Though the mobile carriers are fighting, and it may not be the greatest news for your pocketbook in the long run, it is really great right now if you are planning to make the change over to T-Mobile. The mobile carrier has become much more customer-friendly in the last year or so, which means you may be able to get a lot more out of their phones than you used to. If you’re thinking about making the change, here are a few things to consider.

The story of switching over

A writer at SeattlePi explained how easy it was for her to switch over to the new T-Mobile plan after being on Verizon’s plan for 10 years with her family. It took nearly no time at all, and she got the new phone she always wanted. Without having to deal with cancellation fees, she let T-Mobile deal with them instead. It was a great way to convince her to finally make the switch, and T-Mobile’s new uncarrier plans are great for young people trying to get away from the support of their parents. Here are five steps to making the switch, if you so dare:

1. Find your old phone and bring it into T-Mobile: You can only qualify for the T-Mobile deal to have all fees paid for you when cancelling a contract from another carrier if you give them your old phone. Make sure you have already backed up all contacts, pictures, and music.

2. Bring in ID: T-Mobile will need to do a credit check before they will let you get on a nice plan and owe them money every month. It will take just a couple of minutes, and more than likely, you will get approved without any problems.

3. Pick a phone: You’ll need to decide exactly which phone you want to use. Luckily, at T-Mobile they can put the cost of your phone into your monthly contract instead of making you pay for it all upfront. If you’re looking to avoid a lot of upfront fees, this is definitely the way to go. Otherwise, you might save more money by just paying for the phone.

4. Pick a plan: You’ll need to decide exactly which plan you prefer. Maybe you want unlimited everything, or maybe you don’t need unlimited texting if you have data. Maybe all you want is talk and text without data. Whatever works best for you will work best for them. Just make sure you find out all your options before deciding.

5. Transfer over all your data: You can have the T-Mobile salesperson help you transfer over data if you are experiencing any confusion or need help at all. This also won’t take more than a few minutes and will make your life significantly easier. No more worrying about whether or not you still have Aunt Sue’s phone number or that picture from last year’s rager. You’ll be able to keep it all.

After you get your new phone

After you’ve gotten the new phone, all you have left to do is personalize. If you run a business and need to install business texter apps, start with that. Get your email setup, download the apps you want, and get everything personalized to your needs. All in all, you’ll probably spend more time playing with your new phone the first day than you did getting the new phone at the store.

Source: SeattlePi