Want to get out of your wireless contract? The T-Mobile edition
If there’s one thing we get asked most, it’s probably the “I want to get out of my contract because _____ sucks!” email. We decided to put together a nice little guide for all you T-Mobilers wanting to jump ship. Bits and pieces have actually been pulled from some of our commenters, so thanks David and everyone else! There are a couple downsides, though. For one, this particular method does not allow you to port your number over to another provider. You’ll have to do some more work to get that accomplished. Check out the full rundown after the break, and check for other carrier editions coming soon!
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David points out that this method only works for people that do not currently have a messaging plan. If you do, the recent text messaging rate increase won’t work as there is no contractual change that applies to you.
- If you haven’t sent or received a SMS message within the last three months, send a text to your T-Mobile phone. If this isn’t done, T-Mo will most likely deny your request stating that the change doesn’t affect you since you don’t get your text on.
- Log in to your T-Mobile account online at www.t-mobile.com. Hit the billing tab, then current usage, and verify you see the text message you sent yourself. Or any other received text. As long as you see a recent text message, you are good to go.
- Call T-Mobile at 800-937-8997. When prompted by the automate system say scream iPhone as loud as humanly possible “cancel my account.”
- When you are transferred over to a live person, they’ll ask you why you wish to cancel your service. Tell them that you were notified that the text messaging rate will be increasing from $.10 to $.20 on 8/29. If the rep doesn’t know about this yet, they will likely go ask someone and come back to you.
- Most likely, they’ll try and bait you to stay by offering you secret golden deals. Deny all of them!
- If you have not used text messaging in the past 3 months the CR will tell you that the change doesn’t affect you and you’ll need to pay the ETF. Tell them about the text you sent yourself (or any other text message you received in the past 3 months) and have them check your recent activity.
- If the rep tells you that the change doesn’t take effect until 8/29, quote T-Mobile’s Terms of Service. Tell them that according to the Terms of Service, you must cancel within 14 days of receiving the notification. If they really try and push your buttons, banhammer them with the following Terms of Service excerpt: Section 3:
IF WE MODIFY A MATERIAL TERM OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH YOU AND THE MODIFICATION WOULD BE MATERIALLY ADVERSE TO YOU, WE WILL NOTIFY YOU OF THE INCREASE OR MODIFICATION AND YOU CAN CANCEL THAT SERVICE WITHOUT PAYING A CANCELLATION FEE (WHICH IS YOUR ONLY REMEDY) BY FOLLOWING THE CANCELLATION INSTRUCTIONS IN THE NOTICE. IF YOU DO NOT CANCEL YOUR SERVICE BY FOLLOWING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, OR YOU OTHERWISE ACCEPT THE CHANGE, THEN YOU AGREE TO THE INCREASE OR MODIFICATION, EVEN IF YOU PAID FOR SERVICE IN ADVANCE. IF THE NOTICE DOES NOT SAY HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO CANCEL, THEN IT IS WITHIN 14 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE NOTICE, UNLESS A LONGER PERIOD IS REQUIRED BY LAW. - If you had to read that whole damn thing to the Krispy Kreme junky on the phone, they’ll briefly put you on hold while they cancel the account.
- Once the account is cancelled, check back on www.t-mobile.com to ensure that you can’t access anything. If you can’t access anything, your account has been successfully cancelled.
- If you still haven’t got anywhere by the end of this long ass post, hang up, and talk to someone else. They’ll most likely help you.
- If all else fails, tell the CR on the phone that you’re going to file a report with the FCC. Fill out this form here http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. That should ensure a swift action taken by your wireless carrier.
Let us know how this works for you and what provider you end up switching to!
Tags: cancel service, cr, ETF, port number, T-Mobile
I called earlier and mentioned this. They said I could cancel without a fee! I got her info and # and will be taking care of this tomorrow when I get the Iphone and AT&T set up. I’ve been dying to leave Tmobile for a while. They messed up my account a few times and I can never hear on their phones.
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hahahahaha It works!!! Called n canceled my 4 LINES! Even though I had a family plan with unlimited txting, I was able to cancel cuz I had some international txting on ALL my lines. hahahahaha
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This is cool and all but I do have one question. I have the unlimited text plan, which according to tmobile.com includes: All our domestic messaging bundles include text, IM, picture, or video messages–the choice is up to you.
So, according to what I see is that all text, IM, and pics are free. But I am getting charged 3x’ $0.15 for pics messages that I did not request for. Can that be considered a breech in the contract?
