How Existing T-Mobile Customers Can Score The $180 Nexus One DiscountS

Last week we learned that existing T-Mobile customers were getting screwed on the Nexus One. Chances are Google and T-Mobile will work this out, but if you are impatient, here is one way current customers can get the $180 price.

The same tipster that originally brought the discrepancy to our attention embarked on an epic journey to figure out how he could get out of spending the $379 price outlined for data plan upgrades in the Nexus One FAQ. In the end, Quinn managed to get the phone for $180, but it wasn't easy:

Starting the day of the release I attempted to secure a shiny new toy to replace my aging iPhone only to find out that Google/HTC/T-Mobile were hamstringing existing customers for anywhere from $100 - $200 on the cost of the phone, so I set out to get a fair price. I spoke with a long list of Customer Care/Billing/Tech Support/& Loyalty Specialists to work through the problem. A Tech Support agent along with help from Billing agents suggested that I add a line to my existing account, then swap the created phone number with the original after a cancellation and reuse request. This became difficult as someone on their end flagged my account wrong. I spent the better part of the next 36 hours asking if some flag had been activated on my account indicating I was no longer an Individual Regular Postpaid account. Only after threatening to cancel my account altogether did someone figure it out. Flag changed, I was now able to proceed. Added the line (865 area code), ordered the phone and waited for that to arrive. Once that was achieved, I called T-Mobile back to cancel my original line (not on contract - no fee) and file a reuse of the number. Then came the waiting game. This morning I awoke to a text message from T-Mobile stating that the number registered for the sim card was my original number (412 area code). To sum it up in steps:

Requirements: Non-contract T-Mobile Customer, ability to add a line

1. Add a line through Google check out process.
2. Wait for phone arrival.
3. Once acquired, call T-Mobile to cancel original number, then file a reuse request to swap it with the newly created number (similar to a number port)
4. Wait. (12 hrs elapsed time prior to the swap).

All said and done, Nexus One acquired for $179+taxes+$35 activation fee. One last caveat; by the end of the process, T-Mobile Specialists were getting weary of this method so I would verify they will do this for customers before proceeding.

Again, there are no guarantees, but in this situation Quinn managed to save $200 on the price of the phone. So, if your contract has expired, and you are willing to add a line then swap it later for your original number (if you have Google Voice there would be no need to swap numbers in the first place), it is worth inquiring about before you upgrade. [Thanks Quinn!]