Advice on stolen phone. ..Please help!

I have been a t-mobile customer for over two years and have been very happy with them. However, last Thursday (around nine am) as I was reaching into my bag to turn my phone off (I was about to enter class) I realized that my phone was not in my bag. I then called my number thinking that I could not find it because my bag was filled with a lot of junk and I was kind of sick (had had a migraine the night before) and that it would ring and I could locate it. To my surprise some guy answers my phone and I quickly realize that it’s been stolen. I asked him to give it back to me and he said no way and cursed me etc. So I go to a T-mobile Branch and tell one of the to workers there that my hone has been stolen and what should I do. The guy tells me he can’t deal with that and to cal customer service.
I then get the rudest meanest person ever who tells me that I called Pakistan and am trying to not pay for the call now! She was so mean she made me cry and kept insisting that I had made international calls myself as the calls to Pakistan were made before the last call that I could recall making myself. I told her to transfer me to someone else and I spoke to a nice woman who told me that as per t-mobile policy I would have to pay for calls made before I notified them that the phone was stolen as I have to notify them immediately and I asked her what my next step should be (I had of course suspended the phone). She told me to buy a new phone---so sorry I could not get one at a discount!—and that I had to pay the $300 fees that had accrued and put me onto someone in financial dept who told me he could not help me with a payment plan (although I told him I did not want one as I could not afford to pay the fee) as a bill had not been generated yet. No one would tell me how I had to go about disputing the bill although i asked everyone i spoke to.
I went to the police station after my last class that day and filed a report and the police officer told me not to pay the bill and that I should dispute it but how do I do that? I called customer service again and told them that I do not want to pay it because I believe that I did not lose the phone---it was stolen and that according to the terms and conditions should not have to pay. No one told me to file a police report and I did that on my own and I even asked them if they have a service that would enable them and other companies from using stolen phones whose serial numbers are reported. I think it is obvious that I do not have my phone and I did not make the calls. First off I was told earlier this year that I could not make international calls and have never called outside of the usa (plus I don’t know anyone from Pakistan). Also, when I changed my plan I was not informed that I now has international calling---yesterday, one rep told me that I did but I had to know some code to do it. Anyway I was totally not aware of this.
So according to Terms and Conditions:

17. Lost or Stolen Phone. If your Phone is lost or stolen (“Lost Phone”) you will not be liable for unauthorized airtime charges incurred on the Lost Phone if you: (a) notify us immediately; (b) ask us to deactivate the Lost Phone; and (c) provide within 14 days any documentation we request, including a police report. You must fulfill the remainder of your Term by activating a replacement Phone (which may be full price) or the cancellation fee will apply.

• I went to the police and have report. And in fact also paid to get the address of some of the ppl. that the bastard called on my phone so hopefully the police can track him down. I tried to find one address this weekend but my friends told me not to go as it my have been dangerous.
• I deactivated the phone as soon as I realized.
• I notified them immediately. I know that they’re saying that calls were made before I notified them but I DID tell them as soon as I knew. What does “immediately” mean? How can I tell them the phone is stolen before I realize it myself? No where on the T&C does it say with regards to a lost or stolen phone that you pay for calls that are made before you notify them…it just says notify immediately.

I told this to a rep yesterday and she checked my record and said that because I never paid my bill late and have never made an international call, I will get 50% off the bill. I was going to take it but it seems so unfair that I have to pay for this. I already have to get a new phone and the phone that as stolen was only two weeks old. My friends and boss say that I should n pay and I don’t but would it just be easier to pay and how do I dispute it? No one told although I asked. I know it seems like a little but of money to me but I am a college student and have to work to pay rent and tuition and have an exact budget. What should I do?

Sorry to hear that your phone got stolen.. I to had a phone stolen about 4 years ago.. It was a nextel and anyone that knows phones knows that nextel customer service sucks. But this time the prevailed. They didnt charge me for a new phone. They didnt charge me for the 218 minutes of talk time the person made to Kentucky or and other charges. All I had to do was file a police report. So in otherwards you dont have to pay for the charges and besides the contract says it too. Hope this helps.

do i get them to allow me to not pay for these calls? Every time i speak to a rep i read the T&C to them and say i have done all they said but they still insist that i have to pay...and they are so mean to me too! Their tone is so nasty. What do I have to say to get them to listen to me and help me? Has anyone been through this and not paid the bill? The police are deciding if they are going to investigate or not but i do have the report and the officer told me no t to pay at all.

Yikes!

Politely ask to speak to a supervisor. Explain your situation, and that you would like to know if T-Mobile would be able to assist with the charges. Do not raise your voice at all regardless of how frustrated you are. You have people on the other side of the phone, and no one takes kindly to yelling and obsenities. That is when the bad things happen to customers like getting transffered everywhere and calls dropping. Yes it is wrong for reps to do that. Will they still do it....yes until they get caught.

Keep in mind it is highly unlikely you will get 100% of the charges credited back to you. Remember the cell phone is still your responsibility not T-Mobile's even if it is stolen. Ultimately this is your fault, but I am sure a suprevisor will be able to assist you a little bit. A police report is nice, but it still does not prove you didn't fabricate the entire story. I am not saying you did, but there are people out there.............

thanks for the advice guys

i think i am going to take it because i know that i should have been more aware of my surroundings and there was an eight hour window that the calls were made from that i could have narrowed down had i been more aware. t-mobile should not have to pay for my folly--but i wish i knew about int'l calling--could have disabled it. i have never been rude to a rep and i never will be---i know how frustrating that job is...most ppl. who call have problems and are snappy to reps so i always try to be chipper. i just wish they would be nice to me! but who knows who they spoke to before me and what kind of temper they are in.
i was prepared to pay all of the charges that had been accrued before i realised the phone was reported stolen (only common sense right?) but that was before they told me that the bulk of it was int'l calls...i did not even know i had that ability cause i tried to call london over the summer, was told i did not have that capability and spoke to a rep who told me it was a no-go. i am going to talk to them once more and if it is a no-go then i'll pay the charges because t-mobile is the best company with great plans and reps for the most part. it feels so wierd to not have a phone. it's only been a week but i miss it so much for the wierdest things. like when i get out the subway i miss the alert that tells me i have messages--so silly.

i guess the lesson here for me and anyone who likes to be cautious is keep yr phone locked so that if it is stolen, whoever the sucky person is can't make calls. i spoke to the police today and they are going to investigate so i am totally stoked...i don't mind paying as long as those guys get caught and go to jail. hopefully they will give me a payment plan.

thanks again for not calling me an idiot!

Good luck pcohen, and im sure that if you call back and inquire about the 50% with that kind of attitude it will still be on the table. Good luck!

Oh and if you dont want International calling abilities on your phone you can call and have them barred.

Advice on stolen phone. ..Please help!

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