What happens to a T-Mobile account when someone dies
T-Mobile US publishes its own process for a deceased person's account; a written request goes by mail.
T-Mobile US' terms give a family member a path to a T-Mobile account after the holder dies.
T-Mobile US publishes its own process for a deceased person's account: Cancel or Change Ownership form for a deceased family member; a written request goes by mail to T-Mobile Wireless, PO Box 37380, Albuquerque, NM 87176-7380. The request takes 5 documents. T-Mobile US' customer service answers at 1-800-937-8997.
How to request a transfer
- •The account owner's name and mobile number.
- •The owner's date of birth.
- •For a Puerto Rico account, the death certificate.
Required Documents
- Name of the account owner
- The owner's mobile number
- The owner's date of birth
- Death certificate: for a Puerto Rico account. T-Mobile lists it for Puerto Rico accounts only.
- Death certificate, burial certificate, funeral document or state medical certificate: if the online form asks for a document upload. One of the four is uploaded as a JPEG or PDF file up to 10 MB; the medical certificate is the one issued from the morgue.
Timeline
T-Mobile states that a member of its team contacts the requester within 3 business days of reviewing the submission.
What T-Mobile US, Inc.'s terms say at death
- The terms
“Service promotions are not transferrable during a Change of Responsibility, not even for a deceased customer Change of Responsibility.”1
What T-Mobile US, Inc. says happens8
- Closing the account
When some lines move to a family member's account, the original account and any lines not transferred are closed.2
- Verifying the requester
The bereavement form requires that the deceased owner was the person responsible for the bill.2
- Deletion and data retention
Transfers and cancellations permanently delete voicemails and greetings, so T-Mobile asks that they be backed up before starting.3
Voicemail messages and DIGITS call history are permanently deleted after cancellation and cannot be recovered.4
- Transfer at death
A number can be moved only if it has been active on the current account for 90 days.1
The person taking over a line may need a credit check and a deposit, and must be at least 18, or 21 in Puerto Rico.1
- What carries over to a new account
Service promotions, including promotional pricing, do not move with a line after a death; the survivor keeps the number but not the promotion.1
- Balances, payouts and refunds
The account balance does not transfer to the person taking over, and an EIP balance not moved with its line is charged in full on the final bill if the account is canceled.1
An EIP balance may move to the new owner's account within 60 days of the number moving, once, if both accounts are in good standing.1
If the entire account is canceled, any remaining device balances become due on the final bill.4, 5
Security deposits or account credits may apply toward the remaining balance, and a credit balance left 30 days after the final bill may be refunded automatically.4
- Other ways to reach the provider
Customer Care representatives answer daily from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific Time, and dialing 611 from a T-Mobile phone reaches Customer Service.6
- Subscriptions and billing
Charges run through the end of the current billing cycle, and AutoPay may still charge the final bill unless it is removed before the final payment processes.4
Forms T-Mobile uses1
- Cancel or Change Ownership
The online request to close a deceased owner's account or transfer one or more of its lines to a family member's account.3, 2
Completed by a family member. Completed online.
Other companies and product lines involved1
- T-Mobile Money (Coastal Community Bank)
A T-Mobile Money checking or savings account, settled with the bank7
Not in T-Mobile's published guidance1
- Which accounts outside Puerto Rico must upload a document
A written request to T-Mobile US can ask it to transfer the accounts to a named family member, close the account and preserve the account while the estate is opened.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter for T-Mobile drafts that request from the estate's details.
Sources
Data sourced from T-Mobile US, Inc. primary sources (10 pages reviewed). How we research.
T-Mobile estate claims
Phone
Mailing address
Website
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