Cricket Wireless Broadband Wireless Broadband is WORTHLESS as are the Customer Support Reps and Technical Support Reps Surprise, Arizona
On September 15, 2010 I called Cricket's 877 number that was advertised on a local TV Station. The sales rep was very happy to take my $109 for a month of service ($40), Modem purchase price ($64.99), and taxes. I received the modem on 9/16 via FedEx as promised. I immediately loaded the driver software, and my nightmares began...
The modem/service will NOT load Rich Text, but only HTML. I logged into my Gmail account, and it took 15 MINUTES to load. Then, I tried to open an e-mail which was just a message from a friend, nothing fancy. IT TOOK ANOTHER 7 MINUTES BEFORE I GOT A MESSAGE THAT THERE WAS A 'SERVER ERROR'. I backed out of the e-mail and re-opened the Gmail account. ANOTHER 15 minutes. ANOTHER SERVER ERROR MESSAGE! Just to let you know the offer was to include a full rebate for the purchase price of the modem, but there was NO REBATE INFORMATION in the package!
I attempted to call 1-800-CRICKET for customer support and was in a perpetual loop of automated responses for 20 minutes ON MY CELL PHONE, BURNING UP MINUTES! This went on for 2 DAYS!
Saturday, 9/18, at 11:15 a.m., I went to the Cricket dealer here in Surprise, and he told me he could not help me! I explained what was going on, and I dialed the 800-CRICKET number and demonstrated that I was in a perpetual loop. He tried to call on the DEALER HOTLINE, and got the SAME THING! I called their number on my packing slip (866-384-4425) to get a Return Authorization Number. I got "Lauren" in the Technical Support office. "Lauren" spoke with a VERY thick accent, and I truly believe that I was talking to a call center in India! When I asked for the RMA#, he told me that he could not help me with that and to call back on 866-384-4425. I promptly informed "Lauren" that this was the number that I called when I got to him! (More to follow on this - spoke to a local dealer!).
"Lauren" kept coming on the line apologizing for the long hold time, and that there were no supervisors available to take my call. I WAS ON HOLD FOR 48 MINUTES! I told him that I wanted a supervisor to call me back so that I would not be burning up the minutes on my cell account with Verizon, and he said, "WE ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO CALL YOU BACK. YOU HAVE TO CALL US ANOTHER TIME WHEN WE CAN TALK TO YOU". UNBELIEVABLE! With this, the dealer here in Surprise actually told me to file my complaint with the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU and process my refund claim that way - A DEALER ACTUALLY TOLD ME TO COMPLAIN! DOES THIS TELL YOU SOMETHING?
I left and came home, STILL ON HOLD from Lauren. FINALLY, Lauren came back on the line and told me to take my modem and packing slip to the Cricket store at 5775 West Bell Road in Glendale, AZ and process my refund that way. This store is 20 miles from my house, so I called there and explained what was going on and asked them to call me back.
THE ONLY GOOD THING THAT HAPPENED TODAY was that Jose at this store called me. He listened intently and was APPALLED that I was having this issue but explained that "when the call center receives 6 or 7 calls from the same number, they automatically route your calls to Tech Support!" OMG... Great service... NOT!
I was told by Jose to go to a LAND LINE phone and call 866-384-4425 and that I would get right through. I did what I was told, and I did get right through... TO TECH SUPPORT AGAIN! I made "GARY" look at the notes that Jose put on my account, and he RELUCTANTLY gave me the RMA number, and then promptly told me that my refund would only be "about $62.00, depending on the condition of my modem, and that I would not receive any other refund for line usage".
THIS IS THE CRUMMIEST EXCUSE OF SERVICE THAT I HAVE EVER HAD FROM ANY COMPANY IN MY 50 YEARS ON THIS EARTH! I WILL BE PRINTING THIS VERBAGE FROM THIS COMPLAINT AND ENCLOSING IT WITH MY ORDER, WITH A SEPARATE DEMAND FOR A REFUND IN FULL FOR $109.00 AS PAID.
I WILL FOLLOW THIS UP WHEN I GET MY 'REFUND' AND LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO FOR ME.
THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU DO BUSINESS HERE!
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Rebelchild
Surprise,Arizona,
USA
Cricket Broadband caved in and issued a full refund! Thank you Ripoff Report!
