I went to Cricket Wireless after saving for a couple of weeks so I could start four new lines for my family. We had already looked online and selected the phones we wanted, which were listed at around $200 each. I knew taxes and activation costs would put us close to $1,000, and we were prepared for that.
However, once we got to the store, the experience completely changed. We were told that in order to get the phones at the price advertised online, we had to pay for multiple months of service upfront and purchase a mandatory accessory bundle of about $150 per line. We were also pushed toward insurance and other add-ons that we did not want.
To be clear, the issue is not the cost of the phones or paying for service. The issue is being shown one price online, then being told in-store that the advertised price is only available if we agree to hundreds of dollars in additional accessories and add-ons. That feels extremely deceptive and unfair, especially when those accessories are overpriced and presented as mandatory.
I understand that some Cricket locations may be franchises, but if a store owner, director, or upper management is instructing employees to attach accessory bundles and make them seem required, that practice needs to be corrected immediately. It is unacceptable to allow nearly $1,000 worth of devices and four new lines to walk out the door simply because a customer does not want to be forced into buying unnecessary accessories.
This type of sales tactic damages customer trust and reflects poorly on the Cricket Wireless name as a whole. I will be filing a formal complaint with the appropriate consumer/business agencies and contacting Cricket corporate directly about this experience. Customers should not be misled by online pricing only to be pressured into additional mandatory purchases once they arrive at the store.My sales rep was Sophia and she was being observed by and A woman from the counter, making sure that she Worded this accessory bundle as mandatory.