As much as some of us may dread it, buying a phone through your carrier is often the easiest — and cheapest — method. Between special offers, monthly payments, and upgrade plans, picking your device out with a mobile network can be pretty enticing. Unlike its competitors, T-Mobile has kept its online and retail stores separate, but that's finally changing.

As announced on Reddit, T-Mobile customers will soon gain access to in-store pickup, returns, and trade-ins when buying online (via XDA Developers). It's something Verizon and AT&T have long offered with their own brick and mortar stores, so it's unsurprising to see the "Uncarrier" expand its offerings as well.

Store pickup and in-store returns sound pretty straightforward. If you order a new smartphone online, you can opt to head to a local T-Mobile location to pick it up, rather than having to wait by the door patiently for an eventual arrival. In-store returns will allow online customers to bring in unwanted devices within the standard 14-day window without shipping them by mail.

Trade-ins are the big new addition, though. Once live, you can order your new phone, get it in your hands, then drop off your old device at a physical location. If you've ever had a package lost in the mail, you know how relieving it can be to physically hand in a trade-in, ensuring you'll get your credit without waiting in uncertainty for weeks.

As promising as it may sound for current T-Mobile customers, it sounds like employees aren't satisfied. The announcement thread on Reddit is filled with workers frustrated about the move, citing store wait times as long as two hours without the added influx of online shoppers. Commission also seems to be a point of contention, as employees will be faced with sending a frustrated shopper out the door with their phone still in the box or spending time setting up a phone with a buyer who isn't earning them any sales.

Still, from a consumer's point of view, making it easier to buy and trade-in devices is a huge benefit. Let's just hope T-Mobile does its best to ensure employees aren't overworked or under-compensated.