T-Mobile General

[Arielle]

T-Mobile’s Continued Efforts to Assist With Disaster in Haiti

January 29, 2010

Dear Valued T-Mobile Customers:

After almost three weeks since the tragic earthquake in Haiti, relief efforts continue from all corners of the world. We know that thousands of you, our valued T-Mobile customers, are in Haiti at this very moment, personally assisting in a variety of ways; our thoughts are with all of you. At the same time, millions of you have also been donating time, money and other resources, and we can’t commend you enough for that work.

How We’re Helping You, As You Help Others

T-Mobile is proud of your efforts and we are very thankful to have been in a position to help you – as you help others. Many of you have donated through a variety of mobile giving programs. T-Mobile customers have donated more than $5 million dollars collectively through our network. In turn, T-Mobile continues to pass one-hundred percent of your donations directly to the relief organizations you have designated. We have also sped up the frequency with which we transfer your funds to the organizations you’ve designated. Thank you for all that you are doing to help so many people.

We are also proud to have facilitated free international long distance calls to Haiti. As I committed in my last letter to you, we have waived all long distance charges, retroactive to January 12 and through midnight EST on January 31, for all of our customers calling Haiti from the U.S. When we made the decision to allow free calling to Haiti, we hoped that we would be able to help unite families here in the U.S. and in Haiti. We know we have done just that for many of you -- our customers have used more than 20 million minutes calling Haiti from the U.S. since January 12.

T-Mobile also provided free roaming for our customers in Haiti. Any call made by T-Mobile customers in Haiti between January 12 and February 28 was entirely free of charge. 

How We’ve Helped Our Partners Restore Wireless Service in Haiti

We know that our ability to help our customers in Haiti and those who are trying to reach them and their families is only as good as the wireless networks in that country. To that end, we have been assisting two of the largest wireless carriers in Haiti – Voila and Digicel. T-Mobile USA has provided the following equipment to help restore these crucial communications networks in Haiti:

• 12,000 cell phones
• 10 mobile cell sites
• 77 generators
• 450 solar chargers
• 11 light SUVs
• 980 grounding kits
• 480 hoisting grips

I’m proud of our employees at T-Mobile who have coordinated with an array of agencies within the Federal Government and with military transports to get this equipment as quickly as possible to Haiti. Our wireless partners in Haiti continue to work day and night to restore full service to customers in Haiti. T-Mobile is happy to have helped them do that in every way available to us. We are also happy to have been able to make a $50,000 cash contribution to the Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

As international aid and relief efforts continue, our thoughts are with the Haitian people and the Haitian community here in the United States. We thank all of our customers who have made mobile giving so successful, and are proud to be able to support relief efforts in so many meaningful ways.

Sincerely,

Jim Alling

Chief Operations Officer

T-Mobile USA

T-Mobile Extends Roaming Service Through February 28 for Customers In Haiti

[ggfb20]

What a great job, this should become the new trend, not just during times of natural disasters, but to help rid all countries of struggle, natural or not.

[djfreerider]

Thank you for what you are doing!

I am wondering if there is anyone at T-Mobile that can help a small group of first responders that went to Haiti on thier own. It appears that T-Mobile is the only service that works there with any consistancy and they need some equipment.

This is thier request:

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

CALL FOR HELP!

If any one has connections with T-Mobile (only service that works) We need 4 BlackBerry’s for international service on the T-Mobile net. Purchased, activated, and shipped down to Rally point by noon Friday.

To assure you that this is a legit request please go to Team Rubicon's blog and all of the Ralley Point information is there and you can follow thier progress reports at:

http://blog.teamrubiconhaiti.org/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2011...

PLEASE if anyone can help!!!!

dj

[Passante]

On January 17, I texted a donation to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund following instructions on the White House Web site to dial the number 20222 and text the word "QUAKE." I received a return text asking me to confirm my donation by typing "Yes," which I did. The next day I checked my T-Mobile account online and there was no donation. Instead there was a Download charge of $5 with the details 20222 20222 www.mgf.me/re and  "game."

