A class action lawsuit filed against T-Mobile alleges that the national cellphone carrier failed to provide promotional gift cards that customers say were promised as part of a phone line promotion.
The complaint was filed in November last year in a California court by plaintiff Purya Ghrabeti, citing the state’s consumer protection laws. The lawsuit claims the company advertised a promotion offering $200 gift cards for each new phone line purchased, but did not honor the offer after customers completed their purchases.
What Is the T-Mobile Gift Card Lawsuit About?
According to the complaint, Ghrabeti purchased two new phone lines in June 2024 after being told by a representative that he would receive $400 in gift cards within about 10 weeks.
However, the lawsuit states that on September 10, 2024, a supervisor from T-Mobile called him and said the promotion did not exist and the company would not provide the gift cards.
Ghrabeti says a store representative had confirmed the promotion when he bought the additional lines. He later discovered that other consumers reported similar complaints, claiming they also did not receive the promised gift cards.
The lawsuit alleges false advertising and deceptive business practices, arguing that customers were encouraged to purchase phone lines based on promotional offers that were never delivered.
Who Is Eligible?
The lawsuit, formally titled Ghrabeti v. T-Mobile USA Inc., seeks to represent a class of California consumers who purchased phone lines or devices from T-Mobile based on the promotion or other financial incentives that were not provided.
If approved as a class action, the case would apply only to California-based customers who bought one or more phone lines or devices during the promotional period tied to the disputed offer.
Ghrabeti is asking for a jury trial and seeking restitution, equitable relief, and injunctive relief for himself and other affected consumers.
The lawsuit claims that T-Mobile regularly advertises gift card-based promotions to boost sales, but sometimes fails to deliver them. Court filings state that the company allegedly created the impression that the promotions were active and valid despite having no intention or ability to fulfill them.
Other Legal Disputes Involving T-Mobile
The company is also facing other legal complaints. Competitor AT&T has filed a lawsuit over T-Mobile’s “Easy Switch” tool, which allegedly uses artificial intelligence to scrape confidential consumer data from private systems. T-Mobile has denied the claim and said the tool is designed to help consumers.
Another competitor, Verizon, has sued T-Mobile over alleged false advertising related to savings claims. T-Mobile has countersued, accusing Verizon of similar deceptive marketing tactics.
