Looking at changing from T-mobile to Credo. Anybody using them?

[mahina]

I ditched AT & T when they did the illegal wiretapping project for W. Been a Tmobile customer since but they are way too expensive.

I keep getting emails from Credo saying they support progressive candidates etc, and that the other guys fund the wingers. I guess they are right.

Anybody here a Credo customer? Do they suck too?

Hey they gave progessive nonprofits 67 million bucks...http://www.credomobile.com/mission/nonprofit-donations-current.aspx

[CreekDog]

1. Credo is Sprint service --I once had Credo

The actual amount of money donated is pitifully small and the prices are higher across the board.

That said, if instead of donating a like amount yourself to the causes you care about, you'd like to have your money joined with others so that it appears larger than just your single contribution --that's the reason to join.

But I'm not impressed with the small amount donated from one's monthly charges. The phones are older and overall the whole thing is more expensive.

:shrug:

[mahina]

2. Good to know!

Our bill for three lines is over 220. a month, w one smart phone and unlimited texting. Seems crazy expensive to me. Looking at the Credo offerings it looks much cheaper but you never really know till you get in the soup, right?

I agree w your take on the donation amount...seems kind of small for such a long period. Plus I didn't realize it was Sprint!

Thanks again

[CreekDog]

3. well the Sprint Network --if you call you will get a Working Assets employee

Q. Will this change my Working Assets service?
A. No. You’ll still get quality coverage via the Sprint® network* and your rates won’t change. You’ll still get a great selection of mobile phones. You will notice a new look and feel in our communications. But our donations to progressive causes, our mission to build a better world and our first-rate customer service will be the same.

*Sprint is the network provider only; your service is handled exclusively by CREDO. Sprint is a trademark of Sprint Nextel.

http://www.workingassets.com/FAQs.aspx

[mahina]

4. Interesting. I thought about changing to a working assets credit card but decided to stay w my CU.

Didn't realize they are connected too.

Sheesh!

Thanks...

[beac]

26. Credo and Sprint are not "connected." Credo buys access (if that's the right term)

on the Sprint network, but that's it. You will NOT be dealing with Sprint or Sprint CS.

I have been a Credo customer for several years now and love their service. I couldn't disagree more with the person above who says they are "more expensive." And even if the amount of their annual donation is "small" (which I also don't agree with), isn't it better to give a little to progressive causes than to help fund right wing candidates and agendas?

I am very satisfied w/Credo. They handled a problem I had with the first phone they sent me very professionally and gave me two free months and 250 extra minutes "for my inconvenience"--- no other cell company I've ever cam close to that level of customer service.

They will buy you out of your current contract and, when your two-year contract is up with them, they usually give you a pot-sweetener to re-up (10% off your bill for two years, 200 extra minutes a month, etc.) Credo-to-Credo calls are free and most plans allow each phone on the plan to choose five numbers to call free.

Please do consider Credo. I think all progressives should. Why support a company (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) that uses your money to work against your beliefs? With Credo, you don't have to.

An no, I don't work for Credo. I just really believe in what they are doing.

[mahina]

29. Thanks for your perspective!

It adds to my understanding. Thanks.

[beac]

31. You're welcome. I really do believe in Credo.

I was familiar with the company b/c I used their "Working Assets" long distance service back when we still had a land line.

FWIW, I've found Credo's reception to be no worse (and no better) than any other carrier. In today's world it's hard to avoid giving money to right-wing corporations sometimes, but I sleep a little better at night knowing that at least a small portion of my consumer dollars isn't going to re-elect Eric Cantor and other such horrors.

If you all have some numbers you call frequently, I'd definitely look into one of Credo's "My Community" plans. You pick 5 numbers per phone and calls to and from those numbers are free (to the phone that is associated w/each number.) And all your calls to each other (and other Credo customers) are free. We have that feature on ours and most months we don't even use up our regular minutes (and we have a pretty low minute plan.)

If you don't see texting on a plan you like, it can be added a la carte as you go through the order process. Unlimited texts for a family plan is about $25 a month. (They don't make this ability to add texting very obvious on the initial order page, so I thought I'd mention it.)

Feel free to PM me if you have other questions. :hi:




(always love seeing your Obama surfing pic, BTW. For some reason, it cheers me up immensely!)

[ET Awful]

8. If your T-Mo bill is that high, you need to call them and get into a different plan.

I pay under $175 for 3 phones, 2 w/unlimited minutes; 1 with 1,000 minutes; all with unlimited text and data..

