T-Mobile Bungled Forced Plan Migration, Canceling Some Users' Free Lines

T-Mobile has acknowledged that a recent forced migration of legacy plans to new rate plans resulted in the unintentional cancellation of free-line promotions for some long-time subscribers. The company stated that the issue was due to technical glitches and is working to restore the discounts, backdating them where necessary.

The migration, which began in mid-2026, sparked controversy as many customers faced price increases of up to $6 per line. The loss of free lines compounded the problem, leading to significantly higher bills for some users. For example, one Reddit user reported previously paying about $50 per month for three paid and six free lines, but after migration, their bill exceeded $300. Another customer reported a $200 increase.

T-Mobile's statement to Ars Technica emphasized that the free lines remain free and that the company is correcting billing errors. Additionally, T-Mobile is investigating reports of incorrect Hulu charges following migration and apologized for the confusion.

Despite the promise to restore free lines, the carrier has not reversed the price hikes introduced in 2024 when it abandoned its lifetime price guarantee. That decision led to a class-action lawsuit that is still pending. T-Mobile's COO Jon Freier explained in a leaked email that the migration simplifies the billing system by reducing over 1,100 legacy billing codes to fewer than 100. The new plans offer more premium data, high-speed hotspot data, and better international coverage, along with a five-year price guarantee.

Some customers have encountered difficulties in getting support to restore lost promotions. One user said a support representative was unable to reinstate a free line and instead offered a one-year credit. T-Mobile urges affected customers to contact them and assures that it is committed to resolving all issues.