T-mobile accused of cramming insurance after customer declines

A T-Mobile customer claims he was a victim of 'cramming' when an employee added an unwanted insurance policy to his account despite repeated denials.

Protection360 insurance slipped onto bill without permission

The customer, who goes by 'DillettanteOfFilth' on Reddit, said he politely declined the Protection360 insurance policy three times while purchasing a new iPhone at a T-Mobile store. However, when he got home and reviewed his invoice, he noticed he had been charged for the insurance twice, along with additional fees for a charging adapter and basic screen protection.

The customer pays for his phone plan through another person's account and had already sent them money based on the expected costs. It wasn't until he received a thank-you message from T-Mobile for adding the Protection360 insurance that he realized something was amiss.

T-mobile's metrics system encourages cramming

The root of the issue, according to the customer and other Redditors, is T-Mobile's performance metrics system that rewards representatives for meeting certain sales targets. These targets often include upselling customers on accessories and insurance policies. As a result, some reps may feel pressured to add unwanted products to customers' accounts to meet their goals.

Another Redditor shared a similar experience, stating that after a rep tried to cram the Protection360 insurance on his account, he left T-Mobile and switched to Xfinity.

In response, experts are calling on T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan to address the issue by eliminating the use of metrics that encourage cramming. This could include introducing penalties for reps who engage in the practice or focusing on customer satisfaction instead of sales numbers.

By changing its approach, T-Mobile could set a positive precedent for the industry and protect its customers from unwanted and unauthorized charges.