T-Mobile's inexplicably stupid upgrading policy

[cliche guevara]

Click change you should get 'Inclusive promotional Bolt Ons' where you can choose to have the unlimited web bolt on at no extra cost.

That also offers 'unlimited wif-fi', so normally you'd have to pay to use wi-fi, even on your own home network?

 

[cliche guevara]

Unlimited access on 3 is a £5 add-on to any of their tariffs, which is fairly reasonable.

Aren't they to be avoided with a barge pole though? I've heard terrible things about their customer service.

 

[editor]

Click change you should get 'Inclusive promotional Bolt Ons' where you can choose to have the unlimited web bolt on at no extra cost.

Ah, gotcha. I've written to T Mobile, and depending on their answer, I'll be switching to O2.

Could you tell me how you get on with your Centro when you get your SIM? Oh, and have you any idea what the deal is for US data?

 

[Kid_Eternity]

T&C for data:

Data Bolt On Terms

1. The Web Bolt On allows you unlimited use of Telefónica O2 UK Limited's Edge/GPRS/ 3G networks (as applicable to your handset), for personal internet use via your mobile phone. All usage must be for your private, personal and non-commercial purposes. You may not use your SIM Card:
   • in, or connected to, any other device including modems;
   • to allow the continuous streaming of any audio / video content, enable Voice over Internet (Voip), P2P or file sharing; or
   • in such a way that adversely impacts the service to other O2 customers

If O2 reasonably suspects you are not acting in accordance with this policy O2 reserves the right to impose further charges, impose network protection controls which may reduce your speed of transmission, remove the Web Bolt On from your account or disconnect your tariff at any time, having attempted to contact you first.

That also offers 'unlimited wif-fi', so normally you'd have to pay to use wi-fi, even on your own home network?

T&C for wifi:

Wi-Fi Bolt On Terms
The Wi-Fi Bolt On allows you unlimited use of The Cloud’s UK Wireless LAN network for personal internet use via your mobile phone. All usage must be for your private, personal and non-commercial purposes. You may not use your SIM Card:

1. in, or connected to, any other device including modems;
2. to allow the continuous streaming of any audio / video content, enable Voice over Internet (Voip), P2P or file sharing; or
3. in such a way that adversely impacts the service to other O2 customers or customers of The Cloud.

If O2 reasonably suspects you are not acting in accordance with this policy O2 reserves the right to impose further charges, impose network protection controls which may reduce your speed of transmission, remove the Wi-Fi Bolt On from your account or disconnect your tariff at any time, having attempted to contact you first.

 

[cliche guevara]

Ah, gotcha. I've written to T Mobile, and depending on their answer, I'll be switching to O2.

Hope you have better luck than I did. Be careful with the cancellation date of your contract, apparently mine wasn't cancelled in time for it to be processed that month, and I ended paying for an extra month... Fuckers...

 

[teuchter]

Aren't they to be avoided with a barge pole though? I've heard terrible things about their customer service.

Their customer service is indeed pretty rubbish, but I've kind of assumed the same applies whichever operator you go for.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Ah, gotcha. I've written to T Mobile, and depending on their answer, I'll be switching to O2.

Could you tell me how you get on with your Centro when you get your SIM? Oh, and have you any idea what the deal is for US data?

Sure, that's the only hesitation I have; having to fuck about with net settings to get the Centro to work. But I bought mine unlocked so in theory it shouldn't be any hassle (I stuck my T Mobile sim in when I got it and it worked with no setting faffing).

No idea about US data use, haven't really thought about roaming data use as that's not really that relevant for me...

 

[cliche guevara]

Their customer service is indeed pretty rubbish, but I've kind of assumed the same applies whichever operator you go for.

Well, apart from the ridiculous renewal rules, T-Mobile have always been really good for me.

 

[ChrisFilter]

How do you mean? They used to be 200mb 'fair use' but now, due to the iPhone, there's no upper limit from I can tell...

Ah, fair play. Historically they were the worst, but it seems they've caught up!

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Ah, fair play. Historically they were the worst, but it seems they've caught up!

