T-Mobile Acts of God Charged to T-Mobile Customers Alubquerque New Mexico
This letter is a copy of my second attempt at trying contacting an actual person from T-Mobile Customer Relations (which has been next to impossible)in regard to my T-Mobile account number xxxxxxxx and cellular number XXX-XXX-XXXX. The issue I am having is that I have been charged an out of warranty fee for a cellular phone that I returned to T-Mobile that had no signs of any damage that I am aware of when it left my hands, and I should not be charged without further explanation and or proof of my damaging the item.
You see in early February I called T-Mobile for technical support on my Motorola V3 Razr phone. I was experiencing difficulty hearing people on the other end, whether it be that I called them or they called me they were inaudible. I had originally called T-Mobile on the handset which I was having the difficulty and was asked to call back on another phone. I then called right back from the 2nd phone on my account and spoke to a very nice young woman whom assisted me in trouble shooting the problem. I went through all of the procedures with her, and when nothing corrected the problem she had said it was probably a faulty speaker. I went on to explain that the phone was the 3rd Razr phone I had sent in with problems and how frustrated I was becoming with the entire phone situation, she had spoken with her supervisor to try and get me an different phone, one that I might not experience as many problems with, but that was not available to me at the time, and her suggestion was that I try once again send my phone in and to get a replacement, and that it should hopefully work correctly. I hesitantly accepted being presented with no other alternative. Within just a matter of days I got the new phone (on a Friday) and then on Saturday I took the phone to the mailbox and mailed the old phone back to T-Mobile.
On March 1, 2006 I received my statement with an invoice amount for 107.50 on it for equipment out of warranty. When I called for further explanation I spoke to a young man Cardrell who when I explained the situation said well you musta got it wet, and so it was no longer covered by warranty. I then proceeded to explain that I had not gotten it wet, that I had never lost service or been unable to use the phone, but rather that the reason I had sent it in was because it went from working fine to having a speaker not sounding correctly and me having to put my calls on the speakerphone speaker instead. Cardrell then tried telling me that perhaps I hadn't known my phone had gotten wet, and that even sometimes taking it from a very cold place to a very warm place can cause water damage because of condensation. I tried to assure him that I had treated this phone no differently than any of the other Razr's I had returned previously, all of which I was not billed for liquid damage. When I felt that I was getting no where speaking to him, and that he being quite short with me giving me 1 or 2 word responses, I asked to speak to someone else.
I was then put on with a supervisor Pandora, who also sounded irritated with me and my situation from the very first word she spoke. She said there was nothing that she could do either, that the service center reported that there was liquid damage, that this matter was final. She went on to say that there was nothing more she would do about it, and her final comment was that there was no one else to speak with because she was the end of the line. After going back and forth with her, explaining that I was not okay about her resolution, what I finally got was that I would have the option of writing a formal complaint to customer relations, in an attempt to resolving what I feel is an underhanded and unjust situation. Which I have done, and felt that it has not gotten me much farther. On March 15th, I received no phone call, but rather a mysterious voicemail that was from Stephanie of Customer Relations stating what I had already heard twice before, that the liquid damage was verified and was valid, so I would be charged.
What boggles me is that a phone that worked without fail (with the exception of the speaker issue) can be used against me as an out of warranty issue. Had I known any of this would take place I would have just kept the phone I had and used it until the end of my contract. What I also do not understand is why no one wants to recognize the fact that there is a possibility that I might not have been the one who damaged the phone. I was not aware of any insurance that I could have purchased for the package that I sent via USPS back to T-Mobile, however, the USPS does offer insurance on their packages because things do happen that they have no control over. Why is this not a possibility, or rather why is it if this is the case that I am responsible? If I had the choice, I would have gladly purchased insurance for a few dollars rather than possibly having to pay 100.00 or more. If it would have been up to me I would have possibly packaged the phone differently for return shipment, had it not been that I was instructed to return the phone in the box the new phone was sent in. In the message from Stephanie that I received over the phone she has mentioned that I agreed to a possibly re-stocking fee, or out of warranty charge before the replacement handset was sent out, which I did, I verbally agreed that if the phone was damaged with liquid damage, or cracked of broken handset I would accept responsibility. When I was asked if the phone was damaged, had a cracked screen or plastic or had experienced liquid damage and I said No! and the phone I returned had none of those damages.
It frustrates and upsets me to think that my side of this issue is so easily disregarded, and that I am going to be one have to sit idly by and pay an addition $107.50 for a phone which I did not do anything harmful to. Especially since I have already paid for once when it was new at $200.00 plus dollars. I am very offended by the repeated accusations that it is my fault. If I had purposely known something was wrong with it, or thought that it was anything more than just a mechanical error, I can honestly sat that I would not have sent the phone back in such a manner as I had insurance for just such an instance that would have covered an accident with a deductible approximately the same as what I have now been
charged.
