T-Mobile apologizes for losing your Sidekick data: Will $100 help?
Filed under: Technology
With cell phones doing more and more, the data stored on them becomes increasingly important. Even though phones have evolved to hold much more than phone numbers, not many people have a backup plan for the text messages, pictures and notes which now all sit on their phones. Users of the T-Mobile Sidekick found out just how much of a pain it can be when there is a failure in the system this past weekend, after an issue at Microsoft caused data to be permanently lost.
While Microsoft, who owns the company who that makes the Sidekick, and T-Mobile continue to work on recovering this important information they are reaching out to users to make up for sending their data to Valhalla.
Users who lost data permanently in the weekend data debacle have already received a month's worth of free data storage from Microsoft, and now T-Mobile has announced that it will give a $100 gift card for use on any T-Mobile transaction. Much like a lollipop given to a 3-year-old who has lost a favorite toy, the balm is hastily arranged: The gift certificates will be coming within 14 days to affected subscribers. This is all in addition to the already -announced option to cancel their contract with T-Mobile without any fees.
There's no excuse for a company to lose data in this magnitude but users should take steps to back up their data, even if your cell phone provider says you don't need to.
The biggest losses here aren't address books but pictures. Because of the way the sidekick works, data, like pictures aren't stored locally the same way they are on an iPhone or a BlackBerry, which means when Microsoft screwed, up millions of pictures went poof.
If you weren't affected by this issue, take a second and breathe a sigh of relief, and then take a few minutes to back up the important data on your cell phone. Copy your pictures to your computer so they can be backed up with the rest of your files and find out how to back up your phone book so you don't get hurt next time.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-13-2009 @ 9:55PM
Max said...
This is not the first time that T-Mobile had this problem. Microsoft and T-Mobile knew of the problem when the Sidekick was introduced to the market, but decided not to inform the comsumer of the glitch for obvious reasons.
In the past, the sidekick did recover lost information after turning off the phone and back on again, then waiting about 20 minutes or so. However, this time around, T-Mobile and Microsoft have really screwed up and now are in panic mode to correct the problem.
Now, if they had of address the problem from the start, instead of worrying about sells and or keeping up with the Jone's, maybe they wouldn't have this problem.
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10-13-2009 @ 9:55PM
samda sham said...
it wasn't a tmobile issue. it was a microsoft/danger issue. Do your research before mouthn off
10-13-2009 @ 9:55PM
kelly said...
yeah i got screwed.
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10-13-2009 @ 10:02PM
stephanie said...
How can anybody think for one second that photos are the biggest loss??!!! Are you kidding me the camera on the sidekick took the crappiest pics ever. For sure, the address book, notes, and calender were by far the most important. I had over 624 contacts, phone numbers, email address, passwords to accounts, client numbers..WTF! I am beside myself, this loss is horrific, I can't contact anyone, I'm missing appointments, my clients will be giving their business to those who can call them. $100. means nothing to me. I want my contacts back!!!!!!!! I can live without the pics which were stored on my memory card, I can even deal without my calender, my notes where invaluable. What a lesson I learned....Maybe microsoft and t-mobile should trying freakin harder to figure out what the hell happened and restore my info!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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10-13-2009 @ 11:08PM
lori said...
T mobile helped me to fix an error on a blackberry pearl, third phone by the way they all keep failing,. problem was they could not reload the operating system i am in the same boat no phone and they didnt offer me anything.. I am in limbo as well, taught me to go to paper and back up good luck...take a deep breath and look through all you old files you may have more numbers then you thought...
10-14-2009 @ 9:34AM
HOLLY said...
I agree.. can anyone say class action lawsuit?
10-14-2009 @ 9:34AM
Pam said...
So, after I cancel my contract, T-Mobile will send me a $100 gift card towards any T-Mobile transaction........??? So, I'll have no pictures, no data, no calendar and an absolutely worthless gift card. Sounds like a deal.
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10-14-2009 @ 9:35AM
Holly said...
I think a newest data phone available similar to the iphone should be offered as the LEAST option... without having to renew a contract for 2 years. Then, I MIGHT consider keeping t-mobile...
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10-14-2009 @ 9:35AM
Taylor said...
Thank goodness I got rid of my sidekick when I did!! Ive been with T-Mobile for years and went through about 3 of their sidekicks. The last one being the sidekick 2009 that I got when it first came out, which I shortly got rid of about 4 months later when it broke! Every sidekick I had it never failed something always was wrong they never completely worked right no matter which version you had. Luckily I dont have one anymore. From there I then went to a blackberry and now have the my touch which might I add is probably my favorite and one of the very best phones Ive had from t-mobile. I almost switched providers to get the iphone or some of the nice phones from verizon until I got the my touch, its a great phone and one of the very few from t-mobile. Im totally with everyone on the $100 credit at tmobile though, I mean honestly who wants to spend $100 at a place most people are fuming with right now? I dont think I would! Yes although its mainly microsofts/dangers fault for the lost data t-mobile sells the phone so they are at fault to. Good luck to everyone who lost data hopefully they can get it back for you guys!
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10-14-2009 @ 9:36AM
laurel said...
I had T-Mobile for less than a year bcuz their service sucks. I couldn't even get service at my own house which they said had coverage. I had to walk out of my house and stand at the street if someone called while I was home. T-Mobile blows and I will never use them again. Hey T-Mobile CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW???
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10-14-2009 @ 9:36AM
Bway84 said...
I am definitely switching to AT&T. I hope I can use the $100 giftcard to cancel my contract with T-Mobile and then dispute it. This was the worst thing that ever happened to my phone! I've also been having other problems with the sidekick and Tmobile, so I don't plan to stay on their contract very much longer.
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10-14-2009 @ 9:36AM
George said...
I use a windows mobile device on tmobile. About once a year or two my cell phone crashes and loses its data. Its a fact of life that no matter what system you have, if you dont backup you risk losing data. I lost a weeks worth of appointments recently also because *I* failed to do a recent back up. I blame no one else except myself. I think its unfair of everyone to blame tmobile for their errors of not backing up.
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10-14-2009 @ 5:28AM
George said...
I use a windows mobile device on tmobile. About once a year or two my cell phone crashes and loses its data. Its a fact of life that no matter what system you have, if you dont backup you risk losing data. I lost a weeks worth of appointments recently also because *I* failed to do a recent back up. I blame no one else except myself. I think its unfair of everyone to blame tmobile for their errors of not backing up.
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