Solved

$25 SIM card charge - times two ?

  • 3 August 2018
  • 10 replies
  • 15031 views
S

I don’t understand this charge at all. And so far all I get is the canned response from T-Mobile. (the SIM card starter kit  allows you access to the network etc)

I am a current customer. I called to add two lines to my military plan.

Without disclosing this to me, they charge $50.00 for two SIM cards for the lines. One for an Unlocked phone I plan to use, the other for a new phone I am purchasing from T-Mobile.

And on the new phone, they charged me a “Down payment” which again was not disclosed on thier website.

What is baffling - att and Verizon give you the SIM card for free - because you are a customer.  And worse case scenario if you do have to pay, at att and Verizon, at most they are $4.99.

How can they not only charge this huge amount, but then not tell disclose the customer about this?

I specifically asked - and I was speaking to a customer representative in the Philippines The English was ok, but not great and I had to speak to two different people to even place the order.

I wake up up, check my bank account and see charges for nearly $75.00 just to add two lines.

icon

Best answer by lmaocean 6 August 2018, 09:55

View original

10 replies

C
Userlevel 1
Badge

Yeah, I would have thought T-Mobile being the uncarrier would be very customer friendly when adding a new line (after all this is more dollars on a monthly basis forever).  I added a line and brought the new phone to a T-Mobile store and sure enough charged me $25.  I argued that I was a 10 year customer but they wouldn't budge.  Oh well, I learned that you can purchase a T-Mobile SIM card on Ebay for $5 and then not even have to go to a store, set it up via a phone call.  Come on T-Mobile, maybe do something like give a certain "allowance" for loyal customers for things like SIM cards, etc.

B

I found that my COSTCO membership had hidden benefits. They set me up with two SIM cards for NO CHARGE and there was a signup bonus going on at the time which gave me two $50 cash cards. So, all together I saved $150. Yeah COSTCO. T-Mobile has been helpful at every turn but this was an unexpected bonus.

M

My account has been hacked

lmaocean

Hey there @socalchick​ !,

I understand your frustration when you see the $25 dollar SIM card fee. I'd love to explain the pricing and billing inquiries you have.

Just to let you know, the $25 dollar fee applies to any new SIM cards you order, or for any new phones you order as well. It applies to any order that requires a new SIM card. I think of it as a activation fee that AT&T used to charge me before I switched over to T-Mobile. I paid $20 for each device I purchased from T-Mobile. I was able to get $5 off each phone because I activated in-store, and the rep there offered a discount. Check here.

As for the down payment, that actually depends on what phone you purchase, and whether you have placed the device under a installment plan. For some phones that are in the higher prices, such as the Galaxy S9+, there is a $120 down payment you'd pay at order/purchase (if you have a good credit score), then the monthly installment agreed upon your finance agreement. That is clearly marked on the website, so I don't see how you can blame T-Mobile for the down payment part. I'm sorry if you misunderstood T-Mobile pricing on mobile devices.

I'm very sorry that the representatives that you had talked to did not properly explain the costs and such to you before deciding to activate more lines. If you need more help, please call 611 on your T-Mobile device.

Thanks!

lmaocean

@socalchick​

EDIT: I just check AT&T's website and went through the order process. It turns out, AT&T actually charges $30 as a one time "Activation Fee" instead of a SIM card kit like T-Mobile. Yikes! I'd say you're getting the better end of that deal.

tmo_chris
Rank
Userlevel 4

Hey @socalchick

I sincerely apologize that your first interactions with us were less than pleasant 😥 We should definitely be notifying you about any charges associated with your order. 

As @lmaocean  mentioned, the SIM starter kit is a required charge for all new line activations and is listed on our site SIM Card Starter Kit | 3 in 1 SIM Starter Kit | T-Mobile​. As for the down payment, when selecting your the phone you want, you will see the appropriate downpayment based on your credit. With "Awesome Credit" as listed on our site, there are some phones that do not require a down payment but the taxes on the full cost of the phone are due at the time of purchase.

S

Hey tmo_chris,

thanks for the reply. That was the other odd thing. I have better then awesome credit, so was perplexed by a downpayment as well.

oh well

M

M

Assistance SUPPORT? Could you please explain to me ?

R

It cost around 1.00 US for a SIM card in the volumes bought by companies like T-Mobile. And to activate your phone is a “batch” computer transaction that costs them pennies.

It’s called “Additional corporate profit”. Get used to it…..

Reply


New badge winners

Show all badges
Terms & Conditions