Unsatisfied with T-Mobile tech-support.

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
I haven't had my mobile data working for nearly a year, since they screwed up something with my account once I switched plans to their $15/mo plan. I just singed up for a second play, installed the Sim, and voila, mobile data. They initially tried to blame my phone an extolled me to get a new phone "for testing". When it was clear to me that it was some sort of provisioning or account setting. The phone had an LTE data connection, I could look up things on Google (whitelisted), but anything not whitewashed wouldn't connect. Pathetic that I had to resort to getting a second line for just data.
 
Nov 20, 2009
10,043
2,573
136
I was actually considering using TMo on a backup phone. I've had TMo for +15 years and never really had any issues. But I want to keep this backup separate from my main account and like you was thinking of their basic $15/mo prepaid option. I was also considering Boost, which TMo had to sell as part of their Sprint merger but Boost's new owner, Dish Networks, just signed their MVNO requirements from TMo to AT&T. Then I considered another TMO MVNO Mint Mobile (think Ryan Reynolds) but it looks like they are about to get bought by another TMo MVNO and likely raise the price from $15 to $25. I don't really need a backup phone so I sit here on the fence.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
You think you spoke to an engineer. How cute.
Are you suggesting, that my two tickets opened for nearly a year, were not looked at by their engineering staff at all? That would be my definition of incompetance.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
94,671
14,929
126
Are you suggesting, that my two tickets opened for nearly a year, were not looked at by their engineering staff at all? That would be my definition of incompetance.

There are no engineers assigned to tech support for end users. Just because their title is "support engineer" doesn't mean they are actual engineer.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
I didn't speak with an engineer, I spoke with a CSR that opened a ticket. Which, I would hope, would be looked at by their engineering staff at some point. It was never fixed after a year, even though I told them it was something on their back-end, or how my acct. was provisioned with that phone.
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
1,777
126
I didn't speak with an engineer, I spoke with a CSR that opened a ticket. Which, I would hope, would be looked at by their engineering staff at some point. It was never fixed after a year, even though I told them it was something on their back-end, or how my acct. was provisioned with that phone.
Those are the situations where you go into a store and actually have the person standing in front of you fix it before you leave.
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,501
15,731
136
Are you suggesting, that my two tickets opened for nearly a year, were not looked at by their engineering staff at all? That would be my definition of incompetance.

As a former employee I am saying it is nearly certain a real network engineer did NOT look at those. Maybe some junior guy and more likely some phone support dude did.
Same would be true with ATT, the real network forms just don’t do jobs like this. Contracted out people do it.
 

mindless1

Diamond Member
Aug 11, 2001
8,029
1,440
126
Sometimes you can find someone was/in the same boat on Howardforums or Turkforums, that knows the phone # of a higher tier tech support that is more competent.
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,501
15,731
136
Sometimes you can find someone was/in the same boat on Howardforums or Turkforums, that knows the phone # of a higher tier tech support that is more competent.

During my time in wireless nearly every single time there is a weird problem that lasts a long time it has something to do with how the account was set up. Some billing code or restriction code is either present or not present OR the device has something set up wrong or some strange internal restriction.
Over a 13 or 14 years maybe there were five issues that were something to do with call routing or what switch data is stored upon or something strange.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
During my time in wireless nearly every single time there is a weird problem that lasts a long time it has something to do with how the account was set up.
That's what I think that the problem is. But I haven't been able to get anyone with enough power over their systems, to direct some scrutiny at this issue.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
T-mobile is the only major carrier that never screwed me over. But they do not have a good support system and also they usually have the worst phone selection at any given time.
HOWEVER, they normally allow outside phones without any hassle and also tethering and wifi calling.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
57,363
7,514
126
I'm on my third month of Walmart prepaid which is handled by Tracfone, and uses T-Mobile's network. I've been pretty happy with it so far.