Yep they were (it was the reason I left them for T Mob after being with them for two years), the iPhone changed all that thankfully. I found o2 had better coverage and far better customer service than I've found with T Mob.

 

[Sunray]

O2 got rid of the weird 'your going to leave us, speak to this person, oh have it for 1/2 the price' policy sometime last year.

What ever is available on their website for new customers is also available for existing ones.

Why don't you just cancel the T-Mobile contract and then order another with the phone? The 18 month thing was my biggest problem with the iPhone. I expect that it will be my one and only 18 month contract.

 

[Oswaldtwistle]

Why don't you just cancel the T-Mobile contract and then order another with the phone?

Ed would lose his number though, which might be a big deal or not depending.

EDIT: I have heard on other forums of people getting round this by porting over to a PAYG sim and then porting back- sounds a lot of hassle though.

 

[quimcunx]

The way mobile companies operate do seem rather mysterious though. For example, 3 gave me a discount - quite a generous one - in return for not getting a new handset when I renewed my contract last time round. This time, they seemed perfectly happy to let that discount continue to apply but insisted that I could have a new handset anyway. Which I promptly sold on ebay for about £100. Taking that into account, I now pay them about £7 a month for more texts and minutes than I can use, and unlimited internet access. Which suits me fine but I don't really see how they can make much money out of me.

Please accept this post as notification that I am now putting you in charge of all my mobile phone, home phone and internet contracts along with all train journey itineraries and ticket purchasing and any other sundry tasks I should choose.

 

[Badgers]

The thing is that there seems to be little consistency.
I know at least one person that hates every provider due to poor service etc.

O2 have been good to me for a long time now so I am sticking with what I know.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

The thing is that there seems to be little consistency.
I know at least one person that hates every provider due to poor service etc.

O2 have been good to me for a long time now so I am sticking with what I know.

I've been on Orange, T Mob and O2. O2 were the best of the three by a wide margin (Orange were the worst at the time in terms of price and coverage)...

 

[UnderOpenSky]

If you want to show that you are serious about leaving, call up and ask for your pac code. You will get transferred to a special department who will do all they can to stop you leaving, much more effective then just speaking to a customer service advisor and telling them you will leave if you don't get the deal you want.

 

[cliche guevara]

If you want to show that you are serious about leaving, call up and ask for your pac code. You will get transferred to a special department who will do all they can to stop you leaving, much more effective then just speaking to a customer service advisor and telling them you will leave if you don't get the deal you want.

Didn't work for me or the other disgruntled t-mobile customers on this thread.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Didn't work for me or the other disgruntled t-mobile customers on this thread.

Yep. They just asked why I'm leaving, I told them the O2 deal and they said they could match that and my PAC code would arrive by text within a few minutes of the call...

 

[SK.]

It really does seem to depend on spend etc or even just luck of the draw I really don't know.

I phoned up yesterday, now I have been a customer for 4 yrs. My current outlay is around £50 a month which by todays standard is not really considered high spend. My contract renewal was up last month but I couldn't make my mind up what I wanted to do, also I have been reading the same everywhere that T Mobile had not so much tightened the purse strings but completely knotted them up tight.

So anyway called yesterday and enquired about the G1. I didn't try and haggle, I didn't start giving it PAC code etc which I know did work in the past. I just explained that I was interested in the G1, I explained I know that people were being told January (some customers on very low spend are now being told March) before they could consider a decent upgrade but what would it cost me to upgrade.

The Answer: Free and I should have it next week. I was shocked and asked him to confirm that I was not signing up for 24 months or a bigger spend contract. they confirmed I was staying on my current 18 month contract and that the G1 would be free.

I didn't ask to leave, I didn't request a PAC code, I didn't even go through to retentions, the guy looked at my account said yup free and put it through, just waiting on stock.

Now I phoned today as I was still concerned as to what others were saying, I phoned under the guise of someone who was just excited about getting the phone and wondered if they had stock yet oh and to check the upgrade as I couldn't remember it all. Different agent from who carried out the deal on Monday and they confirmed that everything was the same and the handset was free.

