Refurbished Phones from T-Mobile

Did you get a refurbished phone from Metro by T-Mobile that doesn’t work? Did you buy a new phone only to realize they sold you a refurbished phone? Here’s what you can do. 

Ripped off by a T-Mobile?

Refurbished phone deals and promises from Metro by T-Mobile

Metro by T-Mobile promises that any refurbished phones you purchase will come with a 90-day limited warranty. That means that within the first 90 days of your purchase you can send in the refurbished phone if it stops working and they will replace the components that are broken or send you a new refurbished phone. You can also get your money back within 30 days if you don’t like the refurbished phone.

Metro by T-Mobile has the same standards to which refurbished phones from T-Mobile are held which means they undergo and 80 point inspection to verify the appearance and that everything is working properly and hasn’t been damaged, that it is compatible with the T-Mobile network, as well as functions in terms of the battery, the display, the ports and the audio as well as the buttons. 

What to do if your refurbished phone doesn’t work or was sold as new

If your refurbished phone doesn’t work or you found out that you were sold a refurbished phone when you paid for a new phone, you should reach out to the company immediately. They might be willing to rectify the situation.

Have a complaint against T-Mobile? Let us help.

If you found out that the phone you were sold was refurbished and it was stolen or reported as stolen, you should return to where it was purchased along with the police to report the situation.

Tip: You can learn more about what is currently going on or under review between the FTC and Metro by T-Mobile in your state or area online at ftc.gov/exploredata.

Aside from that you can file a formal complaint letting regulatory agencies know what Metro by T-Mobile did.

Formal Complaints Versus Informal Complaints

When you submit a complaint or report fraud because you received a refurbished phone from Metro by T-Mobile that doesn’t work, your options include formal and informal methods.

Before submitting a complaint that may not get results, start a claim for arbitration against T-Mobile.

• Formal complaints are those you draft in an official letter and send to a regulatory agency like the FCC or your State Attorney General, any place that has legal authority to not only investigate but potentially follow up and punish the company.
• Informal complaints or reports are those you post on review sites or social media, any place that doesn’t have legal authority to investigate the company.

Tip: Wondering whether your “new” phone is actually new or just refurbished? There are some quick tests you can do to check. 

Formal Complaints

Start with the FCC. This is a regulatory body that can provide oversight and enforcement if enough people complain about refurbished phone scams from Metro by T-Mobile. If the phone scams are fraudulent enough you can also report them to the FTC or the Federal Trade Commission.

You can file a complaint with the FCC online here or report fraud to the FTC here.

From there you can send a report to your State Attorney General office. In every state there is state-level oversight as well which can issue enforcement against Metro by T-Mobile in that particular state. However, just as at the national level, States need official complaints submitted by customers in order to take action.

Writing a complaint is often not enough to bring T-Mobile to the table. Our expert team can help you get T-Mobile to listen.

You can find your state Attorney General office here.

Informal Complaints

The Better Business Bureau is another informal option for submitting your complaint. If your refurbished phone stopped working or you purchased your phone is new but then found out it was refurbished, you can let other customers know what happened by publishing on the Better Business Bureau page. If you are lucky, the cell phone provider might follow up with you and try to offer a resolution in a public forum. Bear in mind that the Better Business Bureau cannot enforce anything or require that the companies provider resolution let alone even respond to you.

You can file a complaint with the BBB here. 

Consumer affairs is another website where you can complain about the company and many people will review the publicized information about how your refurbished phone from Metro doesn’t work. It is possible that the company will see it and reach out to you but it’s not likely that posting an informal complaint will resolve your issue. Nonetheless it does help other people to remain aware of what the company has done.

You can file a complaint with ConsumerAffairs.com online.

Social media is another place where you can post your complaints. Social media is sort of a last-ditch effort especially if you are trying to raise awareness or get resolution. 

Visit the Metro by T-Mobile Instagram page to post a complaint.

What to Do After Submitting Your Metro by T-Mobile Complaint

After you submit a complaint using a formal or informal process, you should keep copies of your correspondence. Even if all you did was post to Consumer Affairs, keep a copy of the digital post with the time and date.

Get a Resolution with Consumer Arbitration

It’s not likely that any of these measures will get you compensation. That doesn’t mean you have no other options. Let us help you pursue consumer arbitration to get a resolution and compensation.

FairShake helps everyday people take on the biggest companies in the world and win compensation. We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee and you only pay if you win. We’ve helped thousands of people ripped off by big companies get fair resolutions. Hear from our real customers about their experiences working with FairShake: