$5 auto-pay discount, T-Mobile's breach of contract

I can understand the frustration of people already on plan with credit card and now this change.

But get this… T-Mobile is NOT paying autopay credit even for NEW customers with checking/savings account withdrawals. 

They keep giving different excuse every time I call.
I have never missed a payment, been on checking/savings account for the last 13 months and they are saying I am ineligible.

We are on a Go5G plan with 6 lines.

WE’VE BEEN HAD🤮This is MARKETING LEGAL MALPRACITICE and CORPORATE GREED🤮🤮”Join us and your rate will never increase” HA HA HA..here we go greedy bastards executives..welcome to the dance of BLOOD SUCKING AMBITION of the business class. 5 more dollars per customer and I pray to God, billions of losses after we all find an alternative to your TREASONOUS DECEPTIONS 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

I had been a loyal Verizon customer for some 30 years before moving over to T-Mobile some 5 to 7 years ago.  What I noticed very quickly after making the switch was that Verizon's customer service and coverage (with respect to the remote areas I sometimes travel to) were superior to T-Mobile's.  But I loved T-Mobiles no nonsense billing, no "yada, yada, yada" - I loved there transparent way of doing business.  You were told what your monthly amount was and that's what you paid, taxes and all with never an increase - no surprises.  That business plan was so refreshing that I was willing to accept a downgrade in the coverage and the customer service I enjoyed at Verizon (to be fair T-Mobile's customer service is also pretty good...or was).  But I was SHOCKED today when I learned of the  manipulative underhanded $10 increase T-Mobile is instituting through the autopay program.  For new customers, yes, I understand if they want to begin a program of discouraging use of credit cards.  But to do this to their loyal existing customers is disloyal, a disgrace and, yes, I believe a breach of contract.  It's nothing more than an increase in our bills that they promised would never happen.  I called today to voice my dis-pleasure and extreme disappointment with T-Mobile.  I advised them that I, for one, intend to join a class action lawsuit that is bound to initiate over this policy - and, for the first time since I joined T-Mobile I'm considering going back to Verizon to enjoy their superior coverage.  Suddenly the dropped phone calls and lack of coverage in the remote areas I experience with T-Mobile don't seem worth it.  I sense a distinct lack of loyalty now to T-Mobile within myself, that I don't even like.  I have that sick feeling in my stomach that comes when you know you are about to break up with your long time partner.  If anyone hears of a class action lawsuit that has started up, please let the rest of us know.  

I've Been Yada Yada'd wrote:

Every time I get a bill I’m remined how T-Mobile broke their promise …

Same! I couldn’t take it anymore so after decades with TMO we are now former customers. 

Every time I get a bill I'm remined how T-Mobile broke their promise and used the words in their advertisements to trick people into believing the company would actually live up to what it promised - no surprises, no fine print, no yada yada yada.  It's not uncommon for people to discuss which company they use for service.  Whenever that topic comes up in conversation, I share my experience with T-Mobile and how they promised no Yada, Yada, yada, but all I got was yada, yada, yada.   

I agree this is a sneaky end-around move by an untrustworthy player in an untrustworthy industry. I'm not sure the exact basis of a class action suit although the spirit of the agreement was clearly breached. It's also interesting to me and I'm no expert but let's say the cost of taking a card is 3% then on my $40 bill, that would be $1.20 so how is it that they figure to take $5.00 from me? Why would anyone want to trust T-mobile with my private banking information that exposes me to losing the max balance in my checking account vs the $50 max exposure to a credit card? According to my conversation today with T-mobile, "most customers have provided their debit card information". First of all, I doubt that; I think most are just paying $5/mo more either because they don't want to divulge bank info or because they are too lazy to make the switch. Today I tried to switch to the debit card but was unable to do so because the T-mobile system is flawed that I couldn't even to that. After that, I called T-mobile and after an hour of voicing my disgust with T-mobile's dishonesty, I was given my $5/month AutoPay discount back forever using a card (or so they promised) but also given a $35 statement credit for my time. Pro tip: I specifically mentioned that it had cost me over an hour of my time to try to fix this problem. As usual, the Reps were super nice (not their fault, they don't own T-mobile). So I guess I said something nice about T-mobile (reps are super nice). This does not excuse T-mobile dishonesty and the millions ripped off by it but maybe leaves a path for those of us who are willing to fight to receive their just due.

Fortisanne wrote:

I'm thinking about finding an attorney for a class action law suit if I don't just switch my coverage first!  No surprises--this is a BIG surprise and there is NO way I would trust TMobile or any business with my banking information.  As someone else said, I'm switching back to paper at the very least.  I'm checking deals from other carriers and I have been with tmobile for over 10 years.  So much for being loyal. I understand new customers having to do ACH to get a discount, but this is gouging your loyal customer.  

Dead on right!  I already switched back to paper.  Gouging customers is bad business and gets you class actions which end up being very costly. When someone asks me what I think of T-Mobile, I will give them my honest opinion - T-Mobile gouges its customers and doesn't live up to its promises.  

gramps28 wrote:

cme4loans wrote:

I signed up for $5/month auto-pay discount a couple months ago - but it wasn't applied when the next bill came.  I called to inquire - they said I needed to switch from a credit card to an ACH, which I did.  It's been another month now, and the new bill has no mention of the $5 credit.  I am on the phone with Customer Service who now says my plan doesn't qualify for the $5 auto-pay discount.  No where on the website mentions this $5 discount

Look for it on your next bill. If you changed it after the bill was already processed it may not of taken so ask for a credit.

A class action is exactly the way to go.  There are some people who post on these threads and they will say all the companies are doing it, or there was no contract, or the no increases only applied to rates and not total cost, or T-Mobile in some way or another has protected itself by legal disclaimers.  Comments like that are useless.  All they do is parrot back what T-Mobile wants people to believe.  Even if all of that suff were true, so what.  There are many theories which can be pursued in a class action lawsuit which will blow right through those kinds of defenses and force T-Mobile to live up to their original committment - just like the ads say - no increases, no surprises, no yada, yada, yada. Once the class action gets going, T-Mobile is going to pay a pretty penny for this yada, yada, yada. 

Thanks!  Basically it's collusion!  Yet the government doesn't worry about helping us through this!  

Fortisanne wrote:

I'm thinking about finding an attorney for a class action law suit if I don't just switch my coverage first!  No surprises--this is a BIG surprise and there is NO way I would trust TMobile or any business with my banking information.  As someone else said, I'm switching back to paper at the very least.  I'm checking deals from other carriers and I have been with tmobile for over 10 years.  So much for being loyal. I understand new customers having to do ACH to get a discount, but this is gouging your loyal customer.  

It's happening with all of the big three.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/30/23852255/verizon-att-t-mobile-autopay-discount-debit-bank-credit-card