Existing customer has to provide credit card/debit card info

I've been an existing customer for a while now...I started with two lines, then added another. I've upgraded two phones (and ended up not getting my t-mobile rebates, but that's another story.)

I called customer service to add another line to my family plan. My mistake this time around was that, again, I wanted a phone to use with the new line.

Last time, I simply called, spoke with customer service, gave my PASSCODE which I have on my line, and they spoke with the credit department. Told me no deposit needed, passed me on to get a new line set up. No problem, no credit card/debit card info having to be provided. They sent me a new phone, I called them and had it added to my existing family plan. Granted it took them six months (approximately) to get the bill from the activation transferred (although I could have swore I paid it the first month the line showed up with my family plan billing, but that also is another story.)

This time, I again called customer service, did the usual verification, they spoke with credit which said I didn't need a deposit, etc.

However, they this time passed me to some outside tele-sales (most likely an outsource solution) that cannot access customer information and this department MUST have my credit card/debit card information (which I never gave t-mobile in the first place) TO VERIFY WHO I AM and TO PROTECT ME FROM IDENTITY THEFT.

Give me a break.

First, customer service verified who I was.

Second, it doesn't protect identity theft by requiring me to give out personal accounts information to some third party or over phone lines.

As a matter of fact, this information isn't in a t-mobile database. So now they want to take more information than they need and put it into some other database. Considering this is how much of identity theft is perpectuated, how exactly does this protect me?

Of course, all of this is after telling me about this great phone I can only get through tele-services, but only if I provide information to this person who isn't considered secure enough to have access to customer data.

Hmmmm....

Not the best way to retain customers, particularly those who are calling to add services.

Pretty much alienated me and now I'm looking around and deciding if I'm going to retain these lines or wait as each contract expires and move.

I upgraded two phone lines. Both lines I ordered the same make/model of new phone. Both times there was a $50 t-mobile rebate available.

The first rebate I didn't get because they said it wasn't sent within the time frame allowed (and since I didn't send it by delivery confirmation, can't really prove otherwise even though I sent it almost two weeks before the close date.)

The second rebate (this is my favorite) I didn't get because they said it didn't have the form (it was stapled and I have a copy of the two together.)

If its not a scam, then they have probably outsourced the work to some call center (call centers often get piece work, where your rebates are opened, verified and entered while they aren't answering the phone, but usually there are quotas for the rep, etc., so often pieces aren't even opened when addresses are on the outside, just fill in the 'nope' form.)

Since I'd already been burnt on one rebate, you can be sure I made damn sure I fulfilled my side of the bargain.

Both of these were legitimate submissions, which is bad enough, but what is even more aggravating is that if you are ordering the phone directly from t-mobile WHY can't they simply initiate the rebate.

This isn't a chain store where I walk in, pay cash and they don't know me from adam...nor is it a situation where I buy it from some third party.

I'm not even saying they should credit my bill (although it would be nice), but at least do the paperwork.

But when you first make the customer jump through hoops (most likely seeing this as a revenue line with a % of non-respondents expected) then deny the rebates, repeatedly, it certainly seems like a scam.

So everything went (relatively) smoothly with getting a third line of service.

Following the instructions, I called in and customer service (CS) was very nice about putting the new phone within my family plan as originally requested when adding the new line.

HOWEVER...

When I first got the new family plan bill, I am sure I saw a bill for the new line's activation. Several months down the road I am still getting a separate bill for the new line with no explanation about the bill.

Now this bill floated around for months until one month t-mobile decided they were going to disconnect my services for this bill (now mind you, t-mobile *requires* your bill to be paid in full or they will disconnect.)

Now before this situation occurred, I had called CS at least once (I think three different times, but not positive) about the bill. They repeatedly said it was nothing, and that everything was correct on my family plan billing.

Then months after adding the line, and being told the bill was past due, etc., it seems this charge was the original activation fee. Now I can't find my original hard copy bill, so I'm not positive I paid it BUT tmobile is pretty adamant about paying your bill in full so the fact that it didn't get paid for months would come as a bit of a surprise.

Then again, every time they mess with their website or try to work with a database I start laughing (been in IT so long, nothing they screw up is new mistakes, just new people making old mistakes.)

Wow you are one of the biggest complaining customers I've ever witnessed. Go to Cingular or Sprint, u will LOVE their CS.

T-Mobile, as everyone knows, is rated #1 in Customer Service. Yet, there still seems to be hundreds of unsatisfied people whining everyday.

Why do people expect SO MUCH? I understand high expectations of the service you are paying for. Although, you need to draw a line somewhere.

Don't upgrade or order over the phone. That is the dumbest thing you can do. I don't know why people do that?

Why not; SEE EVERYTHING happen in front of you, get your new line activated immediately, and have the new phones to use right away? The best part is you have a sales rep right there to answer your questions and guide you through your agreement. Plus, you got a little more credibility to your argument if you know the guys name and the store location.

On the phone. You have to wait.........You haven't much control because you ain't signing or even VIEWING a contract, your phone, or ANYTHING for that matter.

Find a damn store, unless you live in BFE. Even so, it's worth the drive. Otherwise, things like this happen and you come off as a whiner. You definitley ain't getting what you want.

Now, as for your debit/credit information. In most scenarios, that is used for chargeback protection to the dealer of the handset. Companies such as the one I work for, discount the handsets to provide them at low costs for new and renewing customers.

It's just protection for the issuing company.

For instance.

I sell you a phone, and you decide to cancel 2 months after you have it. T-Mobile will take away my sales commission because the contract was terminated.

This is where the debit/credit information come into play. If you don't return the phone, we just lost a whole bunch of money and time on you. That's not fair to us.

We use it for our own protection and it states it before you sign it. If you don't like it, go pay more somewhere else. We're not gonna use your damn personal information against you for being a CUSTOMER with us!

After 4 months, the imprint of your credit or debit card is TORN UP because it's deemed USELESS. That is the period an authorized dealer requires you stay on contract in addition to your 12 or 24 month agreement with the service provider.

I don't understand why American people are so scared to shop in actual stores? There's so much protection out there against things happening. We don't live in Afghanistan guys. Please keep that in mind.

Oh, and of course you're gonna get an activation fee. You just activated a new line! I don't know who is fooling you.

Existing customer has to provide credit card/debit card info

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