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Thanks for the all the deacts and destroying my commission check bgr. Why don’t you stop shaving at&ts back pussy and help me make some real money and contribute to Tmo produce and barter system program.
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So, I just spent an hour trying to get out to no avail.
Here’s where I’m at and what I did. I am on the 400 mgs plan. I have not gone over in the past 3 bill cycles. I texted like crazy today so that I went over this bill cycle, which ends on 7/24.
Called. I talked to a ton of people. They definitely have their talking points now. the Page 14 dialog does not work any longer. Here’s where I don’t qualify:
Haven’t gone over in the past 3 billing cycles. I said, “well, that’s fine, I’ll call back on 7/25 and I’ll have been billed what I have already gone through” They said that wouldn’t work. They said it’s 3 months bill cycles prior from when I was notified, and since I’m calling I was already notified.
SO, I said, “I found out about this online just yesterday, you are saying if I waited until 7/25 to call you, this would have worked” I was transfered at this point.
Then I was told that I was notified on the bill that ended on 6/24 and sent out on 6/25. They said it was enclosed in the envelope with my bill. I don’t recall the notice, but it could have been there but I rarely look it because I’m on easy pay. They said that it was “3 bill cycles prior to that notice.” SO, the current bill cycle from 6/25 - 7/24 DOES NOT COUNT for the “3 months prior” clause.
So if you are texting away tonight, or canceling you text plan and texting a couple times and thinking of calling after that, it won’t work. If anyone recently succeeded at this please tell me how.
I asked to speak with another “Team Leader” and they said he went home but I would get a call tomorrow about it. What can I say to him?
I basically ruined this guys faith in humanity and corporations while on the phone with him. I was nice and tried to show him how this was a break of contract and he said, “all i have it what has been sent down to me, if you meet this criteria we would do it no problem. But you don’t meet the criteria.” I told him that the criteria “breaks the contract”. He didn’t have anything to say, but said there was nothing he could do.
Basically it seems I’m screwed. Anyone have any other ideas? They are breaking the contract and they know it and their criteria doesn’t make sense (i.e. breaks the contract) and they know it, but they have to follow it from the corporate higher ups. Is there a solution here?
Brian
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They are definetly getting their acts together…i called twice today trying to get the line cancelled…. First time…No avail…Said I couldnt do it because I had an unlimited text messaging plan…I hung up…Called pack and One lady said that they would be waiving the fee…she cancelled the account (without me knowing), sent me over to a lady to explain everything that was happening and that lady said that they couldnt waive the fee and that i was stuck with the fee. So I said ok I dont want to cancel then, so she said that they would have to charge me an activation fee to get back on. So Im totally confused and the lady is gettin upset with me. So I said cancel it for good Im done with Tmobile…So I filed a complaint with the FCC about the contract breach to try to get the $200 waived…
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I will say this honestly…
I have dealt with AT&T before, Sprint as well.
They are both criminals who specialize in baiting and hooking you with all of this lavish bullshit, and then BAM!
they jack up your charges…Prorate your plan,
charge you randomly 200 dollars here or 400 dollars there, lie to you, by saying you didn’t pay 1 month, and threaten to keep your phone off until you pay these exhorbitant charges.
Anybody under the age of 25 most likely is
not aware of the fact that in the 80’s
AT&T was a Monopoly, and broken up because of their imperialistic, and monopolistic practices.
They are well on their way to doing just that all over again…
Also when they first purchased Cingular
they introduced the same exact rate plans that they had when they were around in the late 90’s
including the ghost charges etc!
AT&T as well as Sprint have both been known to use rogue tactics to rip off their customers.
EX: Made Chicago Mayor Richard Daleys brother CEO Of SBC
Shortly after they went on an agressive campaign to rip off every single low income resident in Chicago who used their services!
Sprint Prorated our account just so they can cut our service off indefinitely or at least til we pay them for this “ProRated” charge
according to one of thir reps we missed a month in payments.
How could I have missed one payment when I paid them over $1200 in three months for a plan that had 2 lines. one which had a 1000 min plan etc. totaling only $110
and another 500 min plan totaling $90 after taxes etc. for a supposed total of only $200 a month with taxes etc.
Well in the beginning for a couple months everything was OK.
Then all of a sudden our bill jumped from $210 a month to $290
without using any extra txts services etc.
this was before I got my BB
And I did not have an internet plan nor use any internet at all.
If you think a nice phone will save you from an impending scam then good luck being broke
or robbed blind.
If I was you I would take this response very serious.
I used to be a manger at Radio Shack and was around to witness the birth of CDMA
Yeah Sprint was first in May 06 followed shortly by Prime-Co and so on…
I have activated over a 1000 analog phones before the PCS boom.