I was under the impression that T-Mobile was a company that claims to put their customers first let this issue be final without even actually speaking to the customer, and let their some of their agents act in such a reprehensible manner? It seems that after reviewing this site and others T-Mobile doesn't have such an outstanding reputation... But they must pay their help really well to cover for them because according to Pandora, there is never anything that happens to a cellular phone that the owner didn't do to it. That the owner, whether it be knowingly or not, had to have done it, then making the phone's owner completely responsible. I feel that the only thing I did wrong with that particular Razr was putting it into that box and mailing it back.
I am a competent and rational person, and because is no conceivable way that T-Mobile will ever be able to convince me that I damaged the phone (unknowingly or not) unless I speak to someone personally about this matter, I will have no choice than to keep writing letters, posting entries like this, and possibly contact the FCC until I get the response that I want. There is no other logical explanation I can come up with beside that something did happen between the mailbox I put the package into, and your service center. I say this because, again, according to Pandora there could not be even a glimmer of a chance that something else may have happened, not even an act of God. I am no expert, nor a psychic, so what honestly happened in this case is beyond me, but in the wake of the last few years earth changing natural disasters goodness only knows what lies ahead in the future. But I do know that someone should really inform the T-Mobile supervisor Pandora that, yes, indeed bad things do happen that no one has control over! So whether it be while it was in transit, or God forbid even at the T-Mobile service center that something happened would it still then be my fault? I do not know how anyone could possibly say yes. I stand by my statements, and would like to speak to someone to help me come to a resolution about this issue. I am very unhappy, and with only 5 1/2 months left in my contract, am very, very seriously considering to taking my business elsewhere, because I do not appreciate the accusations of being a liar or a thief! I feel as if I am being backed into a corner with the current resolution and cannot accept that I must acknowledge what someone else says that I have done as a final answer. My questions have gone unanswered as to the extent the liquid damage, for example what caused the liquid damage (water or another substance)? Was there signs of burning/scorching (that are caused by a battery) or corrosion? Were the screens damaged with liquid? I would like to know these specifics for clarity purposes, that is if that information is even available, because all I have been told all along is liquid damage and that just is not a good enough definition for me.
Future T-Mobile Customers BEWARE, you could be getting a lot more than you bargain for... and for those of you that are current customers with issues, I empathize with you entirely! Never surrender! Never give-up!
Thanks!
Carman
Bloomington, Illinois
U.S.A.
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9 Updates & Rebuttals
E
Beaverton,Oregon,
U.S.A.
I had the exact same speaker problem with my Raz'r. I was told the same thing "out of warranty".
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, June 03, 2007
This Raz'r phone from Motoroola is a v3ry rusty bladed razor that nicks us in the wallet. I too have sent my phone back and have the same problem with the new phone and was told no one else has ever had this earpiece speaker problem with this phone.
I spent 6 hours on the phone with my wireless company (a competitor to yours) but got NOWHERE. I am going after Motoroola yet again to see if I can get any justice.
Otherwise a BIG SIGN is going up on my rear vehicle window to be careful of the V3ry nasty cut the Razor can make in our wallets. Who has $200. plus to shell out for this piece of *&%# phone every 12 months when it goes out of warranty? HeckK no I don't want to get nicked with another Raz'r!
E
Beaverton,Oregon,
U.S.A.
I had the exact same speaker problem with my Raz'r. I was told the same thing "out of warranty".
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, June 03, 2007
This Raz'r phone from Motoroola is a v3ry rusty bladed razor that nicks us in the wallet. I too have sent my phone back and have the same problem with the new phone and was told no one else has ever had this earpiece speaker problem with this phone.
I spent 6 hours on the phone with my wireless company (a competitor to yours) but got NOWHERE. I am going after Motoroola yet again to see if I can get any justice.
Otherwise a BIG SIGN is going up on my rear vehicle window to be careful of the V3ry nasty cut the Razor can make in our wallets. Who has $200. plus to shell out for this piece of *&%# phone every 12 months when it goes out of warranty? HeckK no I don't want to get nicked with another Raz'r!
E
Beaverton,Oregon,
U.S.A.
I had the exact same speaker problem with my Raz'r. I was told the same thing "out of warranty".
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, June 03, 2007
This Raz'r phone from Motoroola is a v3ry rusty bladed razor that nicks us in the wallet. I too have sent my phone back and have the same problem with the new phone and was told no one else has ever had this earpiece speaker problem with this phone.
