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T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

arstechnica.com

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Re: T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

#31

Post by tiltowait »

MandieD wrote: post #28

I continue to be amazed at how much abuse my fellow Americans take from their telcos. I pay 13 EUR/4 wks (yes, German mobile operators are a bit slippery, too) for 3 GB + unlimited domestic talk and text. If I wanted to waste more time on my mobile, 20 GB would run around 30/4 wks. Of course, this is with a paid-for handset. I’ve never had a contract over here. What is the most economical, yet reliable way to receive…

It's especially surprising when you consider that cheaper plans exist, probably using the same network you're on, and that changing carriers can be extremely simple.

I switched from T-Mobile 3 months ago (when they announced changes to the autopay discount) to Mint. My bill went from $60/mo to $180/yr (breaks down to $15/mo, and I think claiming something is $15/mo when it's actually $180/yr should be illegal, but that's an argument for another day). It's "only" a 5GB plan in comparison to whatever I had before, but my highest month so far has been 1.06GB.

Transferring took 15 minutes. It's the same network.

Sure, many people don't switch out of ignorance, but I know people for whom the reason is simply laziness (because I told them about the cheaper plans).

Re: T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

#32

Post by tmobileiscrack »

Maybe every T-Mobile customer should switch to Mint Mobile or other low cost carriers en masse. They will lower their prices right after the mass exodus.

However they are counting on the misleading practice that most people are busy and won't ask questions.

Lot's of nonsense gets pushed like this.

Re: T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

#33

Post by arjvik »

tiltowait wrote: post #31
MandieD wrote: post #28

I continue to be amazed at how much abuse my fellow Americans take from their telcos. I pay 13 EUR/4 wks (yes, German mobile operators are a bit slippery, too) for 3 GB + unlimited domestic talk and text. If I wanted to waste more time on my mobile, 20 GB would run around 30/4 wks. Of course, this is with a paid-for handset. I’ve never had a contract over here. What is the most economical, yet reliable way to receive…

It's especially surprising when you consider that cheaper plans exist, probably using the same network you're on, and that changing carriers can be extremely simple. I switched from T-Mobile 3 months ago (when they announced changes to the autopay discount) to Mint. My bill went from $60/mo to $180/yr (breaks down to $15/mo, and I think claiming something is $15/mo when it's actually $180/yr should be illegal, but th…

I switched to Mint for a year and had serious issues with deprioritization. I would get “E” service in the middle of a busy city, forcing me to repeatedly reboot my phone. Perhaps it was just a Pixel 7 issue?

Re: T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

#34

Post by runako »

hef19898 wrote: post #16
runako wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely agree re: abusive TOS clauses. My question is this: if you were on a panel evaluating whether it's more abusive to a) migrate customers to a plan that's $10 more or b) end their service because the vendor no longer offers that service, which would you vote for? Note that consumer panels will have less ability to force a vendor to set prices or provide specific services, so there will not be the third optio…

That's why in Europe abusive and surprising (to an informed party) terms and condiations are invalid. Quite aome legal disputes around those so.

Curious -- how do services raise prices? Is the presumption that a carrier has to give notice, then the user has to opt in or their service automatically terminates?

> in Europe abusive and surprising (to an informed party) terms and condiations

It can't be surprising to any informed party that prices change. Especially right now, it cannot be argued in good faith that a price increase was surprising to anyone.

Does the user have to opt in each time the service changes (for ex if 2G service gets dropped)? Who decides what changes require a user's approval?

Re: T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

#36

Post by pazimzadeh »

crazygringo wrote: post #13
runako wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't understand how this is legal. It's presumably laid out in the contract that their users sign. IANAL but I understand contract law gives wide latitude for parties to make agreements to do things which are generally legal. One could imagine a legal regime that prohibited price or service changes in otherwise-legal contracts. Of course, that also might not be ideal. For example: a vendor used by the provider s…

But contact law also strikes down contact provisions all the time . Generally speaking, contracts between two parties who know what they're doing, with lawyers, are pretty iron-clad. But TOS with consumers are not. Unreasonable/abusive TOS clauses are struck down quite frequently. Things like consumer protection laws supersede anything in a TOS. And consumer protection laws are precisely the kind of thing meant to st…

Can you share cases where TOS with consumers was struck down? Thanks very much.

Re: T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

#38

Post by post_break »

theogravity wrote: post #27

Opt-out instructions: https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/174uelk/megathread... Edit: I called T-Mobile and they said they can't use the code until the 17th, and they'd send out a text message informing of the upcoming changes with the ability to opt out. Sounds really shady.

They lied to you. I opted out yesterday.

Re: T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

#39

Post by cmeacham98 »

dawnerd wrote: post #19
crazygringo wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But contact law also strikes down contact provisions all the time . Generally speaking, contracts between two parties who know what they're doing, with lawyers, are pretty iron-clad. But TOS with consumers are not. Unreasonable/abusive TOS clauses are struck down quite frequently. Things like consumer protection laws supersede anything in a TOS. And consumer protection laws are precisely the kind of thing meant to st…

A lot of these older plans were marketed as no contract plans. That was tmobiles whole thing for a while. No more contracts. Obviously there still is via terms and such but it’s a pretty gray area I’m sure lawyers would be willing to argue in court. They also claimed prices would never go up (on your plan).

"No contract" in the telco world means no minimum length clauses (as opposed to something like a "12 month contract" plan, where you legally agree to stay on the plan for at least one year), it doesn't literally mean there isn't a contract.

Re: T-Mobile switches users to pricier plans

#40

Post by thumbsup-_- »

They also send their previous customer's accounts in debt collection even if they have paid in full when closing the account. Happened with me. Got a debt collector's letter a few years later. I had the proof of payment but still ended up paying again to prevent damage to my credit. Later on found on reddit that they have done this with many people, some of whom didn't have means to pay again, so ended up taking a credit hit.
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