I was a T-Mobile customer for nine years and seven months. I was eligible for a partial upgrade on February 11, 2012. Because of my loyalty status, I had unlimited minutes, which really meant nothing because I never used more than 1,500 in a single billing cycle.
My relationship with T-Mobil began to degrade when somebody nipped my phone out of jacket pocket as I was coming up the escalator from the 7 train at Flushing-Main Street. I discovered it missing when I got on the Q28 bus on my way home. As soon as I got home, I went online, locked my phone, sent out an earsplitting alarm, wiped all my data, and then traced it into a neighborhood I would never venture into unless it was absolutely necessary.
I had an HTC G2, which I hated with a passion. The keyboard never lit up unless I was sitting in total darkness, the damn thing constantly froze, it constantly rebooted without rhyme or reason, and it was dog slow, so you can imagine how happy I was when I filed my claim online and the insurance company told me that my phone was no longer manufactured, and that they would be sending me an HTC 4G Slide, a much better phone with some great features. They sent the phone to my office the very next day.
Imagine my disappointment when I discovered the phone did not read my SIM card. I took the phone to the T-Mobile store down the street from where I worked, and the representative tried several SIM cards, but no luck. The phone was defective. They could not replace it, so they put me in touch with a representative at T-Mobile. I told the guy that I needed a phone immediately, and that his only alternative was to messenger a replacement phone to my office by 4:00 pm, or I would cancel my contract and get a phone at Verizon, which was right across the street. He asked me if the store had a loaner phone, and they did, which I said was acceptable.
But then the idiot told me that he would be sending me a G2 because that was my replacement phone. Here is where my frustration really started to set in. I asked the guy why he would send me a discontinued phone when the insurance company upgraded me to a newer phone. His answer was that although the phone was discontinued, that didn’t mean they still didn’t sell them. I had no choice but to acquiesce.
The next day my G2 arrived with no battery. I looked at the thing in disbelief. Now what the hell was I supposed to do? I called T-Mobile and told them about it. The idiot on the phone told me that I was supposed to take the battery out of the busted 4G slide and put it in the G2. At that point I just laughed. They were completely different phones and the batteries were not interchangeable. I asked to speak to his supervisor.
My call got kicked up to another level, and a Loyalty Support Specialist promised me that they would send me a 4G slide the very next day. The next day came and went, but no phone, so I called and told them they had two choices: get me a new phone this very day, or cancel my contract.
“Which will it be?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I cannot get you a new phone today.”
“Then you are cancelling my contract,” I said, finally.
“I am?”
“You’re goddamn right you are. I am going to Verizon. Fuck you and your Loyalty Plan.”
I hung up the phone, and went straight to the Verizon store. I already had an account there because of my daughter’s phone, so I got a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and added it to my plan. What an amazing phone! This thing screams it is so fast. So many great features! I should have ditched T-Mobile years ago.
I went back to the T-Mobile store and turned in my loaner phone, got my money back, and walked out. T-Mobile is going to hit me with a cancellation fee. They are going to wait for their money. I have more important bills to pay right now, and after what they put me through they can wait a couple months.
Love to all!
James M. Weil