T-Mobile has decided that they will not be carrying the Treo 650 palmtop phone, and are offering a $100 credit towards any other phone that they have for existing customers who inquire about the Treo 650. I have upgraded my phone (nearly 2 years out of contract, customer since 2001, $39.99/mo) to the Motorola RAZR for $75, plus you can find a $50 rebate at tmobilerebates.com that they don't mention on the phone; I have also upgraded my girlfriend's phone (still 3 months left of contract, very cheap plan, customer for a year) to the Motorola RAZR for $175 plus a $50 rebate. The second time I did it, they admitted that they are giving the credit to customers who want the 650 becuase we've been told for so long that they would have it "soon".

Here is how to do this; obviously this is a huge YMMV, but you have nothing to loose but a few minutes on the phone for the chance to get a new phone at a great price. Remember, with T-Mobile, you can ask them to unlock your phone -- then just clear the memory and sell it on eBay (even older phones go for $100!) or donate it to a womens shelter, etc.

1) Do a little research on the Treo 650. It's currently $299 from Cingular and Verizon straight from the carriers, which is the price that T-Mobile is most interested in -- if you mention that it's sometimes FAR with Amazon, they make up a story about how Amazon's price isn't fair due to rebates, etc. Be sure you have a new phone in mind, and get an idea of the price that a new customer would get straight from T-Mobile (check their website). You can beat this price. One major difference that you can cite if they ask why you would prefer the 650 over the 600 is that the 650 includes Bluetooth, whereas the 600 does not.

2) Call 611. Hit zero when the computer voice asks you to say what you want to do. Be friendly with the customer service rep and explain that you really want the Treo 650. They will say that it's not available soon; gently ask if you can get another phone at a discount. If they say no, ask if you can speak to an account specialist. You do not have to be out of contract to get a discount. I repeat, you do not have to be out of contract to get a special -- just explain that you're considering getting a second phone, or that you'd rather pay the $200 early termination fee to get a nicer phone for FAR. You'll get dropped in the account specialist phone queue; these people are here to please. Don't abuse it, they are nice. Before you are transferred, be sure to ask what your upgrade price is for the phone you have in mind.

3) Explain that T-Mobile's new phone choices have stagnated, and that you're considering the Treo 650 (or other cool phone) from another company, but you'd like to stay with T-Mobile. A good thing to say is "I really like your customer service, but I'm just dissapointed with your phone choices -- if there any type of discounts you can give on a nicer handset? I really would like to stay with you, but XYZ carrier's price is really nice, and they have phones you dont" or something similar. They will bite (in my experiance, they will do it pretty quickly) and give you a credit -- if you have not received ~$100 off the price you asked for when speaking to the regular customer service rep, just name a price that is around $100 less than the upgrade price and they should go for it.

4) After you agree on a price, you'll need to renew your contract for one year -- this is one year from TODAY (or so they say), not 1 year on the end of your contract. YMMV on that one, but go ahead and place the order. If you've been with them for a long time and aren't under contract, they will give you free rush shipping (or they should), otherwise you pay ~$15 or just get free ground shipping.

5) Your new phone will come in a few days. You do not need to send back your old phone, so just clean it up and sell it on eBay -- be sure to call T-Mobile and ask them to unlock your phone. They should do so since you now have a new phone... if they won't, just explain that you are traveling and need to be able to use your phone internationally.

This isn't as hard as it sounds, and it isn't cheating -- just be friendly, explain that you want a new phone and T-Mobile isn't really the hot choice for new phones right now, and they will help you. Getting to an account specialist is the most important step, because they will do anything to keep you.

Like I said, I've done this recently to get the Motorola RAZR (nice phone, too), but have done so two or three times in the past to get other phones and it works every time, just as long as you can prove that another carrier offers something T-Mobile doesn't. They didn't get to be #1 in customer serivce for nothing!

