T Mobile T Mobile, Gladstone, Kansas City, Englewood, N. Oak. Lie to gain more sales, misinformed to get sales, swindled, false information, Kansas City Missouri

Went online to research T-mobile and see if there was a way to use on phones on their network. Ran our ID# through thier online tool to compare phones to service. After analysis we were told to take out phones into our local T-mobile store. Later that day, 2/6/2014, we went in to the store on Englewood and N. Oak to set up service. 

We asked our sales accosiate, Brett Lowther, if it was possile to use our iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 that we had purchased from Cricket and were currently using on the Cricket network on the T-mobile network. We were told it would be no problem, and iPhone could be ised with T-mobile. We were told we would need to purchase SIM cards for the iPhones.

Based on this information we then decided to purchase two brand new cell phones for our daughters as well as the two SIM cards needed for our phones. We set up service for a family plan with T-mobile. After all of the purchases were done and the lines had been set up Brett took the SIM card for the iPhone 4s and put it in the slot. Brett then reset the phone by shutting it off and turning it back on. As soon as the phone came back on it said there was an invalid SIM card in the phone and that it could not be used with the carrier. 

At this time Brett told us we would need to take our phones to Cricket, a cellphone repair store, or go online to get the two iphones unlocked. Once unlocked the phones would just need the SIM cards put in and they would then work on the T-mobile network. As he saw us out he said if htere were any problems just come in andhe would set us up with different phones. At the time we thought he was referring to the Alcatel phones wehad just purchased for our daughters. 

We went to Cricket and were told they only unlock phones for use outside of the US. We called several cellphone repair shops and were told they do not unlock the Cricket iphones. We used three online service providers to unlock the phones. All three refunded our purchases and told us they were not able to unlock the phones. 

This morning, 2/11/2014, we contacted the local T-mobile store to let them know that we were unable to get the phones unlocked as we had been told by their salesman. We wanted to return the two cellphones we purchased and get a refund for the services we purchased since it had turned out their Salesman was misinformed and the iPhones could not be used. We were then told we would have to pay a $50 restocking fee per phone we were returning. 

We explained that this was through no fault of ours and that we had not wanted to end service but that we had no choice because the phones we had could not be used with T-mobile like their asscociate had informed us. Then asked for a manager. The manager told us there was a repair man they referred all of their customers to that would be able to unlock the phones. She said they had been using him for years. She gave us the number and we immediately called the shop for the service. 

The shop owner informed us that they do not unlock Cricket iPhones just as the other placesa had told us. He said it was not able to be done with Cricket iPhones and that he does not know why anyone would tell us that it could be done. 

We called back to the T-mobile store and explained what the repair shop had said. Again they told us to either purchase new phones with them or to pay a restocking fee for the phones we wanted to return. We asked for the manager. She stated it was no their fault that the phones could not be unlocked. She said it was not their fault that the information given was wrong because this was something new and previous to this they had always been able to have the phones unlocked. Again she tried to get us to purchase new phones through them. 

We knew that we were being given the run around and then called the national customer service number. The lady there told us that they should have told us to see if we could get the phones unlocked prior to being sold the plan, SIMs, and phones. She told us she would escalate our claim to have it resolved. Once we were sent to the next service worker we were told they would refund our deposit and service fees. She would make a note on the account so we would have no problems. When we asked about the restocking fee she told us they had to charge it because the phones were used and they could not resell them. She then suggested that we purchase new phones through T-mobile. 

Again we explained that we did not want to spend another $1200 to purchase new iPhones outright when we had two perfectly fine phones now. Both are still under warranty and one is not even a year old. That would be such a huge waste of money. She said then we would have to pay the restocking fee. 

We are infuriated at this point because if the salesman had been straight with us in the first place we wouldnever have mae the purchase. We no believe he said about coming in for help with the ohones because he knew they phones would not be able to be unlocked forcing us into purchasing new phones. This would give him a larger commision. We feel the same can be said for the store manager at this location. We do not believe for a minute that they were unaware the phones could not be unlocked.

This is not a new situation, this was not for the newly released iPhone 5s or 5c. iPhone 4s has been out for over two years and iPhone 5 has been out for over a year. I am also quite confident in assuming we were also not the first cricket customers to come in to their store. I think they tell customers this can be done and force them into a corner to purchase new phones through them. The restocking fee is more than half the cost of the phones we purchased. A purchase we would nothave made had the sales rep Brett been straight with us in the first place. We have lost over $400 in this transaction and still have no serivce for the family together. We are returning the phones anyway and suffering the restocking fee simply because there is no way we want to do service with a company that is this irresponsible with the information they give thier clients.