SCAM Alert @ MetroPCS Retail Stores

[BigbirdPhila]

SCAM ALERT!

I went to my local MetroPCS store to open a $30/month account yesterday (7/18). I was told that I had to open a $60/month "unlimited" account first, which I could then convert to a $30/month account after 30 days. I told the clerk that there was NOTHING on the MetroPCS web site which said I had to do that. He still insisted, and so I paid the $60 (plus $10 for a SIM card, which TracFone charges $1 for, but I needed a Metro PCS SIM). I subsequently called the national MetroPCS Customer Support department and they confirmed that I should not have been required to open the $60 account first. They issued a $30 credit to my credit card and started a corporate inquiry into what the my local store is doing. DO NOT PAY ANY MORE THAN THE ACCOUNT YOU WANT TO OPEN! If they force you, get the clerk's name and report them to national MetroPCS.

The above happened to me at the Montgomery Mall MetroPCS store, 704 Montgomery Mall, North Wales PA 19454. It may be happening at other stores, which is why I decided to post this alert. MetroPCS national Customer Support told me that many (all?) of these stores are franchises and corporate MetroPCS may not be aware of what local store owners are doing.

 

[Spec2nirvash]

Everybody charges $10 for a SIM card lol.... even Tracfone. But yeah the rule of thumb has always been to NEVER go to a MetroPCS franchise

 

[BigbirdPhila]

Best Buy sells TracFone SIM kits for $1, which is where I get them. I just checked TracFone's web site. They're charging $1, too. I didn't bother to check if they charge shipping.

 

[Fox Mulder]

You probably should have walked out and called customer service as soon as you were given those terms (and before reaching for your wallet).
I've had MetroPCS for many years and any time I've gone to a store it's been corporate and not a franchise, even though there are plenty of franchise stores closer to me than the corporate one.

 

[BigbirdPhila]

How do you determine which is a corporate one and which is a franchise?

 

[Fox Mulder]

How do you determine which is a corporate one and which is a franchise?

Use the store locator on the Metro website, it tells you if the stores are corporate or franchise. When you search for a store you can apply a filter that will show corporate stores only. Of course if that search comes up empty it means there aren't any nearby.

 

[AppleUser]

The MetroPCS support agents in the Philippines are super-courteous, usually too courteous, but they have always helped with anything and they are not bound by "sales goals".

 

[hrtworm]

My store required me to buy either a case or screensaver in order to purchase a phone. That wasn't documented either--just a scam for the franchise to generate more sales.

 

[James L]

I switched from a boost Stylo 2 to a Stylo 3 plus from metro pcs. My experience was okay.

I got the $50 plan and the Stylo 3 plus, they sold me a otterbox and put a tempered glass screen protector on.

The owner i assume he was quoted me $40 for the case and protector but i was interested in a different case as well.

The employee rang me up and asked which case so i said let's see the total.
He said $119 for the Otterbox case, screen protector, phone & service.

So i ended up paying about $6 for the case and screen protector.