**I will continue to update this review as this situation goes on at the bottom of the original review**
(ORIGINAL REVIEW )
For Christmas, I was upgrading my wife's phone to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. After getting the runaround from two T-Mobile locations, I finally ended up at the Ashley River Road location in West Ashley, Charleston, SC, on 12/23. A female associate confirmed I could trade in my wife's phone with no issues, but I had trouble deactivating her Stolen Device Protection because of facial recognition. She told me to come back the next day (12/24) once it was disabled in person, and everything would be fine.
Today, I came back, but the associate wasn't there, and Cory helped me instead. From the jump, his attitude was smug. When I explained the situation, he barely acknowledged me. I handed him the phone, and he immediately slid it back across the table, almost sending it to the floor, saying, "I CAN'T TAKE THAT PHONE." Confused, I asked why, since the phone is paid off. He responded that the back was shattered, but I reminded him it still qualifies under T-Mobile's 4-point inspection policy.
Cory told me to try another store because he wasn't taking the phone, even though it qualifies under their policy. What really got to me was how he handled the Caucasian male before me with respect and care, but treated me with clear hostility.
I left to run an errand and told him I'd be back because I needed to break the bad news to my wife. When I returned, Cory still had the same attitude, this time with an even more blatant racist tone. What you're about to see is my reaction to being fed up with the racism from individuals like me. Once I defended myself he then do what all aggressors do when met with someone that's not willing to back down or cower from them and that's call the POLICE. Yes he called the cops on me. Let that sink in I defended myself from his disrespect he showed thru racism now all of a sudden he was a victim. Gaslighting at its finest. Btw I'm trespassed from this location also.
I had initially planned to upgrade my own line to the iPhone 16 Pro Max after Christmas as well, but after this experience, I no longer feel respected or valued as a T-Mobile customer. Although I was able to successfully upgrade my wife's line at another location that took the trade-in with no issues, this ordeal has left a bad taste in my mouth. It's been almost a week, and no one has made an effort to right these wrongs, leaving me questioning whether I want to continue investing my hard-earned money into a company that has shown such disregard for my experience.
UPDATE 12/30/2024
I'm writing this update after seeing the owner's reply to my initial review, and honestly, it just reinforces the sentiment I've had throughout this entire ordeal--that this location, and by extension T-Mobile, does not care about its customers, especially minorities.
Their response was condescending and dismissive, essentially saying, "Oh, I'm sorry you expected to be treated with respect and care as a customer, but if you don't like it, just go somewhere else." This is the kind of tone you get when you've dealt with blatant racism in their store? Instead of addressing the serious concerns I raised about how I was treated, they brushed it off like it's nothing.
I experienced racism--blatant racism--at the hands of an associate in this store. And now, instead of accountability or a genuine effort to make things right, I'm being told to take my business elsewhere. It's not just disappointing--it's sad. This isn't just about bad customer service; it's about the lack of respect and regard for me as a paying customer and, frankly, as a human being.
T-Mobile needs to hold this location accountable for its actions. Responses like this show that they aren't interested in addressing the deeper issues, and that's unacceptable. read more