I spent 6 hours on the phone with my wireless company (a competitor to yours) but got NOWHERE. I am going after Motoroola yet again to see if I can get any justice.
Otherwise a BIG SIGN is going up on my rear vehicle window to be careful of the V3ry nasty cut the Razor can make in our wallets. Who has $200. plus to shell out for this piece of *&%# phone every 12 months when it goes out of warranty? HeckK no I don't want to get nicked with another Raz'r!
E
Beaverton,Oregon,
U.S.A.
I had the exact same speaker problem with my Raz'r. I was told the same thing "out of warranty".
#10Consumer Suggestion
Sun, June 03, 2007
This Raz'r phone from Motoroola is a v3ry rusty bladed razor that nicks us in the wallet. I too have sent my phone back and have the same problem with the new phone and was told no one else has ever had this earpiece speaker problem with this phone.
I spent 6 hours on the phone with my wireless company (a competitor to yours) but got NOWHERE. I am going after Motoroola yet again to see if I can get any justice.
Otherwise a BIG SIGN is going up on my rear vehicle window to be careful of the V3ry nasty cut the Razor can make in our wallets. Who has $200. plus to shell out for this piece of *&%# phone every 12 months when it goes out of warranty? HeckK no I don't want to get nicked with another Raz'r!
Don
Belleville,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Out of Warranty Fees
#10UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, May 10, 2006
I agree with the previous post who said they were a supervisor about many things. First, you need to go up the totem pole. The front line agentsdo have policies that need to be followed, and it could be there job on the line if they try to break them. Asking for a supervisor can sometimes get you a little farther. Like the previous post, I used to be a team lead for T-Mobile. Treating us (and all agents) with respect goes a long way. The supervisors have the same policies as the agents, although they have a little more discretion in bending the policies. If you do not like what the supervisor is telling you, there is no point in asking for their boss. In my centre, a supervisor was the highest you could go. Yes, I did have a boss, but he was an administrative person, who had no knowledge of T-Mobile. There is a customer relations department. However, they do not have a direct line (at least one that was ever given out), and can only be reached by written correspondance (or by fax). If ask for customer relations, they will provide the information.
In case you did not know, liquid damage happens a lot, and there are many causes for it. How they check for liquid damage? If you remove the battery on your phone (most phones now have this, there is a dot on the phone. IT is similar to litmus paper. If the dot is red, that means that the phone has been "damaged" by liquid. If it is white, it is fine. Hope this helps.
Steve
Salem,Oregon,
U.S.A.
Hope this helps...
#10UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, May 10, 2006
First off, I have to agree with Phil, Motorola phones are crap. I spent time with a representative from Motorola who admitted that there were huge issues with just about every handset that was provided to T-Mobile. At one point T-Mobile had considered dropping the Motorola line, but that's another story.
I have to disagree with Phil on Samsung being the #2 steaming pile... I've had nothing but good luck with Samsung and the only phone that I ever encountered by Samsung to have issues in relation to making calls was an issue with the R225 when trying to get a stable signal and Samsung was more then willing to work with T-Mobile and customers to replace those units that experienced the issue.
On to your issue with the Razor. Gimmick, gimmick, gimmick.
On getting assistance with your the out of warranty fees: one thing to keep in mind is that the representatives are truly the bottom of the totem pole. They are front line employees who often end up being cannon fodder in situations such as this. When they look at the screen that tells them why you were billed the only information they have availabe is one of a handful of cookie cutter responses. Unfortunate for them, unfortunate for you. They are pretty much told that the "warehouse" is infallible (excuse my spelling it's late for me) and can do no wrong. In the real world you and I know that mistakes can be made, and that's ok, just fix it.
I ended my career at T-Mobile as a supervisor and I can tell you that if you treated the representatives on my team with respect and dignity they would bend over backwards to do whatever it took to find a reasonable solution. That was the folks that worked for me. Now, not all teams are created (or lead) equally. Some supervisors won't allow the folks on their team to even THINK about bending policy, let alone the occasional break to help a customer in a bad situation. My point? Keep in mind that these folks are taking the brunt of everyones issues, nobody calls just to tell them they are happy and nothing is wrong. Treat them with some dignity and respect, if you feel like you aren't getting anywhere, try another representative. Hopefully you'll come across one of the folks who used to work for me and they have a supervisor who is willing to work with the customer to find an appropriate solution. You may not get all the money of the fee back, but I would expect to get at least half of it and if you keep that solution in mind, you should be successful.
