T-Mobile forcing customers to more expensive plans instead of hiking prices

AppleInsider

In November, without calling it a price-hike, T-Mobile will automatically move some users to more expensive plans unless the customers call the company to opt-out.

Phone Freedom by T-Mobile

T-Mobile claims that their plan changes are not price hikes but rather a shift to newer plans at a different cost. Leaked documents show that customer service representatives will use this message to address customer concerns regarding the transition.

According to The Mobile Report, the company is planning to upgrade older rate plans to newer ones with better features for some customers. After being notified about these changes, customers can contact the support team and opt out if they wish to keep their current plan.

The plans affected include Simple Choice/Select Choice, Magenta, Magenta 55, ONE Plan, and Simple Choice Business. However, there's some confusion surrounding the migration of Magenta customers.

This move has sparked criticism from T-Mobile users, who view it as a questionable decision. Some are worried that this transition could lead to higher prices, especially as T-Mobile gains market influence. Users on Reddit have deemed the action as predatory, and are concerned that the company may be hoping that auto-pay customers won't notice the extra $5-$10 charge per line per month.

Currently, T-Mobile customers can opt-out, but this situation raises concerns about future pricing and plan stability for the carrier's user base.

In March, T-Mobile announced plans to purchase Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile to boost its prepaid cellular services. The company said that the two carriers would largely remain separate entities.

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retrogusto

John Legere built up a lot of good will over the years with customers (which has been very good for the profits and share price) by not doing all of the shady crap that AT&T and Verizon were doing, with hidden fees and all of that nonsense, but all of that good will can vanish in an instant if they start behaving badly.

coolfactor

I wish my carrier would move me to a current plan that is a lower cost with better value, rather than keeping me grandfathered on my current plan while selling the new plan to customers that enquire. Frustrating when I call in only to find out that a newer, better plan has been available for months while I have been paying the "old" price.

pbailey

I'm currently on the Magenta plan and have already started looking at other providers. if they automatically move me up to a higher plan so I have to pay $5.00 or $10.00 more a month per line, I'm going to do what they did to me. I'll switch over to another provider without telling them first and make them call me if they want me to stay with them on my current plan at the same price. I too can play the game.

zeus423

I’d be happy with a better signal from T-mobile. I live and work in a city of 200K residents. Yet the signal is weak and spotty more often than it is strong and solid. Good luck finding a way to report a crappy signal to T-mobile. 

jamnap

Was with TMO for many years (5 lines, 4 watches), but gave up on them one week ago.  Am now with Visible (VZW) at have the price and great signal (Watch lines are only $5 per).  Am looking at Pure Talk (ATT) for parents (Vet discount)

williamh

pbailey said:

I'm currently on the Magenta plan and have already started looking at other providers. if they automatically move me up to a higher plan so I have to pay $5.00 or $10.00 more a month per line, I'm going to do what they did to me. I'll switch over to another provider without telling them first and make them call me if they want me to stay with them on my current plan at the same price. I too can play the game.

I don’t understand how your games works. If you don’t “tell” T-Mobile, you will still be a subscriber paying them a monthly fee.  

Mystakill

retrogusto said:

John Legere built up a lot of good will over the years with customers (which has been very good for the profits and share price) by not doing all of the shady crap that AT&T and Verizon were doing, with hidden fees and all of that nonsense, but all of that good will can vanish in an instant if they start behaving badly.

Unfortunately, John retired several years ago.  This is all on the new CEO reneging on their previous "price lock guarantee".

Appleish

We're on the Magenta 55 plan, which is $90 a month for our two lines, which I just paid a minute ago.

I will definitely notice if the number "90" changes.

jib

Appleish said:

We're on the Magenta 55 plan, which is $90 a month for our two lines, which I just paid a minute ago.

I will definitely notice if the number "90" changes.

If you are paying $90 for two lines, you are on Magenta Max 55, which is not being changed (currently, at least).  I am on Magenta 55 which is $70 for two lines and is scheduled to switch to Go5G 55, which will be $80 if I do not opt out.  I will opt out because the Go5G plan is virtually identical but $10 more -- no benefit to me.

williamh

We've been T-mobile customers for about 8 years and we're happy with them.  Did any other phone company get you a free pizza or subs? (T-Mobile Tuesdays).  T-Mobile is particularly good for world travelers with free text and (slow) data just about everywhere.  Though with dual-sim phones it matters a bit less if you're inclined to buy pay-as-you-go SIMs at your destinations.

T-Mobile hasn't raised the price on our old plans, we were paying $120 for 4 phones, unlimited most stuff.   However they increased the base price and reduced the additional line fees so we didn't really reduce the bill at all when we eliminated a line.  They are also offering discounts on additional things like home internet if you have a higher priced plan.  We're paying $50/mo for home internet while we'd pay $40/month if we had the newer plan.  The effect of this is that we might be able to get a better plan without much or any increase in overall cost.  That's not such a bad way for them to do it, in my view.

djeilers

I was with T-Mobile as my carrier for about 7 years.  6 of those were good.  The las year or year and a half, they were not only bad, but very bad.  EVERY MONTH EHY OVERBILLED ME BY 50 TO 75%.  Repeated calls to customer service never addressed this.  I had to spend hours in the local T-Mobile store to get them to "fix" or rather correct their billing errors.  Finally, I switched to one of their "current" plans thinking that this would alleviate this issue.  It did not.  In my opinion, based on hours of time on the phone, in the store, talking with "higher up" people at T-Mobile, this was not an accident.  In my opinion, iT WAS INTENTIONAL MISBILLING.  It was not for small amounts.  I was already on their more costly plans. IT WAS IN ERROR FOR OVER 1 YEAR EVEYR MONTHY REPEATEDLY.   

I finally gave up and switched.  Now I pay 35/month for Visible ( I know its a part of Verizion) and I have not issues.  The service is good.  Best of all, not a single billing "error".  How does the FCC and the FTC not pursue this?  How do they not tie this into the merger with Sprint?  It is obvious and egregious.  I only share this so other people will not waste hours trying to get an unreasonable and in my opinion dishonest company to be reasonable and honest.  I have endless documentation if any class action attorney is interested..

chadbag

I was on t-mobile for a long time.  Then they decided to that get the auto pay discount you had to give them your bank info instead of just charging your card.  (You could also use a debit card which is hardly better than direct debit of account with bank info — they still have direct ac was to your funds).  If you didn’t enter your banking info you’d lose the discount which was basically a price hike for me of around $50/month on our 5-6 lines.   So I moved.  I decided to go to Mint Mobile
prepaid at 1/2 the cost yearly (yes I know Mint is being or has been acquired by T-Mobile but it’s run as a separate business with different parameters).   So T-mobile basically lost a 6 line customer.