[Edward Kirk]

Looking to get out of a contract with T-Mobile in the U.S. so you can switch to an iPhone on AT&T? For those who aren't near the end of their T-Mobile contracts, the only way to get an iPhone any time soon will be to get out of your contract. Most of the time this will mean paying a few hundred bucks in cancellation fees, but as of July 1st there could be a way to get out of your contract fast without paying another dime.

T-Mobile recently became the last of the major phone companies in the U.S. to raise their SMS prices to $0.20 a piece. If you're a frequent texter, this means you'll be paying more for each text. What T-Mobile doesn't want you to know is that their Terms of Service agreement gives you the right to cancel out of the contract at no charge if they raise the price of something at your expense, including the new SMS price. So, thanks to this little loophole, all you have to do is make them think you use SMS frequently and that the price increase will be a major inconvenience to you, and you can legally get out of it for free.

Step-by-step instructions for convincing the stubborn phone support people are available at Boy Genius Report.

Let us know how it works out in the comments!

[Rivers]

Totally sweet. I'm definitely doing this tomorrow and I'll report how it goes.

[JoshuaCurtiss]

I've got a cheap plan on T-Mobile and I have an unlimited text message package. Using T-Mobile with an unlocked iPhone sounds like a better deal to me. Is my thinking flawed, or doesn't this seem like a deal as long as I don't care about 3G?

Well I Have Unlim Text Soooo I Guess I Cant Use This Excuse??!!

[Rivers]

It only works as long as you don't have an SMS plan.

[Kevin Dunahee]

Originally Posted by JoshuaCurtiss

I've got a cheap plan on T-Mobile and I have an unlimited text message package. Using T-Mobile with an unlocked iPhone sounds like a better deal to me. Is my thinking flawed, or doesn't this seem like a deal as long as I don't care about 3G?

Sounds good to me. From what I hear, T-Mobile's "3G" network isn't all that worthwhile anyway. Not to mention, T-Mobile's 3G coverage is seemingly harder to come across than AT&T's 3G service.

[Stephen007]

Only drawback I can think of is that you won't be able to port your phone number to your new iPhone since your T-Mobile account will be closed. Small inconvenience that could sure save you a bunch of money in early termination fees though. And, look on the bright side, you'll have a shiny new iPhone you can tell your family & friends about when you give them your new number.

I also have more than half year to go on my t-mobile contract, but i figured i rather wait for the next release of iphone (32G) which hopefully will have the features that this version is lacking of. So by the time my contract expires I will be free and ready to make new commitments.

if you text a lot, why wouln't you hav an SMS plan anyways ?!

My T-Mobile plan is much cheaper than the equivalent AT&T plan, and has been working fine with my iPhone since last October.

Seriously, $5.99 internet, unlimited SMS, and more included minutes...

Sure, I don't have visual voicemail... I can cope...

[JoshuaCurtiss]

My sentiments exactly!

[Kevin Dunahee]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

My T-Mobile plan is much cheaper than the equivalent AT&T plan, and has been working fine with my iPhone since last October.

Seriously, $5.99 internet, unlimited SMS, and more included minutes...

Sure, I don't have visual voicemail... I can cope...

Whaaaat?! The data plan is six bucks? You lost me here.

*confused as always*

[JoshuaCurtiss]

T-Mobile has a $5.99 T-Zones plan and a $20 "Total Internet" plan. The cheap T-Zones plan works perfectly for normal internet access with the usage of a proxy server that T-Mobile supplies. In Installer.app, there is a T-Zones Hack application that automatically adjusts the iPhone to utilize that proxy server. It's a sweet deal.

Check out these to learn more..

A brief explanation:
http://www.hackszine.com/blog/archiv..._599_data.html

Description of how to install:
http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?t=227541

News about it working on 2.0:
http://www.modmyifone.com/forums/t-m...ml#post1553111

I need to get an I-phone so I can keep up with everyone else at my new job who already has one. I recently upgraded my T-mobile account to handle the extra minutes needed for this job, so my previous "expired contract" status (that would have allowed me to just walk away from T-mobile) no longer applies. I don't have free SMS, so this idea of free cancellation would work - but . . . I want to keep the same number, since I've got lots of cards, stationery, etc. with it - and a lot of my job is dependent on not losing track of people (and I don't have records of who they all are).

