Last week we learned that existing T-Mobile customers were getting screwed on the Nexus One. Chances are Google and T-Mobile will work this out, but if you are impatient, here is one way current customers can get the $180 price.
The same tipster that originally brought the discrepancy to our attention embarked on an epic journey to figure out how he could get out of spending the $379 price outlined for data plan upgrades in the Nexus One FAQ. In the end, Quinn managed to get the phone for $180, but it wasn't easy:
Starting the day of the release I attempted to secure a shiny new toy to replace my aging iPhone only to find out that Google/HTC/T-Mobile were hamstringing existing customers for anywhere from $100 - $200 on the cost of the phone, so I set out to get a fair price. I spoke with a long list of Customer Care/Billing/Tech Support/& Loyalty Specialists to work through the problem. A Tech Support agent along with help from Billing agents suggested that I add a line to my existing account, then swap the created phone number with the original after a cancellation and reuse request. This became difficult as someone on their end flagged my account wrong. I spent the better part of the next 36 hours asking if some flag had been activated on my account indicating I was no longer an Individual Regular Postpaid account. Only after threatening to cancel my account altogether did someone figure it out. Flag changed, I was now able to proceed. Added the line (865 area code), ordered the phone and waited for that to arrive. Once that was achieved, I called T-Mobile back to cancel my original line (not on contract - no fee) and file a reuse of the number. Then came the waiting game. This morning I awoke to a text message from T-Mobile stating that the number registered for the sim card was my original number (412 area code). To sum it up in steps:
Requirements: Non-contract T-Mobile Customer, ability to add a line
1. Add a line through Google check out process.
2. Wait for phone arrival.
3. Once acquired, call T-Mobile to cancel original number, then file a reuse request to swap it with the newly created number (similar to a number port)
4. Wait. (12 hrs elapsed time prior to the swap).
All said and done, Nexus One acquired for $179+taxes+$35 activation fee. One last caveat; by the end of the process, T-Mobile Specialists were getting weary of this method so I would verify they will do this for customers before proceeding.
Again, there are no guarantees, but in this situation Quinn managed to save $200 on the price of the phone. So, if your contract has expired, and you are willing to add a line then swap it later for your original number, it is worth inquiring about before you upgrade. [Thanks Quinn!]


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