It feels like just yesterday that we heard about T-Mobile offering a $50 postpaid unlimited plan to their most loyal customers. Amid pressure from carriers like Boost Mobile, MetroPCS, Leap Wireless, and even Virgin Mobile and their brand of unlimited voice plans, T-Mobile decided to enter the fray under the radar. They began offering the service only to subscribers in the San Francisco area, and only to customers who had been under contract for 22 months or longer. The plan went nationwide a little later, but the latest word is that T-Mo is pulling the plug.
What will happen to customers who are already on this plan? Nothing, from all available information. Users who saw the plan and jumped on it will continue realizing $50 unlimited calling, plus $39.99 per month for additional lines. Unlimited data is also available as an add-on for $25 per month, and message bundle start at $4.99. Again, all this adds up, but it’s still in the ballpark of Sprint’s Simply Everything plan. So what’s the deal here, then?
The deal is that T-Mobile will cease active promotion of the plan. They’re not going to push it though any marketing vehicles, and chances are you won’t be able to find it on their Website once the calendar flips from June to July. So if you don’t have the plan now but were thinking about it, now is the time to think hard. This goes for those whose 22 months come in July and August as well. Give ‘em a call and see if you can still get the plan now.
Of course, if you have a problem with T-Mo, you can probably kick and scream to customer service. Perhaps they’ll keep this plan as a last line of attack for customers who threaten to defect. It’s quite the trump card, really. “I’m sorry to hear you’re thinking about leaving, Mr. Rowenstein, but may we tempt you with a fifty-dollar unlimited calling plan?” Sounds like a good ploy to me.
Still, it’s sad to see the end come to a cheap unlimited alternative from a postpaid carrier. One has to wonder why the decision on this move came about. Did T-Mobile face pressure from trade groups like CTIA to fall back into line with other carriers? Were they not realizing enough of a profit? Was there not enough interest? These questions we can’t answer right now, but boy would I like to find out.
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