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Totally OT - cell phone questions T-Mobile


dirty ethel rackham
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Yes, I know that there was a T-Mobile thread here earlier.  But this is different.   I am currently a customer of T-Mobile and have been happy with them.  We are in need of two more cell phones - dd lost her "dumb" pre-paid phone (I think it was stolen for the minutes) and dh need to have a personal phone since they are restricting what he can do on his work phone (a blackberry.)  I was planning on getting ds17 a smart phone for graduation.  We can switch to a cheaper plan that includes data for all lines and pay less than what we are paying now for 3 lines and 2 data packages.  But, that means I have to buy some phones outright.  I can buy phones from them on their payment plans, but it seems to be much more expensive than to buy an unlocked phone. 

 

So walk me through the process ... Say I buy two phones online.  Then I contact T-Mobile and have them add two lines and they send me the SIM cards?  Can they also change which numbers go to which phones?  Anything else I need to worry about?  Any advise about buying phones online - what to watch out for? 

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So walk me through the process ... Say I buy two phones online. Then I contact T-Mobile and have them add two lines and they send me the SIM cards? Can they also change which numbers go to which phones? Anything else I need to worry about? Any advise about buying phones online - what to watch out for?

We're in pretty much the same position with T-Mobile. You should be able to use the same SIM cards, if they are the same kind of card (i.e., if it fits the slot). For new-to-you phones, yes get a new SIM card (you can but don't have to get them from TM). Yes, they can switch which number goes to which phone. You should be able to get the phone's ID number and with that you can call TM to verify that it will work on your plan. I don't believe you can use a prepaid phone with a regular plan, for example. That's all I can think of!

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If I was considering buying online, and it was not a Brand New phone, Unlocked,  in a Factory Sealed Box, I would want the seller to guarantee that it had not been in the water, that it had not been stolen and that if it did not work for me that they would refund my money, less shipping costs.  Be sure that if you buy elsewhere that it works on the GSM Bands that you use on the T-Mobile network.  The most common GSM bands used in North America and here in South America are: 

GSM-850 and GSM-1900 but there are carriers using other GSM bands.
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If I was going to buy used phone online, I would only buy it through someplace like Amazon, where your purchase would be covered by their guarantee that you would receive exactly what you paid for, even from a third party seller. I would only buy a new phone from an authorized dealer.

 

There are too many stolen phones being sold online and on Craigslist. I would be very wary.

 

Honestly, I would buy a new phone with fewer features rather than a used "better" model, just to be safe.

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Thanks so much.  I knew that this would be the place to ask. This is exactly what I need.  Since I have only purchased phones from an authorized seller when making plan upgrades, I didn't know what the issues were in the marketplace.  I also know what I need to specify when listing my old phones (US Cellular left our market and we have hardly used phones to sell.) 

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