Cellular Drama, Or "Why I hate the Dayton Mall T-Mobile Store"

I’m in a corporate cellular plan with T-Mobile.  The upside, my calls are paid for and my data plan is CHEAP!! 

The down side, you ask? 

Let me tell you about the down side.  My SIM card is bad.  FUBAR, messed up…has shuffled of it’s mortal coil. 

The down side is that I’m in Dayton on a new assignment and I can’t get online at the customer site yet, so I can’t check my email.  Normally, not a big deal, since my phone can get it.  But of course, without a working SIM, not only can I not get cell calls (or call out for that matter, when I’m lost and looking for the damn customer site to begin with) I can’t get my email.  I’m cut off from the world.

So, yesterday, I went over to the Dayton Mall in Dayton, OH and into the T-Mobile store.  I explained my predicament, and asked them if they would swap me a SIM card.

“Nope.”

Because my name isn’t on the account (and, really, I don’t want to be a responsible party for a phone bill that probably sums in the tens of thousands of dollars a month) they wouldn’t even talk to me.  I was a little peeved, but it’s security, so I understand.

Turns out, it wasn’t security at all, just a couple of idiots covering their ass.  Turns out that the responsible parties phone numbers were on the account (I went back to my hotel room, emailed and IM’d around until I talked to the right folk), and they suggested that the people at the store should just call them for authorization, so I got in the car and drove back over to the mall.

“Nope.  How can we be sure that they are the right people?”

“Because you’d be calling the numbers attached to the account, not receiving them from me, and they’ll give you the correct EIN number and password, etc.  they are actually staying in the office a little longer as they are expecting your call.”

“Nope, it’s a liability.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not following.”

“Unless one of the people listed on the account walks in here to get the SIM, I can’t give out a new one.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

silence

“Those people are in Seattle, so…”

“Maybe Customer service can overnight one to you?”

“What if CS were to call you and tell you to give me a SIM.”

“Nope, we can’t be sure…”

“Forget it.  It’s 7:00pm, and a little late overnighting a SIM, don’t you think?”  And I left (the conversation was actually a little longer that that, and I might have, in the end, insulted the guys intelligence, but I’m sure he didn’t notice — and I mean that honestly).

After that, some of the folks listed on the account actually called the store in question, and while they couldn’t change anyone’s mind, they also pretty much agree that the guys working at the store were idiots.  So I feel vindicated in that, anyway.

And that’s why I hate the Dayton, OH Dayton Mall branch of the T-Mobile retail stores.