Cricket Communications Free Phone Scam! Rip-off! Spokane Washington

I started using cricket phone service as an alternative to boost mobile after getting lousy customer service and fraudulent charges, and now I'm going to cancel this service as well. After about eight months into the service I was on as a pay-as-you-go plan and went to pay my bill online because there is no extra charge and found out that I had a balance of $102.50. I called up the local store to only have a very young female try to talk over me and bully me into what I didn't want and when she saw that she couldn't do anything more she simply told me to call 661 cricket from my phone and hung up in my face. I did what she said and then was briefed by another guy who kept saying that I added all of these ringback tones and extra multimedia features, and then when I told him I didn't he switched the story and said he took off the charges and I checked the website and it was at $92.50, and then he switched it yet again and said it was because of a phone number change that I had in October and I checked to see that the bill was now $52.50. I finally asked to speak to a supervisor and was on hold for 10 minutes. He came back and told me that the supervisor was unavailable. I gave him an ultimatum that I was going to cancel my service if he didn't take those false charges off my bill, he transferred my call to a department that deals with canceled services. I told this new person what was going on and said I would like to cancel my service. He listened and became this wonderful non-aggressive person whom was completely apologetic and stated that something was wrong with the system, and that he would take the charge off immediately. I told him that I didn't feel comfortable with the service if he could change the plan that easily over his computer and he said that no one can access my account except me? I decided to go to the cricket store to take care of this in person, but before I got that chance, a friend called me up and I was in the middle of the call and it got cut off multiple times. Then I developed a ringing in my left ear, and I think that it's from that crappy cellphone. I plan to cancel my cellphone service and stop using cheap, outsourced communication. It's no wonder it's such lousy service. Why would we ship our valuable information overseas and risk our freedom for people who hate our guts? That in my opinion is a big mistake.

Well, to be honest, Cricket's rebates aren't too stiff. One thing you must remember is that Cricket does NOT make you sign a contract. The longest period of time for a rebate is 3 months of ON-TIME payments, or 45 days of active service (again, meaning ON-TIME payments, no changes to the account).

Reaching a live person through the automated system (we call it the "IVR" for short) has become easier in recent months. Many of the menus have been shortened. To check out a list of the options available on the IVR go to this website: https://www.mycricket.com/AutoVMInstructions_popup.aspx

That site gives you all the options available to you on the IVR. The easiest way is thru billing (option 2, option 4, cash payment option), or thru tech support (option 3, option 1 until you get to a person).

As for dropped calls, for the last few months, we've begun to test out some new features on our network for the upcoming months. Be on the lookout for new rate plans and services in the next couple of months. Also, check out the new $40 unlimited long-distance offer we have (usually $54.99)!! To add voicemail, text messaging, Caller ID and Call waiting is only $5 more!! That's the SAME price as our Cricket +2 w/ 600 minutes of long distance!!

I'm sorry that you had trouble with the 911 service. As far as I know, we don't have Location Based Services enabled on our network yet. To try and check, make sure your phone is set to "Location On" in your Network settings.

If you've had service for a while, I recommend going to only Retail Cricket Stores (commonly said "full service Cricket store"). They can check your account and see if you're eligible for a phone upgrade. For 1+ year of service, it's $50 off any brand new phone. For 2+ years of service, it's $100 off any brand new phone.

As for the $15 charge to change your rate plan, you must remember, there are NO contracts. We don't make you stay on the rate plan you have when you first sign up. You can change at anytime and stay on that plan you switch to as long as you want. And as always, you have UNLIMITED local calling, which other wireless carriers don't have. Have you ever had to count your minute usage?

As for the $15 reprogramming/ESN change fee (switching service to a different phone), it's a *standard* fee that other wireless carriers have as well. I have Verizon wireless, and it's on their list of fees (my wife and I roam too much to have Cricket's service, and we only call our parents and each other).

I just want to say I have been a Cricket customer for several years now, and have purchased several phones over the years of on and off service with Cricket.

Cricket has stiff requirements in order to complete a rebate request, but I personally have NEVER encountered a problem receiving a rebate after following the directions EXACTLY.

I agree that trying to reach a live person on the line when using the (611) feature has became harder and harder over the years, and I find that I do have more dropped calls with their service than I've had with other wireless carriers, but for the price that I pay for the plan that I have, I cannot complain TOO much.

