Is T-Mobile phone replacement real or scam?
Hello, I purchased a phone and a line from T-Mobile in September 2023. In April, the phone went completely black for no apparent reason. When I returned to the shop, I was informed that because I had paid the total cost upfront (prepaid), I did not qualify for a replacement. A friend suggested I call customer care (611) as shops are mainly interested in selling new devices. When I called customer care, I was told that my phone was covered under a two-year manufacturer's warranty and that I qualified for a replacement. They advised me to return to the shop the next day and said they would coordinate with the shop directly. On my second visit, the representative at the shop was very helpful and called T-Mobile customer care. They confirmed the phone was well-maintained and instructed him to initiate the replacement process. However, it appeared he did not have the necessary privileges in their system to do so, and only the manager could handle it. Unfortunately, they said the manager was not available. I was advised to return the following day when the manager would be present. On the third day, I returned to find the manager was still not there. T-Mobile customer care then informed me that this shop did not have an active manager at the moment and advised me to go to another T-Mobile shop with a manager. On the fourth day, I traveled to another shop. The customer care representative called the manager there, asking for assistance. She requested an email confirmation to authorize the replacement, but after receiving it, she said it wasn't sufficient and refused to proceed. A week later, when I called back, a customer care representative assured me she would process the replacement order from her end. I asked for confirmation or a reference, which she provided immediately, promising I would receive my phone within a week. I was pleased and shared the news with my friends. However, a week later, when I called to follow up, I was told that my request was not in the system. I provided the reference number, but the representative said it was invalid, as it should have had 16 characters instead of 12. She then advised me to contact the manufacturer, not realizing that this had already been done and the manufacturer had confirmed my phone was a T-Mobile device. At this point, I am questioning the legitimacy of T-Mobile customer care. How is it possible to receive a fake replacement order? Why have I been made to travel to T-Mobile shops four times based on false promises? What can I do to resolve this issue? Thank you for your assistance.