From Newsgroup: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

<https://gizmodo.com/apples-1199-iphone-18-pro-is-free-if-your-old-phone-still-turns-on-2000810952>

T-Mobile is giving the iPhone 18 Pro away at $0 as part of its launch
offer, covering up to $1,200 through monthly bill credits on an Experience Beyond plan, which is the entire retail price of the 256GB model Apple is selling for $1,199.99. You either switch and bring your number, or you
trade in an eligible phone, and the credits take care of the rest across
the agreement. Nothing is due on the handset on day one and nothing is due
on it at the end.

T-Mobile takes an eligible phone in any condition at all: A screen that shattered in 2023 and was never fixed, a battery that gives up before
lunch, a back panel held together by a case youore afraid to remove, none
of it disqualifies the device. Appleos own trade-in program wants hardware
in good working order and prices damage accordingly, which is exactly why
the drawer phone felt worthless in the first place.

I do NOT know what they consider to be an eligible phone, so if someone
wants to do this, let the rest of us know if they will take Androids too.
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From Newsgroup: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

Maria Sophia wrote: https://gizmodo.com/apples-1199-iphone-18-pro-is-free-if-your-old-phone-still-turns-on-2000810952

T-Mobile is giving the iPhone 18 Pro away at $0 as part of its launch
offer, covering up to $1,200 through monthly bill credits on an Experience Beyond plan, which is the entire retail price of the 256GB model Apple is selling for $1,199.99. You either switch and bring your number, or you
trade in an eligible phone, and the credits take care of the rest across
the agreement. Nothing is due on the handset on day one and nothing is due
on it at the end.

T-Mobile takes an eligible phone in any condition at all: A screen that shattered in 2023 and was never fixed, a battery that gives up before
lunch, a back panel held together by a case you-ore afraid to remove, none
of it disqualifies the device. Apple-os own trade-in program wants hardware in good working order and prices damage accordingly, which is exactly why
the drawer phone felt worthless in the first place.

I do NOT know what they consider to be an eligible phone, so if someone
wants to do this, let the rest of us know if they will take Androids too.

rUaN+A T-MOBILE CUSTOMERS: BE VERY CAREFUL BEFORE YOU CLICK rCLCHANGE PLANrCY rUaN+A

If T-Mobile tells you that a newer plan will rCLsaverCY you $10, $20 or $30 a month, do not assume that means your actual bill will be $10, $20 or $30 lower.

Look at the FINAL, ALL-IN price first.

A friend of mine with several lines was shown an offer involving T-Mobile's Experience More 2.0 plan that appeared to save about $20 per month.

That prompted me to look into exactly how T-Mobile prices these plans.

And everyone with a family plan should understand what I found.

T-Mobile's publicly advertised Experience More 2.0 pricing is:

PLUS TAXES AND FEES.

And we're not talking about pennies.

According to T-Mobile's own disclosures, plans where these charges apply can include:

rCo $4.49 PER VOICE LINE every month for T-Mobile's Regulatory Programs/Telco Recovery Fee.

And here's the part worth reading twice:

T-Mobile itself says that $4.49 charge is rCLNOT A GOVERNMENT REQUIRED TAX OR CHARGE.rCY

On top of that, T-Mobile lists:

rCo Federal and local surcharges typically ranging from $0.36 to $4.79 PER LINE

rCo Government taxes that vary by location

And T-Mobile says its $4.49-per-line Regulatory/Telco Recovery charge is subject to change without notice.

' Think about what that can mean on a family account.

With FOUR voice lines, T-Mobile's disclosed fees and surcharges can total roughly:

$19.40 to $37.12 PER MONTH

"and that is BEFORE adding location-dependent government taxes.

With FIVE lines:

$24.25 to $46.40 PER MONTH

before government taxes.

That's potentially hundreds of dollars a year.

So an offer on your phone saying:

rCLSAVE $20 PER MONTHrCY

doesn't necessarily tell you what you really need to know:

' WHAT WILL MY FINAL BILL BE?

There is another important wrinkle.

If T-Mobile is specifically migrating an existing customer to a 2.0 plan, T-Mobile currently says that an account that already has taxes and fees included will remain taxes-and-fees included, while an account that has them excluded will remain excluded.

So don't assume either way.

GET THE ACTUAL FINAL PRICE FOR YOUR ACCOUNT BEFORE ACCEPTING ANY PLAN CHANGE.

" Screenshot the old plan.

" Screenshot the offer.

" Screenshot the final monthly estimate.

