T-Mobile adds 1.3M customers in Q2, continues to grab wireless share

[humbleMouse]

When I run out of my 8gb of data on my t mobile plan, there is no way to buy more data if I need it.

I tried on online with no success, and even went into the store to ask - they said I could not buy more LTE data if I had used my 8gb for the month.

T mobile used to let me buy data by the GB for my phone when it ran out. It was $10/GB.

Now when I try to select that option on their website the website crashes when trying to process the request.

What kind of cell phone company in 2017 doesn't let customers purchase more LTE data when their monthly data allotment runs out? A shitty one.

I like t mobile and the service is good most places I go, but fuck them for not letting me buy data by the GB when I run out. I will be switching mobile providers once my lazy ass finds the time to do the paperwork.

[kimolas]

They have a new unlimited data plan which has replaced all of their other plans. This model is now being adopted by the other carriers.

[nahtnam]

I feel your pain. The website keeps crashing whenever I try to buy a data pass. However, I was able to get one yesterday by opening the T-Mobile app, signing in, and pressing the chat button in the top right. That let me text a T-Mobile rep instantly who let me buy a pass. Took less than 5 minutes.

[hppycffee]

You have to call them. Its a pain but support did this for me a month ago.

[bimr]

If T-mobile has a weakness, it is not signal strength. Coverage maps are a red herring. If you look at AT&T coverage in SoCal, you would think that they have it on lock. However in Downtown LA, AT&T is atrocious, and T-Mobile is stellar. Even if signal is weak where you live, T-Mobile was the first to unlock WiFi Calling for its phones. They even give you an awesome router for your home. If somebody is telling you that T-Mobile coverage sucks, its because they have no other complaints than this subjective opinion. Remember, coverage = Your Mileage May Vary

[celim307]

this is only true in cities, which I guess covers the majority of people, but as someone who camps across the country, and often drives there, T-mobile is terrible outside most metro areas, and I rely on my girlfriend's verizon to keep us from getting lost and to link up with other campers.

And I'm not just talking about the deep boonies either. Even in state parks that are less than an hour from densely populated cities, I often have no bars.

[covercash]

For a family plan with 3 people, we pay $270/mo for unlimited everything, yearly phone upgrades, insurance (damage/loss/theft) and 7gb tethering per line.

And sometimes we get free pizzas or movie tickets on T-Mobile Tuesdays.

And their customer service has been wonderful so far!

[garethsprice]

T-Mobile Tuesdays is a great case study for a customer loyalty app.

1) Unobtrusive and separate from all the other junkware (ie. not bundled into the main app), 2) conditioning to check it regularly, 3) giveaways that are (sometimes) things people actually want and that create conversation with other people (free pizza!).

I think Verizon had some kind of points system that seemed confusing and useless, I certainly was never able to redeem it for anything good and just ignored it.

Service-wise T-Mobile works well for me in cities, but the reception is noticeably flakier than my old Verizon phone. Outside the cities it's much spottier (girlfriend's AT&T phone will have full signal, T-mobile no service). However, I like supporting a player who isn't one of the big 2 oligopolists. US telecoms is awful & overpriced and any competition is good competition.

[DrScump]

Move to the newer plans. I pay $125 for 5 lines (2 are free) after Kickback rebates. One of the free lines was from a limited time promo.

[knodi]

That seem high with TMobile. They have (or had) a plan for $150, 4 lines, unlimited everything.

[perfectstorm]

I switched to T-Mobile but I had to switch back because of reception issues. Their service is horrible if you live in a big apartment complex.

I hope they improve. Their unlimited data plan overseas is probably the biggest perk in the industry.

[compsciphd]

they'll give you a 4g lte cellspot for free, yes, it will use your internet connection (which might matter if it's metered), but you'll get perfect connectivity.

[kc10]

I switched from At&t to t-mobile few months ago. I used to pay $130 for two lines, now I pay $80 for 3 lines. The reception is not great, but with all the perks like movie tickets, rentals the $80 monthly almost pays for itself.

AT&T's service quality is better than T-mobile, but hey T-mobile is almost free.

[kemayo]

Out of curiosity, which T-Mobile plan did you get? I thought their current big "we only have one plan" thing worked out to around $140/month for three lines.

[compsciphd]

t-mobile hookup ;)

heck, I was a t-mobile customer that transferred all my lines out to google voice just to be able to get this :)

[noncoml]

I used to be with T-Mobile, their service in SF Bay Area was horrible, no signal indoors, had to try 2-3 times to make a call, call quality was bad.

I thought, what's the point in paying a bit less money if I get something that's unusable, so I switched to Verizon.

[conception]

It got a lot better once they got more spectrum, especially indoors. Depending on when you quit it may be significantly better. They also have wifi calling which also helps indoors.

[adamgray]

I'm normally happy with T-Mobile in the cities, but after a cross-country road trip I'm pretty disappointed with their service in the Great Plains and PNW. My traveling companion consistently had service with LTE with AT&T while I was on edge or 3G. On the East Coast and Midwest my T-Mobile service is stellar. I probably won't switch anything because 99% of my time I'm in the Chicago city limits, but it was a bit disappointing to have to drive without streaming services or podcasts.

[jetpacktuxedo]

I drove from Indiana to Seattle two years ago while on Tmobile. I really only had issues in the mountains, in National Parks (yellowstone really, the badlands were fine for the most part, and had full LTE at Mt. Rushmore), and chunks of South Dakota.

Out of curiosity, does your phone support Band 12? Because they have been really pushing that rollout which roughly triples their range and building penetration, so I wonder if that could account for our different experiences.

[brianwawok]

I use podcast addict to pile up my podcasts. I have maybe 100 hours sitting ready to listen to locally.

I hit the tmobile glitch up in Wisconsin.. but as long as I plan ahead it is ok. I have the areas downloaded locally to google maps etc.

Not perfect, but not terrible either.

[celim307]

Yeah, as an avid camper, backpacker, climber, or general outdoor person knows, you need at least one person with Verizon in your party. Tmobile is not great at all outside of cities.

[gcb0]

funny thing is that they don't even try hard.

they keep changing plans. their market just shout their brand and some price they dont even offer anymore. and they always try to move me to a cheaper plan even though I want to stay on the much more expensive one just because I dont want to think about roaming when I travel.

[Analemma_]

Yup. It speaks to just how terrible Verizon and AT&T are that T-Mobile has all these fuckups and they're still far-and-away the best choice.

[xeromal]

Call roaming or data/text roaming? I'm on their latest plan ($75) and data/text works for "free" in a ton of countries. I've used it in Peru, Mexico, and Iceland so far.

[excalibur]

Not me. I actually got locked into my existing plan through a recent add-a-line-for-free promotion. The gotcha there being that if/when you change your plan, the free line stops being free. For the moment my current plan is still the best fit for my needs, but that's likely to change sooner or later, and now I have this additional barrier to consider when contemplating switching it up.

[copperred]

This is part of the race to the bottom. Price matters. That's why I switched to TMobile.

[craptocurrency]

I'm T-Mobile subscriber, I can tell you that their service su.cks. Low signal issue. Call disruptions etc. planning to switch back to att.

[celim307]

It's highly dependent on where in the country you are. Its not ubiquitous like Verizon is.

Idk why people are downvoting you for having a different experience

[the_common_man]

As a T-Mobile subscriber, I face none of the problems you mention. I am on the walmart plan and it's been working great for many years now.

[knodi]

Same issues i have. I love the lower price point but the service is sh*t.