T-Mobile to buyback handsets, pay ETF for customers who switch carriers

BY Kelly Hodgkins

Published 8 Jan 2014

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T-Mobile is trying to make it as easy as possible for people to switch away from their current carriers and join the T-Mobile network. Today during CES 2104, T-Mobile unveiled part 4 of its Uncarrier initiative, which offers to pay termination fees and buy back phones from customers who switch carriers.Both individuals and families who wish to switch T-Mobile can do so without worrying about their early termination fees. T-Mobile confirmed it would pay up to $350 in fees for each line that was transferred. Customers must sign up for T-Mobile service, cancel their plan with their former carrier and submit the ETF bill to T-Mobile.

In addition, T-Mobile will buy back each customer’s current phone and will pay up to $300 per phone. Customers must turn in their phone when they sign up for a new line of service at any T-Mobile retail store. The amount will be applied as an instant credit to the customer’s cellular bill. With the ETF and the phone buyback program, T-Mobile could be shelling out $650 for each line that is transferred to the carrier.

T-Mobile in now offering its Simple Choice plans to new customers. These plans start at $50 per month for unlimited talk, text and Web with up to 500 MB of 4G LTE data. A second line adds $30 to the monthly bill, while each additional line costs $10. The new buy back and ETF programs start on January 9th. Now that most of the major financial hurdles are out of the way thanks to the new Uncarrier 4.0 terms,  will you be switching to T-Mobile in the near future?