Many Americans aren’t happy about their cellphone service. Among the most cited complaints about cellphone providers in the United States are coverage, customer service issues, and cost. Over the past two years, people with cellphone plans in the U.S. have actually reported less satisfaction with their service than in previous years. That’s according to a recent report from J.D. Power.
Concerning cost, the United States is somewhat of an outlier in the developed world for its mobile phone cost. For example, the global average price of a gigabyte of data is around $2.59. In contrast, the average price of a gigabyte of data in the United States is about $6.
If one decides to cancel their cellphone service, the problems with cellphone service providers don’t always end. TikTok user Isabella (@bubbleteabella) recently revealed just this.
How did this woman end up with $500 in T-Mobile charges?
In her video, Isabella claims that T-Mobile fraudulently charged her mother around $500 in bills and late fees after she canceled a line.
“There were three lines. And she made it very clear she wanted all three lines canceled so she could switch to Mint Mobile,” the TikToker explains.
After calling to cancel the lines, Isabella says that her mom stopped receiving paper bills. That led her to believe that “everything was taken care of.”
However, in February 2025, she says her mom noticed that T-Mobile had been charging her around $120 per month. Upon calling the company to figure out what happened, she says her mom was informed that the company had only canceled two of the three lines.
“She pointed out the third line hadn’t been used once since the account was closed,” the TikToker recalls. “They admitted it was their mistake and promised to refund $120 right away. And the remaining $351 would be approved for reimbursement in just a few days.”
Not the case
Soon after, Isabella says her mother learned that this would not actually be the case.
“Instead of a refund, they sent her a bill claiming the charges from September to February were valid. And they added late fees—even though they had been automatically withdrawing money from her account,” the TikToker states. “They originally charged $202 and then bumped it up to $270. And now, they’ve sent it to collections. And they’re refusing to return the $351 they owe her.”
“This is happening after being a loyal customer for over 20 years,” she adds.
While the TikToker says her mother has already made a complaint to the FCC, she says that, if others are having this same problem occur, it’s possible that “some legal action” is the only solution.
“T-Mobile needs to make this right,” she declares.
How common is this?
Isabella’s mother is not the first to make such a complaint against the cellphone provider.
For example, in December 2024, one user on TikTok alleged that the company was charging her for a line that she had already removed from her account, resulting in around $675 in overpayments. The TikToker was eventually able to get this money refunded after going through multiple customer service agents and discussing the issue via Facebook Messenger.
Other discussions of the topic on sites like Reddit have similar claims. One user said he went through multiple channels to ensure all lines were canceled, only to later get charged and told that the account had not, in fact, been canceled.
Advice across these threads varies, but, in general, users recommend contacting the company via Facebook Messenger or X (formerly Twitter) in order to get the best and fastest results.
@bubbleteabella Let me tell you how T-Mobile quietly drained almost $500 from my mom’s bank account after she canceled her service. If you have gone through something similar with T-mobile please share your experience. They should be held accountable for their shady practices. #tmobile #shady #storytime #fyp #phone #phoneservice #duetthis ♬ original sound – Isabella
Commenters say it’s common
In the comments section, many users alleged that issues like the one Isabella’s mom experienced are unfortunately common.
“Okay this is happening to my mom in this exact moment, we changed to at&t but tmobile wants to charge her $500 and they are keeping her number yet her account is suspended??” wrote a user. “her number is stuck in a loop rn, active in both tmobile and at&t which shouldnt even be possible no one has any idea what to do.”
“We gave them 2 months notice we were switching 3 lines to Verizon once our contract ended since our service in the city was horrible. Sent me to collections for $1,400,” added another.
“This is why I NEVER allow anything to be on Autopay. T-Mobile is famous for ripping people off. They don’t honor trade ins or credits or sales. Beware!” exclaimed a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to T-Mobile via email and Isabella via TikTok direct message and comment.
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