BEWARE!!! There are T-mobile corporate stores and t-mobile limited stores.
Have you ever walked into a franchise and asked yourself... "is this a REAL store or a FAKE store? If I buy something here, will I be able to return it at any other franchise location?" Prior to this week, these questions never crossed my mind.
I advise you--Do NOT shop at these T-mobile limited stores which are also called "authorized dealers." Prior to this weekend I thought that only the stands in the mall were sketchy places to buy phones. Well there are actual franchise stores that will screw you over! If you shop at a "T-mobile limited" store and then go to a corporate store, you will be sent away. The corporate stores do not support the sales that are made in the limited stores and will not assist you. The crazy thing is the limited stores show up on the T-mobile official website. And although the sign says T-Mobile, the flags they have flying outside say T-Mobile, they offer the same phones, have the same decorations, uniforms, service, sales pitches, etc...T-mobile corporate does not associate themselves with these stores!
I purchased a new Smartphone on Friday night. I went home and put it on a charger and noticed that the back of the phone had 5-6 scratches...I also noticed that the area where you plug in the charger was scratched. So clearly this was not a brand new phone that I paid $200 for and renewed a 2 yr contract for. So on Saturday morning I go to the T-mobile on Newbury Street in Copley and try to exchange it. The sales associate said they would have to charge me a $10 restocking fee (which is retarded) but I said yes to. So they ask for my receipt and the sales representative says "oh you bought this from a limited store, you have to return it there".
I had no idea what she was talking about and said "is this NOT T-mobile? It's not all the same thing?" They explained the whole corporate store vs limited store that I described above and refused to exchange my phone. They also pointed out that limited stores may have different return policies and pointed out that there was a $50 restocking fee at the store I purchased the phone from.
--Now when I made the purchase I voiced my concern about switching from a Blackberry to the Android MULTIPLE TIMES! And asked MULTIPLE TIMES, if I don't like the touchscreen can I exchange and switch back to Blackberry. He said yes of course 14 days to return, he never once mentioned a $50 RESTOCKING FEE. -
So I leave the t-mobile "corporate" store in Copley and go to the one in South Station thinking maybe I would come across nicer employees there. Nope didn't happen...
So I went back to the store I purchased the phone from in JP. Stood in line for about 1-2 hrs in a VERY GHETTO store! Amongst loud and obnoxious hoodrats! Waited to talk to the MANAGER who sold me a used phone! I told him I wanted to exchange the phone and he goes to the back room and comes out and says he doesn't have any more. I am about 75% certain that he was lying to me because I saw another representative carry 3 boxes of the phone I requested out of the backroom 20 seconds after he said he didn't have any. He said I can pick 1 up in the Cambridge store. At this point it's about 3-4 o clock and I have been trying to get my phone exchanged for about 4 hours now. I agreed to it because I was just fed up and wanted my new phone.
He never mentioned the restocking fee and didn't charge me one because he knew he sold me an old phone! So my question is...were all the phones that were brought out from the back used phones!? Why couldn't he just give me another 1 from his store?!
Very fishy stuff....so 1.5 hrs later I am in Cambridge and picked up my new phone. I turned it on and it played an introductory video and asked me to select background wallpaper....the phone I received the night before DID NOT!! I also noticed that it had a protective screen...which the phone I 1st received did NOT.
WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS ARE THEY RUNNING HERE?! AND HOW DEAR T-MOBILE ALLOW THESE FRANCHISES TO DO THIS AND TARNISH THEIR IMAGE. I am FURIOUS! I wasted an entire Saturday (7 hours!!!!!) running about Boston trying to get a new phone- which I should have gotten to begin with!
If I could give a negative review, I would.
If I could kick the manager in his balls, I also would. read more