Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Omaha Steve

(99,675 posts)
Thu Dec 10, 2015, 07:38 PM Dec 2015

Consumer advocates urge regulators to investigate T-mobile's false ads, abusive debt collection

Source: CWA

A coalition of leading civil rights, consumer, labor and social justice organizations has filed complaints with both the New York Attorney General's office and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), calling for the regulators to investigate misleading ads and abusive debt collection at T-Mobile.

"It is profoundly disappointing that T-Mobile markets itself as a provider of equal access, but its misleading claims and aggressive debt collection likely have a disparate impact on communities of color and low income consumers," said Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change. "We believe an investigation is necessary, and will hopefully force much needed change at the company."

Led by Change to Win, the coalition analyzed more than 5,500 consumer complaints filed with federal agencies and the Better Business Bureau since 2013, when the company launched its campaign promising consumers "contract freedom" and "no contract."

Researchers found that while T-Mobile boldly claims to rip up contracts, its equipment financing plan locks customers into two-year contracts, just like before. As a result, about 90 percent of customers enter into contracts with financial penalties for early termination.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://www.cwa-union.org/news/entry/consumer_advocates_urge_regulators_to_investigate_t-mobiles_false_ads_abusi

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

csziggy

(34,136 posts)
1. If they need someone to testify against T-Mobile, I'm available
Thu Dec 10, 2015, 07:50 PM
Dec 2015

Although I have never been one of their customers, I was harassed by their debt collectors. Calls two and three times a day for weeks. The robocalls were not for me but for someone with the same last name and first initial. The worst part - they had absolutely no mechanism to tell them that they had the wrong number either on the calls or through their offices. Every menu chain required that you enter an account number to reach a human. I had no account number since I was not the customer they were berating.

I finally put in a complaint with the state consumer agency and they got T-Mobile to stop calling me. I still have the letter from them promising to permanently remove my number from their lists. They WOULD NOT promise to correct the contact methods so that people who were erroneously contacted could get off their lists.

I don't care if T-Mobile becomes the only phone company in the world I will NEVER do business with them.

csziggy

(34,136 posts)
10. I thought about it but had too much going on to deal with anything else
Fri Dec 11, 2015, 02:07 AM
Dec 2015

The year that I went through the T-Mobile crap was the same year I got both knees replaced then had carpal tunnel surgery on one hand. The next year my husband had to get surgery on his foot, my Dad died, my husband was T-boned and totaled his car and I had carpal tunnel surgery on the other hand.

I was just glad to get them to stop calling me.

csziggy

(34,136 posts)
13. It's going OK and it's just part of getting older.
Fri Dec 11, 2015, 03:48 PM
Dec 2015

I was lucky to know my father for 62 years. His goal was to make it to 90 years old and he did it. I think Mom's goal is to make it to 100 and at the rate she's going she's going to make it!

I did consider suing T-Mobile but it just wasn't worth the hassle.

msongs

(67,421 posts)
2. my agreement has only ONE penalty (of sorts). If I cancel I have to pay the full amount owed on the
Thu Dec 10, 2015, 07:50 PM
Dec 2015

phone I 'bought" on no-interest credit, the phone payment being divided over 24 months. I could have used my old flip phone at no extra charge instead but wanted a new phone

forest444

(5,902 posts)
3. Of all the phone companies I've personally heard people drop over the years,
Thu Dec 10, 2015, 07:59 PM
Dec 2015

T-Mobile has to be number one, by far. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

Stonepounder

(4,033 posts)
4. From the FWIW Dept
Thu Dec 10, 2015, 09:54 PM
Dec 2015

We have had T-Mobile for seven years now and have never had a problem with them, either as a carrier, or with their Customer Service. Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, we always pay cash for our phones up front. When we discovered that our bill date on our new plan was akwardly falling at the end of the month, I called them to see if we could move it to the beginning of the month, they just comped me the extra 10 days and moved the bill date.

 

Sen. Walter Sobchak

(8,692 posts)
5. I *LOVE* T-Mobile, especially their free international data roaming
Thu Dec 10, 2015, 10:29 PM
Dec 2015

The only problem I have had with T-Mobile is they made me pay for a new sim card after their customer service screwed up my MiFi account. Meanwhile I have used gigabytes and gigabytes of free roaming data.

notadmblnd

(23,720 posts)
7. verizon does this too.
Thu Dec 10, 2015, 10:46 PM
Dec 2015

They also add a service charge of about 125.00 to your bill if your phone is off contract and you opt to keep the same number when you switch providers.

totodeinhere

(13,058 posts)
9. I am not defending T-Mobile. But AT&T has been sued for deceptive practices as well
Fri Dec 11, 2015, 01:38 AM
Dec 2015

such as misleading customers about its so-called unlimited data plan and also for overcharging customers. None of the major carriers are angels.

LeftyMom

(49,212 posts)
11. I've used them for years and it's been a pretty great experience.
Fri Dec 11, 2015, 02:38 AM
Dec 2015

Financing phones is silly. Last time I needed a new phone I went over to Target, bought a new smartphone for $50 and popped my sim card out of my old, dead phone and into my shiny new one.

A few years back I moved from my postpaid plan with T-Mobile to a prepaid one, the only effective difference being that I saved $20 a month.

Xithras

(16,191 posts)
14. I'm not sure how their contracts are "deceptive"
Fri Dec 11, 2015, 06:22 PM
Dec 2015

T-Mobile has no contracts for its cell service, and you can bring your own device or buy a phone without any contract limitations. You can quit any time you want without fees or penalties.

If you don't have a phone and don't want to buy one outright, T-Mobile will also finance you any phone they carry for 0% interest for up to two years. They are upfront about the one catch with their financing...you MUST be a T-Mobile customer to stay financed. If you cancel your service, your financing gets cancelled too and you must pay the remaining outstanding balance on your phone. You purchased the phone and took on the debt when you walked out the door, and cancelling their service simply makes the remaining debt come due immediately. There are no early termination fees and no penalties. The two year thing also isn't a contract requirement, they simply structure their financing so that you can pay the phone off in two years making only the minimum payments. Pay above the minimum and you can pay the phone off even faster.

If I finance a $300 phone, pay $20 a month and cancel my service after a year, the only "fee" T-Mobile requests is the $60 I still owe on the phone. I had to sign in three different places to confirm that I understood this.

I can't comment as to their debt collection practices, because I've never dealt with it.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Consumer advocates urge r...