Massive down payment means t-mobile wants to pay me!

One of my family members upgraded through Apple and the down payment was a lot less ($46) for the 16 plus with a trade in.  Honestly, I think they made a mistake.  I am moving another line to Xfinity today.  T-Mobile was trying to do everything to keep the line.  I told them if they could get the bill down then the line may consider staying!  They suggested to move down to an exclusive plan and they would make an exception, well it wasn't bad but the family member had already upgraded through Apple and the move to the different plan would exclude the $830 discount!!  So, then they suggested that we cancel the protection plan on all of our lines to make the bill cheaper!!  Are you serious!  No can do!  I told them thanks for trying but, no thanks!  

I just tried to upgrade for the first time under t mobile and they want a $425 deposit for a iPhone 16 pro max. I never paid anymore than $120 under sprint. Needless to say I'm moving to ATT. Same phone $75 down 

Alaub1990 wrote:

I don't usually post on forums bet I felt it necessary in this situation. I am a long term sprint customer (now tmobile obviously) I had leased a galaxy s20 ultra through sprint. The lease term was 18 months. In January of 2022 the lease ended. It is now March so naturally I would like to upgrade so I'm not paying $60 a month towards a phone that is already paid off but needs to be returned. So I tried today to upgrade to the galaxy s22 ultra. Online it told me it was going to be a $500 down payment. I never had to put money down for a phone in the past. My credit is good and I understand tmobile is getting rid of the leasing program (good riddons) but the $500 down payment caught me off guard so I called... after talking to 4 different sales reps, they all told me that my down payment was actually going to be $920!  However, there is a promotion for the s22 ultra right now for $1000 dollars off! Oh wow that's perfect I thought. Well I thought wrong because even after the promotion which brought the phone down from $1300 to $300, they still want $920 down... so basically, I will be paying $920 for a $300 phone in which case tmobile will pay me monthly to a total of $620. What. The. Eff. Can someone please explain this to me. 

OMG I had the exact same thing happened to us. We have been with T mobile for 5 years and wanted to upgrade to the IPhone. NOT lease but purchase. It would add $100 a month to our bill until paid off (for 2 phones). Got all the paperwork done and rung up and then was told we needed to pay about $900 as a deposit, I was floored! I might understand if it were a lease and return thing but a purchase is something else. Really frustrating! I think the reason people choose to have it included in their bill is because such a large amount of money is hard to come up with at 1 time. 

Taxes and fees are still charged on devices that are free and required to be paid up front.  Even on discounted devices, the full tax and any fees on the full retail price always need to be paid in full up front.

I am struggling with this down payment ordeal. I was with ATT( and should have stayed with them). I was asked to pay a deposit for the phone (which was suppose to be free from T-Mobile, but i understand and was explained that I would get the money back and the phone would be free. So I decided to switch and get a "free" phone, but then it turns out that the agent set up an additional phone line after being told no and didn't find out until my first bill. Come may 2024, I reach out to ask  when I would get my deposit back from this "free" phone and I am told let us escalate this make it right for you, give us some time. I give them some time, I reach back out and they tell me on may 9,2024 that the request has been APPROVED and should see the payment back on my original payment method within 2-3 business days. I give it 7 business days and NOTHING. 
 

I reach back out and the agent tells me, oh it is still with the escalation team pending approval. 
 

I ask “wait what do you mean pending approval, they stated it was approved and on its way back” 

they say give it some time. I received TWO CALLS, in which they said the refund has been APPROVED and here we are 6.5.24 and no money. I reached back out 6.5.24 and they tell me they do not see notes of it being approved but instead denied because I am getting the money back as a phone credit. 
 