As a side note to all of this, imagine talking to between 70 and 90 people a day for between 8 and 10 hours. Imagine each one of these people is upset about something, having some sort of issue. Throw in a few that will scream and curse, threaten and cajole, attempt to play games or get representatives to admit things just so they can be superior. Now, imagine in the midst of all that, you get a call from the sweetest, most polite person you've spoken with who is calm and courteous. Who do you think that representative is going to give the most effort for?
One of these days I'll write a guide on getting what you want out of a customer service representative and make my millions...
Good luck, hope this helps. :)
Carman
Bloomington,Illinois,
U.S.A.
What Now? Whom do I contact???
#10Author of original report
Fri, April 07, 2006
I am writing again in response to the issue I posted about my T-Mobile Acct and Motorola Razr Phone... The issue has still gone unresloved, T-Mobile refuses to credit any part of the charge to my account, they have actually said multiple times that they will put the account on hold for 7 days, during which time I will need to collect the 107.50 and pay the amount due. If I fail to do that they willl then suspend my account, and if it stills remains unpaid they will cancel the account and refer it to 3rd Party collects for Non-Payment. I have been a good customer, not only did I spend over 400.00 on 2 Razr's I am on a family plan, and I pay my bill on time every month.
This is how they treat a good customer. If it did go to 3rd Party collections, they would then seek damages in the neighborhood of $575.00-600.00 because of voided contracts the 107.50, plus collection costs. There was a response to my original post about asking for a one time credit of the 107.50 ... who do I call or write to asking for that? Regular Customer Service agents that I have spoken to claim they cannot adjust anything to do with out of warranty fees. Still seeking answers in IL. Thanks, Cafrman
Phil
Bosque Farms,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
Motorola...*sigh*
#10UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, April 07, 2006
K, When you utilize your 1 year manufacturers warranty (that protects against physical/internal manufacturing defects, lets get real, machines build these things) its sent back to a warehouse, where it its torn apart, reprogrammed, and shipped out to someone else. After this process happens to the same phone 3 times, it is then melted down/scrapped/recycled, used to build dells :P wherever those valuable scrap computer peices go.
If a dealership is selling a popular car that causes millions to be killed every year, No i take that back, the smoking industry sells cigarettes, kills millions and millions ...ect and so on and so fourth. They don't quit selling cigs right, why? Because people like them, and they still make money. Why stop a good thing? T-mobile won't stop selling the trendy phones either because of their issues, however, T-mobile Jumped down Motorola's throat and denied shipment of the motorola v330's because of issues with them, when the Razr's came, those things could have been stolen from dead people and customers still would have bought them, tons of people would cancel just because t-mobile didn't have them yet ect.. But this is all in my experience...You want the trendy phone with bluetooth? Get motorola.
MOTOROLA IS A CRAP PHONE. Audio issues, you can't hear the person, you could cough louder than that speaker, and dropped calls. Thats all there ever has been for years and years. Not get get off topic of my rant, but how did you get charged $107.50 out of warranty fee? the fee is $110.00, and nothing is "prorated". If this is the only time it happend to you on your account, a 1 time courteousy credit can be applied.
So yeah, my junk list is as follows, could be others, haven't stayed in touch with the cell phone world lately as I dont work for cell centers at the moment.
MOTOROLA #1 PEICE OF JUNK PHONE EVER (any phone)
SAMSUNG #2 "lucky to catch a signal, but its small and cute so girls love it" (any phone)
LG #3 If you dont break it by closing it too hard, then your sweat will probably melt it. (flip phones)
Audiovox #4 Some of them are decent and will work, #4 because they made the Sidekicks and those are horrible. So horrible it has its own call center department.
Kyrocera #5 Fall apart, something about the back of the phone, the battery popping off. And have heard numerous stories, and my Mom as one, the phone melting while they were charging.
Anytime you buy a cell phone it is a risk, like with anything else. You dont replace house phones as often as cell phones because you're not walking everywhere with them and using them all the time like a crutch. The best phones that I can personally recommend would be Nokia, RIMM, Sanyo, Sony Ericsson. In my experience these phones are very durable, but lets get real again, just because they're durable and good on signal, doesn't mean you should see how many times you can drop it, how many people can stand on it, or play ice hockey with them.
Oh and about the whole liquid damage thing they can take apart the phone and look, and there are "sticker" type things inside the phone, so if in a moment of angst you were pouring down sweat on it, that could offset it as well. get your 1 time credit, I hope this information helps, good riddance and good luck.
Jenifer
Portland,Oregon,
U.S.A.
This might help....
#10Consumer Comment
Thu, March 16, 2006
I just saw a story on the news about 3 days ago about this....RAZR phones through T-Mobile and Verizon wireless have been discontinued for the time being. Motorola discovered a glitch in the phone that is causing dropped calls. The news here said to return it to the store where you bought them...hope that helps a little...