T-mobile prepaid activation warning!

**Thomas Sun** · 01-05-2013, 01:26 AM

I got my Nexus 4, and opened up the t-mobile sim card that I ordered from their website and proceeded to activating the phone online.
Everything was fine until the last step: enter your credit card. No matter what I do the website spits a payment error, which is reported , and is a problem on t-mobile's end not with my credit cards.

Since this error, my activation code no longer works. Called the customer care department twice, yesterday and today, and now they want me to get a new activation code from the sales department. So frustrating! Will see what happens tomorrow.

But learn from my experience: when you get that sim card, DON'T activate it online. Do it over the automated phone system! It will save you headaches!

**andr0idralphie** · 01-05-2013, 01:55 AM

Sounds like their Omnipoint days. Keep us updated.

**mrplayer66** · 01-05-2013, 02:09 AM

I had the same problem today and with my experience the problem was Google Chrome, I'm on a mac and I use Chrome instead of safari, I was worried because eventually the page timed out, what I did was to open safari and add funds to my phone number about 5 hours later my phone number finally ported and everything worked fine.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

**Thomas Sun** · 01-05-2013, 03:27 PM

Called t-mobile for the 4th time today, gave my IMEI and activation code and sim card numbers once more. The rep told me to expect a txt within 2 hours. No text came. Called again, and now this rep is sending an escalation filing or something, and tells me to wait another 24 hours. OK! If this doesn't work tomorrow, I am switching to straight talk.

**Jussumguy88** · 01-05-2013, 03:38 PM

My personal suggestion... Whenever you want to activate a sim card.. Go to a corporate tmobile store to do so.. Or call customer care. Best way in my Opinion.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

**donec** · 01-06-2013, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Thomas Sun

Called t-mobile for the 4th time today, gave my IMEI and activation code and sim card numbers once more. The rep told me to expect a txt within 2 hours. No text came. Called again, and now this rep is sending an escalation filing or something, and tells me to wait another 24 hours. OK! If this doesn't work tomorrow, I am switching to straight talk.

I am thinking that T-mobile is having some kind of problem with their messaging, because I was doing the same thing with my wife's new phone and I got one message but it was incomplete then a hour and a half later talking to CSR the rep said the one message I had received was one she sent me just 5 minutes before and she knew this because of the code the message had yet the message was time stamped an 1.5 hours earlier. Then after I got off the phone with her and had given up 2 more messages came in and things started working.

**mrandradej** · 01-06-2013, 11:25 AM

I had this problem as well. It was a problem with the porting. I didn't put my PIN code from my verizon account. Another person didn't enter their account # correctly and was getting the auto pay error as well. I called T-Mobile's porting help desk and they fixed it in 5 minutes.

**Thomas Sun** · 01-07-2013, 05:15 PM

This is crazy. Called t-mobile for the 4th time two days ago. Had the exact same questions asked, and told me they would escalate the issue, and the phone would be activated within 24 hours.

It's been 48 and still no activation. Called again, had the exact same questions asked, and then BAM system error for the 5th time. He said he's going to escalate the issue... OMFG why is T-mobile so INCOMPETENT???!!!!

**donec** · 01-08-2013, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Thomas Sun

This is crazy. Called t-mobile for the 4th time two days ago. Had the exact same questions asked, and told me they would escalate the issue, and the phone would be activated within 24 hours.

It's been 48 and still no activation. Called again, had the exact same questions asked, and then BAM system error for the 5th time. He said he's going to escalate the issue... OMFG why is T-mobile so INCOMPETENT???!!!!

Make sure they give you a case number or they will say they have no record of your problem and it may not really be escalated.

**Fearless Freep** · 01-08-2013, 01:59 PM

I have activated three (3) prepaid SIMs on T-Mobile that I got from their website in the past couple of months, including my N4.

Every time I get to the end of the activation and it says navigate to another page or something of the sort. I think it's ultimately a problem with browser/platform (I'm on OS X).

My advice: Call instead. Takes about 5 minutes. You just give the Activation code SIM card number, IMEI and activate the SIM card and then pick a PIN and a plan - you have to specify the 'Walmart' plan for the $30 100/unl/unl. They'll ask you whether you have a refill just say no you'll do it online after the phone is set up. The activation card gives you an account value of $3.34. After everything's done then just go to MyT-Mobile.com and register an account with the phone number you were given (or ported in). You can then add funds, etc.

**hisownhero** · 01-08-2013, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by mrandradej

I had this problem as well. It was a problem with the porting. I didn't put my PIN code from my verizon account. Another person didn't enter their account # correctly and was getting the auto pay error as well. I called T-Mobile's porting help desk and they fixed it in 5 minutes.

I had this issue as well when I first did it around Dec. 18th.

OP ... The T-Mobile Port Departments number is (877) 207-8169

Give that a try.

Remember, the Pin in most cases is the last four digits of your phone number.

Hope it helps.