I called T-Mobile, and while the rep was very pleasant and tried to help, he had no idea what I was talking about because he'd never heard of the Red Cross, the Clinton Bush Fund, or any others through which one could text a donation. He suggested that maybe the donation was coming in two $5 increments -- hardly likely -- but could give no explanation as to why, even if that were the case, it would be listed as a downloaded game. He also said he didn't understand the designation "game" because the number and URL weren't ones from which games were downloaded. When I checked the URL, I got to the Web site of the Mobile Giving Foundation.

The $5 download charge is still on my account-- it has not turned into a $10 donation in the meantime. It seems the only donation I have made is to T-Mobile. I am going to call T-Mobile customer support tomorrow and have them remove the charge. I will make my donation in a more traditional manner. I wonder how many other T-Mobile users -- or users of other mobile phone providers' services -- have believed themselves to be donating to help the earthquake victims when in fact they have been donating to their cell phone companies.

[uphiearl]

Who do I get in touch with to talk about service and my sim card in Haiti? I will be going week of 1/31/2010 to assist with internet communications with the ITU. Right now I have a pay as you go sim card.

Thanks, Earl

[Passante]

Follow up to my previous post: I called Customer Support again today and this time got someone who knew what she was talking about. She confirmed that the $5 charge on my bill is indeed a donation to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. The White House says you donate $10, but apparently it's $5. She herself had donated three times for a $15 total. What she couldn't explain was why it would appear on my account as a downloaded game. She agreed it is confusing and she said she would look into it to see what changes needed to be made so it will show up on bills as a donation. I am assuming she is correct and that my money is going to help Haiti victims, so I did not ask her to remove the charge. My future donation will be made through more traditional means, however.

[ljguffey]

Thanks for all you have done for those in Haiti. My son is a soldier currently helping out in Haiti. I respectfully request that you extend the free service to the soldiers there for another month so they can call family and/or friends.

Sincerely,

Laurie Guffey

[KLO]

I made two $10 donations to the Red Cross also via text and they are showing up as games on my account as well. It's just because they have to be sent to a short code which is how most media purchases (games, ringtones, wallpapers) from third party companies are bought.

[ssbegley1020]

Thank you so much!  My husband has went to help out and it has been so great to be in contact with him while he has been there and not have to worry about calling fees. THANK YOU!

[ljguffey]

THANK YOU T MOBILE FOR EXTENDING FREE SERVICE TO SOLDIERS IN HAITI! L. Guffey

[madgunz360]

Thanks t-mobile for showing you care for others you stepped up and was willing to help when other companies did not. Your the best t-mobile.

[anbuescort]

You have to text "haiti" to 90999 to make a $10 donation from any phone.

[hjunebug91]

Are calls to Haiti still waived?

[horrorfreakny]

Thanks T Mobile

[equalaction]

Thank you for this generous contribution. My girlfriend is volunteering with the relief effort in Haiti right now, and communicating with her was a big concern of ours. We are both t-mobile customers, and will be calling each other rather frequently while she is there. I had a couple questions: Are all of her calls, incoming and outgoing, free from roaming charges until February 14? And what will I be charged to call/receive call from her during this time?

Thank you again. Please get back to me as soon as you can so I can relay the information to her in Haiti. 

[lazi0624]

Thank you verry much t-mobile, i will def. be renewing my contract because of this.

[angeltb3]

Thank you so much for extending this courtesy. It means a lot to those of us who have family members deployed to Haiti right now, and would otherwise have no consistent means of communication. We have recommended your service to all of our friends, family and co-workers (the ones that we haven't already convinced to join). I have been with you guys for almost ten years now. And because you continue to come up ways to shame your competitors like this, I won't be going anywhere.

[jenkswifey]

too bad it hasnt been working for everyone. Ive been trying to call my husband in haiti on his cell and it doesnt work and it cant connect when he calls me. Ive talked to tons of people at tmobile and apparenly noone can help

[horrorfreakny]

WOW great thanks! My wife is in Haiti and we're both Tmobile customers! Tmobile, your GREAT!

[lnb4ever]

Thank you T-Mobile for doing this!  My husband is aboard the Comfort and this has been such a wonderful way to stay connected!