I have been with Cricket for almost 5 years. I don't leave the local coverage area very much, and until recently felt the issues with Cricket were worth dealing with. At this point I have had about all I can take.
It started with my initial purchase of a Cricket phone and sending in the original reciept. Of course the rebate company says they don't recieve it, and of course they will not give the rebate without the original reciept, so we go round and round and eventually, I end up with nothing!
About a year ago my phone got stolen (and some one was making some pretty wild calls to my business and personal contacts in the phone, bummer and embarrasing for me). When I discovered this early Sunday I called in to my phone isurance carrier, and of course they were unavailable as they do not work on Sundays
I called Cricket, got through to a live person after about 30 minutes and disconnected the pone. I asked about the phone replacement and was told that I could get a free upgrade once a year (I wish I would have known that as I wear mine out about once a year). Also I would need to get a police report, blood samples, swear an affidavid, and still enjoy an 80 dollar deductable to recieve what would have probably been a refurbished phone.
I could not wait until monday after the insurance company proceesed the phone claim, then issued an authorization for me to go stand in line for an hour to get a replacement. 5 dollars a month X 12 months, you do the math, I had just wasted alot of money for more crappy service! For years!
I went to Wal-mart and spent 125 dollars on a phone that Cricket was charging more for, activated it over the phone (this time a relatively short wait to get through the crappy looped automated phone system to someone who could help me program it, I was delightfully amazed!)
This last weekend is the straw that broke the camels back. Mid January I purchased a phone and added my son on to my account. Our deal was good grades and improved performance with chores, he gets a phone.
The $30 dollar phone was $40 at the store. The $25 a month plan ended the day before I showed up (then why was it still being advertised?). But I had made a deal with my son, the first month was free, and he wanted a phone so I swallowed and paid for the phone, the prorated balance for January and activated his phone.
March came and he (of course!) didn't live up to his end of the deal. Saturday, on the way to goof off with my son I explained the situation, he reluctantly agreed he didn't keep his end of the bargain and I got to spend another 45 plus minutes on the phone IDing my self with name DOB, SS#, address etc and then being told that I would need to speak to someone who could help me, again, and again, and again. (really, try the 800 number listed above, unless you are wanting to buy something you will be on the phone for ever!) Finally I got through to someone who said they could suspend my sons number at no cost for 30 days (My son and I had agreed he needed to show marked improvement to get the phone back, 30 days should do the trick).
A few hours later I tried to call out on my phone and they had suspended MY phone NOT my son's. So I get to call again, this time on my sons phone with a dying battery, go through the same delightful automated phone sytem, get to ID my self again, and again, get put back into the automated phone system again and again until at last someone says they can help me. Amazing, the overseas call center had it that my phone was lost or stolen.
At last, my sons phone is suspended. I can call out on mine.
And as I find out sunday, that is all I can do. I cannot recieve calls. So I call in again to the fine automated phone system, and this time I cannot get ANYBODY. Of course the sytem itself assures me that it is designed to help me, but unless I am buying something chances are I can get nothing.
Monday morning comes and I am in line at 9 o'clock, hoping to get some help. I also need to pay my bill and make sure that my sons free month is credited. I love the lines at Cricket, the can be short and they can be long, but the wait is always long or longer. I only had to wait about 30 minutes that day as I was third in line as the store opened.
The only nice thing about Cricket that day was the service tech at repair. He got on the computer, took my phone out of vacation mode, and off I went, back to work.
Unfortunately the balance due on my account was wrong. I was unable to resolve this online as the web site is about worthless for this. Friday I was back again, in line, this time at the payment desk. Stupidly I had spent some time on the phone trying to get through to ANYONE with billing questions, but was unable to reach a single live person. The payment desk was unable to resolve the issue. I took a mangers card, a Ms. Green and left a message on her mobile (I presume it was a cricket phone? Bummer for her unless it is free). No answer so I left a message on the office phone in the afternoon. Still no reply. Today is Saturday, 3-8-08.
Good luck cricket! I am taking my phone number and going elsewhere. For anybody reading this that has quesions about Cricket, feel free to call me at 423-704-0386. If anybody would like to try the Cricket automated system, (800) 274-2538.
Hollis
harrison, Tennessee
U.S.A.
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