Android O/S on T-Mobile Via 3rd Party Resellers...

karatedragon

There has been much debate on MSE and also a thread on T-Mobile's own forums concerning purchasing Android based handsets via a 3rd Party seller and direct with T-Mobile.

It is concerning the data plan......

It has been discovered that customers purchasing via 3rd Party sellers are being placed on a 1GB arrangement. However, if people go direct to T-Mobile they are placed on the 3GB "Android" arrangement as detailed in the Fair Use policy.

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/fairuse/

If the customers using resellers want the 3GB system they are asked to pay an additional £5pcm extra. It is no additional cost if you go direct to T-Mobile.

I have tried to investigate this further and have had differing advice......

I spoke to my reseller who appeared to know nothing of this. They contacted T-Mobile dealer support who confirmed it is 1GB and £5 for the 3GB.

I rang T-Mobile and got through to a complaints department and was told that provided the reseller informs T-Mobile that you have an Android handset then you should be on the 3GB system as detailed in the fair usage T&Cs. If you discover you are not T-Mobile would adjust this free of charge.

Just now I telephoned T-Mobile dealer support on 0845 4122000 and they confirmed that via a re-seller you are placed on 1GB and if you want 3GB it is £5 extra. I registered my disgust at this and asked that they make this clear either on this site or T-Mobile's forum and ensure it is clearly detailed on any re-seller's advertising.

I have used T-Mobile since it was One2One. Today I have now cancelled my order for my HTC Desire with my re-seller and told them the reason for this is the apparent £5 charge to be placed on the 3GB system if you purchase via a re-seller. Further because when rang T-Mobile's "service" number I got through to some scripted prat who could barely speak English and didn't know what I was talking about. They were also unable to connect me to anyone who did.

greyster

I've checked with T-Mobile and they've explictly said that the 3GB arrangement is for 'direct t-mobile' customers only. If you went through a reseller you will only get 1GB.

T-Mobile have to pay resellers commission for every sale. It is more profit for t-mobile when you go directly to them, thats why they have their own shops competiting in each town too. The currently andriod incentive is a larger allowance if you go 'direct' to t-mobile.

Therefore as an indirect customer, you should see the 1GB as standard. Afterall, you may have recieved cashback or some other freebie/incentive instead.

The complaints department was wrong and you should resend your complaint. Email [EMAIL="cust.rel@t-mobile.co.uk"]cust.rel@t-mobile.co.uk[/EMAIL], explaining the time and date you made the original complaint and the response provided. The agents should know that only direct customers are eligible as it states it clearly (in their support system).

The website text is misleading too, as your fair usage policy actually is the paragraph above, the 1GB one. I've highlighted it but nothing stopping you doing it too in your complaint. I hope they credit your account with something as a goodwill gesture for the confusion caused. I do hope you understand though that your not meant to have this benefit.

LeeSouthEast

I've heard the total opposite on the 3G forums. Get away from India and through to UK Complaints, and they will then put you on the correct 3gb 'Android' plan, and not the 1gb that the system auto-defaults resold contracts to.

This is free of charge to achieve, you just need to speak to someone who doesn't think you're just trying to buy more usage.

karatedragon

greyster wrote: »

I hope they credit your account with something as a goodwill gesture for the confusion caused. I do hope you understand though that your not meant to have this benefit.

I do not need a monetary credit for anything as I have simply cancelled my order with my re-seller before it has even been despatched.

My re-seller didn't seem aware of this difference in usage limits and was not happy for my cancellation reasons. It is up to them to contact T-Mobile to say they have lost a sale as a result. Not only have they lost a sale but T-Mobile have lost a new contract and a customer since the days of One2One. All for £5 a month. Why can they give direct customers 3GB for no extra cost but not re-sold customers. It's only a usage allowance not a tangible cash item. If it was a headset or something I would understand!!!

If you read further down my post, it matters not to me now as I will not be using T-Mobile after this sharp practice and also on the fact that their shoddy offshore customer service centre were hopeless when I enquired about this. Not sure when they did this but last time I rang (some time ago) it was in Wales.

As far as I am concerned no matter where you buy an Android handset from you should be on the "Android" system in their T&Cs. This should not be an incentive to buy from T-Mobile directly. And if it is an incentive they need to show this on their own online shop. "Buy with us you get 3GB - via a re-seller you only get 1GB". Or is that a company being too honest?

Fire_Fox

I really don't see what your problem is. Why not simply go direct to T-mobile and take advantage of the free 3GB? If you reasoning is that the re-seller is cheaper, then I don't see how it can possibly be 'unfair' to get less for your money.

