So here's where the story ends…at least for the time being.

After the Consumerist was kind enough to air my plight to a larger audience, somebody in their comments mentioned that CompUSA had sold the MDA for the price I wanted: $250.

Of course, I don't know about your experiences with CompUSA, but I hate going in there. It's like a freaking ghost town in there. Trying to find an employee is like a cryptozoological expedition. But, dammit, I wanted the phone. So I was willing to brave the void.

Long story short, I was there on the one day that the one good employee was on hand. She took my information, looked me up in the system that T-Mobile has for them…and somehow, magically, I qualified for the right price. What a difference a day, and someone who gives a damn, makes. And, bonus, I only had to renew for one year instead of two.

So, what have we learned? When you're dealing with an asshole, bypass them if at all possible. And, thanks to the Net, we can share intel and outwit bastardy.

So am I still pissed at T-Mobile? Yeah. Like I said before, now I'm a customer who will be wary of recommending my carrier. And considering the bad press they've gotten, this is hopefully the most expensive $50 they've ever had to deal with.

–Sent from the MDA (and still getting used to the keyboard, so forgive and typos)