Well. I had myself an absurdist sitcom comedy day yesterday. It had to do with my cell phone provider, Metro PCS. For years I have easily paid my monthly phone bill by simply typing "Pay 50.00" when the "Payments are easy!" text message arrived on my phone.
And then, when the 25th of the month arrived a couple months ago, my attempt to pay, which previously got a thank you text in reply, instead got "Payment declined by your financial institution".
I tried to take care of this via the phone, which was totally frustrating, as I was diverted to T-1 Mobile, which now owns Metro PCS. I gave up on that method. I think I was talking to an out of the country call center. So, I logged into my Metro account, online, which I had done previously when updating the credit card info. This proved equally frustrating. The original log-in did not work. I had to go through multiple hoops with proof it's me codes being sent to my phone.
Eventually I was able to get into my Metro account. Decided to update the credit card to a different one. Did so and made the payment whilst logged in.
The next two months paying was no problem. I'd text PAY 50.00, get the thank you message and thought the problem was over.
And then, yesterday, on the 25th, it happened again, but with the new card. This time I was not going to go through the hassle of trying to fix this online, instead just go to the Metro PCS store a short distance away. Did so, go out of my vehicle to see the sign you see photo documented about, that being the sign on the door, which said "Store Closed Due to Internet Outage Please visit 3634 OLD JACKSBORO HWY Sorry for inconvenience."
Not sure where Jacksboro Hwy was I drove back to my home computer, Googled the address to learn it was a couple miles away.
Upon entering the store I did not realize it had just opened and I was the first customer of the day. I explained the problem. The guy I explained it to said this was nothing Metro caused; it was my bank that declined payment. To which I replied that makes no sense, that for years this worked fine, then a couple months ago, it didn't, I switched to a different bank, and then the same thing happens. The Metro guy suggested maybe there were insufficient funds in both accounts, to which I told him both accounts have thousands of dollars banked.
Below are the text messages my phone received yesterday...
When I went to Metro by T-Mobile to try and make a payment the phone took me to a T-Mobile page requiring a log-in. I don't have a T-Mobile log-in. That was the last straw before I took off to find a Metro store.
So, the Metro guy tells me it takes several minutes to get the system up. Those minutes dragged on and on. The Metro guy was going around the store doing various tasks. Eventually I asked if he'd just opened. Yes, was the reply, and that he was late, due to get stuck in traffic in his drive from Dallas. You drove here from Dallas to open this store? Yes, I do that every day. You drive back to Dallas when you close? Yes, every day.
It is about 140 miles between Dallas and Wichita Falls.
I neglected to mention, the Metro guy was Indian. I asked him if he was Indian after he spoke to another guy in what sounded Indian to me. Yes was his reply, to which I thought so, even before you spoke Indian because of your cool sound Indian accent.
At this point I was thinking this is like being in a live version of a foreign call center.
The Metro guy could tell I was beginning to get a bit annoyed, after about the 5th time I asked how much longer til your system is working. He then said he could take down my info, as in phone number and credit card info and make the payment when the system comes up. Oh, and there is a five-dollar payment support charge added for paying in the store.
At that point the Metro guy says, the system is up. He then accesses my account, points me to a card reader. I tell him this card I am using here is the same one that got declined when I tried to pay via the phone.
I stick the card in, do a weird name signing with an electronic pen. The payment goes through, the Metro guy hands me a receipt, to which I said to him "You do see, don't you, why this is totally absurd? That the card worked fine here, and you are charging me five dollars to pay the bill in the store."
How is such a thing even legal.
I left the store, got in my vehicle, at which point the phone makes the incoming text noise. I swiped the screen dreading that it might be another text from Metro PCS, telling me "Payment Declined."
Nope.
Instead, it was a text message with the regular "Thanks for your $50.00 pymt."
Needless to say, despite being happy with Metro PCS til a couple months ago, I will be finding a new cell phone provider before the 25th of next month...
The next two months paying was no problem. I'd text PAY 50.00, get the thank you message and thought the problem was over.
And then, yesterday, on the 25th, it happened again, but with the new card. This time I was not going to go through the hassle of trying to fix this online, instead just go to the Metro PCS store a short distance away. Did so, go out of my vehicle to see the sign you see photo documented about, that being the sign on the door, which said "Store Closed Due to Internet Outage Please visit 3634 OLD JACKSBORO HWY Sorry for inconvenience."
Not sure where Jacksboro Hwy was I drove back to my home computer, Googled the address to learn it was a couple miles away.
Upon entering the store I did not realize it had just opened and I was the first customer of the day. I explained the problem. The guy I explained it to said this was nothing Metro caused; it was my bank that declined payment. To which I replied that makes no sense, that for years this worked fine, then a couple months ago, it didn't, I switched to a different bank, and then the same thing happens. The Metro guy suggested maybe there were insufficient funds in both accounts, to which I told him both accounts have thousands of dollars banked.
Below are the text messages my phone received yesterday...
Payments are easy! Pay
$50.00 by 03/25/26
for ACC997816494 by
replying 'PAY 50.00'.
Metro by T-Mobile Terms
& Conditions apply. See
mybty-mo.com/terms
Payment declined by
your financial institution.
To pay using MASTER
CARD ***********6435
reply back 'YES". Metro
by T-Mobile terms and
conditions apply. See
www.metrobyt-
mobile.com/terms
Your request was not
understood. Please go to
Metro by T-Mobile.com
to make a payment.
Metro by T-Mobile terms
and conditions apply.
See www.Metro by
T-Mobile.com/terms
When I went to Metro by T-Mobile to try and make a payment the phone took me to a T-Mobile page requiring a log-in. I don't have a T-Mobile log-in. That was the last straw before I took off to find a Metro store.
So, the Metro guy tells me it takes several minutes to get the system up. Those minutes dragged on and on. The Metro guy was going around the store doing various tasks. Eventually I asked if he'd just opened. Yes, was the reply, and that he was late, due to get stuck in traffic in his drive from Dallas. You drove here from Dallas to open this store? Yes, I do that every day. You drive back to Dallas when you close? Yes, every day.
It is about 140 miles between Dallas and Wichita Falls.
I neglected to mention, the Metro guy was Indian. I asked him if he was Indian after he spoke to another guy in what sounded Indian to me. Yes was his reply, to which I thought so, even before you spoke Indian because of your cool sound Indian accent.
At this point I was thinking this is like being in a live version of a foreign call center.
The Metro guy could tell I was beginning to get a bit annoyed, after about the 5th time I asked how much longer til your system is working. He then said he could take down my info, as in phone number and credit card info and make the payment when the system comes up. Oh, and there is a five-dollar payment support charge added for paying in the store.
At that point the Metro guy says, the system is up. He then accesses my account, points me to a card reader. I tell him this card I am using here is the same one that got declined when I tried to pay via the phone.
I stick the card in, do a weird name signing with an electronic pen. The payment goes through, the Metro guy hands me a receipt, to which I said to him "You do see, don't you, why this is totally absurd? That the card worked fine here, and you are charging me five dollars to pay the bill in the store."
How is such a thing even legal.
I left the store, got in my vehicle, at which point the phone makes the incoming text noise. I swiped the screen dreading that it might be another text from Metro PCS, telling me "Payment Declined."
Nope.
Instead, it was a text message with the regular "Thanks for your $50.00 pymt."
Needless to say, despite being happy with Metro PCS til a couple months ago, I will be finding a new cell phone provider before the 25th of next month...
