The T-Mobile Nightmare when trying to cancel an account

Wow, what an experience over the past few months. Dealing with the customer dis-service at T Mobile is an amazing ordeal.
This past year (2012) my mother was terminally ill and no longer using her t-mobile cell phone. (She actually had not used it for about 10 months before my saga began but that's on me, not them)

Being the POA for her affairs I decided to cancel the account in early Sept. Sounds like a simple process, right? Not a chance.

First it could not be done because they needed to speak to her (explained that she was no longer capable of speaking thus  it was an impossible request.) Then they suggested a copy of the POA be sent.

Fantastic. This is absolutely the right thing to ask for and I complied with their request promptly by mail. Mail was used because the customer service person did not know where to find a fax number in order to expedite the process.

Well, I get a letter a few weeks later to let me know they received the POA but it needed to be notarized. (idiots can't read a notary stamp, apparently). Interesting request. It was the same notarized POA copy that Chase, Wells Fargo and others found to be adequate. The notary stamp on the copy was clearly there. The letter suggested I contact T mobile but gave no number. So, I go through the same call-in process as before.

After talking to several people about the problem, getting absolutely nowhere, they suggested I send a notarized POA. (freaking amazing).

 Since I already had and they acknowledged the receipt I asked what would be different this time. I was told to have the signature notarized. (Freaking amazing). I said it was. They suggested I get my terminally ill mother to sign and have it notarized (freaking amazing, right?). I explained that it was a physical impossibility to get a fresh signature and was an absurd request since the same form was readily accepted by the banks, hospitals etc.

After being told she couldn't help me and shuffles me off to someone else, I went through the same nonsense with the next person. Got no where again and I explained that they got what they requested and would get nothing more. She made a note of it and I hung up.

Well, I get another bill for an additional month and decide to try to reason with idiots once again.
Again I get spun around until I get someone who appears willing to help. If I can send the death certificate (yes, she passed away during this debacle) he would make sure it got closed and back dated to the original time of my request. He even had a fax number. WOW!
Faxed the document, got confirmation that they got it and I figure that all is well in T Mobile land.

What a mistake. I get another bill, I call again. They explain that they closed the account effective at the end of November (almost 3 months from when this nonsense started). We would of course be responsible for the balance. (freaking amazing. right?)

I explained that I had given them everything they asked for. I said they should be back dating the cancellation to correspond with my first request.

Big surprise, they said they could only cancel based on the receipt of everything they asked for. After stating that the POA should have ended this in Sept 2012 they said they could not help. Asked for a supervisor. SURPRISE, same story.

So, essentially they expect payment for time the phone was in the process of being cancelled (delayed by their insane behavior) plus a few extra weeks from receipt of the document (guess its easier to round upward).

Guess what? I explained that I had been patient enough, had given them enough documentation and would not ever pay the small $44 balance because they were not entitled to it. Okay, I did, at this point, get frustrated to suggest everyone at T-Mobile go to hell and hung up after she told me several times there was nothing to be done and  no one else to speak to. Seemed fair to suggest they take a warm vacation since they have put me through a living hell already, right?

I am sure this will go on. I am sure that I will ultimately get a collection letter. I do not give a dam. They get nothing.

Be warned. This company is absolutely horrible to deal with. Avoid them. Use anyone else. If you want a nightmare, have a pepperoni pizza with peppers before bed. At least you get some satisfaction from the food and it passes quickly. The nightmare of T-Mobile continues regardless of your being asleep or awake.

Maybe I should be appreciative of their condescending attitude with their "I'm sorry you've had to go through this during this difficult time." What a pile of bull excrement.

In the unlikely event that someone at T Mobile reads this and decides to handle it properly, I will let you know.

In the meantime stay away from this lunatics. They are the worst company I have had to deal with during this entire process. Smallest amount of money, biggest pain in the ass. (freaking amazing).