Forum Discussion

saltlife97's avatar
saltlife97
Network Novice
7 years ago

How does upgrading work with Tmobile?

Let's say you finance a device that required a down payment. After 24 months you pay off the device and pay just for the service. Does upgrading to a new version of the phone require a new down payment or is it a free upgrade? Not talking about Jump! here, just normal TMobile One service and using the EIP to finance the device.

  • Down payments depend on your credit worthiness and device cost.

    Hypothetically, after 24 months, you can get a device with 0 down payment, provided it's within your credit limit.

    Either way, the total cost over 24 months is the same -- down payment is removed from your monthly payments (just like when financing a home or car).

  • smplyunprdctble's avatar
    smplyunprdctble
    Connection Curator

    Down payments depend on your credit worthiness and device cost.

    Hypothetically, after 24 months, you can get a device with 0 down payment, provided it's within your credit limit.

    Either way, the total cost over 24 months is the same -- down payment is removed from your monthly payments (just like when financing a home or car).

  • The only way to get a "free upgrade" is when you are leasing a phone (the so called Jump Lease), which is not the same as an EIP.   For EIP, there is no "cost" associated with an upgrade, but that is different than whether or not a new device requires a down payment.  The down payment, even for people with good credit, can still be hundreds of dollars -- it depends on the phone.  It seems that t-mobile likes to keep its payment plan to about 30 ish dollars per month..  so a new fangled iPhone might require a 200 dollar upfront payment.  They have a new plan for the xs max (1200 dollars for 128Gig) that goes over 3 years for people with excellent credit..  that still requires a 500 dollar down payment, but the monthly goes down to about 20. However if you buy the iPhone Xr, the new budget iPhone for only 799, there is no down payment, and payments would be around 33 per month (33 x 24 = 792)..  Obviously this can all be offset by the worth of the device you trade in, or any kind of promotion going on -- sometimes the promotion is a bill credit, meaning you'd still make your down payment, but your monthly payment would go down usually by the promotion divided over 24 months.

  • marutha's avatar
    marutha
    Network Novice

    i had a samsung f20 phone on jump’  i traded it in 11/28/21 at best buy.  i was given $249 credit by tmobile and $200 by best buy on this phone.  I purchased an iphone 13 pro max.  the samsung phone still appears on my bill as an active lease.  the best buy rep has contacted tmobile on several occasions and told them that best buy has the phone.  i still have a tmobile account.  i transferred the number from the samsung phone to my iphone.  how do i get the samsung phone off my account?

  • gramps28's avatar
    gramps28
    Router Royalty

    It may take a billing cycle or 2 since you did it at Best Buy. Tmobile system isn’t real time for billing.

  • I did a cell device upgrade [no cost] on two senior phones i had. the deal was do the upgrade, and continue with tmobile plan for 24 months, and each month a credit would wipe out the lease EIP amount for each phone. For 5 months, worked ok. Then with 19 months to go, suddenly the “credits” on monthly bill stopped about oct 22. called tmobile and talked to support and they told me that tmobile was NOT welching on the contract, and tmobile would get me my credits ie $75 per month till end of lease at 24 months. Still not done days later. More calls to Tmobile. For me, this is an obvious grab at an addition 20 months at $75 per month or about 1800 dollars, three times the retail price of the phone when lease made. watch out, and check your bills. they are dishonoring lease deals. This is VERY VERY BAD AND SEMMINGLY DISHONEST BY TMOBILE.

  • Starlyt's avatar
    Starlyt
    Network Novice

    I hoped T-Mobile wouldn't not turn out like Sprint; unannounced rising cost/fees and broken promises and bad customer service... 

    It seems to get worse by the month... 

    Where is accountability when you need it... 

  • Weps's avatar
    Weps
    Network Novice

    Looking at moving to Spectrum Wireless,  Been with TMobile for years and doesn’t give free phone upgrade.