Fifer

karatedragon wrote: »

As far as I am concerned no matter where you buy an Android handset from you should be on the "Android" system in their T&Cs. This should not be an incentive to buy from T-Mobile directly. And if it is an incentive they need to show this on their own online shop. "Buy with us you get 3GB - via a re-seller you only get 1GB". Or is that a company being too honest?

Sorry, but you should receive what you buy. The T&C's may be different for direct T-Mobile customers and re-seller customers and it's up to the customer to determine the terms & conditions they are agreeing to when they purchase. If a re-seller says one thing and sells another, then that's an issue with the re-seller, not T-Mobile.

A 3GB limit is great on a smartphone, but not essential. Android phones don't 'need' greater limits than Apple, Windows Mobile or Symbian smartphones, all of which have a 1GB limit with T-Mobile. Orange Android customers only get 500MB.

karatedragon

The purpose of my thread was to submit to here my findings not to have a debate about what is right and wrong and let people know that they may not be getting what they thought they were.

There are some good deals going at the moment.

For example via Quidco Vodafone (or Quidco) are giving £150 for a new contract. This is direct with them. Making their £35 a month contracts effectively £26 per month over 18 months with a free HTC desire. Their handset is also unlocked. Unlike T-Mobile who want £15 to unlock it. UK Based call centre also.

O2 are also rolling out the HTC Desire as well shortly so I have read.

I have even spoken to Sonera - as I spend a lot of time in Lapland. They are Finnish mobile operator and they have good "roaming" deals on this handset for use in Finland and abroad. And No overseas call centres. You don't always need to buy in the UK.

bubblesmoney

i can confirm that tmobile are giving conflicting information. when i called the tmobile number giving on their website for telesales and specifically enquired about their data limits i was told 3gb for desire (android handset). i enquired if they would negotiate a deal if i bought two handsets and monthly plans. they said no. i said if i bought the same deal through their reseller i would get a cheaper deal they said yes. I specifically enquired if the data allowance on the desire handset (android) was 3gb even if bought through a reseller and I was clearly told that the data limit was still 3gb even if bought through a reseller for android handsets. This was said by their phone sales number mentioned on tmobiles own website.

edit: i called tmobile on their telesales number, tmobile sales 08009562208 yesterday

Fifer

karatedragon wrote: »

For example via Quidco Vodafone (or Quidco) are giving £150 for a new contract. This is direct with them. Making their £35 a month contracts effectively £26 per month over 18 months with a free HTC desire. Their handset is also unlocked. Unlike T-Mobile who want £15 to unlock it. UK Based call centre also.

Have you checked the fair use limit with Vodafone?

bubblesmoney

fifer,

thats not the point katedragons trying to make.

she is saying the T&C clearly says for all android handsets they get 3gb limit. nowhere does it say resellers get 1gb limit.

vodafone and orange say it upfront eveyone get 500mb (or 750mb on some panther40 tariffs on orange) and it stays the same from main seller or reseller.

btw does quidco give cashbacks for 3 network. i have never done the quidco stuff so dont know about that.

eranou

bubblesmoney wrote: »

fifer,

thats not the point katedragons trying to make.

she is saying the T&C clearly says for all android handsets they get 3gb limit. nowhere does it say resellers get 1gb limit.

vodafone and orange say it upfront eveyone get 500mb (or 750mb on some panther40 tariffs on orange) and it stays the same from main seller or reseller.

btw does quidco give cashbacks for 3 network. i have never done the quidco stuff so dont know about that.

The terms:

Pay monthly plans which include internet on your phone on an Android phone You'll need internet coverage, check it at t-mobile.co.uk/streetcheck. Remember that you can only use your internet on your phone Booster in the UK and you can't use your phone as a modem or use web'n'walk Plus for peer to peer file sharing, or making internet phone calls. *Internet on your phone comes with a fair use policy of 3GB a month. We'll monitor how much you send and receive each calendar month so that we can protect our network for all our internet on your customers. If you use more than your fair use policy amount, we won't charge you any more, but we may restrict how you can use your plan, depending on how often you go over your amount and by how much. As your phone is always connected to the internet, if you remove your internet on your phone Plus Booster from your account you'll automatically be charged up to £1 every day. That £1 a day rate has its own fair use policy and other legal stuff, which you can see here: t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/fairuse/#fup5.

These are the terms of sale for buying via t-mobile it need not mention re-sellers as these terms are nothing to do with them