Cricket Wireless "True Rate" Plans Are Not Unlimited

If you've seen the new "True Rate" plan commercial from Cricket and Cricket Wireless and were thinking about switching your service, there are some things that you need to know before you sign up. First, they advertise with this slogan: "Unlimited talk, text, web and nationwide 3G data". From that you would think that you have an unlimited plan. That's not the case. You do get unlimited talk time and texting but your internet it limited to 1 GB per month. That is in the fine almost microscopic print at the bottom of the advertisement.

For their broadband service you get 2.5 GB per month ($40.00 plan) but no way to monitor how much you are using - the same thing applies to their cellular internet access. Moreover if you do exceed your limit they can't tell you when it happened or give you any proof of it. That's sort of like pointing to a random stranger and saying, "Him, he's the one that killed my dog". Sound absurd? That's Cricket Wireless. I have fought with them over and over and a year later they still can't provide their customers with any way to see their usage level. Calling customer service to get that information is comical. Most representatives have no clue what you are talking about if you call to ask about your monthly cap and if you are in danger of having your service throttled (a drastic drop in internet speed).

They are known for their low cost prepaid cellular service but there are a lot of hidden fees. Every month you have to pay a three dollar payment fee unless you elect to have a statement sent to you. That costs .55 cents a month. You have to mail your payment in at least ten days in advance or they might not process it in time. That means a reconnect fee ($15.00) when they terminate your service for non-payment. Walk in to a store to make your payment? You are still going to have three dollars added to your bill.

Depending on the phone you go with, your rate plan will be different. The "new" Ascend has a monthly rate of $55.00 and the Blackberry is $60.00. Even though that might sound like a deal you are still using Cricket's outdated and horrible looking software. Most phones are not GPS enabled and there is no way to activate it. While it might sound like a great deal, if you are thinking about going with Cricket you need to read the fine print and be prepared for hidden fees.