Cellphone purchase and return

Has anyone completed the purchase with revealed return T Mobile shop? They are bonused in my area and I wonder how much of a PITA these are.

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There were some horror stories a while ago but I can't seem to get the exact phrase right for the search function to get me there. If I remember, returning the phone wasn't so much of a problem but shoppers still got billed for it or service - maybe both. Endlessly. Trying to resolve the issue took a lot of time and effort, measuring a solid 10 on the frustration scale. Hopefully some of those posters are still with us and can retell the stories.

My recollection is that the problems you described were with AT&T, not T-Mobile.

@sestrahelena wrote:

There were some horror stories a while ago but I can't seem to get the exact phrase right for the search function to get me there. If I remember, returning the phone wasn't so much of a problem but shoppers still got billed for it or service - maybe both. Endlessly. Trying to resolve the issue took a lot of time and effort, measuring a solid 10 on the frustration scale. Hopefully some of those posters are still with us and can retell the stories.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

My problem, as myst mentioned, was with AT&T. As I recall, it took five calls and hrs., to reverse the purchase. As I avoid as much aggravation as possible at my age, for me to accept another one of these shops would be a minimum of $1000; we all know that will never occur.

I have accepted and completed AT&T jobs where the shop ended without a purchase. I was then required to visit Verizon and repeat the process, for a total of $140.

My problem was with Metro. They had signs on the wall and everything, saying if you returned the phone unused you'd get a full refund. It took me standing my ground in the store to get the phone refunded. It took receipts, a recitation of their refund policy, and eventually a threat to a corporate VP to get them to turn off the billing.

1000 foot pole.

I got screwed in a purchase and return with another cell phone company. I have the reciepts, showing that I returned the phone and canceling the service, the company first sent me bills for the service, and I told them that I canceled it, and returned the phone. 30 days later I got a bill for the cost of the phone. I showed them the receipt for the returned phone, they said they need some kind of verification from the cell phone store, the receipt they gave me proving that I returned the phone wasn't good enough. The bill for the phone went to collections, I challenged it, no one has contacted me about it since.

The MSC was EXACTLY zero help, they told me they aren't responsible for the mess.

I complained to the State Attorney General. Verizon quickly fixed the billing. T-Mobile was a harder nut to crack.

When you can lose the ability to do business in a state, companies start paying attention.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2025 02:34PM by wrosie.

Thanks for the feedback. This screamed 10ft pole, but I thought it was worth asking the experts!

any purchases related to telecom gives me the heebies.
all of telecom is only one level above scammers.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2025 01:27PM by BarefootBliss.

It sounds like a giant headache just waiting to happen.

I saw the $ amounts involved and thought no thanks. If they paid per complaint call required to resolve, I MIGHT consider it since that would give them an incentive to get the mess resolved.

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Cellphone purchase and return

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