T-Mobile Questions

[alexanac]

Hello,

First of all, this forum is absolutely great. I got more info in 10 minutes here than I could squeeze out of any customer service rep - for any wireless company! Thanks to all who share their knowledge and experience on this site...

That said, I live in the Cincinnati area and have decided to go with T-Mobile for a few reasons:

1) I am w/ Sprint now and coverage is horrible. I have heard and read good things about T-Mo coverage in my area.

2) I want to get a bluetooth enabled GSM phone and the SE T68i looks like the one.

RE: #2, I will be going to New Zealand for all of March, April, and most of May. I want a phone I can use both here and there. From everything I have read, it is not too difficult to get an unlock code from T-Mo and buy a new SIM & use prepaid when I get to NZ (from Vodaphone most likely). All of this seems pretty straight forward. I do have a few questions, however...

1) If I take advantage of the Amazon deal on the T68i, I must sign a one-year agreement. If I do this, can I specify a low cost rate plan now so I am not paying for minutes I don't use while in NZ? As far as understand it, with the Vodaphone SIM, T-Mo will not know I am using the phone at all. I would then want to go up the scale to higher rate plan when I get back. I can't see them saying "No" when I want to give them more $$$ every month, but you never know. Anyone done this?

2) Can you pick your # (at least the last 4 digits) with T-Mo?

3) Anything else I might need to know about using the phone out of country? I've never done this before...

I think those are big unanswered questions... Thanks in advance for any help provided!

- Tony

[alexanac]

Oops.. one more question...

Am I right to assume that the "National" plans (Get More, Talk & Text, etc.) allow yo to use your phone within the T-Mo area nationwide and call *any* US domestic phone (even if the receiving phone is not also within the T-Mo service area) w/ no long disatnce. This is my experience with the Sprint plans. I juat want t make sure there are no gotchas!

- Tony

[Apoc]

First off welcome to "The Advisor" T-Mo has a bunch of gotcha's so just be careful as soon as my contract ends I drop T-Mo in the toilet Can I say that?

[Matt]

The best thing to do while you are in NZ is to drop to the 19.99 plan. I'm not sure if they have some sort of account suspension service or not....

You can pick your last 4, I think the policy is you get three tries. Amazon will assign you a number I think, but you can call customer care and get a new number if you don't like it.

Your assumption concerning calls in your second post is correct.

[alexanac]

Matt,

So I can move up and down the rate scale during my one-year contract? Get a 1000 minute plan for Jan & Feb, drop to the Basic for March-May, and then back to the 1000 minute plan for the rest of the year? If so, that's great!

Thanks for the info...

Tony

[Apoc]

Alex any company will allow you to up and down through the price plans, but VZW is the only company to go up and down in a monthly bill cycle usaually they will wait till the next bill cycle goes forth!

[med1]

I don't think you can go down on the plan + the contract may get extended by another full term everytime you change your plan. Check to make sure NZ has a GSM network, couple of countries in that area for some reason may have cdma service. As far as gotcha's, if know how to read and do so before putting down your mark, you will be fine

[Murdoc]

First of all, T-Mobile is excellent. I have switched between plans. They usually make it effective at the start of the next billing cycle, but you can also request it to be effective immediately and it will be prorated. The customer service is very friendly and the rate plans are cool. I can answer almost any question about them becuase I just got off a one year contract with them.

[TMobileRocksSprintSucks]

[Matt]

Yes you can switch whenever you want, and it is T-Mobile's policy to make them effective at the beginning of the next billing cycle, although it can be done immediately if requested, as noted above. The only thing you need to realize is that say, if you are on the 1000 minute plan for 39.99 now, switch to the 19.99 plan in three months, and then in 6 months, want to switch back to the 1000 minute plan, they might not offer it anymore. you can only switch to a plan that is currently offered - it doesn't matter what you had in the past. Maybe they will still have it, maybe they won't. Or maybe it will have more minutes!

[CrazyCozmoGirl]

With the T-Mobile Get More Policy, most likely in six months, the plan will change in one of two ways. Either they will offer 1000 mins for less, or they will offer more mins for the same price.

[alexanac]

Thanks everyone!

- Tony

[corpnupe85]

I live in Louisville, Ky and recently switched from sprint pcs to T-Mobile. So far, the T-Mobile service is excellent in this area, superior to sprint pcs. They also assigned the last four numbers from my sprint phone, which I thought was terrific. I don't know about using the service out of the country.

Take care,

JG

[confusedphoneowner121415]

I recently got a motorola A630, i like it a lot, but the mic stopped working, if i send it in to t-mobile for a replacement phone, will they send me a comparable phone, or will it be a basic and standard phone? I would hope it would be something comparable, because i spent $300 on something that stopped working in a few weeks (never been dropped or suffered impact).

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by confusedphoneowner121415 I recently got a motorola A630, i like it a lot, but the mic stopped working, if i send it in to t-mobile for a replacement phone, will they send me a comparable phone, or will it be a basic and standard phone? I would hope it would be something comparable, because i spent $300 on something that stopped working in a few weeks (never been dropped or suffered impact).

If the phone is in warranty, which it sounds like it is, and they still sell the phone, they will send you the same phone as a replacement.

The replacement phone may be a refirb'd model, but if they do don't get worried, they usually are better then new ones, if any updates/upgrades came out after the initial release, the refirb's will be up to date.

[confusedphoneowner121415]

Originally Posted by Fire14 If the phone is in warranty, which it sounds like it is, and they still sell the phone, they will send you the same phone as a replacement. The replacement phone may be a refirb'd model, but if they do don't get worried, they usually are better then new ones, if any updates/upgrades came out after the initial release, the refirb's will be up to date.

It is under warranty, but the phone was discontinued some time back, so will something similar (sidekick or a blackberry for example, which are both in the price range of when i bought my A630) be sent? A630 was $300

[Matt]

Even if the phone was discontinued form the sales channel, some are kept on hand for a while for replacements.