T-Mobile subscriber buys new phone and ends up with a used refurbished unit

Whenever carriers replace a broken phone covered by the device’s warranty, they often send a refurbished model. In most cases, the customer shouldn’t complain because the damaged device could be months old. Essentially, in this scenario, by receiving a refurb you’re trading a used phone for another used phone although your replacement might have a fresh new battery. But is it fair when a brand new phone is damaged and is replaced for a used device?

In other words, while receiving a refurbished model to replace a phone under warranty generally is okay, it is a ripoff if the phone being replaced is new. Here’s an example. A long time ago my son bought the LG V20 from Verizon. He also purchased a case (which was a legit sale, I must add) but the rep insisted on putting the case on himself. He did such a poor job that when my son went to take the case off, it broke the volume rocker. Even though he had the phone for one day, Verizon sent him a refurbished model as a replacement.

This is the first sign that you’ve been sent a refurbished phone

Another, and more recent case, involves a Reddit subscriber who purchased a new Galaxy S24 FE from T-Mobile. When the phone arrived, it was “DOA” (Dead on Arrival) and would not power up. After calling T-Mobile, he received a replacement phone five days later. It did not come in the original box. It probably was sent in a plain white box which is usually the first sign that you getting a refurbished model as a replacement.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE arrived "DOA" according tot he T-Mobile subscriber.

A T-Mobile customer received a dead Galaxy S24 FE from T-Mobile and returned it for a refurbished model. | Image credit-PhoneArena

The T-Mobile customer also noticed dirt in the speakers and charging port. After installing a diagnostic app he discovered that the battery already had 9,000 hours of usage. As another Reddit user pointed out, T-Mobile should have accounted for the return of the “DOA” Galaxy S23 FE as a return instead of a warranty exchange. The former probably would have resulted in the victimized T-Mobile subscriber receiving a brand new replacement while accounting for the exchange under the terms of the warranty allowed T-Mobile to replace the damaged device with a refurbished unit.

The consumer who purchased the Galaxy S24 FE from T-Mobile was told by another Reddit subscriber to contact the carrier’s elite T-Force customer service crew which usually gets things done in favor of the customer. But that’s another story for another day. Today, we are talking about a T-Mobile customer who might have shelled out about $650 for a new phone. When that phone arrived, it could not be turned on. In return, T-Mobile sent him a refurbished Galaxy S24 FE. This means that the customer paid the price T-Mobile asked for a brand-new phone but received a used device instead.

Replacing recently received phones with a refurbished unit is an industry-wide issue

This is an industry-wide problem that really needs to be addressed. Replacing a recently purchased phone with a refurbished unit shows a lack of concern for a carrier’s customer. When the T-Mobile subscriber called customer care to tell them that the Galaxy S24 FE he ordered arrived “DOA,” he was told that if he wanted a replacement, he would have to use the original warranty instead of calling it a return. As a result, the customer spent his hard-earned money on a used phone which certainly doesn’t seem fair.

The T-Mobile customer paid the full retail price for the Galaxy S24 FE as he is on the Essentials Saver plan which is the carrier’s most basic entry-level unlimited plan. It is a budget-friendly plan that replaces perks and features with affordability. The customer obviously looks to save money with his purchases so buying the Galaxy S24 FE was probably a major expenditure for him. That makes T-Mobile‘s decision to replace his new phone with a used unit even more nefarious.

Receiving a refurbished phone to replace a device still under warranty might be acceptable but not when the phone being replaced has just been purchased. Have you ever been in that situation? Did you ever return a phone that you just bought and were forced to accept a refurb? What did you do? Were you able to get a new replacement? Let us know by dropping a comment in the box below.

T-Mobile subscriber buys new phone and ends up with a used refurbished unit

This is the first sign that you’ve been sent a refurbished phone

Replacing recently received phones with a refurbished unit is an industry-wide issue

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