Complaint Review: T-Mobile - Internet

T-mobile broke their coverage in our area back in February/March of 2012.  I started calling in requesting assistance in March and continued to call in asking for help.  They replaced my phones, reset my phones, supposedly sent out technicians to test the area, and even blamed the foliage in the area for the disruption of service. 

Finally last month during one of my calls they admitted they did have a break in service earlier in the year and that the funding for the repair would not be available until next year which is when they expected to start working on the issue.  The agents said it would be probably a year before the service was brought back to "Good" as it is now showing I live in a "Moderate" coverage location.  They gave me credits on my bills since I cannot make phone calls without drops where I live.  They also told me to write a letter to the Customer Relations team explaining that we are now located in a moderate coverage area due to problems on the t-mobile side and request a release from contract with waived early termination fees (ETF).  I was assured by Samantha (Sammy) rep number 0623225 in the Customer Loyalty department on 2 different occasions that since T-Mobile issues were the reason the service area changed, T-Mobile would release my contracts and waive the ETF. 

I wrote the letter as instructed.  Here is the letter minus names and phone numbers. 
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To Customer Relations,
September 2, 2012

RE:  Account: XXXXXXXXX Release from contract request

I have been a customer since February 2002.  I had been a happy customer with T-mobile with very few problems over the years of which T-mobile has, for the most part, been able to resolve the issuesUNTIL NOW. 

About 6-7 months ago our service went from OK to flat out horrible.  I have been paying an over the top amount for service that became unusable.  I cannot carry on a telephone conversation without break in coverage and dropping of calls.  The 3G and 4G you claim to offer are apparently spotty at best.  I called in many, MANY times over the past 6 months and kept getting the same runaround
about Its your phone or other things including the funniest one last week when one of your reps actually told me it was due to the foliage in the area.  Seriously?  That is when I decided enough is enough.  I am tired of getting the runaround from a company I am paying entirely too much to for bad and non-existent service. 

On my last call, I was finally given the truth about the coverage problems after 6 months of constant calling into the T-Mobile customer service line (611) to ask for assistance with the fact that coverage
for the 3 phones on my account went from functioning ok to horrible and inconsistent.  It was  explained that yes, our coverage area had gone to moderate and that it was not expected to change any time soon.  I was even told by one of your reps that T-mobile was not planning on putting any money into the area where I live so this was all we were going to get and we would have to deal with it (he put it quite a bit more abruptly I have sugar coated it for the purpose of this letter).  Many of your reps have been quite rude and given T-mobile a bad reputation in my eyes.  I would be glad to explain further after this issue is handled.

The last rep I spoke to told me I should write you and request that you release us from our contracts and waive the early termination fees due to the fact that we are now in a Moderate Coverage Area.  Please do not cancel the accounts or phone numbers until I can change them to another carrier that has coverage our area as my son left for boot camp on 8/20 and I would not be able to get him the new numbers.  As soon as I get your agreement to release and waive the ETF, I can make arrangements to have the numbers moved.  This is super important as I MUST be able to get a call from the Marines or my son who is currently in San Diego. 

If you have any questions or would like more information about the coverage problems, feel free to contact me.  

Thanks,
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Their response:

T-Mobile USA, Inc ("T-Mobile") is in receipt of your recent correspondence regarding your request to cancel service with an Early Termination Fee waiver since you have moved out of the T-Mobile coverage area.

Please be advised, T-Mobile is unable to guarantee coverage in all locations and provides coverage maps on our website which include street level approximations of coverage.  We understand your frustration with the coverage in your current location.  T-Mobile is always improving and upgrading services in all areas.  However, the specific information as to when and where improvements will take place is not specified.  We regret any inconvenience this issue has caused.

Unfortunately, we are unable to wave the Early Termination Fees on your account.  Should you cancel your account you will be responsible for the Early Termination Fees.

Please note that you may avoid paying the Early Termination Fees by performing a Change of Responsibility, which is a change in billing responsibility from one person or business to another person or business.  If you are interested in completing a Change of Responsibility, please contact our Customer Care department.
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The rest of their letter tells me how much they expect me to pay on my account and how to call them, which I have done many times and they HANG UP ON ME.

What they don't seem to understand is I DID NOT MOVE...THEY DID!  I have lived in the same house for almost 11 years now. 

I just want out of the contracts that they are no longer living up to.

Donna, Paola, KS