lost phone at tmo grc fort worth, tx

Apparently, there is a problem at the Ft. Worth Warehouse that T-Mobile does not wish to address.   The details appear to be the same.   I was having connectivity issues with my phone, Customer Service sent me a new one.   ( I'll admit that I delayed in returning the phone until I could be sure that the connectivity issues had been resolved)  When I got the very first message from T-Mobile that I needed to return the phone, I did so the very next day.  I used the pre-labeled envelope that T-Mobile sent me and took the phone to the UPS Store.    This was 15 December 2023.  In checking tracking then, I learned it was scheduled to be delivered on 21 December 2023.   Tracking shows that it was delivered on 21 December 2023 to the Haslet, TX Warehouse, where it says a signature was obtained.    The tracking however continues that it was delivered again to the Ft Worth TX Warehouse on 4 Jan 2024.  

I assumed that the transaction was closed because the tracking showed the item was delivered and I received no further notice from T-Mobile that it was still pending.     

Fast forward to today, 1 Mar 2024.   I went into my T-mobile Money account and saw a charge for over $1249.89 .  T-mobile had charged me for the phone that I had returned.   I was shocked but assumed that it could be taken care of in short order by contacting Customer Service.  

I called and spoke with Ty.   She explained that the Warehouse had not scanned in the IMEI for the phone that was supposed to be returned.    She tracked down the tracking number from UPS and saw that it had been delivered.   However, she said, the ware house had not scanned the IMEI, so it had not been returned.    She inferred that it must have been empty or had some other weight in it.   (Basically accused me of not returning the phone)   When I challenged her inference, she said that she wasn't saying that.  The thing is, about 10 minutes later, she made the same inference, that the package must have been empty or filled with something else.    She also said the weight of the package delivered should have been over 1.3  lbs, not .90 lbs. as the tracking documented.    (The phone weighs .83 lbs and with the cardboard envelope would certainly weigh closer to .90 lbs - not 1.3 lbs.    We got nowhere in the conversation, so after a great deal of trying to resolve the situation amicably, I requested that the call be escalated.  

About 20 minutes later, I was on the phone with Oscar.  While he clearly wanted to assure me that I'd been heard and even suggesting that the he understood my concerns, he finally explained that he couldn't do anything about it.  He leaned on the Terms of Agreement, saying that until the phone is successfully scanned into the warehouse, I'm responsible for the $1249.89 and he could nothing more about it.   He also suggested that there was nobody that I could talk to that could anything more.    He advised that I'd have to take it up with UPS, even though I don't have a contract with UPS, as T-mobile does, they created the label and I used their package with affixed label to return the phone.  

So, now begins the journey of disputing this bogus charge, canceling all of my services and using every avenue that I can to let people know that T-mobile apparently is willing to rip off their customers.   I'll add that I switched both my Internet Service and two phones to T-mobile.   I also added two watches and enrolled with T-mobile Money.    I've appreciated the services and even recommended T-mobile to others.    Now - buyer beware.   T-mobile is willing to address their own problems, but rather hold the customer accountable for issues that they have zero ability to fix.    As it seems like this is a recurring problem with the warehouse, I definitely see a class action in the near future.