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T-Mobile to Expand 'Un-Carrier 4.0' Initiative, Offer Switch Incentives to U.S. Cellular, Regional Customers

Thursday January 16, 2014 1:37 pm PST by Juli Clover
T-Mobile will expand its recently introduced "Un-Carrier 4.0" initiative, which saw the company offering to pay up to $350 in early termination fees for Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T customers who switched to T-Mobile. As part of the expansion, first detailed by Re/code, T-Mobile will pay the same contract termination fees for customers currently with U.S. Cellular and a dozen other small regional carriers.

T-Mobile also has plans to entice additional customers by accepting a larger number of handsets for trade-in, including damaged phones, albeit for a lower trade-in credit.

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"This is not just a promotion," T-Mobile marketing chief Mike Sievert told Re/code on Thursday. "What we are trying to do is bring an end to unfair one-way onerous contracts in this country."
First unveiled last week, T-Mobile's early termination deal pays up to $350 per line in fees for individuals and families with up to five lines who switch from their current carriers and trade in their phones to T-Mobile.

Under the terms of the program, customers have to leave their current carriers, trade in existing phones (T-Mobile offers up to $300 per trade-in), sign up for a new T-Mobile plan and port a phone number. After the above qualifications are met, customers can send the final bill from their previous carrier (with termination fees listed) to T-Mobile for reimbursement via prepaid MasterCard.

According to T-Mobile, upwards of 80,000 "break-up" letters have been shared on social media sites in the last week by customers leaving their carriers for T-Mobile and signups have increased as a result of the program.

[ 74 comments ]


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yeah
68 months ago
Innovating and kicking the other carriers' butts, one T-Mobile event at a time. :D
Rating: 7 Votes
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mtneer
68 months ago

Thats the only thing stopping me; especially since AT&T unlocks iPhones after contract terms/ETF are paid. I'd have a perfectly functional phone since the 5S is GSM universal, but TMO won't let me use it :(


Why not sell the now unlocked AT&T 5S and get T-Mobile's 5S which they require you to get??
Rating: 6 Votes
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bran0216
68 months ago
This is genius on T-Mobile's part. All 6 people on my plan are switching ASAP. See ya Sprint! The company that doesn't believe in coverage at one of the most popular tourist attraction in the country. (Central Florida)
Rating: 4 Votes
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Rhyno37
68 months ago
If Tmobile just had better coverage in rural areas they'd have me sold. Verizon and US Cellular are about the only carrier's around here with decent speeds.
Rating: 4 Votes
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alent1234
68 months ago
T-mo has the 5s
Rating: 3 Votes
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jayducharme
68 months ago

If Tmobile just had better coverage in rural areas they'd have me sold. Verizon and US Cellular are about the only carrier's around here with decent speeds.


That's my problem as well. I really want to switch to T-Mobile if for nothing else than to support their new direction. But I'd also like to be able to make phone calls and receive e-mail. Their coverage is just too spotty where I am.
Rating: 2 Votes
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dizmonk
68 months ago
Just switched

From Verizon.. They were giving me **** because I wanted to return a 2nd phone... I just said screw them and moved over.. So far so good...
Rating: 2 Votes
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firedept
68 months ago
Wish we had some competition in Canada against our big three. Verizon tried and the big three whined so loud to the government, that Verizon lost out getting its foot in the door.
Rating: 2 Votes
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patent10021
68 months ago

Wish we had some competition in Canada against our big three. Verizon tried and the big three whined so loud to the government, that Verizon lost out getting its foot in the door.

The big three in Japan are also a complete nightmare.


Staff: Unlock? What's that? Leaving the country and terminating your contract even though your phone contract ended two years ago? Oh you still need to pay a $100 bye bye fee. Want to share one data plan with say 3 different iDevices? Huh? They let you do that in north America?!? You want to give your WIFE or MOTHER authorization to cancel your contract a week after you've left Japan so you can use your Japanese phone until you get a north American phone? No no no. Not allowed!
Rating: 2 Votes
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alent1234
68 months ago

Actually, it's more like the really quick-witted "cool" kid on the playground. Everybody laughs with him because he's so smart and clever, but he then gets his @$$ kicked b/c he has nothing to back it up.

T-Mobile can come up with all of the clever tactics in the world, but the fact that their cell coverage and data speeds are so laughably horrible in many areas trumps any marketing ploy they could ever concoct.


enough people live in the well covered areas that we don't care

that's why T-mo is cheaper, they only serve the more populated areas
Rating: 2 Votes

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