Goodbye Cricket
Written: Sep 25 '03
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Pros: Unlimited Local calls, no contract.
Cons: Droped calls, Lousey long distance options, not enough staff.
The Bottom Line: Customer service leaves much to be desired, horrible reception problems that seem to be getting worse with time.
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| dynamicfigure's Full Review: General Reviews of Cricket Communications Wireless... |
I have had this plan in use in Spokane, WA for almost a year now and as I am in the quest to find a better provider I thought I would sum up my experiences for other unwary users. When I first got this service I thought it was the greatest thing on the planet. Free unlimited calls, voice mail and 500 min. of long distance for what wound up being like 48.00/mo (I know it is advertised at 39.99, but when you set up service they add in taxes and surcharges, etc...)
At first I used it to place local calls only and had really good results. The calls sound a bit hollow, but hey it's a cell phone right. As I drove around town I noticed a few areas where coverage dropped, but if you live in the Spokane, CDA metro area it is still pretty good even across the state border. Then I started using the phone for long distance calls... At first I was puzzled why many of the folks I talked to did not seem to hear what I was saying. Then, gradually, I connected the dots. I started looking at the signal strength meter on my Motorola v120 and only trying to call long distance when it was at full signal strength. Still every 3-4 calls would be crummy (full of gaps, hiccups, and hiss) and it has only gotten worse over time. Now every 2 calls are so bad that the party on the other end of the line can hardly hear me. One in 5 long distance calls out are simply dropped and need to be rediled and reception is so bad that if I get through it is a miracle if someone hears me! Also, local calls have started to suffer as well. Now one in 5 local calls here in the calling area has noticeable reception problems and some are down right horrible. I do not know if this is because of to many users on the system, or the fact that the company has filed bankruptcy recently, or the fact that they laid off so many people from their technical and support center here in town (which was supposed to be the "Regional Headquarters" for the firm). If the reception and service is so bad in a town that is supposed to be a Regional HQ, I can only imagine what it is in other areas.
As for the service, my only experience with it is using the "Cricket store" on Division, and setting things up over the 800 number. Initially, I did have to call in two or three times to get everything up and running for the phone I bought at Costco but that seemed to go relatively easy. Since then when I call customer service the phone menus and system is so cryptic, and hard to get a real person with that I have given up on trying to use it. For that reason I have went to the Cricket store to do a few things (mainly pay a bill that is coming due, or ask questions). When I go to the Cricket store (mind you this is their cash payment, Cricket only, company storefront) there are NEVER enough service reps to help the long line of people waiting. Last time I was there the line got to over 15 people long and the wait for a single person to be talked to was something like 30 min. My pervious experiences were very similar. Trust me if you ever need to go someplace and see a bunch of people with scowling faces, attitudes, and disgruntled looks on their faces, just go down to your local Cricket store and you can get more than enough of a fix.
I am now trying to find a carrier that I can pick up my phone with confidence that it will be make a reasonably clear connection most of the time, and one that at least can afford to hire enough people to keep it's network and service centers maintained. I do like the idea behind what Cricket is trying to do, but things only seem to be going downhill, and downhill fast from my experience year or so of experience with them.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 48/mo.
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Epinions.com ID:
dynamicfigure
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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