And I’m a technological genius
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I’m in the same boat… they won’t cancel because I’ve never paid for extra text messaging and the new rates shouldn’t ever hit me looking at my past 3-month history.
Because of poor coverage service in my area, there IS a huge trend in my airtime minutes going down and text messages going up - they didn’t care.
The lady, Jill, was very rude. Basically said to get my lawyer involved if I wanted to solve this on the business end, as Customer Service wise she had done all she could done.
I heart t-mobile.
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Could I cancell it, and then add another line to get a cheaper phone?
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You guys don’t get it. It’s NOT about the text price. It’s just a way to get out of this stupid contract.
I used to love T-Mobile, but I moved to Nebraska and the service is sub par. They keep saying that I should have good service based on the coverage map, but I don’t.
T-Mobile works for some people, but not for others. If it does not work for you, you would be happy to leave as well.
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I got out!
1. i had unlimited texting…i switched it to 1000 a month… (do this if u have unlimited)
2. called tmobile and discussed this matter with them. the girl said i could get the waiver but if i cancelled i couldnt port my number. so i kept it going until i could get the iphone…i took her name and id #, i made her make a note also on my account
3. got the iphone today, called tmbobile and tried to cancel….he was like ‘ok i see the waiver sir…’ but hold on…but me on hold for 10 mins…clearly talking to the supervisor to try to find a loophole..came back and said ’sir u have a few international texts from a few months ago’. those are considered ‘overages’. so they thought they had me but i kept battling the guy. told him they told me something and they cant go back on that. he actually asked me if i got the iphone and said yes…anyways i asked to speak to his supervisor. he told me to wait and then when he came back he said they actually COULD apply the waived and i wouldnt be charged the 200 dollar fee.
tmobile thank you for 3 years, its nothing personal its just business!!!
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Changing carriers just because of :new hot phones”, smooth move retard..
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I would like to make love to an iphone, and make little iphone human babies…
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ok, im having a Canadian friend send me some text messages. That should do the trick, no?
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Just did this and it worked for me.
Yay to saving $30 a month (no more cell phone calls for me.)
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I called T-Mobile and was told that there’s nothing in my contract stating that they can’t raise text messaging rates, therefore this change is not a change in the Material Term of the Agreement and a cancellation fee of $200 would still apply
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Just so everyone knows sending a text to your own phone is a moot point. You have to have an overage on your account in the last three bill cycles. If the change in price doesn’t effect you ie you have an unlimited text plan or you don’t text at all then you cant get your ETF waived…
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I have tried for a week to cancel with Tmobile. They keep trying to tell me that I didn’t qualify. So I told them that I will be filing complaints with the F.C.C and the B.B.B. After a couple days I recieved a call from Tmobile sayng that they would cancel my contract without charging me the ETF. HA,HA FUCK Tmobile!!
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It doesn’t matter, they changed the terms of the contract. File complaints with the F.C.C. and B.B.B.
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Thanks. This worked and saved me $1200. I followed word for word and it took less than 5 minutes
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I called T-Mobile this morning and cancelled per the instructions above with ZERO pushback. I was on the 200 text message plan until I went over in June, and upgraded to 1000 messages at that time. When I called I spoke to John and informed him as to why I was cancelling. He tried briefly to keep me but I resisted all offers. Within 2 minutes he had the fee waived (I didnt have to ask) and let me know that I had till today to port my number. All in all I was on the phone for a grand total of 5 minutes 17 seconds. He obviously knew what I was doing when I asked about porting and I explained that when a contract is changed on me I will usually opt out of it. He knew this was dribble but had to ask. Anyway, I will be picking up my iphone today.
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what about international texting?…. does that also apply because i have the 400 text plan and i sent a text message to friend internationally and they charged me for it…. so can i use this to claim no ETF?
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This doesn’t work, the only way they will let you out of your contract is if they change the price of the monthly feature, not just the cost of indivigual messages.
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I called T-Mobile this morning, as in suggestions above. I was able to cancel both my line and my wife’s line in one call, with out the ETF!
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I called TMO to get out of the contract without the EFT, without any luck. I talked with 3 supervisors on 2 different occasions, who refused to budge because I had the 400msg plan, and had not gone over it. I did send an international text in my previous billing period, however, but Tmobile did not charge me for it and therefore was not eligible. I am going to try one more time, threatening reporting it to the FCC, and then get my lawyer on it. I’d rather pay my lawyer the $200 than the douchebags at tmo.
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