I've heard all the advertisements and I've scanned the web site. I get all the great offers T-mobile has. I check phone prices and see that T-Mobile store prices are higher than I want to pay, so I order a phone from Amazon. It gets here, and I go online to active it. This is where the problems start.
I can't find any way to activate my phone on the web site. Really? I have to call you guys to do this? I start a chat, and the nice person confirms that I have to call to get my phone activated. It wasn't quite this simple, because I had to explain that I'm not asking T-mobile to buy out my contract or to pay for my current phone. I have a new phone that I want to activate. It's that simple.
So I call. After an infuriating voice response system, I get to a person. (I'll rant about the voice response system: did it every occur to you guys that we may use our mobile phones when we're mobile, and that voice response systems hate background noise? By the time I got to a live operator I was incredibly frustrated.)
So this nice woman asks me what she can do. I tell her. She wants my SSN. Why do you need my SSN? Apparently so they can check my credit. Why does T-mobile need to check my credit? She said they just do. Btw, I have no credit issue. My score typically over 800 (just below that now because I'm buying a house). But that last thing I want is another credit check right now. And why does T-Mobile need my SSN? It's a monthly plan. I assumed T-mobile would take my credit card. The nice woman on the phone tells me they'll bill me rather than charging my card. How is this easier? She also mentioned that they would likely need a deposit?
What?!?!?! I have my own phone and I'm offering to give you credit card for monthly payments. You want my SSN AND a deposit? This is insanity. So I ask about pre-paid and if I can get the same $50/month plan if I pay the $50 at the first of the month rather than at the end of the month. She said she doesn't know and will have to transfer me to the pre-paid people.
I don't think I can possibly express how my degree of frustration. I just want me phone turned on. How hard do you have to make it for me to give you my money? T-Mobile keeps advertising that they're making it easier? How is this easier? Take my $50 right now, give me 1 month of service, you don't need my SSN, and just make it happen, please. That's easier. This is not.
Here's what I'd really like T-mobile to do:
1. Please set up your web site so we can activate our phones there. Having to through and IVR and speak to an operator doesn't seem reasonable to set up a mobile phone in 2014.
2. Can you please clearly explain the difference on your site between pre-paid and post-paid?
3. If pre and post-paid are not the same plans, could they be. Why can't the difference be just that - pre vs. post pay. I will gladly have you hit my credit card at the beginning of every month for my service. If my cc doesn't go through the next month, then no service. The difference to me is paying $50 thirty days earlier. I'm fine doing so. I wish you would make it that easy.
I really am trying to give you guys my business. I really am. At this point it seems far easier to keep my AT&T phone. I pay it every month, it's not that much more, and it works fine. I think you guys can do better.