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!
So I have unlimited text messaging with my sidekick plan, but I started texting to canada
Ive called three times and everyone has given me a hard time
Here is the line in the 12/04 contract that is about to screw me over (on the phone now)
UNLESS A LONGER PERIOD IS REQUIRED BY LAW. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW, CHARGES FOR PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OPTIONAL SERVICES, OR ANY OTHER CHARGES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR MONTHLY RECURRING ACCESS RATE PLAN (SUCH AS DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE, ROAMING, DOWNLOADS, AND THIRD-PARTY CONTENT) ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND IF YOU CONTINUE TO USE THOSE SERVICES, OR YOU OTHERWISE AGREE TO THE CHANGES, THEN YOU AGREE TO THE NEW CHARGES. VISIT OUR WEB SITE, RETAIL LOCATIONS, OR CALL CUSTOMER CARE FOR CURRENT CHARGES.
First she says you havent been charged for the international text messaging
Then she changes it to oh thats not in the contract
Couldn’t do it because I haven’t received any charges in my last 3 billing cycles. And they claim that is part of the requierments. Althougt i have sent and received tx this billing cycle they were not made in the past 3 months may-july, but not after july 6.
I treat about the fcc complaint but they didn’t care less.
You should call back and keep trying with a different representative every time…. they cannot say that you have not received any charges in the past three months it does not matter if you have a plan (except maybe the unlimited plan) because you can always go over your messages even with the 400 or 200 plans… who knows it might have not happened yet but it might happen sometime in the future… there are no guarantees… so use this arguement and keep calling back… some have had to call 4-6 times before they got what they wanted….
>> On Jul 7, 2008 @ 2:15 pm, Alan Said:
>Why would anyone want to cancel T-mobile?! Now cancelling AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon would be a worthwhile article!
Um how about lack of coverage? I have a friend on T-Mobile I don’t think we’ve had more than one or two convos where she hasn’t dropped the call, and half the time it takes multiple call backs to get through to her and sometimes I can’t at all for the duration of the evening. I always thought they were a good carrier before that. Now I would never touch them.
Shame on you all for trying to scam out of your contract! You pay the ETF because it is to help them recoup the amount they SUBSIDIZED toward the cost of the phone when you signed that contract.
Attempting to get out of your contract unless your coverage sucks OR the text messaging thing actually effects you is FRAUD!
SIN, get your facts straight, Cingulair bought AT&T not the other way around. The company it bought was only one small remnant of the one broken up in the 80’s. Believe me their customers would have been better off if ATT had bought Cingulair. Cingulair’s prices — the ones the new company kept — were MUCH higher
Awesome help. Took me just 3 min to cancel and transfer the number. Thanks again for great help.
Thanks for the tip. Worked great. My contract was cancelled within 4 minutes without ETF and I have already ported all of my family numbers.
WAIT DOES IT INCLUDE PLANS WITH UNLIMITED TXT MSGING? BECAUSE I WANT TO CANCEL MY TMOBILE ACCOUNT WITH THE ETF BECAUSE ITS $200 DOLLARS?
Just a quick question, I have a family plan, and only one of the phones has texting on it. If I do the text message trick to one of our phones, can we cancel both lines? Or just the one that I sent the text to? From what I understand, it can still be done with a non-unlimited texting plan (as the overuse for texts will also be inreased in the new contract), but I’m just curious how I should go about this. I’m obviously hyped about the iPhone and 3g, and really want to switch to ATT, even though we’ve had T-Mobile for a long time..
I called and tried today 2 times and I had absolutely no luck. I have the 400 text plan and they told me that since I have not gone over they will not let me out of the contract. End of story and I got that from 2 different people. My wife has texted her daughter in Spain and they said that didn’t matter. HELP!!!! Anyone got any more suggestions?
Called T-mobile, and after speaking with 3 or 4 customer service representatives, got out of two contracts with no ETFs!!!!! Used the text message increase excuse. Almost didn’t work because we had an unlimited text message bundle but they finally waived the ETFs as a “courtesy.” THANKS!
