T-mobile sim card rip off

[Germwise]

just got my nexus one and I wanted to start service with t-mobile. They want to charge me 20 dollars for a sim card. It seems like a ridiculous price for a tiny piece of plastic. You can buy their pre-paid sim cards for 20 bucks and they come with minutes.

Any suggestions as to what I can do?

 

[androidtx]

Um, stop wasting more than $20 in time worrying about it, and just give them the money. I guess you could try ebay or something though.

 

[FreshPrince]

Looks free online?

 

[NexusMMM]

Did you go to an official T-Mobile outlet or one of those "Authorized Retailers"? I went to the latter and they wanted to charge a similar fee when I dropped my girlfriends SIM somewhere in the car seat. Called T-mobile directly and they sent me to an official Tmo store and got it free of charge.

 

[mi_canuck]

it's free in a T-Mobile corporate store... when you sign up for a contract-free plan (for example, EM Plus) you get a SIM for free... i don't know why they would charge you, unless it's a T-Mobile partner store... ???

 

[afine1]

agreeing with a few posts. you went to a partner store. just an fyi...kiosks in the mall are not corporate stores.

it is free at a corporate store or online.

 

[Howie]

agreeing with a few posts. you went to a partner store. just an fyi...kiosks in the mall are not corporate stores.

it is free at a corporate store or online.

Actually, we only have two corporate T-mobile locations and one of them is a kiosk in the mall. I hate going there because of it being a kiosk.

edit: but yes, they should be free. My kiosk location gave me it with no charge as does the website.

 

[omeyga]

I believe they are free for existing Tmobile customers. I can't imagine any company that would just hand them out for free upon request to non-current subscribers.

 

[afine1]

Actually, we only have two corporate T-mobile locations and one of them is a kiosk in the mall. I hate going there because of it being a kiosk.

edit: but yes, they should be free. My kiosk location gave me it with no charge as does the website.

i stand corrected, but it was a joke.

 

[Howie]

i stand corrected...

I know what you mean. I thought my kiosk was a 3rd party one, but turns out it isn't.

I believe they are free for existing Tmobile customers. I can't imagine any company that would just hand them out for free upon request to non-current subscribers.

New activations (I think the $20 SIM fee is covered by the activation) and current customers for troubleshooting SIM card issues I believe are free.

 

[AndroidsOfTara]

When I signed up for the Even More + 500 minute plan, the total came to $70.20. That was the cost of the plan for one month plus fees and tax. No activation charge and no charge for the card itself. This was at a TMO retail store in a mall.

Out of sheer frustration over the N1 3G issue, I canceled the service that night. TMO gave me no trouble at all, told me to keep the card for possible future use and sent me a check for the full amount a few days later.

 

[Howie]

When I signed up for the Even More + 500 minute plan, the total came to $70.20. That was the cost of the plan for one month plus fees and tax. No activation charge and no charge for the card itself. This was at a TMO retail store in a mall.

Out of sheer frustration over the N1 3G issue, I canceled the service that night. TMO gave me no trouble at all, told me to keep the card for possible future use and sent me a check for the full amount a few days later.

They made you pay the service amount up front?? They just sent me a bill two weeks later.

 

[moto1907]

SIM cards are free. Period. I have never paid for one on either att or T-Mobile. If you have corporate store just go in and tell them you need a new SIM card. They will just ask you fir your mobile number to activate the sim on your account. That is unless you get one of those reps that think they know everything about cell phones because they sell them.

 

[Germwise]

Woohoo, You guys were totally right. I went to another store that was a corporate store. I got the sim card for free and because it was a campus store and I am a grad student they waived my activation fee

 

[moto1907]

There ya go.