So for several years I’ve fallen slave to the world of Verizon and their monopolizing tactics. Every two years I would upgrade and get a new phone, while paying a pretty premium just so I could have the most coverage. But as of a month ago that has all changed. A co-worker and I were talking around the “water cooler” and he told me about Cricket. He had been with them for a couple years and told me what he paid a month. After several months of research I decided that I wanted to leave Verizon. As soon as my contract was up and I owned my iPhone 6 I made the leap. So let’s put this into perspective.
I was paying $152 a month for 2gb of data each for my wife and I. So a total of 4gb of data and every time I went over (which I did freqently), I had to pay EVEN more. So on occassions we were paying upwards of $160+ a month. How ridiculous. So now, on to Cricket.
With Cricket I pay $80 a month. Total. Not a penny more. I have 5 gb of data per month ($50) and my wife has 2.5 gb per month ($40). So $90 a month. That’s great, right? Well subtract $10 a month because I have auto pay turned on. So $80 a month. So I’m saving $72+ per/month!
So, maybe you’re asking yourself. Well what about the coverage? Will my calls get dropped constantly? Well, Cricket uses AT&T towers. Yeah, Verizon has them beat as far as coverage goes, but by a small margin. AT&T is the 2nd largest network in the United States and if you live in the city you certainly have nothing to worry about. But even in the suburbs where I live (Orient, Oh) I have 4 bars of coverage. So to answer that question, I’ve had no complains as far as coverage. But if that’s not enough, the final kicker for me is the data overage. So what happens if I go over my data? Well, nothing. You don’t get charged for going over. Now, they do drop you from 4g LTE to just plain 4g. But if you know anything about the two, it’s a very little difference. Maybe you can’t stream movies anymore, but for me that’s a small sacrifice to pay to save $72 a month.
Lastly, what about upgrading your phone? So for starters, if you already have a phone you’re happy with, then all you have to do is bring your phone over and they’ll port your number. If you want a new phone, they have phones that you can buy outright. But if paying full price is not your cup of tea, then Apple provides a great complimentary solution. The Apple iPhone Upgrade program. Apple allows you to pay a monthly premium over a 2 year contract for your phone. I can’t speak for Androids, because I prefer Apple products. It’s a 0% APR, so no interest. You pay for the price of the phone over 2 years and every year you can upgrade your phone. So if you want to add $32 a month for a new phone, you can and you still have the luxury of being free from the monopoly of big time carriers. Which still in my case, I’m still saving money.
I know this probably sounds like I’m being tortured by Cricket to give such rave reviews. But I’m actually not. I also realize, nothing is perfect and there are probably some nuances that I will have to deal with. But for me, this all comes down to priorities. I can do everything that I once did with Verizon, with a few better perks and $70+ extra dollars in my pocket.
If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Just email me@chrisvwebb.com.
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