[Vibrant General] Blars1206:
Hello everyone,

After the worst customer experience EVER with T-mobile...I am moving on from my beloved Vibrant. Here is what happened... I paid retail for my phone using the "Equipment Instalment Plan" and entered into the non-contract plans. At that time I was told that once you enter these type of plans you cannot go back to contract plans or get phones at the discounted price unless I start over with a whole new account only to find out that in Oct 2011 I was placed onto a contracted plan which I never authorized. In most cases it wouldn't have been a big deal, but was because my some dropped my phone on my cement driveway and cracked the screen, so after finding out that it would cost $130 for the insurance replacement (I mean really, after paying all the insurance it still costs that MUCH!!! Insurance on other carriers replaces phones for way less and even free on Verizon) and just replacing the screen isn't that much different.

Anyway, I was told I could not upgrade unless I paid retail. But, T-mobile changed the way that works. When I first started the "EIP" plan, you would pay the full retail value of a phone in payments split up over 21 months which would be added to your monthly phone bill and all you would pay upfront was the first monthly instalment, but now they make you pay 1/3 of the retail value of the phone upfront and the rest over 21 months. Which to me defeats the purpose because that is basically what you pay for a phone on a 2 year contract and then of course you don't have to pay any more toward the phone after that.

So now we go back to the problem of being on the contract I never agreed to. The rep said they knew that you couldn't get back onto a contracted plan after going to EIP plans, but somehow I was able to and they couldn't reverse it. The rep said I could file a dispute by email because no one could take care of it over the phone. So, I filed my dispute and never heard back. I was really busy with work and family and basically put this whole issue on the back burner for a few months but checked back with T-mobile at the beginning of June and was told they never got my dispute. I saved my email I sent and informed them that I have confirmation they received it...still, was told I had to filed my complaint all over again. So I did and had to wait 10 days for a response which OF COURSE was declined.

I called T-mobile back (I should add that this whole time I have been very friendly with everyone I spoke to and never once got loud or disrespectful) and explained everything going on and explained that my only intention was one of two things, either pay retail on the EIP plan like I originally should have....just that it should be done in the same manner as my vibrant which was my payment upfront be only the first of 21months, or give me the upgrade price since I was put on a contract without my consent and never used an upgrade on my account. Keep in mind that at this point it has been over two years since I got my Vibrant. I was told no and no. My only option was to pay 1/3 retail and the rest over 21 months or buy a phone somewhere else.

My intention was never to leave....in fact, I was only promising that would be there for another two years, T-mobile would not be losing out on anything except keeping a customer longer and I have been with them for 6 years already. But at this point I told them either give me an upgrade or I will take my business elsewhere. The rep said they didn't want to lose my business and that they would either put me on my previous non-contract plan or they would give me the upgrade price on a new phone. So I put aside the fact that it took over 6 months for them to give in, I agree to just go with the upgrade price and stay on contract. I asked the rep if I could go to a store to complete my purchase and they said yes. So I go to the store and the rep at the store said I was misinformed on the phone and could not get the upgrade price. My only option is to pay retail.

Now I'm back to my original spot...I can only pay retail, like I did with my vibrant and be on a contract I didn't agree to and obviously didn't want in the first place, the rep I spoke to the first time couldn't figure out how I got onto contract, but couldn't reverse it and even agreed that my situation didn't make sense. I know I could get a phone on craigslist or something, but I wanted something new and an upgrade, but now it's all about the principle of the business ethics T-mobile is using with me. So as a last resort, I go to the forums on T-mobile website and post my problem there. I get several responses saying I should contact a forum this specific forum moderator (name withheld, I don't want to get into trouble) because she is known for fixing issues like mine. So I did...AND NO RESPONSE, I sent another private message and again no response and this went on for 2 weeks.

So I hit my last straw...I'm moving on. My wife and I each are getting SGS II's free and will be on a cheaper plan then we had with T-mobile by going with Sprint. I have never used Sprint, it could turn out that I don't like their service areas compared to T-mobile in my area or their network seems sluggish but either way, T-mobile again lost another long time customer.

If you actually read through all that then thank you for listening to my complaint. I didn't even list every detail about the situation and some of the events just make it even more ridiculous.

I loved the phone, but that is only because of the developers on this site. I mean that literally. So special thanks to all the devs out there...they certainly deserve every thanks they get and then some.

FaultException-thanks for your fast and detailed responses and work with CM9.

jrongi1-thanks

Cyanogen-thanks

serendipityguy-thanks for your kernel bible

bay_wolf-loved your toolbox (haha, that sounds bad)

Fishman0919-thanks for reviving bionix

Sombionix-thanks for bionix

Romanbb-Thanks for work (loved them all)

krarvind-thanks for Slim ICS (used that for while)

sixstringsg-thanks for Glitch (My fav kernel)

Jellette-thanks for all the choices (hope life is well and live long and strong)

So many more I can't think of off the top of my head so thanks to everyone and I wish you all the best.