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T-Mobile launches Smartphone Equality, expanding base of customers qualified for financing & special deals

T-Mobile often rolls out “Un-carrier” initiatives that intend to challenge its competitors (which sometimes get copied), and John Legere’s latest announcement for the company is no different. The T-Mobile CEO shared today that the carrier soon start offering the same financing options to customers with weak credit as it provides for well qualified customers. The program is called Smartphone Equality, and here’s how it works…The gist of it is this: customers who otherwise may not qualify for financing plans like $0 down options due to poor credit can now avoid hefty deposits just by being a loyal T-Mobile customer for a full year. The program even extends to T-Mobile customers on pre-paid plans, which is especially useful, and only requires that you pay your bill on time for 12 months.

Even if you don’t have any credit history, T-Mobile will qualify anyone with a monthly voice plan paid on time for a year for its best device and plan prices without requiring a credit check. Furthermore, the carrier says customers which already meet the new requirements to avoid a credit check will immediately qualify for the new financing options when the Smartphone Equality program begins.

You can see Legere introduce the new initiative in his own words below:

http://youtu.be/n6X3q5qEx1Y

As for T-Mobile’s reasoning, Legere says payment history is more indicative of making future payments on time than a credit rating. The program kicks off for all T-Mobile customers on January 25th.

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Comments

  1. rettun1 - 9 years ago

    I like was T-Mobile is doing, pushing forward and changing the rules. Literally days after the article about t-mobiles new data rollover thing came up on this site, I saw an ad for data rollover for AT&T on tv. The difference was (cuz I read the fine print at the bottom of the screen) that AT&T keeps the extra data for only a month, while the pink people keep it for a year.

    • dan imondi (@danimondi) - 9 years ago

      Although on T-Mobile you can keep your data for up to a year, you need to be on a plan of at least $60 with T-Mobile to qualify, on at&t you lose it after 1 month but there is no minimum entry price. Different strokes for different folks.

      • Air Burt - 9 years ago

        Well if we’re talking about different strokes, T-Mobile also starts you off with 10GB in your Data Stash and you don’t start accruing until you go through that. I don’t think anyone will actually be “rolling over” data for awhile on T-Mobile with that much of a head start.

  2. irelandjnr - 9 years ago

    Anyone else think Legere is Forstall in disguise with his hair grown long ;-)

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

      Forstall’s hair wasn’t long. I think Legere is an interesting character, but what bothers me is he’s going through is Mid Life stage in life where he’s trying to act too much like he’s still in college and he’s a CEO of a publicly traded company. While I like CEOs to not have to look too conservative with business suits, etc. I think he might be pushing it just a little too far, especially since he likes to party, or at least so he says. I think if he toned it down with the partying and trying too hard to relate to the the pubescent teenager so much, I’d actually consider him someone that could be a future CEO for Apple should Cook retire early. Legere is good about interviews and likes to talk and he seems to be a little more open with his discussions. I do think he’s kind of forward thinking, but he only has cellular experience and he has never run a computer company. But looking like Forstall? NO. I think he’s getting that Keanu Reeves long look sans facial hair. :-)

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

      I just looked up Forstall photos. Forstall had the spiked hair vibe going on rather than long hair. I guess it’s been a while. ;-)

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.