Cricket forcing existing customers to purchase phones from them.

  • 29 March 2021
  • 9 replies
  • 1242 views

I just purchased an unlocked S20 FE, direct from Samsung. I have also been using Cricket Wireless for about 3 years now, with an unlocked S9 Plus. However, after putting my SIM card in the S20 FE, I received a message that the device is not compatible with their network. When I made a call to Cricket's customer service, I was told that there is nothing they can do to activate my new phone with their network. Even though Cricket offers the exact same phone for sale, through their website! It seems like Cricket is moving toward forcing their customers to purchase phones through them. Which is a shame,  because that is going to force me to do business with a different wireless network. 


9 replies

Userlevel 3

@Lmccol8122 

 

We would like to look into this for you. Please reach out to our support team on Facebook (m.me/cricketwireless) or twitter (@cricketsupport) with the details of your issue.
 

I have contacted the Cricket support team and have provided them with the IMEI number on my new device. They tell. Me that it is not compatible with their network. But, the same phone is available to purchase through the Cricket website and Samsung tells me that the phone contains the latest technology and Cricket should be able to activate it on their network. This leads me to believe that Cricket is trying to force me to purchase a phone through them. Which I am unwilling to do.

I would like for a senior member of Cricket management to reach out to me to resolve this issue. Otherwise, I will be forced to take my business elsewhere. 

I am having the same issue….I am so beyond sick over this mess….now I am trying to go back to my old phone that was FINE up to I tried to move to the new phone...just long enough for me to either purchase a new phone or figure out what to do about the one I bought and now they will NOT turn it on either…..even though it was FINE and compatible till now…...I wish you the best of luck….

Hello @Lmccol8122 and @AngerSouthernChick, try reaching out to customer support on Facebook or Twitter. They are very responsive on there!

I did reach out to them. They created a ticker and investigated. Just to cone back and tell me that my new, unlocked, Samsung phone, that I bought from Samsung, is not supported on their network. Which caused my to move my cell service to Google Fi.

I also reached out to be told the same thing as Lmccol8122.  I begged them to please turn my phone that I just bought last year that worked just fine until Tuesday when I tried to move to the NEW phone I bought...at least till I could figure out how to return the new phone or figure out how to come up with the money to purchase a new phone.  They refused. I even explained that my phone is not only my personal phone but it is also the phone to my non-profit that I run in my community that is a food bank, clothing closet, and many other emergencies services and my number is the number that other agencies, first responders and people call to receive help from my group and again they said there wasn’t anything they could but to turn off my service till I purchased a phone preferably from them. They would give me a special upgrade price which is a whole $20 off.  If they are forcing you to purchase a new phone then loyal customers should get the new customer price for actually being loyal customers but again I don’t think they simply care. So for how many days it takes for me to purchase a new phone I pray there are no house fires, no homeless people need clothing and no families are starving because Cricket decided to suspend my phone rather than just turn it on for a few more days till I could figure out how to fix a problem I shouldn’t even have to fix, to begin with.  I am so frustrated...

Userlevel 1

I’m having the same problem.

Been getting lied to and given the runaround for 2 days trying to get this straightened out.

What Phones WORK????

And why would we go to facebook or any other social media site to get answers?

This is Crickets forum!!!!! They can’t even be bothered to answer questions here?

I tell you what, If I go to social media about this problem, it’ll be to tell everyone I can to stay as far away from Cricket as they can. I’ve referred dozens of people to Cricket over the years but this is unacceptable. I paid for a phone, Cricket disabled it without warning. I paid for a service that Cricket is now refusing to provide. This is theft!!!!!

Put out a list of phones that work!!!!!
Do not disable phones that work and then tell us there’s noting you can do. That is a lie. My wife is using the same phone and it still works!!!!!!

Hi,

I ran into the same problem. I had bought an unlocked Samsung Galaxy s20 FE from Samsung directly and had my service denied. However, I was able to get my phone to work. I had to call into Cricket’s Customer Service and ask to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor told me that the S20 FE had been cleared as of the last week of March 2021 to work on the Cricket network. He did some stuff and then did an account refresh and my phone worked. I hope this helps!

-Skeletonwriter

I recently switched over to cricket because I was sick of at&t taking money off my card a week before the due date . Only to find out that AT&T bought cricket and I didn't move anywhere. One thing for sure about at&t is they are going to fuck you one way or another. I go into a cricket office with my 2 month old galaxy at&t phone I purchase independently , all at&t software.  I get a new number because they said my  one that is on all my advertisements is not usable. So I believe that load of shit and get a new number. Get the $60 package that says everything is included.  I go to use my Hotspot and my phone says go to add one and pay extra. When I finally get someone in customer service to check why my Hotspot is not working,  I was told my phone is not compatible and I need to upgrade , meaning buy a phone from them and pay extra fees to get Hotspot.  I downgraded to the shittiest phone they have and pay a additional 90 bucks that I was told was necessary to get my Hotspot to work. Get my new crappy phone I was only going to use for Hotspot. Now activated , and dip me in shit, I put the simcard back in my high dollar Samsung and now it has Hotspot. They told me no way your att phone will work. Slam my debit card for 90 bucks and now my unusable phone is working fine and I have a shitty phone I was forced to purchase for no reason. This kinda shit should be illegal 

Reply