'd have to research why the card didn't come and plenty of blah, and I would get my money back in about a month.

Nothing yet. I have returned the phone and am still waiting for a credit for that as well. The experience and customer service was dispicable. He was like a robot - nothing to say at all. I'm reporting this to C. Howard too.

james of west columbia, SC August 26, 2009

I was with suncom then t-mobile took over. i went for a upgrade and got a new phone which i paid 130.00 for. the person asked if i wanted to insure the phone. i said no. he said the insured phone would be covered it i drop it, if it got stolen. with no out of pocket for me. When i was with suncom they promise to bring you TRUTH in wireless as there way of doing business so i counted on T-Mobile to do the same.

After about three months i drop my phone thinking THANK GOD i got the coverage on my phone. I called tmoblie told me to call the company that insures my phone then i got the news i had to pay another 130.00 as a deductable / i was very upse. i called tmobile back and told them what was told to me and at the end i told them i was going to report them to the fcc because of there deception in there dealings with me.

they knew i was up set and i did speak with a loud voice. while my phone's screem was cracked the phone worked tmobile to it apon themselves to disconnect my service knowing that i was up set. i did not call about disconnecting bit about a damage phone.

also if i did request a disconnection i should not have to pay the 200.00 disconnection fee to them because they lied about the protection i was buyiing for my phone. I lost the 130.00. i pay the last bill and desire a ruling in my favor and tell them they are responsibile for what their sales people say.

Joseph of Canoga Park, CA August 4, 2009

I ordered a phone and service from T-mobile online. Most mobile services would rush your phone out in 2 days for new customers, but T-mobile tok 6 days to get me my phone. After aout a day, I realized that the phone got terrible reception, and I could barely make calls. I called up T-mobile to get a different phone, a cost of 200 plus. When I placed the order for the new phone, I was asked if I wanted the new one shipped to the same address as the first one, so I told them yes, because there is no one home t sign for it during the day.

When the phone didn't arrive in 5 days, I called to find out what happened to the package. I was told that it was due for delivery on Monday, and given a UPS tracking number. I made it very clear that I was far beyond upset, because I effectivly have a phone that doesn't work half the time. When Monday morning came, I wanted to check the status with UPS. I went to the website, typed in my number, and see that the package has been shipped to my home, which I specifically told them NOT TO DO!

So I call T-mobile and asked them why they shipped to the wrong address and of coarse I get "oh, I'm very sorry sir, they messed it up in the system. I explain to them again that my exsisting phone is a piece of junk, and that I am paying for service that I am not getting.. When I hung up with T-mobile, I figured that I would just go to the local UPS hub (not so local) and pick it up myself. A few hours later, I check the status again to find that the package has been re-routed by T-mobile, and that my package is now on it's way to a different UPS hub further away.

I called UPS to find it, only to have problems with them too. Told them I would come get it, where would it be. I was told it would be at a hub further away. So I get there only o find it was still at the closer hub, but on a truck bound for the farther hub in the morning, so I couldn't get it even though they told me I could. By this time I'm pretty ticked off. When I got home, I called T-mobile. They asked for my name so I told them, then I asked a question, I asked the woman on the other end of the line....."do you want to get yelled at? I'm gonna yell, and I would prefer that it be at a supervisor.....can you get me one please".

I spoke to a floor manager, who really didn't seem to want to help me. I simply told him that I want a phone that works...in my hand by tomorrow, or I'm canceling my service. As I am still with in the trial period, I will have no extra fees. He said he'd work it out with UPS, so I explained that I had already spoken to them, told him the status, and again said "if I do not have a phone in my hand tomorrow, I will cancel service. I don't care if it come UPS, or if I have to go pick it up at the store, but I want a phone in hand tomorrow He said he'd make the call and let me know what could be done.

After an hour, I called back, only to explain to another floor manager the issue. She called UPS, and instructed them to HOLD the package at the UPS hub, and that I would be there to pick it up on Tuesday. Once again I explained that if I do not have a phone in hand by tuesday, I will terminate service. Truthfully, I don't expect the phone to be available tomorrow, that simply isn't how things work for me. I expect that I will have to cancel my contract, and go back to Verizon. I certainly don't recomend T-mobile!

Ionut of Carmichael, CA July 30, 2009

I've called T-mobile to put my number on temporary suspension between March19th and July18th (because I went to Europe) and I agreed to make an electronic payment every month (13.47). I explained to them that I need to use the phone on July 19th. On 19th I've got the message "SIM card registration failed."

Since July 19th until today July 30st they continuously "solve" my problem in 24 hours. They explained to me that was a T-Mobil mistake because they cancel my account for the reason Lost or Stolen. T-Mobile Customer Care told me that in order to get my number back I need to open (pay) another account to have a temporary number for 24 hours until they reactivate [number]. Therefore, on 07-23-2009 the new account was open (paid 43.26). I did not get my number back yet, after waiting 11 days.

I have the contract (the same phone number) with T-Mobile since 2003 (more than 6 years). Since 2003 I’ve been working for School District. As a Guest Teacher any time I leave a Classroom I write my name and my phone number so they can call me again to work for them. Now I'm losing opportunities to get a new job as a math teacher for high school.

