T-Mobile, despite its “Un-Carrier” marketing, seems to be pulling a classic carrier move, forcing some of its long-time customers off of their existing plans and over to something newer and a bit more expensive.
The Mobile Report details that T-Mobile is making changes to some of its older plans that many customers – apparently around eight million – have stuck with for years.
Affected plans include:
- Simple Choice
- ONE/ONE Plus
- Magenta plans
- Grandfathered Sprint plans
Customers on these plans are being forced over to T-Mobile’s new “Experience” plans. Go5G plans are apparently not affected.
CNET says that “a need to reduce complexity in the company’s internal systems” is “at the heart of the move,” citing an internal email sent to employees by T-Mobile COO Jon Freier. That email was shared by The Mobile Report.
As for the actual price changes here, the internal email claims that “nearly half” of customers won’t see a price hike, but “those who do” will see jumps of up to $6 per line. There may be bigger impacts, as T-Mobile is also dissolving a “Kickback” promo that would give customers a $10 refund if they used under 2GB of data in a billing cycle.
While it’s not a major difference, it adds up. On a plan for a family of four, the price change could easily cost around $25~ extra, more if there are watch or tablet lines which are said to be going up by $3. If that same family was actively taking advantage of the “Kickback” promo, that’s another $40.
T-Mobile says in a statement:
We’re retiring our oldest plans, some of which were built nearly 15 years ago – in the 3G and 4G eras, and well before our 5G network was fully deployed. Customers will transition to modern plans that provide access to America’s best wireless technology, enhanced features and a 5-year price guarantee for peace of mind. Some customers will see no change to their monthly bill, while some will see a modest adjustment. Every customer moved to a new plan will keep their current benefits while gaining improvements in network and service experiences.
Affected customers will receive notice from T-Mobile detailing changes to their plans.
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