Ask specifically:

rCLWill my taxes-and-fees status change?rCY

rCLWhat will my total monthly service bill be after every mandatory T-Mobile fee, surcharge and tax?rCY

And don't accept rCLthe plan is $20 cheaperrCY as an answer.

rUaN+A There is good reason for consumers to pay attention to the fine print.

When T-Mobile introduced Experience More in 2025, it promoted the plan as costing $5 less per line than the plan it replaced"but T-Mobile's own announcement also said:

rCLplus taxes and fees.rCY

T-Mobile's much-advertised 5-Year Price Guarantee also does NOT protect everything on your bill.

T-Mobile says taxes and fees are excluded from the guarantee.

And consumers have complained about T-Mobile pricing promises before.

After T-Mobile increased prices on older plans in 2024, the FCC said it received more than 2,000 complaints concerning the increases.

That doesn't mean every T-Mobile offer is bad.

It DOES mean you should never compare these plans using only the big number displayed on the screen.

Compare the final bill.

' A $20 rCLdiscountrCY isn't a $20 savings if another $20, $30 or $40 appears elsewhere on the bill.

Before changing a grandfathered or older T-Mobile plan, make them show you"in writing"the:

TOTAL MONTHLY COST AFTER ALL MANDATORY FEES, SURCHARGES AND TAXES.

Once you give up an older plan, getting it back may not be possible.

" PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE WHO HAS A MULTI-LINE T-MOBILE ACCOUNT.

The five minutes they spend checking the fine print could save them hundreds of dollars.


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From Newsgroup: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

MummyChunk wrote:

Maria Sophia wrote:
https://gizmodo.com/apples-1199-iphone-18-pro-is-free-if-your-old-phone-still-turns-on-2000810952

T-Mobile is giving the iPhone 18 Pro away at $0 as part of its launch
offer, covering up to $1,200 through monthly bill credits on an Experience >> Beyond plan, which is the entire retail price of the 256GB model Apple is
selling for $1,199.99. You either switch and bring your number, or you
trade in an eligible phone, and the credits take care of the rest across
the agreement. Nothing is due on the handset on day one and nothing is due >> on it at the end.

T-Mobile takes an eligible phone in any condition at all: A screen that
shattered in 2023 and was never fixed, a battery that gives up before
lunch, a back panel held together by a case you-ore afraid to remove, none >> of it disqualifies the device. Apple-os own trade-in program wants hardware >> in good working order and prices damage accordingly, which is exactly why
the drawer phone felt worthless in the first place.

I do NOT know what they consider to be an eligible phone, so if someone
wants to do this, let the rest of us know if they will take Androids too.

T-MOBILE CUSTOMERS: BE VERY CAREFUL BEFORE YOU CLICK rCLCHANGE PLANrCY rUaN+A If T-Mobile tells you that a newer plan will rCLsaverCY you $10, $20 or $30 a month, do not assume that means your actual bill will be $10, $20 or $30 lower.
Look at the FINAL, ALL-IN price first.
A friend of mine with several lines was shown an offer involving T-Mobile's Experience More 2.0 plan that appeared to save about $20 per month.
That prompted me to look into exactly how T-Mobile prices these plans.
And everyone with a family plan should understand what I found.
T-Mobile's publicly advertised Experience More 2.0 pricing is:
PLUS TAXES AND FEES.
And we're not talking about pennies.

Understood. The offer "says" it will take "any" eligible phone, which can
be Android if I take the advertisement at face value, but I don't know that

Recently T-Mobile offered me a free Google Pixel 11 but when I went into
the store the salespeople told me I had to change my (grandfathered) plan.

My plan is roughly 100 bucks for four lines of unlimited everything plus European goodies for when I visit relatives in Germany, which I do a lot.
<https://i.postimg.cc/nhpbcP50/tmopromo04.jpg>

There is about $25 in taxes and fees (California being on the high end).
They wanted me to change the plan in order to get the free phone.

The wording of the advertisement didn't say that, so I'm filing a
complaint, but I'm not sure yet if I should file to the FCC or FTC.

Bait and switch is what they did.

Anyway, I didn't get the Pixel 11, but if I can get a free iPhone, on the
same plan, I might very well take them up on that offer as I already have
one iPhone on my plan anyway.

I have plenty of iOS and Android devices, but none are brand new.

Anyway, it would be nice if others, who are on T-Mobile, who want to take advantage of the offer, call 611 to ask if they get the deal on the same
plan.
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