When the going gets tough, who are you gonna call? Dee Snider, from the heavy metal band Twisted Sister, which made the song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” popular in the 1980s.
In the case of T-Mobile, the “un-carrier” tapped Snider to lead a rendition of the song in front of AT&T and Verizon stores in Times Square on Tuesday.
A T-Mobile spokesperson said their permit restricted the number of people they could include in the protest to just 100. The participants were a mix of frontline T-Mobile employees and brand ambassadors.
It dates back to a promise T-Mobile made back in May about holding the two other carriers accountable for price hikes. T-Mobile challenged AT&T and Verizon to adopt a version of T-Mobile’s Price Lock. It also promised to keep their customers in the loop about the situation, and to have “fun along the way” at their expense. So, the rivals were warned.
“To hold AT&T and Verizon accountable for recently raising prices anywhere from $6 to $12 a month for some longtime customers, T-Mobile tapped musician, actor and general badass Dee Snider to help let the Carriers know that the Un-carrier heard their silence loud and clear. And so did consumers, businesses and the wireless industry, and they’re not gonna take it anymore,” the “un-carrier” wrote in a press release Tuesday.
Not stated is that T-Mobile had to freeze rates for three years anyway as part of regulatory obligations tied to its 2020 Sprint takeover. Nor did it mention that T-Mobile raised monthly fees on some older plans by up to 31 cents in February, as Bloomberg reported.
But why let that get in the way of a little fun?
According to T-Mobile, the company periodically reviews "Regulatory Programs and Telco Recovery Fees," which reflect increased costs to T-Mobile over time that are not within its control. "But, importantly, customers on taxes and fees inclusive plans, which were launched in 2017 – most of our customers - don’t see any price increase because the fees are included in the plan price," the spokesperson said.
Snider himself has expressed frustration with AT&T.
“People are clearly fed up with these price hikes, and there’s no better global stage for making a statement than Times Square,” Snider said in the press release. “Raising rates on people isn’t just infuriating, it’s unnecessary – as T-Mobile has proved.”
Verizon’s PR team didn’t let it slide. Earlier on Tuesday, Verizon announced Welcome Unlimited, a plan that costs $30 per line per month with four lines.
“Must be a slow day over at T-Mobile,” a Verizon spokesperson told Fierce. “While they’re busy with silly stunts, we’re working on ways to give people looking to switch to Verizon an even sweeter deal.”
Calling all providers
In its press release, T-Mobile also pointed to price protections by the likes of Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, two MVNOs that use T-Mobile’s network, as well as regional carrier UScellular.
However, T-Mobile said it’s calling for all wireless providers to join this movement. “The Un-carrier wants to transform the wireless industry for the better by asking providers to stop raising rate plan prices for customers, because it’s the right thing to do – especially in these difficult, inflationary times,” it stated.
In the meantime, T-Mobile will be happy to serve anyone who wants to flee AT&T and Verizon. Because, you know, it’s the right thing to do.