I'm either lucky or something on my account means I am a *worthy* customer but I don't have a clue as to what?

 

[editor]

I phoned up yesterday, now I have been a customer for 4 yrs. My current outlay is around £50 a month which by todays standard is not really considered high spend.

That's a lot more than me!

 

[teuchter]

I'm either lucky or something on my account means I am a *worthy* customer but I don't have a clue as to what?

I'd say it has a lot to do with spending £50 a week. You say it's not "high spend" but I think it's a fair bit more than most people spend. Certainly a lot more than I do.

 

[cliche guevara]

I think most people go for the contracts that are around £30 a month at the minute.

 

[SK.]

I'd say it has a lot to do with spending £50 a week. You say it's not "high spend" but I think it's a fair bit more than most people spend. Certainly a lot more than I do.

I only spend around £50 a month not a week.

 

[Badgers]

I only spend around £50 a month not a week.

 

[EastEnder]

I'm probably doing to ditch T-Mobile soon, I'm on a pay monthly contract and haven't upgraded in about 3 years, but even if I didn't encounter the issues on this thread (which I did last time, when the upgrade was a whole 40 quid less than the full price...), the main reason is that T-Mobile's range of phones is shit. I've been waiting for the 8Mp Samsung camera phone to come out for ages, now it's finally out and the only people selling it are Orange/O2 - T-Mobile are trying to ram the N96 down eveyones throats instead...

 

[teuchter]

I only spend around £50 a month not a week.

Sorry, I meant month, not week.

£50 seems relatively high per month to me.

 

[editor]

Just had a call from T Mobile and they insist that as a customer of 10 years standing, I'd still be expected to pay £305 more than a new customer for exactly the same contract.

The guy I spoke to certainly seemed to empathise with me: reading between the lines he was as fed up as anyone having to tell customers that they're going to be royally shafted by the company (he actually started the call saying that, "it wasn't a call he'd been looking forward to making." When I said that I doubt if I was the first to leave the network over their ludicrous intransigence, he seemed to suggest that there had been a lot of people leaving and that they might have to review the situation.

I've got my PACT number now, which gives me 30 days to move networks (otherwise you have to renew it again).

Ridiculously, there's absolutely nothing to stop me leaving my new network provider in a month's time, getting my PACT number and then signing up for T Mobile's more attractive mew customer deal for the G1.

How fucking stupid are T Mobile? What a pointless exercise.

 

[spacemonkey]

Just had a call from T Mobile and they insist that as a customer of 10 years standing, I'd still be expected to pay £305 more than a new customer for exactly the same contract.

The guy I spoke to certainly seemed to empathise with me: reading between the lines he was as fed up as anyone having to tell customers that they're going to be royally shafted by the company (he actually started the call saying that, "it wasn't a call he'd been looking forward to making." When I said that I doubt if I was the first to leave the network over their ludicrous intransigence, he seemed to suggest that there had been a lot of people leaving and that they might have to review the situation.

I've got my PACT number now, which gives me 30 days to move networks (otherwise you have to renew it again).

Ridiculously, there's absolutely nothing to stop me leaving my new network provider in a month's time, getting my PACT number and then signing up for T Mobile's more attractive mew customer deal for the G1.

How fucking stupid are T Mobile? What a pointless exercise.

Absolute epic fail. You'd think in the competitive world of mobile phone contracts, being a loyal customer would count for something?

I got screwed by o2 last year despite being with them for 7 years!

 

[editor]

Thoughtfully, T Mobile have just written to me to quote my original complaint in its entirety and add nothing else. Thanks guys! Love you!

 

[Oswaldtwistle]

Ju

I've got my PACT number now, which gives me 30 days to move networks (otherwise you have to renew it again).

Ridiculously, there's absolutely nothing to stop me leaving my new network provider in a month's time, getting my PACT number and then signing up for T Mobile's more attractive mew customer deal for the G1.

How fucking stupid are T Mobile? What a pointless exercise.

I've read on other forums about people doing this, porting out to a PAYG and then back again......

Anyway, hope you get a nice phone whatever you go for.....