T-Mobile device unlocking SCAM!

  • 26 December 2023
  • 7 replies
  • 375 views
F
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My wife lost her phone on 12/15/2023.  We received a replacement phone on 12/17/2023 and provisioned it that same day.

I paid off my two phones IN PERSON on 12/23/2023.  I have a paper receipt for this transaction.  The credit card I used confirms the transaction.

The device associated with my telephone number shows it is free of carrier restrictions (I can take it to another carrier).  However, my wife's phone (the one that was recently replaced) is still locked to our carrier.

When I enquired to have the lock removed, I was informed by T-Mobile that they couldn't do that because the phone hadn't been in use on their network for 40 days!

I own the phones.  I have a receipt that the phones are paid for.  I have no outstanding charges.

This is a SCAM!  

7 replies

gramps28
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Userlevel 7
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What type of phone? If it's an iPhone you may need to wait the 40 days. If it's an Android you can try contacting Tmobile support using messenger on one of their social media accounts like Facebook or Twitter to see if the can help. Unfortunately it comes down to the replacement imei#.

F
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It’s an iPhone 13 mini.

T-Mobile confirms the device is paid for.  They confirm I have no outstanding balance.  They confirm the lost/replacement incident and the provisioning of the new phone.

I did contact customer support.  They said they would contact the “backend team” and TRY to get this situation corrected.  To paraphrase Yoda, “TRY is not DO”…  So, this will never happen.

32 days from today is 1/27/2024.  I had wanted the tumor known as T-Mobile excised from my life and be on my first course of anti-insanity chemo by then.  This is just a SCAM to wring another couple of months bill out of me.

After two years of this BS, I should have expected something like this…

gramps28
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Userlevel 7
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I'm not sure how warranty claims go for unlock status because of the imei number since the imei us a new one.

If @HeavenM sees this post, she will have more insight about this.

F
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The replacement was the result of an insurance claim.  T-Mobile confirms the loss report...which is still showing up on the home page on my T-Mobile app.

If @HeavenM sees this post, she will have more insight about this.

No, s/he won’t…  All s/he’ll be able to do is confirm the party line.

H
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +13

I'm not sure how warranty claims go for unlock status because of the imei number since the imei us a new one.

If @HeavenM sees this post, she will have more insight about this.

Device unlocks for warranty exchanges are usually pretty simple. If the original device was already eligible for unlock, then the replacement device will also be eligible. If the original phone was not eligible, then normal requirements need to be met. For example, if the original phone was in use for 40 days, but not paid off, then the replacement phone just need to show usage for a day and then be paid off and should be eligible once the payment plan officially falls of the account. 

The replacement was the result of an insurance claim.  T-Mobile confirms the loss report...which is still showing up on the home page on my T-Mobile app.

If @HeavenM sees this post, she will have more insight about this.

No, s/he won’t…  All s/he’ll be able to do is confirm the party line.

When you pay off the device, then you should see on your online account that the device payment plan is paid off and closed. Device unlocks are a proactive process now, so you shouldn’t have to put in a request at all; especially since you paid off your phone after completing the insurance claim. You may be able to log in to your account to see the device status as unlocked. Since you only paid it off a few days ago, you might need to wait until your new bill cycle to see the status update. About 72 hours after you bill cycle date, you should see online that it is unlocked and then you can put in a non-T-Mobile sim card and restart the phone. 

F
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +16

i might have skipped over it but they would also need to have the IMEI corrected to the warranty replacements IMEI and not the original phone

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H
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +13

i might have skipped over it but they would also need to have the IMEI corrected to the warranty replacements IMEI and not the original phone

During the exchange/claim process, the system automatically updates the IMEI on the account and device payment plan (EIP). Very rarely does an agent actually have to go in there and update it. That is why it is usually easier to unlock the phone if it is paid off after the claim is already processed and completed. The computers do all the hard work verifying all the requirements match the IMEI in use and the unlock notification is sent once they are all met. 

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