Leaked T-Mobile ad suggests it'll pay for families to leave its rivals
When T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere isn't busy getting himself kicked out of an AT&T party, he's likely putting the finishing touches to his own CES announcement. Rumors have suggested that T-Mobile will soon make it easier for consumers to switch to the UnCarrier from rival operators, and a banner ad spotted by Droid Life suggests it's willing to put its hand in its pocket to do so. The advertisement, which briefly appeared on T-Mobile's website before it was unceremoniously pulled, says the operator will "pay your family's termination fees when you trade in your devices," countering AT&T's promotion that gives T-Mobile customers up to $450 if they switch to its NEXT plan.
T-Mobile's small print says it'll accept ports from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint customers and transfer up to five lines. While the initiative appears costly, the company will look to recoup its outgoings by requiring new customers to trade in their existing smartphones and choose new phones offered on its UnCarrier plans. Droid Life indicates that T-Mobile will likely limit the amount it is willing to pay -- we expect Legere and co. to confirm payment caps and all the other details at its UnCarrier 4.0 event when it kicks off at 12:30PM PT.
