T-Mobile sucks

So, I finally decided that I was going to get the T-Mobile G1 with Android when it came out on Wednesday, October 22. I did some research on the HTC phone and hardware and I really liked the phone layout. Android is new, but the software can be updated. Also, T-Mobile's network sucks, but that is also being worked on. Regardless, I knew I needed something since my contract with Verizon was up and I needed a phone as sweet as the iPhone that wasn't the iPhone, because as cool as the iPhone is, it is just not for me.

I go in Wednesday to pick it up and start up my account and all that stuff and everything went great. The guy said it would be overnighted to my house which would be perfect timing for my network to change over to T-Mobile.

Next day comes and UPS attempts to drop it off at my house while I am at work. Unfortunately, the package needed to be signed for and I am without a phone at that point after work since the service kicked in to T-Mobile. So my only choice is to drive the 30 minutes to UPS to pick it up which is super inconvenient.

I get there and get my phone, open it up and turn it on.... Error: No SIM card detected. Ok, so I have to find the SIM card in the box and put it into the phone myself. No big deal. I find the card that holds the SIM and there is a place for a SIM card, but no SIM card... I open up the phone to discover that there was, in fact, already a SIM card in there. So, I call up T-Mobile to confirm it is the right SIM card, but when doing that I discover that the card is impossibly lodged in the SIM holder and prying it out of there caused it to cut into the contacts on the card. AWESOME!

The next morning (Friday) I take it into T-Mobile and explain what happened. They try a new SIM card and I get the same error. PERFECT! At this point we know the phone is defective which is what I was hoping would not be the case. The guys at the store were super cool throughout the whole process. They gave me a $100 credit to my account for all the inconvenience. It was the same guy who signed me up. So he goes to bat for me and tries to get me another one ASAP. After spending like 30 minutes on the phone with a few different people, we finally get a girl who I talk to and I am telling her I need one like now or yesterday, so get it to me quick. She says the best she can do is Monday or Tuesday. I find that this was acceptable and she places the order saying I would be credited back and recharged. Fine. I confirmed that I would receive an email to confirm everything and get a tracking number.

Monday rolls around and I still haven't recieved an email. At that point I started to get worried, so I called up my local T-Mobile to see what the deal was. I find out the guy I had been dealing with is gone on vacation all this week. SWEET. I decide I can wait till tomorrow at the latest.

Tuesday rolls around and I still haven't heard anything or received a new phone. After work, I call up the T-Mobile customer service line and get through to a woman who sounds very apologetic after I explained my situation. She said she didn't see anything on my account about getting a new phone to which I am getting VERY frustrated about, but she reassured me that we'd get it taken care of and get me one ASAP. So she cold transfers to another department which is actually just the same line and I have to wait on hold again. I finally get on with a new rep, and I have to explain everything again to him plus how I was already transfered back into the same line. Furious at this point, I tell him I want my phone IMMEDIATELY. He looks on my account and somehow he finds some notes about the transaction on Friday about getting me a new phone. He finds an order number, but it is not rush processed or anything and the phones aren't coming back in stock until mid-November and there is nothing they can do to speed anything up. WONDERFUL!

So, I say to the guy how the rep who SAID she ordered it for me and that it would be here Monday or Tuesday straight up lied to me. I cussed out his company and hung up the phone. So here I am with a piece of crap Nokia replacement phone to tied me over until I finally get the G1. Good thing is: I got the chick's name and Rep ID. Plan: Get the bitch fired for lying to customers AND get the next few months free.

Some of you may wonder why I would even stick around with them after all of this. Well, it's simple really. No other carriers have any plans to release Android phones any time soon. I need to be connected and the HTC G1 is my ideal phone. Bad thing is is that it's only offered on the WORST network there is. I know one person on the network out of hundreds of people I have asked.

Moral of the story: Don't ever go with T-Mobile if you can avoid it. I am barely hanging on without my G1 and I have a feeling it's going to get worse before it gets better...

Updates to come when I get the chick fired and get my phone.