Good luck, and be sure to post if you have any questions or problems.

edit: since I was quite tired when I wrote this lastnight and it makes zero sense now, here are some
FAQ's about getting an upgrade credit

You do not have to get the Motorola RAZR -- it just seems like the best choice right now becuase it's one of their newest releases. You should be able to get them to apply the same credit towards any phone that they have in stock. You can view all of the phones that they offer at: http://tmobile.com/products/default.asp?sect=perInd&class=phone

You can see the regular upgrade price online without calling. Just go to T-Mobile.com, log in (bottom right), click on Phones and Accessories at the top, then click Upgrade ("A New Phone Every 12!"). This will show you the non-discounted upgrade price for your account, which is based on how long you've been with T-Mobile, your monthly plan amount, how far along in your contract you are (or are out of contract), payment history, etc. Expect to use this price as a starting point, but you should be able to go down at least $100 from there.

You do not need to sell your new phone on eBay! Keep your new phone; if you aren't using your old phone, ask T-Mobile to unlock the phone. This allows you to use the phone on any other GSM-compatable carrier, which also boosts the eBay resale value of your phone. Old T-Mobile phones can be used on Cingular, etc -- just pop in the SIM card (looks like a tiny flash memory card, probably under the battery in your phone). You can also donate your cellphone to charity if it's not worth selling on eBay.

You will need to extend your contract for one year; however, from the 'verbal agreement' that they must read you, it sounds like they extend you one year from today, not from the end of your contract.

The rebate is available to print online at www.tmobilerebates.com. As some people have indicated, you may need to do a little arguing to get the rebate (as you're already getting a discount), but I was able to get my rebate processed -- just call the rebate center if they deny you and be friendly. I'm not going to say that you should lie and tell them that the account specialist told you about the rebate, but when it comes down to it, you're still paying more for a phone to stay with the same company than you would if you were to get a FAR deal from Amazon or Buy.com so hopefully they will help you out.

The reason that I reccomend bringing up the Treo 650 is because T-Mobile admits that they won't be bringing this phone out (at least not any time soon -- it's been out for over a year with other providers). The Treo 650 has been out long enough that Sprint, Cingular, and Verizon are now beginning to discount it (down to $299 straight from the carrier from ~$599 at the launch), yet T-Mobile has it no where in sight. The desire to get this phone is one that every CSR that I've spoke to says they have heard from multiple people, so it's extremely reasonable to ask for a credit since they don't have it.

You do not need to ask about the Treo 650 if you don't want to. This simply makes it easier (in my opinion), because it's clearly something they just can't offer, making it a good bargaining chip. If you don't want to bring it up, you can get the exact same deal by just sweet talking them, but it seems like you have better results if you have something concrete that is available elsewhere as a bargaining tool.

thank you OP! I was looking at the razr anyways...

iota said:GujuGuy67 said:thank you OP! I was looking at the razr anyways...

I wasn't sure if I'd like the RAZR (had a Nokia 3350 'smartphone' and a Color Sidekick before it) but it's a nice phone if you just want a phone and camera. After the $50 rebate (www.tmobilerebates.com, they don't mention it when you call 611 but works fine) I got my RAZR for $25 -- and will be selling my 3350 for around $75 or more, so I come out on top.

GujjuGuy, Did this trick work for you ???

i'm on the phone with t mobile now. is the treo 600 the same as the treo 650? tmobile says they have the treo 600 availiable.

che3mau said:i'm on the phone with t mobile now. is the treo 600 the same as the treo 650? tmobile says they have the treo 600 availiable.

is this trick working ?

i'm still on hold...been on hold for over 30 mins now. so much for their wonderful customer service.

che3mau said:i'm still on hold...been on hold for over 30 mins now. so much for their wonderful customer service.

sounds familiar

che3mau said:i'm on the phone with t mobile now. is the treo 600 the same as the treo 650? tmobile says they have the treo 600 availiable.

There are two big differences between the 600 and 650. As noted by a prior post, the 600 is an older model. Also, it is missing bluetooth and the battery on the 600 is fixed. From the many reviews I've read, the 650 is a much more improved version and most users do not recommend buying the 600. There are places like ComputerGeeks.com that sell unlocked 600s from time to time at a reasonable price...check the site for availablity.

diffuser78 said:I heard that T Mobile have outsourced their CS to India.........is that true ?

Nope. T-Mobile only outsources customer service within North America - mostly Canada. At least we have 24/7 customer service, Verizon and Cingular have limited hours unless it's an emergency.

Incidentally, my wait on the phone was also approximately thirty minutes - but well worth it!