#5Author of original report
Thu, October 21, 2010
THANK YOU RIPOFF REPORT! I sent a printed copy of my original posting here with the faulty modem to the address I was given by Cricket's "Customer Circus" department somewhere in India... It was here in the US, and after they saw what was said on line about them, I received a FULL REFUND of $109.28 on the 18th of October, 2010. I was not into the whole "intrest-free loan" that I gave Cricket for over a month, but I was happy to get all that I paid out as a refund. They did state that there would be a substantial "restock charge", but I was not sitting still for that one either. YOUR SERVICE IS PRICELESS, AND I THANK YOU PROFUSELY FOR YOUR EXISTENCE! YOU ARE HELPING CONSUMERS FIGHT BACK AND WIN!
Helene
Elgin,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Nobody in My Family Has Had Any Problems -- Yet
#5Consumer Comment
Sat, October 02, 2010
I was impressed with one of my cousin's experiences with the Cricket 3G broadband and $40 a month plan so I got it too.
I was worried because I have a very old Dell laptop --one of the first specifically engineered to go wireless -- whether or not the 3G would burn it up or overheat it but the price is right.
I was told that to pay your bill and to do any business with ANY wireless service, you had to go directly into the office and transact your business with them face to face so you can see what they are doing.
So I did.
And I had to make sure to get a receipt because if you don't, they can cheat you and you think that you are signed up for the service and you are not.
No way I would be doing business with a credit card on a phone or even online.
When I got home. I plugged in my modem and went through all the installation steps.
When it didn't light up right away and get me on the net, I called the toll-free number and a man with a very nice Hindi accent answered. I like accents. I asked him why I wasn't online when I paid my bill because I wanted to get my money's worth. And I was very polite and courteous to him. He was polite but seemed somewhat stressed.
He told me that i had to wait 24 hours and that the 24 hours was almost up.
My computer lit up and I got on line as promised after I hung up from talking to him.
The only problem I have had with Cricket broadband, beside the occasional,very brief service interruptions, is my keyboard area getting very warm! and some of the lettering has come off the keys. Not the fault of Cricket since I thought the technology here would be too fast for this old computer but it has managed to do OK with it --so far.
I go in to the Cricket Store to pay my bill IN PERSON in a few days and it will be interesting to me to see how things go then.
So far, so good.
Rebelchild
Surprise,Arizona,
United States of America
Cricket Broadband Does Not Respond!
#5Author of original report
Sat, October 02, 2010
well, here I sit, October 2nd, and not a word. I again attempted to contact "customer service" and got the run around from some guy with an accent so thick you could cut it with a knife! I am not amused by their lack of service or response. I am quite reasonable and accommodating when things are addressed as they should be... PROFESSIONALLY, but this company seems to have only ONE employee that gives a rip!
Jose in the Glendale, Arizona store has been the only one to offer REAL assistance, and HAS GONE COMPLETELY OUT OF HIS WAY TO FOLLOW UP WITH ME. With this debacle going on, it does make me feel somewhat better that they have this guy, but I really think he deserves better. That is not for me to say, though. He seems to be happy putting out fires. He should go with a real Fire Department and get the paycheck and benefits he deserves.
I will post updates every week until this is over.
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE FACE TO FACE
#5Consumer Suggestion
Tue, September 21, 2010
I DO NO BUSINESS WITH BANKS.
I DO NO BUSINESS WITH CREDIT CARDS AND I WOULD NEVER DO BUSINESS ON A PHONE AND GIVE OUT MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER THERE BECAUSE HOW DO I KNOW THE CALL TAKER ISN'T MAKING A COPY OF MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER TO SELL TO SOMEONE LATER?
I WENT TO MY CRICKET STORE ON MONDAY.
I ANTICIPATED I WOULD PAY ABOUT $200 FOR THE MODEM AND FOR THE SERVICE. I GOT OUT OF THERE WITH CHANGE AND WENT HOME AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS.
WHEN MINE DID NOT WORK RIGHT AWAY, I CALLED THE HELP NUMBER AND THE LADY FROM INDIA HELPED ME AND IT LIT RIGHT UP.I AM USING MY CRICKET WIRELESS AS I TYPE THIS.
I WANT TO STAND THERE AND WATCH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE SO I KNOW I AM NOT GETTING CHEATED. I WANT TO PAY CASH SO I KNOW THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT THEY CAN USE TO STEAL FROM LIKE A BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER OR A CREDIT CARD OR EVEN A DEBIT CARD NUMBER.
I LIKE CRICKET JUST FINE. SURE IT CRASHES SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES IT IS SLOW BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES COMMUNICATIONS AND SO FORTH.
BUT FOR WHAT I WANT IT TO DO, THE PRICE IS RIGHT FOR ME $43 BEATS $89 AND $150 A MONTH ANYTIME FOR ME.