T-Mobile - The Wireless Store ripoff sold me phones for an area where they have no service Largo MARYLAND
On April 23, 2005, I ordered phones on the family plan from T-Moble. I told the that my Son lives in Mesa COLORADO, 30 miles from me but not a toll call. They said he could use the second phone.
The phones arrived, I tried to activate them which took hours with more than one representative. They could not get one of the phones to work.
After hours & days of frustrating calls, I finally was informed that they do not have service in Mesa, COLORADO. They told me they would send return shipping labels & I should send both back.
I have not received the labels. I called to ask why and am now informed that T-Mobile is not sending return labels and that I must keep the phones or pay the return postage and will be charged for usage. I did not used the phones except for when I tried to activate them. I found out since that there is at least one other person who was sold a phone for Mesa, COLORADO and it took him 5 months to get the charges off of his credit card.
I should not have to pay for phones that I cannot use and should not have to pay to return them.
At least four of the representatives told me that the labels were on the way. Each rep that you speak with tells a different story. This has been an unbelievable bad experience. To top it off, I answered the door today and lo & behold there is a box from T-mobile with another phone. That makes three. I refused it and have not idea why they sent it.
Marjorie
Grand Junction, Colorado
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Yolanda
Bethlehem,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
Suggestion for T-mobile's Incompetance
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, May 17, 2005
I am an ex-employee of T-mobile. I work there for some time and know for a fact that you get much better results when you ask for a supervisor directly.
Explain the situation to them and that you intend to cancel service with them if the situation is not rectified. If this does not help to resolve the problem, write a letter to the CEO of the company at the corporate address.
Many unsatisfied customers have found resolutions to there problems by doing this as well. It is unfortunate the this company is in the business of ripping people off. Good Luck!
Marjorie
Grand Junction,Colorado,
U.S.A.
I did not mention Largo, Maryland in my complaint.
#4Author of original report
Tue, May 10, 2005
I am the original complaintant. I did not mention Largo Maryland in my complaint. I place my order with T-Mobile over the phone. We do not have a T-mobile store in this area.
Richie
Na,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Something Isn't Right Here
#4Consumer Suggestion
Tue, May 10, 2005
There is something very strange with this report.
So you went to a T-Mobile Wireless Store you say? I'm confused because there are 3 cities listed in this report. 1)Largo, Maryland. 2)Grand Junction, Colorado. And 3) Mesa, Colorado.
On T-Mobile's website, under the "retail store locator" (bottom right of www.t-mobile.com) there are no T-Mobile Retail stores near any of the places mentioned in this report. There are plenty of Indirect Dealers, but not actual T-Mobile Retail Stores. The actual T-Mobile Retail Stores show up with a pink letter "T" inside of a yellow box. There are 3 actual T-Mobile Retail Stores near the 20774 zip code, but the closest one was over 9 miles away, and 20774 is a Maryland Zip Code anyway which I'm unclear as to why it's in your report. I personally would not expect someone in Maryland to know if a phone will work in Colorado.
My guess is that you went through an indirect authorized dealer. Which, many of us do, in order to try and save some money. Sometimes the middle man has cheaper prices than the big company. "Middle man" includes all indirect places like Walmart, Sam's Club, ABC Wireless, Amazon.com and all those other little stores where you see logo's for all types of companies. It gets confusing for consumers because they think they are dealing with people from the actual company when they walk into one of these places. What they are actually dealing with, however, is people who are not trained by T-Mobile or by any of the other wireless companies ,but trained by the Indirect dealer (e.g.; trained by Walmart) to sell, sell, sell, and sell some more.
Save yourself some headaches, always go to the actual store. I'm not saying this is %100 true, but reps at an actual T-Mobile store will be much more knowledgeable and better trained to assist you. They also have access to a lot more customer information, information that indirect dealers cannot access (e.g.; a rep at an actual T-Mobile Retail Store can look up your past three months of bills, while an indirect dealer cannot). At an actual T-Mobile Retail Store, the rep would have known to check the available coverage map on the computer monitor and show it to you.
People who work for Indirect places got it easy, because they can screw up your service with one company and then when you come back to them to complain, the indirect dealer doesn't really have to deal with it. They will either send you to an actual T-Mobile retail store, or they will take your side and switch you to a different company in order to avoid losing commision (they will lose the commision T-Mobile originally gave them, but make up for it by switching you to Sprint and receiving a commission from Sprint.) All in all, it's good to know what your doing before agreeing to sign something. And if you look up ANY wireless company, they've all got the same exact complaints.
My suggestion, no matter who your wireless provider is, always go directly to the company. If it's a store that has the words "Authorized Dealer," then it's not the actual store. If it's a store that says "T-Mobile, Sprint, Cingular, etc..." then it's an indirect dealer.
Don't worry about better deals at indirect dealers. Here's what indirect dealers don't want you to know: Corporate stores can price match or beat any deal that an indirect dealer offers, so long as you bring them the add. I hope this helps ease some of your troubles and directs you to the right place to go next time you have a question about your wireless company. Good luck.