I discussed my dilemna with a T-mobile rep, who suggested that I could avoid the $200 cancellation fee if I could find somebody else to take over my T-Mobile account. They would then get a new number, and I'd be free to transfer the existing one to AT&T.

Question: Is there a way to find people who are thinking of changing to or starting with T-mobile? I'd obviously be willing to offer some part (probably small ?) of the fee as incentive, but I've been unable to find any website designed to get people like me together with people who want to change to or start with my existing provider. Any suggestions?
Aloha,

Tom from Hawaii

T-Mobile will also "release" you if use a certain percentage of your minutes on extended roaming tower(s).

I live in minnesota, but I go to college in Fargo, ND. They only have verizon and other CDMA towers in the area. My iphone uses an old 509 tower aquired by alltel (mainly CDMA network) for the GSM signal. This is going to cost t-mobile through the roof for my roaming, so they may release me if i dont use a certain percentage of minutes/data through t-mobiles towers.

Luckily i visit my parents, and friends in MN frequently so ill be wasting my nights away talking on the phone to them just to keep it balanced.

--

So if you live close to an extended roaming area (check t-mobile maps)... Just use a shit load of minutes on those towers, and t-mobile would gladly 'release' you.

My friend from PA got dropped because her college was off their network's coverage map.

--

Kinda iffy, but may beat a termination fee.

is there ANY way to get out out of contract if i have unlimited texting? without paying $600 that is...

[iphone blogger]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I need to get an I-phone so I can keep up with everyone else at my new job who already has one. I recently upgraded my T-mobile account to handle the extra minutes needed for this job, so my previous "expired contract" status (that would have allowed me to just walk away from T-mobile) no longer applies. I don't have free SMS, so this idea of free cancellation would work - but . . . I want to keep the same number, since I've got lots of cards, stationery, etc. with it - and a lot of my job is dependent on not losing track of people (and I don't have records of who they all are).

I discussed my dilemna with a T-mobile rep, who suggested that I could avoid the $200 cancellation fee if I could find somebody else to take over my T-Mobile account. They would then get a new number, and I'd be free to transfer the existing one to AT&T.

Question: Is there a way to find people who are thinking of changing to or starting with T-mobile? I'd obviously be willing to offer some part (probably small ?) of the fee as incentive, but I've been unable to find any website designed to get people like me together with people who want to change to or start with my existing provider. Any suggestions?
Aloha,

Tom from Hawaii

Tom from Hawaii, Trust me, you do not want AT&T! They are pure jerks and the connection speed is very slow, while you are waiting for a download you will be showing the bandwidth as being used when in fact, you are not connected. If you call AT&T they will be total horse's behinds. If you ask to cancel your plan becuase you are not getting what you are paying for, they will tell you 'too bad', that 'you have a contract with them and cannot change'. I was on the phone for 2 hours today and the 3rd lady I spoke with, screamed over the top of me as I spoke. They are the worst possible carrier you could change to. Lovely phone, horrible carrier to deal with!! I would stay with T-Mobile if I were you. Any one is better than AT&T!

[staceych]

I am with t-mobile and don't want to change. They have great rates. However, I do want to get an I-phone. Can anyone help me with this. I'm not sure where to buy an i-phone and what I should pay for one as well as how to make it work. Newbie here! Should I buy an unlocked phone or unlock it myself. Should I buy one from walmart or off the internet? thanks for your help

[fazeizme]

Originally Posted by staceych

I am with t-mobile and don't want to change. They have great rates. However, I do want to get an I-phone. Can anyone help me with this. I'm not sure where to buy an i-phone and what I should pay for one as well as how to make it work. Newbie here! Should I buy an unlocked phone or unlock it myself. Should I buy one from walmart or off the internet? thanks for your help

I would say buy one off the internet unlocked and unlock it urself people will charge alot more for a unlocked phone