Cricket Wireless

[Jack]

another great comment from a Anonymous poster: Disgust

Jack

[larry]

Yes another great Anonymous post. I hope Malial will delete it.

[roamer1]

In their original market (Chattanooga, TN) Cricket is badly oversold and suffers from a major dropped-call problem. My parents (who still live in Chattanooga) won't talk to people on Cricket phones... Cricket also has a much smaller coverage area than any other local carrier.

Newer markets are likely to be OK for awhile and eventually deteriorate.

-SC

[Rae]

Actually, the newer markets seem to see more overload at launch, and then even out over time. We offer unlimited minutes and customers definitely take advantage of that - especially when they first get their phones. The "new" eventually wears off and folks start using their handsets a little more normally. I can't speak for Chattanooga, but in our market some of the blocking wasn't even across our network. We were pumping so many calls across PSTN that we were actually overloading the LEC office. While total network MOUs would be proprietary info, I can say that I've worked Net Ops for other major carriers and I am shocked every day at the volume of traffic our switch handles.

All in all, you can't think of Cricket on the same terms as other wireless carriers. Our business plan isn't the same, our networks aren't the same and our customers aren't the same.

[Jack]

good post rae and I totally agree.

Jack

[nitripps]

roamer1 said


<< In their original market (Chattanooga, TN) Cricket is badly oversold and suffers from a major dropped-call problem. My parents (who still live in Chattanooga) won't talk to people on Cricket phones... Cricket also has a much smaller coverage area than any other local carrier.

Newer markets are likely to be OK for awhile and eventually deteriorate.

-SC >>



i guess that i'll just have to wait and see for myself, but at this point the service is less than 6 months old in the area, and it's great. the coverage area is more than adequate for the average user here. the entire reno/sparks/carson city area is covered.

as for overselling an area, they seem to all do that, whenever they can. ask an att, or verizon customer in new york, or a sprint or cingular customer here. that's just a business fact in america today.

like i said earlier though, cricket's quality, price, and coverage is good enough for me to cut the land line.

nitripps

[MTS2000]

<< Actually, the newer markets seem to see more overload at launch, and then even out over time. We offer unlimited minutes and customers definitely take advantage of that - especially when they first get their phones. The "new" eventually wears off and folks start using their handsets a little more normally. I can't speak for Chattanooga, but in our market some of the blocking wasn't even across our network. We were pumping so many calls across PSTN that we were actually overloading the LEC office. While total network MOUs would be proprietary info, I can say that I've worked Net Ops for other major carriers and I am shocked every day at the volume of traffic our switch handles.

All in all, you can't think of Cricket on the same terms as other wireless carriers. Our business plan isn't the same, our networks aren't the same and our customers aren't the same. >>



Well stated. My friend lives in Chattanooga and she dropped her landline and got Cricket. For what they do, they do well. They don't hold themselves out to have a large coverage area, and they offer something that no one else does: all you can eat for a flat rate. No questions or games. I have used her handset and while it may get a little flaky especially at peak times, for what you pay and get it is not a bad deal.

Here in Atlanta, we just got Metro PCS. I know three officers at our agency who dumped their department phones and got the Kyocera 2235. All in all, they don't do so bad for a PCS carrier. They say they have never had problems with call delivery or voice mail, and that coverage is to be expected for a 1900MHz provider- it isn't Cingular or Verizon but it isn't meant to be. For what it is, it does well. I see many people toting the MetroPCS phones now. And I don't think it was coincidental that Verizon started offering unlimited nights and weekends (again) a month after Metro PCS rolled out in Atlanta.

Competition is a good thing. It is another alternative. I have thought about dumping my landline and getting one but I don't want to give up my home number just yet- too many people have it.

[JayJay]

I think the theory behind cricket is sound. But people fall to understand there target market. There target market are teens, people with poor credit that cant get a wireless phone elsewhere, first time wireless users. For the true wireless users, they would be unhappy with cricket. They have little to no customer service. Addition options such as call waiting, voicemail, caller id come at an extra cost, and limited coverage areas. Dont get me wrong..If I had a teenage kid, and wanted them to have a phone, i would get them a cricket phone....do you think a teen is resposible enough to manage cell phone minutes?!?!?! It would be like giving them a credit card without a limit!!!
jay

[Jack]

JayJay agree

I also know some people who use our unlimited service (northcoastpcs) as a way to bring down their normal cell phone bill. They have northcoast when they are in the coverage area and then someone elese that will cover the no coverage zones.

Jack

[cricket619]

I'm working with Cricket wireless store here in san diego. so far service is great and not saturated yet. I recommend it to all my friends and as alot of you have pointed out they are really good at what they do. Hopefully they continue to grow their market share and expand service elsewhere so noone else will be bound by these horrid mobile contracts!

[walkguru]

i think the idea behind cricket is great, all you can eat for a flat rate. i hope it comes to okc, some day.

[Mobile Mike]

Another resurrected thread from 2002...

Cricket then and Cricket now are probably not the same.

[walkguru]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

Another resurrected thread from 2002...

Cricket then and Cricket now are probably not the same.

wow, i did not see the date, how funny.

[Chinasaur]

Moving to Portland and am interested in hearing, from current Cricket customers, what the service is like now:

1. Call quality/drops? Markets saturated?
2. Customer Service? Knowledgeable?
3. Does Cricket still have reputation for botching billing? Fast to correct errors?
4. Web site functionality? Can you change plans online? Pay bill online?
5. Can you change plans mid-month?
6. Can you upgrade plan to "all cricket markets" if you plan on visiting relatives and then switch back outside of billing cycles?

Thanks in advance for any information!

[Eric47]

ok well im not in oregon. im in GA actually. heres what ive heard.

you pay about 40 bucks a month and its unlimited the works, but it will only work in that citys area, as soon as you leave town boom its gone.

so keep that in mind, and make a decision from it.

[strunke]

Another dinosaur thread.....lol....

What is this EVDO everyone is talking about???

[djjim]

Originally Posted by EricN4707

ok well im not in oregon. im in GA actually. heres what ive heard.

you pay about 40 bucks a month and its unlimited the works, but it will only work in that citys area, as soon as you leave town boom its gone.

so keep that in mind, and make a decision from it.

Not true. That was true in the past, but now you can buy roaming minutes. Or they have a plan for 55 bucks with 100 minutes roaming and a plan for 60 bucks with 200 minutes roaming. It's a pretty good deal. They roam on Verizon, Alltel, Sprint, US Cell, etc. As far as leaving the city, they cover my entire city and county and then some. Their coverage here in Charlotte is pretty broad, Most people that live here only leave town for vacations. My wife only leaves the metro area maybe 14 days out of the year. So 100 roaming minutes is good enough. But we stick with Alltel. 2 lines on Cricket would almost double our bill and My Circle makes our phones practically unlimited anyway.

To the Op, I think Cricket charges you everytime you change your plan. I think it is 18 dollars but don't quote me. And their customer service is HORRID! Probably the worst in the industry IMHO,