“You don’t have to go to three places.”
Posted: October 30, 2024 2:00 AM CDT
T-Mobile customers shared their frustration online after having to go to three different stores to properly upgrade their Apple Watch.
featured videos
After the first two locations yielded nothing, Nevaeh (@nevaehnabor) addresses viewers from his car in a viral TikTok clip.
Apple Watch upgrade debacle
“I have a Series 5 Apple Watch, and it’s been years and it just stopped working,” she explains. “So I’m looking to upgrade my watch, and I go to a T-Mobile and they say, ‘Unfortunately, you can’t upgrade your watch.'”
Instead, she says, the salesperson offered to pay $99 for a new Apple Watch, but the problem was that she would have to open an entirely separate phone line to do so. That was out of the question, so Nevaeh decided to try a second T-Mobile store.
The second store told me I could keep the watch connected to the same line, but that I would have to pay $250 for the device that day. She didn’t want to do this either. So she went to the third store.
“I said third time’s a charm,” she said, pulling her new Apple Watch out of her pink T-Mobile shopping bag. “I paid $28 today…I need T-Mobile to put it together because I shouldn’t have to go to 3 places to get the results I wanted.”
@nevaehnabor #tmoible #clock #apple #dobetter ♬ Original song – Haruna
Why are different T-Mobile stores offering different deals?
Mobile phone companies often offer promotions to new customers or to users who want to upgrade their plan or add an additional line. So while a basic upgrade can be frustrating for existing customers, it’s not impossible and shouldn’t be as difficult for Nevaeh as this story suggests.
The Daily Dot emailed T-Mobile asking for clarification on the store-to-store policy, and people in the TikToker comments section shared their own theories and experiences.
“The T-Mobile store manager is here,” one commenter wrote. “You don’t have to go to three locations. It’s the same everywhere as far as transactions go. They lied because the reps are getting paid for new activations, not upgrades.”
Another person, who identified himself as a former store manager, added that the Apple Watches in stock were “saved for activation.”
“If you would like to upgrade, we will ship it to you,” they explained. “Because when someone comes in to activate a watch, they want it right away. And watches and tablets were also big indicators.”
“I always go to work. [T-Mobile] Stores..their authorized dealers will screw you,” another user suggested.
Do you need to upgrade your phone directly?
The best way to handle upgrades is debatable, as store personnel frequently try to upsell and don’t always seem to be upfront about what’s most cost-effective for the customer. There is.
“I went to Verizon to get the new 16 and was told it would cost $600 to upgrade both phones early,” one viewer recalled. “I did it online and only paid $200.”
“I buy all my Apple products from Apple. I have Apple CC. Before I step in, I pay it off every month with no interest. [in] T-Mobile,” another user said. “It’s always something.”
A third person agreed, saying, “It’s wise to buy at Best Buy or the electronics department.”
It makes sense that upgrading your device is an easy and simple process if you know what you want. But Nevaeh’s experience, and all the comments supporting her, are a stark reminder that you should probably do your research and shop around.
The Daily Dot reached out to Nevaeh via a comment on TikTok.
Internet culture is chaotic, but we break it down for you in one email a day. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. Get the best (and worst) of the internet delivered straight to your inbox.
