A T-Mobile corporate store, one owned and operated by the company, allegedly refused to sell a customer an iPhone 17 Pro on launch day unless an Apple Watch was added to the order. The phone is in stock in the exact color and configuration that the customer wants. We've seen a similar scenario play out before with T-Mobile.
In December 2023, a T-Mobile subscriber looking to buy his brother an iPhone 15 was told that if he wanted to buy an iPhone without a promotion, he would have to add a case, screen protector, and a USB-C charger which would have added $210 to the purchase price. During the summer of 2024, multiple T-Mobile reps explained that they would be written up for selling a new phone without having the customer also purchase accessories at the same time.
It's all about the Metrics
The most recent issue, which we started to discuss at the beginning of this article, was just posted on social media today. A customer with a T-Mobile account went to a nearby T-Mobile corporate store on the iPhone 17 line's launch day to pick up an iPhone 17. After waiting over an hour, the rep said that the store did have the exact model desired in stock. But it refused to sell the phone to him unless it was purchased as a "Pre-order bundle." The salesman said that if he wanted to buy the phone, he would have to add an Apple Watch to the bill.
Inside a New York City T-Mobile store. | Image credit-T-Mobile
The T-Mobile customer who asked to buy the iPhone 17 Pro walked out of the store in what we assume was a state of disgust. He left without making a purchase, as did the two other potential customers who were sitting next to him.
This might have been something dreamed up by the rep. T-Mobile, like most other large U.S. carriers, requires that its reps meet monthly goals that can determine monthly pay and even lead a rep to lose his/her job. Some of these metrics can be so hard for T-Mobile reps to meet, and the pressure so high to meet them, that reps will take actions that are illegal, including adding accessories to customers' orders without their consent.
One leaked document that we shared with you, which was handed out to the reps working for a particular third-party T-Mobile authorized dealer, said that reps should strive to sell three accessories for each phone they ring up. Full-time employees had a goal of selling 20 wearable devices for a month, while part-time salesmen were to try and sell 15 such devices for the month. Reps not meeting these goals could be let go.
What can consumers do?
If you don't mind waiting to receive your new iPhone 17 Pro, it shouldn't be too hard to find an alternate way to purchase the dievice just the way you want it. A big box retailer like Best Buy would be a good option, or you could go to an Apple Store near you. If you can't find a nearby physical Best Buy or Apple Store to buy your new phone at, you can always order online from their websites.
Would you buy an accessory you didn't need to purchase a phone from T-Mobile?
Yes. I'd pay more to get the model I want right away.
5.26%
No way. It's blackmail.
94.74%
It is tempting to give in and add an accessory that you don't want or really need when you find a store that has the new iPhone in stock just the way you want it. The store can call it a "bundle," hinting that you are saving some money by taking the salesman up on the offer. The truth is, you are really only helping the rep stay employed and unless these accessories are things you want or need, you're not helping yourself at all.
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We have previously discussed a possible solution. T-Mobile ought to announce that it is making an Un-carrier announcement to cure a customer pain point like it used to in the good old days when John Legere was CEO. During that event, T-Mobile should announce that it is ending the use of metrics to gauge a rep's performance. It would be an industry-leading announcement and allow T-Mobile customers to be more relaxed when visiting the store to make a purchase. That is, until they have to whip out the buggy T-Life app to make the purchase. But that's another issue for another day.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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