When T-Mobile announced price hikes of up to $5 per line on older smartphone plans last month, many customers were shocked. This reaction stemmed from T-Mobile’s earlier promise that prices would never increase as long as clients stayed on the same plan.
“New rule: Only YOU should have the power to change what you pay,” T-Mobile declared in a January 2017 announcement. Unfortunately, the reality was less straightforward. T-Mobile included a caveat stating that if prices did rise, it would cover the final month’s bill for customers who chose to cancel within 60 days.
The recent price hikes have reportedly affected older plans like Simple Choice, despite promises dating back to March 2015 that touted “no crazy strings, no hoops to jump through, no hidden fees, no BS.” T-Mobile has been referring to this caveat in its defense against complaints filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
A Reddit user recently posted a letter showing T-Mobile’s request to the FCC to dismiss a complaint, explaining that their “Un-contract” only promised a refund for the final month if a customer chose to leave. Customers with the more recent “Price Lock” guarantee were not affected by the price hike, as it ensured stable prices for users with plans activated between April 2022 and January 2024.