Cricket ripoff- customer service-phones USA OK,Corporate Office

Reason I went with Cricket since Feb. 19, 2001 are as followed:

A second phone for my children to be able to contact me in which my main cellular would eat up;
Giving a new company a chance;
Unlimited time for surrounding area.

Not until recently I can see way Cricket isn't up to pare in their Customer Service Department. To the rep's writing into Rip-off Report, I'm in your home territory it's a shame that you are being paid for a job that you are not qualified to handle, that you were hired for, since you have the free time to go on-line to make your heart warming plea for the same business that hired you. When you as the rep. could be actually be on the phone helping your clients.

As to the Rep's stating their grounds, not all of your clients have bad credit, late bill pay that they came to Cricket in the first place, it's sometimes a second cellular line without all the airtime you pay with a main cellular. Local free calling, just recently long distance with a mandatory auto bill.

For not paying your bills on time:

Paper Bill - First Cricket had the paper bill was fine, trouble with that is if you needed to talk to a CSR in regards to added charges you couldn't get through the revolving automatic system to talk to a CSR. To question the extra charges that you didn't sign up for;
Paperless Bill Great if all clients had access to the Internet, if not you are charged a fee. Crucify the non- Internet customer;
Online Billing Great technology;

As a business owner the CSR with Cricket is horrible, the phones do not last where you are constantly have to replace.

Regardless of the fact you can't talk to a CSR with Cricket is a headache within it's self. Since May, of 2004 I have the following problems:

1.Calling into Cricket to make a payment, going through the automatic system to only be told that It wasn't able to get that information, please call back at a latter time;
2.Cricket thinking that clients have the time to keep calling back to get the payment paid, to keep getting the same recording;
3.Putting your private information in to make a payment, the one you have always used to hear from the automatic system The information you placed in isn't in our records;
4.Going through every prompt to talk to a CSR and getting nowhere;
5.Being charge a $15.00 fee when your phone hasn't been shut off, regardless of the fact you have been trying not once, twice or three times to make your payment;
6.Finally getting to a CSR that isn't in the billing department, you use your home phone to call in to act like you are activating a new phone, in hopes to get a real CSR. But that has changed its automatic, good luck in getting a CSR.
7.Once you get a CSR, being told that they will credit your account of the $15.00, to being lied to.

Recently the experience I have had with Cricket:

On-line billing
July 2004
Went on-line to pay my bill, the bill showed a complete dollar amount lower than usual. Tried calling into Cricket to found out the reason, guess what no response, even e-mailed Cricket still waiting for that response. So I went ahead paid the amount shown on bill.

August 2004
Went on-line two days 8-16-04 before bill date 8-19-04; to my amusement the bill was doubled. So I tried calling in, went through the usual automatic system to nowhere;
August 16, 2004
Sent an e-mail questioning the amount to get the famous return e-mail:Thank you for contacting Cricket's Customer Relations department.We have received your email and the next available Customer Relations staff member will respond to your inquiry within the next 72 'business' hours.For immediate assistance, you may contact our Customer Service department at 1(800) XXXXXXX or by visiting a Cricket retail location near you.

August 19, 2004
After waiting for a period of time 8-19-04 without any response, I resent another E-mail to get the famous response again:
Thank you for contacting Cricket's Customer Relations department.
We have received your email and the next available Customer Relations staff member will respond to your inquiry within the next 72 'business' hours.For immediate assistance, you may contact our Customer Service department at 1(800) XXXXXXX or by visiting a Cricket retail location near you.

August 23, 2004

To the CSR's the phone was shutoff, without even one real response. My Monday I lost $1500.00 due to Cricket and their unprofessional.

From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. the following occurred; After making over 100 calls to the famous 1-800- XXXXXXX, going through every prompt, being told that your phone has been suspended, not able to talk to a real CSR. Going on line through the famous Cricket web site going through every bill, trying to figure out their billing system, e-mailing, locating Cricket stores at 21st and 71st in Tulsa, OK calling them to get a recording Please leave a name, number a brief description a CSR will get back to you within two days. Guess what this is September 4, 2004 still no phone call.

The best is to come, read on: After no response decided to pay the bill to get the following; First by phone Where sorry Cricket can't take your payment at this time, please contact XXXXXXX, a company that takes care of return checks. In which I was shocked, so taking more time out of my day I contact this company to find out what the situation is, here's the best part. The CSR at this company rattles off this SS number that isn't even close to mine, but that is the information they have received from Cricket, with my correct SS number they have nothing, zippo.

So after some decision time I went back online to make a payment, yes you got it received the same information as above. So then I have one of my employee's place there information in to make the payment, they received the same information, they called the same company that I was prompted to find out the same information. So then went back to the phones, recalling the 21st and 71st stores in Tulsa, Ok to get the previous information. Calling the famous 800-XXXXXXX to make a payment via Credit Card to get the following Where sorry Cricket isn't able to take your payment at this time, not the information we have on file funny the same Credit Card I have used in the past. So called back again to use a different Credit Card that I hadn't used with Cricket, after 5 attempts, 5 we are not able to take your payment, it finally took the payment.

To my surprise I receive the following e-mail: I apologize for the inconveniences that you have experienced. Upon reviewing your account, I have found that a customer relation's representative was able to assist you with explaining your bill. If this is not correct, please reply to this email. If you have any further questions, please visit our website: Cricket Customer Relations Dept. Corporate Office.
I hadn't even talked to anyone, but amazing they responded right after I made a payment.

September 3, 2004

I usually do not turn my phone off, but this is the third time it has happened, in the past I usually just went out a bought a new phone, possibly not this time since in the past they recharge you to reactivate a phone with the same phone. The situation is that for sum unknown reason it just stops powering up, even when you don't turn it off. Since there is far from few authorized dealers in Tulsa, OK since quite a few are getting away from handling Cricket due to CSR, and their phones. I located a in the yellow pages a company with a Cricket logo. After calling the company speaking to a CSR to be told the following:
1.It will cost $15.00 to clean the phone;
2.It will cost $150.00 to hopefully power up your phone, to get your information out of it, such as phone numbers.
3.You might think about going over to a different cellular company, being told that Cricket CSR is horrible.
Coming from a company with the Cricket logo, how amusing that the famous $15.00 charge doesn't go away.

Julie
Tulsa, Oklahoma
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Cricket