this scam is actually pretty funny because is being run by the respectable company called T-Mobile.

I've been with then for 11 months now, and I got in a 1-year contract family plan (shared minutes, 2 phones), so the plan is set to be renewed next month.
Anyway, i got 2 'free' phones with the plan (notice that t-mobile nor any phone company gives away 'free' stuff), and while the phones are nice, they are not top of the line (after all, you can only get so much for 'free' with a 1-year contract, and a bit better phones with 2-year contracts).

So anyway, one of the phones (gf's) is lost since like a week ago, and then some days ago I rode in a storm and my phone was in my jacket pocket... outside the waterproof lining, so only about 20% of the phone is working (camera is messed up, battery holds charge for like 6 hours now, etc etc).
*more info about the phone here.

Anyway, because of these issues I said to myself 'well, I've been paying insurance for both phones for 11 months now... time to put it to good use'.

I call, I explain my situation, they say: 'no problem'  

by the end of conversation I am told there's a deductible. no sweat (I do read the fine print on contracts).

What I was never told (and they won't say it anywhere unless you need to claim insurance) is the amount of this deductible.

Basically, they wanted $220 deductible fee + send them back the phone I have with me (+ 11 months of insurance I've been paying at $12 per month) in order to get new phones (2).  :lol:

So I said: what kind of joke is this?
they say: is no joke sir. those phones you got for free with your plan are very expensive...
So I say: phones that I got what?
they say: the phones that you got for free are...
I say:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
they say : Sir?
me: let's be honest here. I got nothing 'for free' from you. If phones are included in a plan, you are not giving them away. Eventually, I end up paying for them when with my monthly fees when the contract is over.

I paid you 11 months of insurance to cover for lost-stolen-damaged phones, and the total amount you will receive from me is $352 (insurance + deductible) and sending you my current phone back. And this has to be done to get my phones replaced?

they: ... yes.
me:   (i'm thinking: they are not joking!)
they: there is another option to get you phones for free...
me: really? tell me about it
they: you get 2 nokia (insert model here) when you sign up for a 2-year contract
me:  :x  so you want to wipe the slate clean?
them: ...
me: please schedule the cancellation of my contract for next month (as soon as my 1-year contract ends)
them: ok sir, meanwhile let me tell you about the benefits of staying with us, I got great plans that...
me: listen carefully: please schedule the cancellation of my contract, give me your employee ID and let me know when you are done.
them: one moment

(insert long moment here)

done! there will be a fee for...
me: what?
them: well, your contract ends the 24
me: and?
them: your billing cycle ends the 23
me: so?
them: so you will have one extra day of service when your contract ends, and you must pay for that.
me:  

===========

if you go this far, I congratulate you.
So beware of scammers.

holy crap do they have experience!

Not to start anything, but maybe there was a miscommunication somewhere between you and the customer service rep?  I would recommend calling back in a day (or when you're a bit more calmer, like after lunch)

It wouldn't surprise me a BIT if this is exactly the case. When I renewed with Sprint, it was on the condition that 1. I got the rebate for the phone I was purchasing, and 2. that my "free" weekday minutes would start at 7PM. I was assured that this was no problemo!

Well, the rebate was denied (one had to be on a $30/mo plan, and mine cost $29.99/month), and the minutes started at 9PM, as they had in the past. I was fuming mad, but it took me MANY calls and MUCH screaming to get the rebate (it was about $70....so...duh...they raised my plan by 1 cent per month...now..that was difficult, wasn't it!), and I had to negotiate that my "free" weekday minutes would start at 8PM.

I had a witness to the salesperson's outright lies, but Sprint didn't give a damn. They were "so sorry" that I'd been "mislead," but this was the best they could do for me. So guess what my phone number and I are going to be doing when our term is up? Yup....looking at new plans!

Buncha lying dirtbags!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :x

Just get your wife to call them and ask to speak to a manager and have her cry into the phone almost incoherently while discussion the problem with them.  They'll give in.  You might have to kick her in the shin to get the voice to sound real authentic, though.

...on the other hand I'm no longer a contract customer with Cingular so usually when there's a problem I call them and tell them to fix it or I'll go with someone else.

...it's a bluff, though.  Cingular > *

I have verizon and have the phone insurance.

I had my phone screen die (phone worked otherwise). this was a phone I got for $50 included with plan (family plan, 2 phones, mega minutes-basically my main office line is my cell).

I took it in. Got a replacement phone right then and there-no charge. they wanted $50 for an upgraded phone but for free I ended up getting a better phone than I had.

Overall good experience. Cancelled the insurance though-numbers didnt pan out for another year...

I work in customer service, and all you have to do is talk to the right person who's willing to help.

I had a problem with Sprint when they wanted my to pay $300 for phone internet (one month) when I had asked to have the $15 extra on my phone for the internet.  The first "supvervisor" was hard set on NOT giving me the correction, plus he didn't even talk to me!

I waited two days, called back to get another customer service rep.  I told him the situation, including what happened on the previous call.  Even he didn't understand why the first ass didn't help me.  The guy just said hold one moment, and came back on the phone and said that everything is taken care of.  He took the $300 off my bill, and charged me the original $15 I wanted to pay in the first place.

Like I said, talk to the right person.  Not to toot my horn, but I'm one of the best customer service people my company has seen, but I still get bad days every once in a while.  Something simple to take care of, might piss me off, and I'll be dead set on NOT helping them out.  Of course I won't be a duck about it, unless the customer isn't cooperating.  I still try to give them OTHER solutions, but usually ones that don't involve my company doing a damn thing... :nana:

Sorry for the long post...  Have a miserable day today.  Too many whiney-ass customers coming in today.  Thank god the christmas season is over.  That's the worst. :x

Quote from: annguyen1981Not to start anything, but maybe there was a miscommunication somewhere between you and the customer service rep?  I would recommend calling back in a day (or when you're a bit more calmer, like after lunch)

no miscommunication since day 1. I got the phones, insurance and plan by calling directly to t-mobile and asked about specific insurance issues (what if the phone is lost, what is is broken, what if...) and I was told not to worry, that the insurance fee would take care of that, and that I would only have to pay a small deductible amount (I asked how much back then, but I got the same answer: a small amount).

there was no lack of communication, is just that the deductible amount they set, defeats the whole purpose of insurance.
and the alternative 'fix' (2 new free phones only if I get another 2-year plan) does not fix or helps the present situation.

even if I were to get 'the manager' (like I did with an airline when they refused to return money for a ticket I did not use after beign on a car accident a day before the flight), I do not have use for a phone that only works in a company that I am about to leave after finding out what a bunch of crooks they are.

one thing's for sure: they do not lose a penny.