How To Call Metro Pcs With No Service

GIf you were like me – wondering "Why is Metro PCS cheaper than T Mobile?" – I was wondering how MetroPCS can offer T-Mobile cell phone programme service without a contract at a fraction of the price – until my personal feel with trying to utilize them.

First off – let's swoop into the depression cost carrier and my excitement – hopes – and dreams with a Metro PCS. As a frugal business person that I am, I like saving money. I too like overnice quality engineering (particularly smartphones). Bringing together prissy technology with frugal cost saving is a challenge when it comes to affordable cell telephone plans for a business.

Speed Examination Between Metro PCS and T-Mobile (Prepaid, Essentials, Magenta Plus) and also Mint Mobile. Video Credit Stetson Doggett – embedded under fair use from Youtube

Equally you can tell from the video above, the speeds of Metro PCS and T-Mobile are quite similar depending on the plans you are comparing.

Conspicuously I dont want outdated landlines that are not only expensive but clunky and unpractical for my needs being on the go. Previously having been on Republic Wireless – and a variety of carriers – I've been used to cell phone companies that don't have stores you can walk into for back up. I'd actually prefer to just sit on the phone getting help versus standing in a store.

I was wondering "how difficult is information technology to setup MetroPCS byod (bring your own device)"?

Sinve I'grand a bit of a techie I felt up for the claiming.

In brusk – the answer to "Why is Metro PCS cheaper than T Mobile" is their client service is designed to be inept.

definition of inept and why MetroPCS is cheaper than T-Mobile

Before I swoop too deep, if you're because buying annihilation T-Mobile related please consider supporting me past using this link to shop on Amazon. Seriously, it helps me out.

SPOILER ALERT: If yous're looking for a decent culling to MetroPCS and don't want to pay for T-Mobile as a single user, here'due south who I apply now.

Initially I was wanting to fourth dimension my "switching to MetroPCS" from Republic Wireless with the end of my monthly billing cycle. Going from a $25/calendar month cell telephone plan to $30 per month prison cell telephone plan information technology's not much of a price difference simply I figured I wouldn't be able to go a refund for the unused days. Luckily – Commonwealth Wireless actually does prorate and ship you a refund in iii-5 business organisation days.

You'll get sick of the "3-5 business days" line after a bit.

So I stopped into my local MetroPCS dealor (well, the local actual shop not Walmart). The guys at that location of Metro PCS in Blaine MN (9846 Polk St NE, Blaine, MN 55434(763) 432-2941) were actually super nice. While tiresome (more than an hour from when going in until leaving), they were friendly and did the initial porting of my number to them and selling me a Smartphone with "switch and save" price reduction. Not a bad way to go a prepay smartphone for not a lot of money.

All that aside – my plan was (and I explained to the director and nearby customer rep) to activate a phone with simcard and so transfer that plan to my unlocked LG G3 with 32g storage, 4k video camera, and MicroSD menu which is pretty much the all-time cell telephone for listening to a lot of podcasts (back in 2013). (Which is the main reason I left Democracy in the commencement place – the disability to accept a premium phone with microSD storage).

Afterwards the initial 1-2 hours in store, I was told Republic Wireless had registered my number as a home phone and would accept iii to 5 days for them to port over my number. At the very last hr of v days they finished the porting of the number.

In store they successfully gotten the new phone they sold me to send calls and go a information connection – but I was told texts and incoming calls would come to my old device (Moto X – original 16gb).

Speaking with client service on the phone (before going in to the store) I learned that I was supposed to just call customer service back when I had the new phone and they'd add my IMEI (sim menu and telephone device number) and activate it with new APN Settings and it'd be all skilful to get (equally long as my phone was unlocked – which it was).

Afterward swapping out the sim card I had issues – phone was non getting whatsoever data or beingness able to send texts. I could make calls (which was a sign that the SIM Card was indeed inserted normally). Afterwards numerous (no less than five) calls with customer service and resolving the data problems (literally over 3 hours on the telephone over a few days), I was told new changes were made and that I needed to await some other 48 hours. Nothing could be done until so.

Woohoo – 48 hours subsequently still not stock-still. Having spent well over 3 hours trying to prepare the issue – I was instructed to update some MetroPCS APN Setting with T-Mobile APN Settings. This fixed the internet upshot only I notwithstanding could not send texts (either mms or basic texts)

What's the solution despite spending on-and-off from morning until the afternoon with customer support?

