Retail Trade in Policy
Hello, I went to my local T-mobile retailer at the end of my contract to purchase my phones and was “talked” into upgrading my legacy plan into a new T-mobile plan (Previously Sprint) and upgrade my devices because it would be “cheaper” with the use of trade-in promotions. The store associate I was working with (Isaiah) processed the trade in but the next part was a little strange. He said I couldn’t complete the full trade in process the same day and that I would have to leave the store with my new phones along with my old phones and return them after at least 1 day had passed. I thought to myself that this was really weird considering my history upgrading phones with Sprint at retail locations numerous times and we always completed the switch all in the same day, at the store. So, I took my new phones and my old ones, left the store, and returned not the next day, but the following. Isaiah wasn’t there so I worked with another gentlemen who helped me wipe the devices and he brought them into the back and that was that. The process had been completed as far as I was concerned, looking back, I probably should have received some documentation after completing the trade in, but didn’t think anything of it because we had done all the paperwork for the trade in during my initial visit. Fast forward about a month and after I received a few messages saying that my phones had not been received, I made my first call to T-mobile. T-mobile hadn’t received the phones yet and immediately alarm bells starting going off in my mind because I had already given them the phones at the store over a month ago, how could they not have received them? I personally handed them over? I thought to myself that either the store person stole them or they just hadn’t entered it into the system or forgot to or something, but as far as I was concerned, my responsibility for the phones ended as soon as the T-mobile retail location took possession of them. About another month later, I received a text that the promotion I was promised in store was cancelled because I was no longer eligible for the promotion. I called and they told me that the phones had received some damage… This is exactly what I was worried about happening and why I always opt to trade in my devices at the retail location in person so how could any damage be my fault? Long story short, I completed the trade in during September of 2023 and I am still going back and forth with T-mobile about this issue and to me, it’s clear that the retail location was acting outside their normal trade in standard operating procedures. On the website or my online portal, the original credit/promotion note says “Device Recovery Promotion”… Isn’t that a promotion that should be used when trading in outside of the retail location? It sounds to me like the store took possession of my phones and then shipped them in themselves, pretending to be me, to get the promotion to go through and upgrade my plan. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before and or have any advice on how to resolve it? T-mobile is giving me a really hard time and we have called over and over again without any true resolution. I’ve been a customer for about 10 years and I know the store location has cameras.. Can’t they just pull the footage? Do I call the police? The ghostbusters? lol all kidding aside, I did everything that I was supposed to do and am getting the short end of the stick. Any and all help, advice, and or support would be greatly appreciated. I just want my credits that I was promised and I’d be happy to do another 10 years with the company.. If not, it might be time to hang it up with T-mobile… Thanks in advance. Tyler