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Gen Mobile is one of the prepaid carriers with super-cheap phones, some smartphones costing as low as $60. The carrier even has a free phone program that includes a smartphone for eligible consumers. But for now, I’m just going to cover the steps on how to apply Gen Mobile replacement phone if your previous one has issues.
Not that replacing a phone with any carrier is usually a big deal. However, you must do it right if the process is to be successful. A simple mess-up could result in Gen Mobile refusing to release your replacement. Then, you’ll have to purchase a new one from your pocket.
The 5 Situations You May Need to Get Gen Mobile Replacement Phone
Before all else, a Gen Mobile replacement phone is the phone you get to replace your previous One. The reasons you may be replacing your previous phone include but not limited to:
· Replace a lost/ stolen phone
The first reason you may be looking for a Gen mobile replacement phone is after you lose the previous one. “Lose” in this case can be either you misplaced the previous device or dropped it somewhere. It could also be some thief stole the phone from your pocket or even snatched it off your hand.
Irrespective of how you lost the phone, Gen Mobile is not very gentle about replacing your phone in this case. Be ready to pay a minimum replacement fee.
· Replace a malfunctioned phone:
The second time you may need a Gen Mobile replacement phone is if the old device malfunctioned. Gen Mobile is rather gentle on this case and you may receive the replacement free of charge.
However, the phone malfunction must be a genuine manufacturer defect that it came with. Some of the malfunctions include the phone freezing, failure to power on, can’t make calls, or inability to get a signal.
· Replace an incompatible phone:
The third time you can replace a phone is when the previous device is not compatible. Incompatibility is like when the Carrier Networks of Gen Mobile, AT&T and T-Mobile, retired the 3G network in 2022. So, all the users that were using the older phones had to get newer devices compatible with 5G, 4G LTE, or both.
I’m sure you also know Gen Mobile doesn’t utilize its two carrier networks at the same time. If you decide to switch from Gen Mobile (T-Mobile) to Gen Mobile (AT&T), there’s a chance your old phone may not accept the new SIM. AT&T and T-Mobile have different network requirements, something that also affects their sub-carriers.
· Replace a phone with physical damages
Another reason you may need to replace your Gen Mobile phone is when the old device has physical damage. Some of the physical damages include a broken screen, swollen battery, fried or water-logged motherboard, et cetera.
Sadly, carriers are usually not friendly in replacing phones you have personally damaged, and Gen Mobile is no different. You should be ready to pay a minimum replacement fee.
· Replace a phone with outdated features
Last but not least, you may need a Gen Mobile replacement phone if the previous device is too old and outdated. In other words, you’re getting a replacement phone to enhance your user experience and make the most of your service.
For instance, you may need a new phone with 5G capability, eSIM, a more powerful processor, larger internal memory, or a wider screen. Some people even replace their phones just to switch the operating system- like moving from Android to iOS or vice versa.
How to Get a Gen Mobile Replacement Phone
There are three ways you can get a Gen Mobile replacement phone. They include:
Approach 1: Get a Free Gen Mobile Replacement Phone
As the title, this approach is where you get your Gen Mobile replacement phone at no cost. But for the carrier to be that generous, you must adhere to the necessary phone replacement policies.
For example, the Gen Mobile phone warranty policy provides that you have only a 30-day limited warranty since delivery. In that 30-day warranty window, you can return your phone with “out-of-box defects” for a free exchange or repair.
If by chance you purchased your phone from an authorized partner of Gen Mobile, the warranty policy is only 15 days. It also covers only the “out-of-box” defects. Thus, it won’t apply after physical damage or malfunctions that occur from your misuse.
I know what you’re now thinking. “ I can lie to Gen Mobile that my phone didn’t power on right out of the box. They won’t know I dropped the phone in the water.”
Well, you can’t fool Gen Mobile on this. Before they can approve your free phone replacement, they will inspect the device with issues extensively. It’s only when your device passes the necessary warranty requirements they start to process the replacement.
If the supposedly defective phone has tiny damage as scrapped off IMEI, Gen Mobile won’t replace it for free.
