Refurbished Phones from Cricket Wireless

Were you sold a refurbished phone from Cricket Wireless that doesn’t work? Were you sold a refurbished phone as new? Here’s what you can do. 

Refurbished phone deals and promises from Cricket Wireless

Cricket Wireless offers deals for Android devices, iPhones, and 5G devices with phones selling for an average of $100 originally but at discounts of 75% for those who have an existing phone number and activate specific phone plans.

According to the website all of the features are exactly the same as the original condition for each of the refurbished phones they sell. Everything is listed as high quality, fully inspected, without cracks or breaks or any type of visible damage. 

Cricket Wireless stipulates that their pre-owned phones have been used by a former owner for at least a few months and while they might have minor cosmetic blemishes or contain replacement parts, they have all been repackaged and assessed for cosmetic blemishes. They offer a 90-day warranty from the date of purchase on any pre-owned phones. 

What to do if your refurbished phone doesn’t work or was sold as new

If your refurbished phone from Cricket Wireless doesn’t work or you were sold a refurbished phone as new, start by letting them know. Contact the local store where you were sold the phone or contact the higher headquarters departments to get a resolution. If that doesn’t work submit complaints. 

Use Formal Complaints against Cricket Wireless

Start at the federal level. Organizations like the Federal Communications Commission or FCC want reports of scams or fraud so that they can take action against the company and regulate the Telecom industry. If enough people submit complaints, it will raise red flags such that the organization can investigate the issue. The same thing is true of the FTC for fraud like stolen phones.

• You can file a complaint with the FCC online here or report FTC fraud here.

Depending on where you live, you can submit an official complaint against Cricket Wireless through your State’s Attorney General’s office. Every state has an online form that you can easily find and submit or you can send a formal letter through the mail. 

• You can find your state Attorney General office here.

Depending on your state you might be able to search for a state commission or a state board that has oversight for cell phone companies. These organizations may not directly regulate wireless telecommunications, but they will accept complaints and can help publicize refurbished phone scams from Cricket Wireless.

Tip: The FTC keeps records of what is currently under investigation. To see what is under review between the FTC and Cricket Wireless, visit ftc.gov/exploredata.

Use Informal Complaints against Cricket Wireless

You can also use the Better Business Bureau as an informal method for resolution. The Better Business Bureau collects information and uses customer complaints to generate a rating for the company. In some cases the company will monitor their page very heavily and respond to Consumer issues like refurbished phone scams. Even if they don’t, you can still post your complaint and help make other people aware of the fact that your refurbished phone didn’t work.

• You can file a complaint with the BBB here. 

You might also consider review websites like consumer affairs. This is a very popular website for consumers to read about what companies have done and find any potential refurbished phone scams from Cricket Wireless. You can post on this site and help other people make more informed decisions. It’s not likely that it will generate any type of resolution but it is a good place to start.

• You can file a complaint with ConsumerAffairs.com online.

One final thing you can consider is posting on social media. There are many social media pages you can use and some companies respond faster to these complaints than regular customer service departments.

• Cricket Wireless Instagram pages can provide another place for your complaint. 

Tip: Wondering whether your “new” phone is actually new? You can use some quick tests at home. 

What to Do After Submitting Your Cricket Wireless Complaint

Keep copies of everything you send, formal or informal. If you submitted a report to the FCC, they might investigate the issue but you won’t necessarily hear back from them or be provided any updates.

Get a Resolution with Consumer Arbitration

Chances are submitting complaints won’t do you much good as a consumer. However, consumer arbitration is a great way for you to get compensation when your refurbished phone from Cricket Wireless failed to live up to expectations.