I will say that even when I have been out of my service area, I have personally had to use 911 and was tapped directly into 911 to get the help that I needed. I just wish they could have located me through my phone as I was stranded along a highway and had a difficult time giving them my exact location.

Overall, my experience with Cricket has been ok for the most part. They could also stand to do away with the 15.00 charge anytime you make a change to your service especially after paying 230.00 for a better phone from them, then having to pay 15.00 to switch service over to the new phone. Surely they should cut you a break when you upgrade your phone as it shows intent to continue service with them.

Hope this helps!!!

Please give some more information. It would be helpful to include the due date of your bill, as well as the payments you made and when they were made and *posted* to your account. Then, if those are fine, call 1-866-326-6178 and ask to speak to a Supervisor concerning the issue. It wouldn't hurt to call 1-800-CRICKET (or 611 from your Cricket phone) and ask for your problem to be escalated thru our internal escalation process.

Sorry for all the trouble. Believe me, the rebares ARE real.

I payed actually days to weeks before it was dued! for almost 5 months now and have not gotten any REBATE! I sent in two forms, the first one before the expiration date for the rebate, and i called cricket and they said they never recieved it so they told me i could send in another one even though the expiration date pass since I did did everything correctly, its Cricket's FAULT! IT IS CRICKETS FAULT!

First of all, I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. Now, let's begin addressing some of the issues regarding the rebate.

First things first, you said that you purchased phones at Cricket "dealers", NOT our Retail store. Whenever you purchase a phone at an "Authorized Dealer", they may or may not know about our service or terms and conditions...they're ONLY authorized to SELL a phone to you. They can't fix ANY issues about your service or billing, and *especially* the rebate.

Second, you said that our service sucks. If you check out ANY cell phone company's terms and conditions of service, you will see that ALL companies DO NOT guarantee 100% service in ALL areas of the calling area. If your calls drop, it's NORMAL. I could understand if you were NEVER able to make a call, but you definitely able to. ANY wireless carrier you have will have "call drops", *especially* during peak call times of the day (usually between 7am and 9pm....that's why they only typically give you LIMITED "anytime" minutes in any given month during a restricted time frame).

Thirdly, you said that people call you asking for someone else....that's ALSO NORMAL. I don't care WHO you use as a telephone provider and whether they are cellular/mobile or landline, it will ALWAYS happen since numbers are frequently recycled. Typically, the "pool" of numbers will not usually give out a "recycled" number for at least 3-6 months. If you have frequent problems with this, you can request to have your number changed due to harrassing calls and we can waive the $15 fee to change it. *BUT* remember that: 1) numbers are usually recycled, and 2) we CANNOT guarantee that you'll get a "new" number that has never been used before.

I agree, sometimes Cricket has been reluctant to give rebates, *BUT* it's usually NOT Cricket's fault. Whenever the terms and conditions of the rebate are NOT followed, your eligibiliy for the rebate becomes null and void. Typically, all that Cricket asks for is that you pay for your first 3 bills ON TIME.

First of all I have had Cricket sevice since the day they opened in spokane and never have I ever had a problem with them. Neither has my mother sister father aunt uncle cousins or any of my friends who all got service around the same time as me. You never stated whether you actually went to the Cricket Store or not. However if you didn't the problem is yours not Crickets. Every single rebate requires the box not as prove of use or current possestion but because with the code on the box they can determine the date of purchase (not activation, purchase)of the phone.

Now for the no customer service number. every new phone comes with the number preprogrammed into it (duh 611) it is the same as most other customer service shortcuts for cell phones. If you erased it, again your prob not Crickets. Also open up Qwest dex. Look under Cricket Communications in the white pages. Not only does it list two Cricket stores (don't call them - they never answer) but it lists two (count them two) 1800 #'s for customer service. Is there hold time a pain? yes. Is it worth it? You better believe it! I have a hard time believing you never called them since in order to set up automatic bill payment you have to call (you can't do it online, sweetie)

Anyways - if you don't like it cancel your service you're no longer in a contract - you got a mailing about it - everyone did. So you wont have to pay. And about the phone number. It's random everyone's is. Please stop complaining. It's annoying.

Every Mail in Rebate that I have seen, requires you to send in the UPC, copy of reciept, etc. Not just Cricket.

And as being on a contract, as of March 2004 Cricket no longer requires anyone to be on a contract. So If you WERE on one, then you were removed. Just to let you know.

Have a good day.