How to Apply for a free Gen Mobile replacement phone
If positive the defect on your Gen Mobile phone came with it, you can apply for a free replacement quite easily. I mean, you only need to:
- Confirm again the old device is eligible for the free replacement phone. That means it’s within the 30-day or 15-day return window and fulfills all the other requirements
- Gather everything you need to process the Gen Mobile phone replacement. The various things you need include your Gen Mobile phone order number, IMEI number (not asked always), plus your active phone number.
- Get a working phone (on Gen Mobile or any other carrier) and call Gen Mobile customer support at (833) 528-1380. Once you get hold of an agent who can help, request a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) ticket. The agent helping you will request the details in Step 2 to proceed.
- After verifying your information, the Gen Mobile customer rep will provide an RMA number for the defective device. She will also provide the instructions you should follow to return the device with problems.
- Print a hard copy of the RMA number received in Step 4, as you’ll need to attach it to the shipping box of your return.
- Now, get the defective Gen Mobile phone and prep it for return. The “prepping” includes deactivating your Apple or Google Accounts, removing your security PIN/ password, and deleting your other personal information. The idea here is to leave the device as new, thereby you can factory reset (erase all the data) if possible.
- Once the defective Gen Mobile phone is clean, turn it off and place it in the original packaging it came in. If you don’t have the original box, wrap it nicely with a bubble wrapper. Make sure to also include all the other accessories that came with the device, such as charger and case cover.
- Next, place your packaged defective phone in a shipping box. Then, attach the RMA number you printed in Step 5.
- Finally, take your parcel to the mail office (or arrange with them for pickup) for shipping. The Gen Mobile return address to use is the one you received in Step 3 alongside the RMA number. If you forgot to ask customer care, the return address the last time I checked was “Gen Mobile, c/o RMA Team, P.O. Box 1187, Gardena, CA 90249”.
Approach 2: Get a Gen Mobile Replacement Phone for a Fee
If ineligible for the free Gen Mobile replacement phone, you’ll have to pay for it. I have been going through the company terms and conditions, and there’s no mention of a standard phone replacement fee.
So, when you apply to replace your Gen Mobile phone this way, you’ll have to pay the regular price attached to the phone.
Like I said in the beginning, Gen Mobile sells super-cheap phones, with Motorola smartphones from as low as sixty bucks. The high-end Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones are the only ones you’ll find a bit pricey.
To purchase a phone, just visit the Gen Mobile retail collection online. Then, select your desired device from the featured catalog and “add to cart”.
When you check out the order, the next thing is to fill in your details for delivery- name, address, ZIP code, and phone. Then, choose a preferred payment method: with a Credit Card or PayPal.
Approach 3: Bring Your Own Gen Mobile Replacement Phone
Gen Mobile has a friendly bring your phone (BYOP) program. So, the other way you can replace your lost, stolen, or damaged device will be to take advantage of this (BYOP) program.
It’s the overall best of the three approaches, as here you get to use the phone you like. All you have to do is ensure the phone is compatible with the Gen Mobile SIM card on both the network and software level.
For the network compatibility part, the phone you bring to Gen Mobile MUST have the cellular bands of your GSM SIM card. See below.
Network | Primary Frequencies | Secondary Frequencies | Low-Band 5G Frequencies | High-Band 5G Frequencies |
Gen Mobile on AT&T | 12* & 17* | 2, 4, 5, 29, 30, & 66 | N2, N5, & N66 | N77 (C-Band), |
Gen Mobile on T-Mobile | 4*, 12*, & 71* | 2, 5, & 66 | N71 | N41, N258, N260, & N261 |
As for the software compatibility, it means the phone you bring to replace your old Gen Mobile device should be unlocked. If you insert the Gen Mobile SIM card in a carrier-locked phone, it won’t work. All you get is a “SIM Invalid” error.
In Conclusion:
Whether it’s lost or damaged, that’s how you can get a Gen Mobile replacement phone. And when looking to get a free replacement phone, we’ve seen your previous device must be within the warranty protection.
Gen Mobile currently only has a catalog of certified refurbished phones. So, the warranty window is a pretty short one of up to 30 days. The window is still enough to inspect your purchased headset for damages, though.
When you replace your old phone, do remember Gen Mobile will send you a device like the faulty one. If that same one is unavailable, it’s only when you get an alternative model, albeit with similar specs.