I Dumped T-Mobile Because of Their Extreme Roamer Policy

 

I was a fan of T-Mobile even before I was a customer. Until this year I had very  reliable service fromT-Mobile.  

Then I ran afoul of the T-Mobile "Extreme Roamer" policy.  If a T-Mobile customer is out of the country more than two billing periods in a year, all international roaming service is blocked for a year. 

Once the restriction goes into effect it is for a full year.  In my case from February 28 of this year until February 27 next year.  

I could have avoided the problem by unlocking my phone or getting a differentphone with an international plan.  But unlocking would have cost several hundred dollars at the time, and I assumed I could get around the restriction.  

I couldn't.

It turns out even Canada is overseas. I was in Canada in June and had no service. So I changed my cell phone service provider to Verizon. They have no restrictions on international usage although their overseas plans are a little more expensive.  

In 2026 or 2027 I was thinking about spending a month or two in South America.  Depending on the dates of the billing cycle, I could end up in T-Mobile extreme roamer jail again if I continued with their service.  

By the way, the reduced service from T-Mobile did not reduce the monthly bill. 

Full price, no service.