Well I had a huge fight with t-mobile CS, they threatened with their lawyers and suggested me that I would waste my time complaining, I too was on a text message plan (400 messages at 4.99) but wanted to switch to a regular messages since I don’t use 4.99 worth of messages.
I wrote a letter a few days back to the Better Business Bureau and today I received a call from T-Mobile headquarters releasing from my contract with them without ETF .
BTW, to anyone who bitches about me trying to get out of my contract early, my phones where purchased on ebay and I was a customer since 2004. Business is Business.
I just got off the phone with a REP- whew boy it went easy! Thanks so much! You really helped me a lot BOY G!
Here’s our phone conversation (following my phone payment)
BRIAN: Is there anything else I can do for you mam?
ME: Yeap. I would like to cancel my account.
BRIAN: Which number mam?
ME: Both
BRIAN: Okay. Is there any reason why you would like to cancel both account mam?
ME: Yes, I heard that the text message will increase from $.10 to $.20
BRIAN: Okay, but I just want to let you know that you will be charge with ETF
ME: huh? (like I did not see that coming) Well my terms with TMOBILE is that the ETF will be waived if its materially adverse to me.
BRIAN: Oh okay then, hold please.
…..(Destiny’s child-Independent woman)…..
BRIAN: Okay mam I canceled both account
ME: Okay, so..I didnt get charge for it right?
BRIAN: No mam. Is there anything else I could do for you?
ME: No (sound with a smile) this is great, thanks so much Brian!
BRIAN: You’re welcome! Have a nice day.
ME: Thanks, bye!
BRIAN: Bye!
CLICK.
I’m an indirect dealer and my customer will be switching to Alltel.
We’re going to try this today. *crosses fingers*
I just called T-mobile and had a very pleasant conversation with the CS Rep. I wasn’t ready to leave yet but wanted to have the option in the future. She called my bluff and said that I had until Aug 22nd to cancel without the ETF (because of my billing cycle). So that means I have nine days to decide whether I want to really jump ship and go get an iPhone. I said that I would probably end up staying with T-mobile longer if they cancelled the contract now, but she said no. Another thing she mentioned is that all the other companies already charge 20 cents for each txt message.
So, I tried this twice and they quoted that they sent notice on June 28th for my account and I had until August 9th or 11th (depending on which Rep I spoke to). Any other suggestions on getting around this?
I have an update, I filed a complaint with the BBB and a few days later I got a call from T-Mobile telling me that I could get out of my contract with no ETF but that I would have to send them my phone back which means I loose the money I paid for it. I said no way and called T-Mobile the next day to complain. This guy was super nice and appologized and let me out of my contract, no ETF and I get to keep my phones!!!!! Words of advise, be persistant and don’t give up.
I had the same problem. I called in and they quoted me the Aug 11 deadline. I honestly did not get the “insert” they were referring to. I told the rep I didn’t think it was fair that they did not provide me notice and give me ample time to make a decision. Rep was not sympathetic and simply tried to sell me a text plan.
I have submitted a message to customer service if that doesn’t work. the fcc?
I’m curious if anyone else has had luck with this.
You can change your plan to a one line plan. You will most likely have to have your contract end date to end later. Just go to one of the t-mobile stores and ask them to change the plan for you. Also they shouldn’t charge you.
Would this method work if I cancel my messaging plan, waited a few months and then call and do all the steps you tell me to?
this rocks!!!! it was sooo easy and you have until septeber 1 to cancel…..hooray! I’m done with T Mobile and didn’t have to pay ANY early termination fees!!!!!!
It does rock!!! I am out of the contract and now with AT&T. I may see an Iphone in my future!! haha
I looked at the directions and called T-Mobile today to cancel my contract. At first the rep tried to say that it would be $200 to cancel the contract before it was up, but I quoted the excerpt Terms of Service Section 3 mentioned above. Worked like a charm. He put me on hold for about 20 minutes, came back, and let me know that my contract had been canceled free of charge. Thanks for the info!!!!!!
I called T-Mobile but they said I wasn’t eligible to cancel without the ETF because I hadn’t gone over my messaging plan in the last 3 billing periods. Any ideas?