Earlier today, AT&T announced a new promotion that targets T-Mobile customers with a credit of up to $450: A $200 Switcher Bill Credit as well as a second credit of up to $250 for trading in an eligible smartphone. Many folks were wondering how outspoken T-Mobile CEO John Legere would respond to AT&T's offer, and now we know the answer.
Legere today took to Twitter to call out AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, saying things like "you gave us cash & spectrum AND we took your customers with #Uncarrier moves, do you really think you can buy them back?" The T-Mobile CEO also issued an official statement in response to AT&T's switcher offer, calling it a "desperate move" and going on to tease T-Mobile's Uncarrier 4.0 announcement that's slated for next week. Legere's full statement is as follows:
"This is a desperate move by AT&T on the heels of what must have been a terrible Q4 and holiday for them. I'm flattered that we have made them so uncomfortable! We used AT&T's cash to build a far superior network and added Un-carrier moves to take tons of their customers - and now they want to bribe them back! Consumers won't be fooled...nothing has changed; customers will still feel the same old pain that AT&T is famous for. Just wait until CES to hear what pain points we are eliminating next. The competition is going to be toast!"
This isn't the first time that Legere has called out AT&T and its CEO, and considering how unreserved the exec has been in the past, it's no surprise to see him going after his rival again after its decision to preempt T-Mobile's Uncarrier 4.0 news with its own announcement. I'm sure that we'll hear more at T-Mobile's event on Jan. 8 along with the unveiling of the fourth phase of Magenta's Uncarrier plan.
Exactly what T-Mobile's Uncarrier 4.0 plan will be is still unknown, but the rumor mill has suggested that T-Mobile may offer to pay the Early Termination Fees of customers that switch to it from another operator. That certainly sounds like a big move in the same vein as T-Mo's past Uncarrier announcements, but we'll have to wait a few more days before we know if its the real deal and if so, what the fine print is.
Via @JohnLegere, T-Mobile
