Metro by T-Mobile, what the heck?

To get a free phone, I need to verify my date of birth? What the heck?

Switcher Instant Rebate: For a limited time at participating Metro® by T-Mobile stores, purchase a Samsung Galaxy A11 and port-in an existing eligible wireless number to that phone and receive an instant $189.99 rebate off full retail price with validation of name, address, and date of birth provided through independent database and presentation of matching identification

This is crazy, man. Aren't they supposed to be a pre-paid brand? I need to show them my ID? This is crazy.

I had a similar experience when I purchased a discounted new phone via a trade-in from Spectrum Mobile pre-paid, even though Spectrum had all my info since I was already an internet subscriber and I paid cash for the full price of the phone. The problem seems to be that the transaction is handed off to another third party company in order to ensure sim card security, etc. by avoiding employees of Spectrum having anything to do with the purchase. In fact, I had a problem and Spectrum told me to contact the 3rd party company while the 3rd party company told me to contact Spectrum, and neither company had a clue about a phone number to contact one another. So it is new to me and a bit crazy.

I suspect that companies are trying to cut down on bulk buyer/resellers and tightening ID requirements is one way they are attempting to do so.

Better bring passport and SS card also

Why do companies feel they have the right to personal info

I've read speculation that Metro has started doing this and has taken other measures to restrict phone sales due to a loophole in their unlocking policy. Apparently, if you buy a phone and 1 month of service but don't renew and just keep the phone in your drawer for 6 months, the phone automatically unlocks. So, some people were essentially just buying one month of service to get a free phone, which was then resold for profit 6 months later or used by the buyer on a competitor. For iPhones, some people were also abitradging the phones immediately for trade-in to Apple, because the trade-in value was higher than the cost you had to pay to acquire the phone from Metro.

There's a slickdeals thread where some people talk about how in Feb 2020 they acquired multiple unlocked Motorola E6's on Visible's free swap deal and then immediately used the Visible numbers to port into Metro to acquire 4 iPhone 7's for about ~$275 ($120 for 4 lines of service + $15 activation fee per line + ~$25/phone + tax). I suppose those phones are just now being unlocked automatically and resold for about $150/phone. Those same posters talked about how they previously made a killing on an even more generous Metro deal for the iPhone 6s about 2 years ago.

This is why we can't have nice things.

Fine but to punish all of us for a few is just wrong.

What gets me is why these people feel the need to post this on Reddit after the fact. To rub it in? To hurt others?

The mentioned ip7 metro deal would net what $300? It sounds like so much hassle for the payout. You even have to visit a store to do it. Some people on slickdeals really have nothing better to do. Ruin it for the small people in the process.

I kind of blame the carriers though. They are so focused on getting business from families and large groups that they open themselves up to people buying multiples to take advantage of these deals.

About time the carriers focus on giving single lines a good deal and limit the incentives to one per person/address. Wish tmobile would uncarrier the family plan and give single lines a fair price. At least visible is good for single lines.

I am pro-customer and anti-corporation. I don't blame Slickdealers at all. In fact I say More Power to Them, they are able to figure out some pretty slick loopholes. But I wish they had the brains to keep their mouths shut about it. That's what I would do, find a way to exploit corporations and keep my mouth shut. I wouldn't go around bragging that's for sure.

Seems some like to slam the door behind them

Nanana I got it. You can't
Sort of thing

Many seem to do it for bragging rights. Over time, I've seen more and more deals that are not really deals.

It is unfortunately what the internet has become with the advent of social media / entire generations growing up on the internet. Rather than a place to get useful information, it is where some people live out their lives.

Yeah, it's a sad day when people have to brag to imaginary (virtual / online) friends.