Emily of bensalem, PA July 21, 2009

I have been with T mobile for almost 2 yrs. When I first started my account I bought the slide kick lx. I have to pay full price for the phone because I was on a flex pay. Four days after I bought the phone it started to freeze, my Icons were not working and the phone would make calls on its own, to top it off when ever I got a message the phone would not stop ringing untill I checked the message. Four day of dealing with this crap I finally get into the store and was told I just missed store warrenty by 1 day and inorder for them to give me a different phone I needed to call cutomer service. Lucky I had insurance on this phone because I would have been compleatly screwed.

Now a year and a half later and 4 different replacement phone im still having the same problems but worst. T moble has sent me 4 different side kick Lx and each phone had problems. Now I have had enough. Im currently having my calls cut because the phone will shut off on its own, my device constantly freezes, my Icons do not work. When my phone freezes the power button does not work and I have to take the battary out just so it can work again, sending email make the phone freeze so you know what that mean, im paying internet service and I can't even send an email.

Joel of Lahaina, HI July 7, 2009

Approximately 6 months after signing a 2 Year contract with T-Mobile for a family plan that seemed like a very good program at the time, one of the three phones stopped working, around the first week of Feb. 2009. I called customer service, and after mutually determining that the phone was defective (myself and a technician going through a series of troubleshooting procedures over phone, myself calling from one of the other phones, and a different number), I was sent a replacement phone, which was obviously not new, as the it was scratched on the both the front and back sides, however not the screen, so I did not really care, as long as it worked properly, and I was not being charged for the replacement.

When the phone arrived via UPS, it was loosely inside the box with instructions on how to send back the defective phone, and that I would also not be charged for postage, as I was told to use the prepaid UPS label inside the box, then drop the the box off at a pick up outlet, which in my case was the local Mail Box store in my neighborhood, which I always use as they handle all forms of shipping, ie., Federal Express, UPS, US Mail, etc.

However, there was no Prepaid shipping label in the box with the replacement phone, so I immediately called T-Mobile to advise them of this, and was told I would be credited 10.00 on my next phone bill, and to go ahead and pay for, and send back the phone without the label and was given the address of where to send it, in this case a distribution center in La Grange, Georgia. I was never advised on which method to send the phone. I sent the package, as the shop owner suggested, regular postal service, "Priority" service, as he advised it would be a good idea to do it this way in order to obtain a tracking number for T-Mobile, as they had called me a day earlier, advising me to obtain one, so I could provide them with it over the phone as soon as I had sent the package out. I thought this was unusual, that they would ask me to have to call them after I sent out the package, however I agreed and did so.

Then over a month and a half later a 140.00 charge appears on my March bill amongst the rest of the confusion, and "hidden charges" which are so common in order keep customers confused and frustrated to the point of giving up understanding.

I called, never the less, and was told this charge was for the phone I not returned a month earlier when requested to do so. I explained, "no", this was not so, and I had provided T-Mobile with a tracking number, as per their request. I was then told they had no record of such a tracking number, and even if they did, I had not used the pre-paid label they said they provided, which would have also had the package returned via UPS.

I was then given the run around, as they had no explanation for this, but it was very clear to me, and they knew it, that they had indeed received that tracking number, erased sometime later when they discovered the package got as far as Atlanta, then disappeared, some 5 weeks earlier. I know this having had to do my own investigation, and being told by a postal inspector in Atlanta, that there has been a on going problem, over a year of continued problems, (I have his conversation recorded on my cell phone, as well as his name and authority with the Postal Service) with the continuing disappearance of cell phones getting back to T-Mobile's distribution center, coming through Atlanta.

I gave up trying to have the 140.00 fee removed from my bill for fear of T-Mobile turning me over to a credit agency if I tried to get out of my contract for their irresponsible behavior, and disgusting methods of lying, and unprofessional behavior. Funny, the only reason I write now, as now some 4 months later I have gone through another fiasco with mistakes on their part attempting to get me another replacement phone, as a result of another defective phone, this time it taking 3 attempts on their part to deliver the phone to, another phone disappearance (this time the tracking gets as far as Honolulu, then vanishes), then another sent to the wrong address, again their mistake, then finally it arriving some 3 weeks later, after it was supposed to.

Also strange now, they have recently instilled all kind of releases from responsibility with reps. Reading detailed statement in which you must agree you understand before sending out new equipment, for phones not returning via their provided labels, none of which were in place when I had my first un-settling experience with them. They knew they had a on-going problem with this, and instead of acting with the Postal Service to correct it, the PROFITED from it. This fraudulent behavior on the part of T-Mobile needs to be brought to the attention of all consumers! Now!

Lisa of Westminster, CA June 21, 2009

I spoke with CS about a replacement phone that was sent to me for a broken phone. The replacement was broken as well. I had to pay 10 s/h for a broken phone. When I called to complain, they said they'd send me another, but I'd still have to pay 10 for the new phone. I said no. They spoke with me about upgrading my phone. The CS Rep was really good at what she was selling me with. She also assured me I wouldn't have to pay the Upgrade fee of 18. I went into the store and sure enough I was told I had to pay the upgrade fee, she didn't jot it in her notes, and I had to pay full price in taxes for a phone that was on sale. I was told by Zack the Rep in the store to call CS back and tell them to refund my money. I did and I was told bluntly by a supervisor "I don't know why your calling, I'm not helping you today" I reported them to the BBB, spoke with Jason Moten, he's a very rude person who also told me, this is how it is, they are not refunding my money and if I don't like it I can take my business elsewhere. I will be returning my phone and going elsewhere soon. I've been with TMobile since day one and never had problems, but this, bait and switch game is ridiculous!

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