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TMobile continues to defraud its customers

By Patrick   Follow   Wed, 7 Mar 2012, 5:50pm   4,532 views   25 comments
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TMobile still refuses to accept instruction to never ever bill for data (internet) charges.

They continue to add small random charges to bills for data usage, even if the phone is not capable of using data. Check your own bill.

In fact, I'm pretty sure all four carriers in the US cellular oligopoly do this. Does anyone know of any carrier that will allow you to set your plan to no data access, and no billing for data access?

The reason the carriers do not have to be responsive is exactly that they are an oligopoly, and customers have no choice. You either have a cellphone and are subject to random unwarranted data charges, or you don't have a cellphone at all.

What would it take to stop this unethical practice? Do we need to throw rocks through the windows of the executives' houses, with notes attached?

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1. EBGuy Follow Befriend 4 threads 2,115 comments

   1   6:02pm Wed 7 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Vote fifth party: MetroPCS. With the money you save buy a GoPhone for backup.

2. TPB Follow Befriend (1) 65 threads 1,209 comments

   2   7:34pm Wed 7 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I have a Samsung Finess from Metro PCS we pay 180 for 4 phones, with 4G. Though in October it had LTE I don't know what happened to that. Now the little icon only says 4G, I haven't seen LTE since the first month I got the thing.

3. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,235 threads 6,173 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA Premium

   3   7:59pm Wed 7 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   We have 4 phones, so Metro PCS would cost more than the $100 + random unwanted data charges that we pay now. Unless the bogus data charges really get out of hand. I don't even want data, if if Metro PCS would just offer a $100/month plan for voice + texting, I'd be delighted.

4. rootvg Follow Befriend (8) 1 threads 792 comments Danville, CA Premium

   4   8:15pm Wed 7 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says We have 4 phones, so Metro PCS would cost more than the $100 + random unwanted data charges that we pay now. Unless the bogus data charges really get out of hand. I don't even want data, if if Metro PCS would just offer a $100/month plan for voice + texting, I'd be delighted. My corporate issued BlackBerry is T-Mobile but I never personally cared for them. Of all the mobile carriers I've ever had, the best one was Sprint. The worst? AT&T.

5. TPB Follow Befriend (1) 65 threads 1,209 comments

   5   7:11am Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says want data, if if Metro PCS would just offer a $100/month plan for voice + texting, I'd be delighted. Metro offers a 4 phone family plan for $100 IIR, I think that's what we were on, before the smart phones came out.

6. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,235 threads 6,173 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA Premium

   6   8:44am Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I found some mention of that $100/mo plan for 4 phones, but it looks like they discountinued it in December. Overall though, I just love the way Metro PCS has flat fees, all taxes included, and no contract. They sound like no-bullshit people.

7. PersainCAT Follow Befriend (1) 145 comments Fairfax, VA

   7   8:49am Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I have t-mobile and i never get these data chargers, just looked back on my last 10 bills. I even have a smart phone with no data, they have a spot that says 1.99 per meg but it always stays at 0 since i disabled data via an app. fyi ALL t-mobile phones have the ability to access the internet via the t-mobile t-zone, and while u cant disable the ability to access that via t-mobile u can disable access in your phone via one of the settings (i just dont remember how off the top of my head).

8. dcllee Follow Befriend 7 threads 19 comments

   8   9:58am Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   I use t-mobile prepaid. no problem.

9. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

   9   10:59am Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I had my phone disconnected from any kind of data usage. That seemed to work.

10. PockyClipsNow Follow Befriend 19 threads 1,536 comments Los Angeles, CA

    10   11:30am Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I get a 20% discount for att service from work. Oddly the discount doesnt apply to data service.

11. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,235 threads 6,173 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA Premium

    11   12:15pm Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   PersainCAT says I have t-mobile and i never get these data chargers, just looked back on my last 10 bills. I even have a smart phone with no data, they have a spot that says 1.99 per meg but it always stays at 0 since i disabled data via an app. fyi ALL t-mobile phones have the ability to access the internet via the t-mobile t-zone, and while u cant disable the ability to access that via t-mobile u can disable access in your phone via one of the settings (i just dont remember how off the top of my head). How did you disable data? What app does that? For my own unlocked iPhone, I set the APN for data service to empty, but that did not stop T-Mobile from charging me for data that I did not use. That can't say what data, or when, they just say I have to pay some random amount even though I never want data service at all. Why can't you disable ability to access the internet via T-Mobile T-Zone? It's obviously very easy on their end, so my conclusion is it's so that they can claim you used it, and charge you for it. dcllee says I use t-mobile prepaid. no problem. But maybe they're still charging you for data you didn't use, taking away from your prepaid minutes? wthrfrk80 says I had my phone disconnected from any kind of data usage. That seemed to work. How? T-Mobile simply refuses to disable all data service for our phones. They tell you "that's not possible" when it obviously is possible.

12. rootvg Follow Befriend (8) 1 threads 792 comments Danville, CA Premium

    12   2:20pm Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says We have 4 phones, so Metro PCS would cost more than the $100 + random unwanted data charges that we pay now. Unless the bogus data charges really get out of hand. I don't even want data, if if Metro PCS would just offer a $100/month plan for voice + texting, I'd be delighted. Just got an email today from our telecom manager, saying our entire group has been approved for iPhones and we're going away from BlackBerry. They're gonna consolidate my phone and wireless hotspot into one device, should have it first of the week. I like RIM but the market is leaving them behind. It appears I'm gonna have a new toy to play with.

13. jworm Follow Befriend (1) 1 threads 12 comments San Francisco, CA

    13   2:43pm Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick, Can you tell us a little more on the phones and their usage? My wife and I both have Android phones. I talk on it infrequently and use no data and some text messages. She uses about 300 minutes/200 texts/400MB per month. Until a month ago she was on her own $59.99 + tax T-mobile plan (the total with tax/fees was $69.68) and I used T-mobile prepaid $.10 per min/text. T-mobile cut her grandfathered data plan so I started shopping around. There is a great Wikipedia list of Mobile Virtual Network Operators at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_MVNO . I found one that uses T-mobile's network, Simple Mobile, and she now has unlimited talk/text/data for a flat $40/ month. I'm still on T-Mobile prepaid, I probably use 700 minutes a year and 100 text messages. A combo of pre-paid and MVNO plans might make sense in your case.

14. rootvg Follow Befriend (8) 1 threads 792 comments Danville, CA Premium

    14   3:08pm Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   jworm says Patrick, Can you tell us a little more on the phones and their usage? My wife and I both have Android phones. I talk on it infrequently and use no data and some text messages. She uses about 300 minutes/200 texts/400MB per month. Until a month ago she was on her own $59.99 + tax T-mobile plan (the total with tax/fees was $69.68) and I used T-mobile prepaid $.10 per min/text. T-mobile cut her grandfathered data plan so I started shopping around. There is a great Wikipedia list of Mobile Virtual Network Operators at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_MVNO . I found one that uses T-mobile's network, Simple Mobile, and she now has unlimited talk/text/data for a flat $40/ month. I'm still on T-Mobile prepaid, I probably use 700 minutes a year and 100 text messages. A combo of pre-paid and MVNO plans might make sense in your case. I know this isn't directed at me, but please...just listen. I had a Droid that was rotten from the first day. It was slow, ran hot and wouldn't stop rebooting. Sprint finally swapped it out for another unit and about a month later, it started doing the same thing. I discontinued service when my employer issued me a Berry but now we're gonna get iPhones and I'm concerned it'll do the same thing. Maybe they're better now. We'll see.

15. jkennedy Follow Befriend 30 comments

    15   4:19pm Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   You could always do prepaid, put $100 at a time on each persons phone, and let it go. Some of you will burn through more minutes, while others won't use much. Or wait for republicwireless.com to get out of beta, $20 unlimited data/voice

16. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,235 threads 6,173 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA Premium

    16   5:57pm Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   jworm says Patrick, Can you tell us a little more on the phones and their usage? Sure. Me: 114 min total, 33 texts Wife: 301 min total, 141 texts Child1: 73 min total, 787 texts Child2: 10 min total, 171 texts Me: iPhone Wife: MyTouch (Android I think) Child1: Samsung Gravity T Child2: Samsung something Thanks for the list of MVNO's. I'll check them out. I signed up for Republicwireless.com but there's no telling then that will be available.

