T-Mobile users enraged as “Un-carrier” breaks promise to never raise prices

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson)

In 2017, Kathleen Odean thought she had found the last cell phone plan she would ever need. T-Mobile was offering a mobile service for people age 55 and over, with an “Un-contract” guarantee that it would never raise prices.

“I thought, wow, I can live out my days with this fixed plan,” Odean, a Rhode Island resident who is now 70 years old, told Ars last week. Odean and her husband switched from Verizon to get the T-Mobile deal, which cost $60 a month for two lines.

Despite its Un-contract promise, T-Mobile in May 2024 announced a price hike for customers like Odean who thought they had a lifetime price guarantee on plans such as T-Mobile One, Magenta, and Simple Choice. The $5-per-line price hike will raise her and her husband’s monthly bill from $60 to $70, Odean said.