T-Mobile Aims "Smartphone Equality" at Prepaid

Apparently, T-Mobile believes that most prepaid customers are on the prepaid plans because of bad credit. So, in an effort to make prepaid customers switch to more expensive and lucrative postpaid plans, yesterday it introduced “Smartphone Equality” which can automatically qualify anyone for the expensive phone payment plans that come with the equally expensive postpaid plans. The thing that makes me frustrated about this plan is that they make prepaid plans seem like something that no one would want. Why would you want lower prices for similar service and the freedom to control your expenses month-to-month? It must be because you have bad credit, you poor plebeian. It’s kind of insulting to those of us who choose to use prepaid not because we can’t get postpaid, but because we choose not to spend the ridiculous prices and put up with the binding contracts and nonsense that comes with postpaid. The way this new “Smartphone Equality” program works is that every customer–prepaid and postpaid alike–can qualify for the promotions that are normally reserved to those with impeccable credit scores if they have made 12 payments on time consecutively. Once that happens (or if it has already happened when the program launches) customers are automatically moved to the ‘well qualified’ list for low prices and no credit checks. I might be getting ahead of myself in being annoyed by this, but I can’t help but feel like this is yet another ploy to try and trick people into more expensive plans and phone contracts that they may or may not be able to afford. It certainly isn’t the first time a company has done something like this, and it won’t be the last, but it is the latest. Prepaid plans are, in my opinion, the better way to go. Yes, you’ll pay more for a phone upfront, but the savings over time are well worth it. But, maybe I’m getting annoyed over nothing. Maybe this deal really is a great thing. What do you think? Do you intend to take advantage of the “Smartphone Equality” offer?]]>