In gild to speak with a support technician they had to fill out a support asking and I should expect to wait 3-5 days – at which I volition get either an email or call. I'm told non to lose my MetroPCS support ticket because the number is very important.

Over these days and days and hours and hours did I enquire for manager? Yeah. Of course. And they don't take anyone above them that can help.

And then why is MetroPCS cheaper than T-Mobile?

When you pay the premium price with T-Mobile, y'all go customer service that tin can escalate an issue up the foodchain of command.

Spoiler: Ultimately I used the information I'll share with you below hither to get MetroPCS to work on my unlocked phone – but it took literally DAYS of my time to find this information. So if this info helps y'all – share a link to this page somewhere online to assistance others. Whether that's social, Reddit, wherever.

If you're wondering how to get text messaging to work with MetroPCS and need APN settings – try the combination below in the table.

Worked for me!

I'll simply run across how many days information technology takes now for them to become back to me with the back up ticket. #3to5businessdays #metropcs

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Update two/iv/2016:

While I had managed to figure out the texting issues myself (come across the APN settings above if you're having issues texting with LG G3 on MetroPCS), I accept no clue if I did all of the necessary changes or not. 6 Business concern days afterwards – even so no call from technical support.

I learned that since their system had detected my sending texts, they airtight out the technical support request (without ever letting me know they'd airtight it out) and that'south why I'd not heard from technical support.

Oh, I'1000 probably getting ahead of myself. Why was I on the phone with technical support – why did I telephone call them now xc minutes agone and why is technical back up and then horrible at MetroPCS? I'd received the bulletin that my 4g data was all used up and trying to upsell me on $5 add on for 1gb of 4g data. No cheers. When I was switching from Republic Wireless to MetroPCS, I had previously been on the 3g only data programme. I was getting virtually 1-1.5Mbps on 3g and was told I should get about 900kbps on MetroPCS. Not horrible – still attractive because it'll stream video (unlimited) and permit unlimited tethering…

Turns out though I was getting 120kbps – and that was a throttled 4g (non 3g) data connexion. It was not boot me off of 4g, rather information technology was but throttling my connection speed. Throughout the90 minutes trying to sort it out, the reply was that my dull connection was normal since I was on a express 4g data programme. Sorry, 120kbps is not a "normal 3g connexion speed" MetroPCS.

They were taking the fast 4g connection, giving me a connection that could easily handle more than data and then just telling me it'due south equivalent to the normal 3g connection speed… and saying there'due south nothing they can do.

The fact they show me using 4g connexion – and they are merely throttling me – and they're willing to upsell me more than data which would unthrottle now to faster speeds… but maxim at that place's a technical limitation of my data connection… Double speak!

That'd be one thing if it said I was connected to 3g towers – but when it went from numerous Mbps to now 120kbps while sitting at home talking with technical support and testing things – while however connected to 4g – that'south a deliberate throttling and non a technical 3g throttle.

As a temporary solution they offered to requite me a one time 1GB high speed bonus credit. My thoughts: I don't want 2GB of high speed and and so have my internet die (120kbps makes my apps non even work which used to work perfectly fine on 3G with Republic).

After mentioning a blog, the customer rep escalated the call to her manager John – 304640 which offered $10/off my next bill – and would look into making it loftier priority "on this" support ticket so they can try to ready it "as before long as possible". He then hoped that I'd hear from technical support within the allotted 5 days (but recall, that's really vii days when you include the weekend… oh well, I suppose customers cutting you more slack when you tell them v days since that'southward kinda correct… except why not clarify to customers 5 business days? Ugh…)

So here we are, learning most why MetroPCS is and so much cheaper than TMobile once more – in two words – client back up.

Hopefully that answers your question: "why is Metro PCS cheaper than T Mobile?"

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Update 2021

Wow – information technology'southward been a hot minute since venting in this web log post.

I'd kinda experience bad except that I literally asked every unmarried employee how they could gear up the problem – how they could do something – and they couldn't or wouldn't.

Metro PCS lost a form action lawsuit from their employees and then poor leadership, poor empowerment, and poor management doesn't surprise me. They also are facing another form activity lawsuit for "unfair business organisation practices, false and misleading advertising, and breach of contract"

If you lot want to check out who I'g using since 2019 and take been actually pretty happy with, click the photo below to check coverage in your area. It's pretty absurd paying one time per year for my phone bill.