Wirelessly posted

I switched to T-Mobile from AT&T last week do to the excellent pricing on their new plans. Well over the last week, I've found out that I do not get the greatest reception in some important places.



I was told by the T-Mobile employee that I had 1 month to try out the service. Here is where I'm concerned. If I go back to AT&T, am I considered a "New Customer" or do I just go back as an "Existing Customer". Also, by going back are you still required to pay the ETF fee?

Any help would definitely be appreciated.

Once you ported out to T-Mobile you incurred the ETF. No getting around that, even if you go back to AT&T. Technically you're a new customer, but they have restrictions on benefits (like new phone pricing, special deals, etc.) for folks that were former customers as recently as 90 days ago. That's to keep folks from dropping AT&T, then re-signing to get some of those "new customer only" deals.

The good news is that you're within the 30 day grace period with T-Mobile. Shouldn't be any fees associated with T-Mo except perhaps a restocking fee for any new handset they gave you. And of course you'll have to return it, in "like new" condition.

You may be surprised. If they have NOT closed out your BAN (that is your Billing Account Number), you can SOMETIMES port back and pick up where you left off. No guarantees.

You'd be shocked how often your situation happens, though. T-Mobile has become dirt-cheap, but for a reason in most markets.

Depending on the system used, porting out from the BAN with no other CTN's on it will cancel it completely.

I've waived early cancellation fee's for customers who have decided to come back within 60 days, they just have to set up a new account and are not allowed to get a subsidy on a new phone.

I have both ATT and T-mobile. ATT charges alot more but I see little difference between the two in reception in DC, NYC or Miami.

BUT in your case: I know T-mobile allows you to come back within one month without missing a beat ('cause I took my personal account to AT&T and then took it back to Tmobile because I didn't want to pay ATT on my own. My company pays the 'work' AT&T bill on my other phone).

ATT should be cool about it within a week. Give their customer service a call and see what they offer to bring you back.

carriers normally have about a 30-60 day window to come back after lines are cancelled.

It will basically be where you left off.

^^even out of the 60 day window AT&T waived my etf and I got my Bold at the new customer price. I guess it all depends on who you get on the phone to order.

Ever try voice over IP?
 

Just a thought but if your 'important' places have wifi for laptops..your blackberry (with tmobile) will make voice over IP (they call it UMA) phone calls through the cabled (or data) line. The Wifi replaces the towers and then switches back to towers when available. It's a two minutes setup on the phone. UMA or voice over IP voice calls are a T-mobile feature...the AT&T can't do voice only data over wifi. If you ever work in a basement office or heavily fortified zone...this is the only phone that is gunna work...using voice over IP over the computer wifi network.

Fair point. That was my decision point, too. There's one room at work where nothing "real" works, but T-Mobile UMA does. BUT, AT&T saves me substantial money and has better coverage everywhere BUT that room, including twice-as-fast data services, so...