T-Mobile rep accused of lying to retain customer (UPDATE)

UPDATE: After speaking to T-Mobile, the carrier has informed me that the nation’s second-largest wireless provider believes that this was an honest mistake made by the phone representative, and there is no evidence to definitively prove otherwise.

The original story begins below.

When someone wishes to switch from their current wireless provider to another, they typically ask their current provider for a transfer PIN. This code, usually obtainable through the provider’s app, is necessary to transfer the customer’s phone number.

Today, a kind stranger was assisting a T-Mobile customer in leaving the company when they discovered that the T-Mobile app did not offer an option to request a transfer PIN. After being unable to locate a way to request a transfer PIN within the T-Mobile app, the customer decided to address the issue in a chat with a T-Mobile representative named Kevin.

The Good Samaritan reported that Kevin began pleading with the customer to remain with T-Mobile.

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Kevin attempted to convince the customer to stay, but his efforts were unsuccessful when the customer requested a transfer pin instead.

This is where Kevin’s actions began to worsen the situation for the T-Mobile customer. In a series of messages, Kevin instructed the customer to choose the option for “Port Out Protection,” as shown in the screenshots provided in this article.

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The issue at hand is that “Port Out Protection” is a feature utilized by T-Mobile customers to stop unauthorized transfers of their accounts. This feature is highly beneficial as it prevents a potential attacker from transferring a T-Mobile customer’s account to a different carrier without their consent.

If such a situation were to occur, the T-Mobile customer may be locked out of their account and phone, and could potentially have their banking, investment, and credit card accounts emptied.

The issue is that no one with T-Mobile or Metro wants to be held accountable for the cancelled line affecting their metrics. This is the unspoken problem.

T-Mobile is starting to resemble Wells Fargo in the phone industry. Ultimately, this behavior will harm them just as it did Wells Fargo.

When utilized correctly, “Port Out Protection” serves as a crucial security measure for T-Mobile users. However, if mishandled by a T-Mobile representative, it can hinder a well-intentioned individual from assisting a T-Mobile account holder in receiving a transfer PIN.

The individual expressed frustration on Reddit, stating that the situation appeared to be unjust and exploitative towards customers wanting to switch providers.

The helpful friend also had a useful tip for fellow T-Mobile users who want to get a transfer PIN. They advised against searching for it in the app and instead recommended calling 611 from your T-Mobile phone and going to the number transfer center to obtain a transfer PIN.

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The main question at hand is whether Kevin intentionally misled the customer to make it difficult for them to leave T-Mobile, or if he simply lacked knowledge.

Which scenario seems more probable to you? As noted by another Redditor, T-Mobile representatives are likely motivated by the fear of having their statistics negatively impacted if a customer cancels their services and switches carriers. This highlights the need for T-Mobile to pioneer change in the industry by reevaluating how representatives are incentivized.