Complaint Review: T- Mobile - Albuquerque New Mexico

OK, this is a long, unbelievable story I will try to keep as brief as possible. 

Been a customer since 2005. In December 2007, bought a My-Touch and insurance. After they did a system software upgrade, the phone was acting all weird. Each time I got a new phone, I had to pay 10.00 shipping.  Just FYI, I have now been through 14 phones. The problems continued.....  After a few phones, they refused to upgrade to a better phone, they would only downgrade. So over time, I was downgraded so many times that they ran out of options and said I would have to extend my contract two more years just to get back to the My-Touch I originally purchased! 

Also, I was without text messaging service for over 3 months, and they  wouldn't help me at all. I was so angry I filed a complaint with the FCC, better business bureau, T-Mobile corporate, and even an online petition with change.org. Just FYI, their stance is that they don't have to provide text messaging to all customers all of the time, and yes, they have the right to continue billing you even if they can't provide the service. They will not credit your account, or let you out of your contract. 

9/27 – Just after this, I received a call from a Dave Malloy with T-Mobile. He said that he was calling to respond to the complaint I filed with the FCC. He told me the call was being recorded. He said that they have reviewed my account, and have decide that my complaint is not valid, therefore they do not and will not release me from my contract, or provide me with an alternate handset. I got the feeling from the way he was speaking that by calling me and telling me this, that his obligation to the FCC and to me was released.  I asked him for his title, and he would only give me the name of the office he worked for. I pushed him again for a title, and he gave me a vague one. I asked for his address, and he got snippy and said he didn’t have to give it to me….I said , not your home address, your business address! He replied again that he wasn’t going to give it to me. He was being so curt and rude, that I told him that this call was also being recorded from my end. He said that I had to tell him from the beginning of the call, and that unless I stopped recording that instant, that he was hanging up. So I said I would stop. He also would not give me his office phone number or any phone number at T- Mobile. I asked if he was at the same address where I sent my letter. He said there is more than one corporate address in Albuquerque. I asked if he was responding to the letter I sent to T-Mobile….he said no, this is for the FCC complaint. So I asked how he felt they were meeting their obligation to provide a service I am paying for and not able to use. He says that Text messaging is an optional feature and they do not have to provide consistent service in all areas all the time. I asked if he reviewed my file, and saw all the problems I have been having, and how they have not met their obligation to resolve the problem. He said they have, and that I have been able to send messages on occasion after calling tech support, so they have met their obligation. I told him the situation, that each time I remove the battery, I am able to send a few messages and then it goes right back to “failed”. He proceeded to repeat himself, and that they have no intention of releasing me from my contract or providing me with another phone. He said they have gone above and beyond to meet my needs, and acted like I am crazed stalker that is making all this up. I asked him specifically “what has your company done to go above and beyond”, and he said that they have provided me with additional phones at a discounted price. I replied that the phones they provided did not work, and were not to the same quality of the phone I originally purchased, and I was forced into renewing my contract in order to attempt to get a phone that worked. He said they will no longer be offering me any additional phones of any type, and will not release me of my contract, and feels I should pursue my problems with the phone manufacturer.

Name: Dave Malloy

Executive Office of the President

Executive VP/Director of Customer Services

Phone number from caller ID : 800-937-8997

My contract is up in January, and I can't wait until that day comes. All I can tell people is to document and record every call and every visit to a  T-Mobile store, get a receipt from UPS for every returned phone, and do not trust that they will do anything that benefits you.