T-Mobile will soon let you pickup, trade-in, and return devices at stores even if you bought online

XDA

By Victor Wright

Published Oct 26, 2021

T-Mobile is finally making changes to its order process that its competition has had for a while: store pickup, trade-ins, and returns.

The "Uncarrier" is finally adding a feature to its online and telesales orders that Verizon and AT&T have had for a while: offering order pickup, device trade-in, and returns at your local T-Mobile store. This change will likely be a blessing for T-Mobile subscribers across the country.

First detailed on Reddit and independently confirmed via our sources, T-Mobile will begin offering a few new options for orders placed online and via support:

Store pickup: The first new option is in-store pickup. Customers purchasing new devices online or via support will have the option to visit a store in person to receive their device. Currently, customers must receive their devices by mail if not ordering in-store.
Trade-in your old device in-store: Next is in-store trade-ins for all orders. This means customers will be able to order a device online, receive their new device, and then bring their old trade-in to a store once their data has been transferred. This is probably the most popular of the changes, as customers often have worries of possible damage when sending their trade-ins by mail. T-Mobile offers trade-in promotions quite often, like $900 off the Pixel 6, and allowing customers to avoid the mail-in process is a great move.
In-Store Returns: Finally, customers who have placed orders online or via support will now be able to do returns in-store. Before this change, customers would be required to return by mail if the order was not placed in-store. T-Mobile offers a 14-day return window on device purchases.

Not everyone is happy

While customers are bound to love these new changes, some employees aren't too sure. Many users on the r/tmobile subreddit have voiced concerns as store employees. One commented that this will "be bad from a reps point of view unless we are compensated or we have the right to charge the support fee." They go on to say that stores in their area are already busy with up to 2 hour wait times.

Another person claiming to be an employee commented about existing problems with transactions made in-store and says that they now get to deal with that issue "for a sale I nor my team even did." Finally, a third user simply says, "As a current rep this sucks."

Overall, these changes appear to be great for the consumer. Making it easier and more convenient to make purchases and complete trade-in offers will only help increase sales for the company and bring them in line with competitors. Hopefully, the changes don't cause a headache for T-Mobile's frontline staff. The changes are currently set to take effect on November 10th.