17. jworm Follow Befriend (1) 1 threads 12 comments San Francisco, CA

    17   8:53pm Thu 8 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says I signed up for Republicwireless.com but there's no telling then that will be available. Patrick, If you are thinking about going to Republicwireless.com you are going to need all new phones. If that doesn't bother you(new phones) then take a look at TING mobile, https://ting.com/ . They went nationwide this past February. You would only be paying $50 a month with TING and the usage you quoted. Phones run from $65 to $545.

18. jvolstad Follow Befriend (4) 1,003 threads 1,146 comments San Antonio, TX jvolstad's website

    18   11:33am Fri 9 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Maybe it's just me, but I'm addicted to mobile data. Not so much texting. It started with GSM/GPRS over ten years ago and now 4G.

19. mdovell Follow Befriend (4) 28 threads 776 comments

    19   5:11pm Fri 9 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I have a tracfone but then again I hardly make calls. Could a Voip phone service work for you? Google phone is free http://www.google.com/chat/voice/

20. SomeoneElse Follow Befriend 1 threads 4 comments

    20   3:52pm Sun 11 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I can't answer the question about blocking all data use, but I have Sprint's unlimited plan (about $90 a month, and yes that is very expensive), and I've had no problems with it. It's my first cellphone and I was expecting a nightmare scenario due to all the horror stories I've heard, but it's been more than a year and I've had no unexpected charges or problems. So I recommend Sprint.

21. Kelly Follow Befriend 1 comments

    21   8:29pm Sun 11 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   This is a BIG scam / ripoff / cheat that T-mobile is running. What they seem to do is wait for you to rack up some small data charges then later hit you with a big bill. I just got charged $50 for data I never used but the T-mobile rep would not budge saying they have "proof" and told me to go online to download the dates that I was supposedly using their data. There are no times listed next to the dates just a bunch of random dates that T-Mobile's computer algorithm randomly picks. T-Mobile has lost my business and I told the rep I will cancel my service in the next month when my contract expires and all he said was "Sorry to hear that"

22. PersainCAT Follow Befriend (1) 145 comments Fairfax, VA

    22   8:28am Tue 13 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   sry been away, i've had nothing but good interactions with t-mobile. Heres my "data" story Patrick says How did you disable data? What app does that? For my own unlocked iPhone, I set the APN for data service to empty, but that did not stop T-Mobile from charging me for data that I did not use. That can't say what data, or when, they just say I have to pay some random amount even though I never want data service at all. For my android phone i use APNdroid, its the same app. As well when i bought the phone i called and asked about the data issue, they said if i didnt have a data plan (becasue i bought my phone from ebay) and then disabled data as soon as i turned on the new phone i would never see a data charge. As well they would let me use up to 5 meg free the first month becasue they understood the phone might auto connect before i could stop it. Patrick says Me: 114 min total, 33 texts Wife: 301 min total, 141 texts Child1: 73 min total, 787 texts Child2: 10 min total, 171 texts They SHOULD be able to monitor which one of your families phones is useing the data and how much. I'd call and ask that (ie how much data, which phone what hours it was used) then go double check all the settings on that phone. Its could be possible theres an app that is bypassing APN.

23. whitewaterbug Follow Befriend 1 threads 1 comments

    23   11:20am Tue 13 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I called into Tmobile and said "I am recording this call for my quality assurance and training purposes" I was politely told that Tmobile can monitor calls (which they use to create records), but I cannot record the calls. To me, this is an indicator that fraud is likely happening.

24. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,235 threads 6,173 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA Premium

    24   2:10pm Tue 13 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Better to deal with them by their text chat help app on their website in that case, like I did here: http://patrick.net/forum/?p=16801 Then you have a nice transcript. But I know what you mean about fraud. When tried to peek over the shoulder of the guy at the TMobile store who was looking up what data I supposedly used, he freaked out and shut off his monitor. Told me I could not look at their records for my account. And they never did tell me what data I supposedly used.

25. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,235 threads 6,173 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA Premium

    25   2:30pm Tue 20 Mar 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   jworm says take a look at TING mobile, https://ting.com/ . They went nationwide this past February. But Ting also doesn't let me never ever get billed for data at all, right? All I want is a guarantee that I will not get billed for data.