If the phone is suppose to of had been free, applying a credit from my OWN MONEY does not sound free. And T-Mobile is just giving me the run around. False advertisement on a free phone and 

seriously TWO CALLS saying it's been approved and on its way to my bank account. WTF! 

syaoran wrote:

dawnad wrote:

This really should not be a surprise to anyone that left T-Mobile and went to Sprint years ago, as I did. The minute I heard that T-Mobile was taking over my Sprint, I was sick!!! There was always a charge here and a charge there!! Never once did I every pay a deposit for a phone!! Never ever!! When I contacted Sprint for any reason they were always avialalbe by chat. T-mobile doesn't have chat!! You just can't only be on the phone when you are at work, so chat was amazing. So my choice is to move one line at a time to Verizon as the phones are paid off. I can't believe that anyone wants to stay with T-Mobile and accept their ridiculous demands. I should have left the minute it was announced. Now I am paying more for my monthly plan, more for my phones when I upgrade. Charge here a charge there!!  I always received a receipt emailed to me when there was an upgrade. So tell me why I had to call T-Mobile to ask for a receipt that was not provided at the store or sent to my email.  I really miss the fair practices of Sprint!! Hello Verizon !! 

Sprint wasn't't profitable!  A company that can't make money isn't a good one.  If getting a receipt was the biggest of your complaints with T-Monile.  Good luck with Verizon.  As a customer, you should have realistic expectations and nothing more and no loyalty to any company that won't offer you the closest to what you want at that point in time.

Sprint wasn't profitable, but it sure was a better company than T-Mobile.  We also left T-Mobile to go to Sprint and was VERY SATISFIED with the service, everything.  Then when the news hit and I found out it was back to T-Mobile, I bounced to Xfinity Mobile.  Better service all around.  I still have lines on T-Mobile but only because of the kids.  As soon as their phones are paid off to Xfinity Mobile we go!

dawnad wrote:

This really should not be a surprise to anyone that left T-Mobile and went to Sprint years ago, as I did. The minute I heard that T-Mobile was taking over my Sprint, I was sick!!! There was always a charge here and a charge there!! Never once did I every pay a deposit for a phone!! Never ever!! When I contacted Sprint for any reason they were always avialalbe by chat. T-mobile doesn't have chat!! You just can't only be on the phone when you are at work, so chat was amazing. So my choice is to move one line at a time to Verizon as the phones are paid off. I can't believe that anyone wants to stay with T-Mobile and accept their ridiculous demands. I should have left the minute it was announced. Now I am paying more for my monthly plan, more for my phones when I upgrade. Charge here a charge there!!  I always received a receipt emailed to me when there was an upgrade. So tell me why I had to call T-Mobile to ask for a receipt that was not provided at the store or sent to my email.  I really miss the fair practices of Sprint!! Hello Verizon !! 

Sprint wasn't't profitable!  A company that can't make money isn't a good one.  If getting a receipt was the biggest of your complaints with T-Monile.  Good luck with Verizon.  As a customer, you should have realistic expectations and nothing more and no loyalty to any company that won't offer you the closest to what you want at that point in time.

This really should not be a surprise to anyone that left T-Mobile and went to Sprint years ago, as I did. The minute I heard that T-Mobile was taking over my Sprint, I was sick!!! There was always a charge here and a charge there!! Never once did I every pay a deposit for a phone!! Never ever!! When I contacted Sprint for any reason they were always avialalbe by chat. T-mobile doesn't have chat!! You just can't only be on the phone when you are at work, so chat was amazing. So my choice is to move one line at a time to Verizon as the phones are paid off. I can't believe that anyone wants to stay with T-Mobile and accept their ridiculous demands. I should have left the minute it was announced. Now I am paying more for my monthly plan, more for my phones when I upgrade. Charge here a charge there!!  I always received a receipt emailed to me when there was an upgrade. So tell me why I had to call T-Mobile to ask for a receipt that was not provided at the store or sent to my email.  I really miss the fair practices of Sprint!! Hello Verizon !! 

I think the aspect missing here, is the taxes due when you get the device.  The taxes and fees are on the full cost of the device, regardless of promotions.  Add that on to what is required for a down payment, add in those upgrade fees, and that is probably how you get to that amount.  

Basically financeing a phone with T-Mobile is the same as going to the bank and get a used car loan which requires a huge downpayment really there's no body to talk to at T-Mobile because they can't change the way phones are financed for me I got wait until December to finally get a iphone13 I wish consumer cellular didn't mess up my account so bad because. Y now I would have a iphone13 for just $58 downpayment a lot better than $199 down didn't know I had a bank loan for a used car LOL