Random charges on my account?

[lilro]

This is the first time I've had a phone in my name (I'm only 19) and the first two months were fine. However, this month, my bill is $5 more, and $1 has been deducted from my FlexAccount. I know this isn't much, I just want to know why. When I view my bill online, there is something that says "FP Control Charge AC" and I think that's causing the problem. What is it? And why wasn't it on my first 2 bills? And the $1 that mysteriously disappeared from my FlexAccount. I don't even use it so it doesn't really bother me, but what's gonna happen when it gets down to 0 and tries to take money? I haven't bought any wallpapers/ringtones or anything and I have an unlimited data/sms plan. Like I said, I'm not really worried about $6 but I'd like to know whats causing it and if it can be prevented.

Also, there are no overage fees as far as I can tell, I've used 11/300 minutes since 6/26/09, when the billing cycle started

[Artemis68]

FP looks like it means Flexpay...hmm. Why is your bill 5 dollars more? Is that from the FP Control Charge or did you go 5 dollars over and THEN the FP Control Charge took away a dollar?

Are you paying your bills right on time?

[xTemptati0n]

Your first bill you paid up front at the store (or online if you started your account there). Your control charge was tied into that. If you don't pay your bill with Easypay, then your charged that control charge of 5 dollars each month. This only happens with FlexPay. If the rep explained this to you then you chose to pay the bill as "monthly by check" meaning you choose your method of payment, but you are subject to the control charge.

[lilro]

I pay my bill on time. As a matter of fact I pay it like a week or two early.

@Temptation...
My first bill was $74.09
My second was $74.09
My current on is $79.58

So unless my plan magically got switched "off" easypay (which was never on in the first place) how were my first 2 bills the same price?

For the time being I signed up for easypay and will call T-Mo when the reps come in.

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[Californium89]

why are you on flex pay to begin with? not sure of its purpose i am also 19 and i got a full blown contract.. cant really help you there i got my contract signed when i had no credit so i dunno.. i think the flexpay extra 5 bucks charge would be because you dont have your bill automatically paid from your bank account every month you said you pay your bill a week or 2 early so your getting charged 5 dollars because you pay your bill manually meaning you go into a store or go on line and pay instead of it automatically being deducted from your own account

[lilro]

I was told I only qualified for FlexPay. Is that wrong? I have absolutely no credit.. It was only weird to me because I didn't get charged that on my first 2 bills. But I just called them and got it settled. It seems that the rep that sold me the phone put me on easy pay and since then it had somehow got shut off. This thread can be closed now.

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[Californium89]

true neither do i if anything im worse off then you lol cuz i do have 2 credit cards that i maxxed out back in feb cuz i was stupid now they are paid off and there for emergencies

[lilro]

Lol. I need to get a credit card and build credit. But the stupid economy is makin it hard for me to even get one.

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[Californium89]

better do it now cuz in like 4-5 months they wont let anybody under 25 i believe have a credit card

[Artemis68]

Yeah I'm 19 too. I had my father get me the postpaid contract in his name but I pay it myself and have all the control.
They don't do a credit check for FP but do for the postpaid. I have no idea why anyone without credit could get postpaid but it's obviously a mistake.

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[SimeonAS89]

Weird you guys weren't able to get a contract. When I turned 18 (2 years ago) I was able able to get a contract with no credit. In fact they added 3 extra lines because I was ok. Now those lines are just sitting...

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[Californium89]

yeah got my phones back in december they let me add 2 extra lines no problem i want to add another so i have them to upgrade... hahah

[KasiCatastrophe]

Originally Posted by Artemis68

Yeah I'm 19 too. I had my father get me the postpaid contract in his name but I pay it myself and have all the control.
They don't do a credit check for FP but do for the postpaid. I have no idea why anyone without credit could get postpaid but it's obviously a mistake.

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Because everyone has to start building credit somewhere and a cell phone is one of the easiest ways to. All companies will allow you to get a postpaid account with them, but if you have no credit or bad credit they may require you to pay a deposit.

[stiletto835]

When I came to T-mobile I was told by the rep I would be charged an extra $5 a month if I didn't sign up with easy pay, thats what the control charge is. but to tell you the truth, EVERY month my bill was always different! I had 2 lines and my bill should have been 130 which included the control fee but every month for a whole year my bill was over $200 and nobody could explain why. My advice for you is to watch your bill CLOSELY every month for hidden fees and dispute the charges if necessary, no sense in you paying for extra things you shouldn't need to.

[xTemptati0n]

Let me say two things real quick.

1. FlexPay DOES require a credit check, unless you opt to decline a credit check, thus forcing you to be a FlexPay monthly customer. For FlexPay Annual, a credit check has to be done. If you have no credit or poor credit, you may be a FlexPay annual customer. If your credit is extremely poor because of undisclosed reasons, FlexPay monthly may be the only option. T-Mobile doesn't do deposits.

2. Cell phones don't build credit at all. Paying the bill on time doesn't boost your credit. Your credit can be negatively affected if your account goes to collections for not paying a large sum of money to T-Mobile, which is the only scenario for credit changes due to a cell phone.