I've never really had to think about T-Mobile before - They are a Phone company I have never had account with. So other than occasionally look at their Tariffs when over the years I've changed contracts with other phone companies - I've never really needed to pay them much attention.
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But thanks to T-Mobile they Royally Screwed me over the Jubilee Weekend. How may this be? Well - No One died - but they did cost me a large chunk of my social life and they certainly caused a lot of people to be worried because I was out of contact for a good 7days because I could send and receive no texts or calls. Turns out T-Mobile blacklisted my Phone because they believed it to be stolen despite them never having ownership of my iPhone 4s and it being in my possession for a good 7months.
But how did I find this out - especially if I'm not affiliated or connected with the Might T-Mobile. First of all - Hmm I thought - Giff Gaff/O2 must be down - then I noticed this wasn't the case having checked other peoples service and doing an online check. Hmm - OK - Maybe my reliable Apple iPhone 4s has died on me and will no longer make calls - well this seemed to be an option as I tested a friends sim card in the phone and mine in theirs - my Sim worked in theirs (so Giff Gaff was working) but theirs didn't work in mine. Hmm - It must be the iPhone I thought at this stage.
So annoyingly I decided to waste half a day doing a complete reinstall on the iPhone - 200+ apps needed to be reinstalled and all my files saved but in turn losing a lot of the pictures I had on the Phone for some reason (not as Techie as I had hoped as they weren't all backed up! doh!). OK - but at least the Re-Install will fix my phone - it must of been the latest update (5.1.1). But no - No Signal with Re-Install and I've now wasted a good part of my day. Best get on the phone to Apple Customer Care. Umm... Hello - Is my iPhone Bar'd? Or Broken? (American Accent response) "No your Phone isn't blocked but I will book you into the Apple Store for tomorrow to see one of out Guys". Joy the only appointment is Early Morning after a Jubilee Night of celebrations - But having a working Phone is important in the Year 2012 - So Screw it - I will brave the Apple Store in Covent Garden with sore head from the Night before so Help me God!
So I get to the Apple Store - still probably slightly merry from the Queens Alcohol the Night before. Hello - My Phone isn't working - "PLEASE HELP ME!!!!" Nice Apple Chap comes back 5minutes later. "Err... Your phone isn't blocked with O2 or Giff Gaff. But T-Mobile have Blocked it / Bar'd it! Do you have an account with them?" WTF!!! T-Mobile Have blocked my Phone (I'm thinking). "No I don't have an account with them - I never have!" The Phone was originally with Vodafone. "Vodafone have not bar'd your Number" he responds.
So at this Stage - I've discovered - T-Mobile have cost me Business Calls, Social Calls and days of my life. Lets call T-Mobile! Apple Chap kindly calls T-Mobile. Hmm.... He isn't getting anywhere and I need to talk to them. "Hello Sir" They Say. "Yes Hello - Why Have you blocked my Phone?".
T-Mobile "Errrmmmmm.... we don't know sir! But if you tell us your account details we can get this sorted......." I'm gobsmacked - "My Account? I don't have an account with you!"
T-Mobile - "Well sir we can't help you then - we will have to leave the IMEI Number Bar'd!"
WTF!!!!! T-Mobile can block your IMEI Number!?! But when you want them to unblock the IMEI number, they can't do this for you because you don't have an account with them!?!?!
Are T-Mobile taking vengeance on me for never being a customer. Is this pay back for never signing up to one of their crappy contracts!?! I've never dismissed T-Mobile to my friends, family or complete strangers before - But this takes the Piss! How T-Mobile can have the power to bar a number it has no right or authority to touch is beyond me! Thanks for costing me time, money, business and stress! And Thank you T-Mobile for not saying Sorry!
The next step was to try Vodafone as these were the guys I orginally got the Phone with. "ahh yes sir we can unblock your phone but it will take 48hours!" errrrr! OK Brilliant - its a long Jubilee Bank Holiday I can cope with 48hours! 48hours is the start of the working week - Wednesday! Got to Love Old Queen Elizabeth the Second. So 48hours and then some goes by. "Hello Vodafone - you said you could unblock my phone for me.... its still blocked and not working!?!"
Vodafone "oh.... yeah.... well.... we can't unblock your phone.....the only people that can do this are T-Mobile as they originally blocked it....."
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME! Brilliant - OK so I've wasted even more time on this one... Phone is still not working and I'm going round in circles...
10 Phone calls and many hours on hold to T-Mobile + a few hang ups and with great expense to my land line because 0845 is not a freephone number. And T-Mobile are still refusing to help me. I go into one of their stores on Moorgate (Central London) - The Sales Assistant wants to help me - but I've had no account with them so he has the same problems with the technical department as me. Still No progress!
OK... Maybe... just maybe Apple can help me. I mean they are everyone's favorite company and also the Planets biggest company in the world in terms of Market value on the New York Stock Exchange. I book an appointment with the the Apple Genius Bar in Covent Garden again (1 week to the day of my phone having stopped working). Having been in the Apple store a good 20minutes the nice chappies having gone through my case again in detail they agree to give me a brand new iPhone (its probably a refurb but it looks new!) And then wham within minutes I'm up and running again - 7 days after my iPhone stopped working all thanks to T-Mobile a company who can screw you over without even having contact with you! Thank you Apple for helping me and screw T-Mobile for not helping me!
Yes - That was a Rant - but I wanted to write about it - because in 7 days you can do a lot of searching on Google - I noted this had happened to a few people before - T-Mobile need to be stopped and brought to justice for their incompetence. The more people that know about the Power T-Mobile has the more likely the industry watchdog is likely to take that power away. And take it away they must - because this sort of power can put people out of business very quickly in the wrong hands.
I have written a letter to T-Mobile Head Office in the UK and I am still awaiting a response. Will compensation be forthcoming - I highly doubt it but then again stranger things have happened. I will keep you posted with any developments.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? If so post a comment and lets get this discussion started.
