Another T-Mobile Price Hike Has Customers Talking

Over the last few years, many of our monthly bills seem to have been going up and up, sometimes by even more than inflation. And now, T-Mobile customers on Simple Choice, ONE, and Magenta plans could see their monthly plan go up by as much as $6 after the company announced plans to retire some grandfathered packages.

Customers who have their plan retired are being moved to one of the company's current plans, which include Essentials, Essentials Saver, Experience More, Experience Beyond and Better Value. Which of these plans they are migrated to will depend on their old plan.

In a statement, T-Mobile said: "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."

But, according to Allan Samson, chief marketing officer at T-Mobile, customers who are migrated will still be seeing a discount compared to what new customers pay for these plans.

"The price they're going to be paying in a huge majority of cases is still going to be below what that exact plan sells for today," said Samson. "We're not moving you all the way up to the rack rate."

Samson also explained that many of the plans being retired have limits on data and are no longer fit for purpose and were designed for a time when data was less important than minutes and texts.

"A rate plan is a snapshot of the capacity and capability of your network in that moment in time," Samson said. "Fifteen years ago, you checked the weather and maybe your stock report and that was about it. Today we're streaming 4K movies."

In a leaked internal email, T-Mobile Chief Operating Officer Jon Freier indicated that the switch would clear out 1,100 legacy billing codes. "Simplifying the plan mix means even more resources and focus on delivering the outstanding experience we're known for," they added.

One TikToker, Olliebubs09, took to the platform after learning that their plan was among those being retired.

They noted that an email notification about the change had come "Just out the blue."

They went on to add: "And I had a grandfather plan. This is for people who had grandfathered plans. I had a grandfather plan from Sprint, and now all of a sudden, they're raising it by $6."

Plenty of commenters also voiced their displeasure in the comments, with one writing: "I'm filing a complaint with the FCC, my original contract was for two lines, $50 a month, for life. I'm so angry. If you sign a contract for life, it should be honored. I don't want a settlement, I want them to honor my contract."

While another commenter, who works in a T-Mobile store, added: "Don’t come to store scream at us, we don’t run the company. Just be patient with us as we pivot your account and see if we can give you better option. Today I saved a customer $60 dollars!"