[ixion]

9. Yeah, they're just like any other service

same BS contract, same BS policies. I have Credo, and I give them hell for having the gaul to call themselves progressive.

[lonestarnot]

19. Wow Sprint! Sneaky freaks. I hate sneaky!

[beac]

27. They are NOT Sprint. They only buy access to the Sprint network.

Credo has its own customer service, phones, plans, etc. You are NOT a Sprint customer w/ Credo and the person that replied @#1 put a lot of bad informaton in their post. (He/she even walked some of it back downthread.)

[ellisonz]

5. I have Verizon and always get pretty good reception.

My mother has worked in telecommunication site construction and modification for over 15 years and has Verizon for her personal phone too:shrug:

[Mac1949]

6. We have Credo, and I've been very satisfied, but...

I don't do I-Phones or any of the more elaborate apps, just basic service (though I do have internet access on my phone). One of the points is that not only does an (admittedly small} amount of your bill go to progressive causes, but none of your money goes to the Repukes {unlike with AT&T, Verizon, etc.). I'd suggest comparing the cost and benefits of your current plan with what you would want from Credo, which you should be able to do online. :hi:

[Casandia]

7. I had Credo, but canceled because

I found out that my service (which did not work in my rural home) only worked in my state. Read the fine print....

[HopeHoops]

10. I've got a pretty sweet deal with T-Mobile. Nobody has been able to touch it.

Even when T-Mobile calls to get me to consider a different plan, the rep always ends up saying, "yeah, that's pretty good. I can't best it."

[mahina]

18. Cool. Care to share more info?

[HopeHoops]

22. With all fees, taxes, and other bullshit other than the base charge,...

...it comes to about $115/month for five phones, 700 anytime minutes (shared), and unlimited calling between our phones. Since the vast majority of the phone usage is between ourselves, we rarely even get close to 700 minutes. My eldest uses most of them now that she's at college and has a boyfriend, but she knows how to ration it. The middle one uses Skype to talk to her boyfriend and other on-line friends so she rarely racks up more than a couple of minutes a month and the youngest spends most of the minutes she uses talking to her grandfather.

We have texting turned off. The girls were getting messages from friends and we were getting charged something like 15 cents just because it was received, whether it was read or not. I called and told them to block it entirely. The three phones for the kids cost $28/month combined. We've had the plan for over ten years and the rate has only changed by a few dollars since then.

If there's a better deal out there, I haven't heard of it.

[mahina]

28. Wow, that is fantastic. Thanks for the info!

[lonestarnot]

20. Did AT & T give up the take over or whatever happened with that?

I loved T Mobile until all that started.

[HopeHoops]

23. I read something encouraging about the deal recently.

I just got up and still have morning fuzzy head so I'm not even sure I'm awake, much less where I read about the deal. I just remember thinking "good". I used to love AT&T, even after the government blew up Ma Bell. They got progressively worse over the years and I ended up getting a combination package (DSL, land line, long distance) with Verizon that was cheaper than the combined bills with Verizon and AT&T so I went with that. The first thing that would happen if the deal went through is that all of our cell phone bills would go WAY up. Fuck that. I've been with T-Mobile since it was PCS-1 (or whatever it was called). My deal was grandfathered for the most part. The base rate has increased slightly, but the kids' phones are $8, $10, and $10 per month and that hasn't changed since we got them.

Part of the reason my Verizon deal was so sweet is that I got grandfathered on the DSL charge. I was one of the first subscribers when it became available over ten years ago. The original DSL modem is still working fine and it runs 24x7. Now I've jinxed myself and the fucker's going to crap out in ten minutes. I pay $39/month for unlimited DSL access and it is way faster than I ever expected.

As for the deal, I believe it is collapsing. AT&T's arguments on the matter are clear bullshit and everyone INCLUDING the people at AT&T knows it. The market domination it would create is beyond bothersome. I'm holding in there for now. If they pay off enough people and the deal goes through, I'm at a loss as to where to go for service but I won't be staying put.

[lonestarnot]

24. That sounds like good news to me. Waiting to see what happens.

Certainly will not stay with AT&T. :thumbsdown:

[HopeHoops]

25. Agreed. The death star is part of the dark side of The Force.

[mahina]

30. Interesting...because of unreliability, or money? Or ?

I would like to know there are other reasons beside the wiretapping thing. Not that it isn't enough.

[negativenihil]

11. Just FYI

Like many of the smaller boutique/virtual cell phone brands - Credo is simply re-selling access to the Sprint network.

See here for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_MVNO

Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprint_Nextel#Law_enforcement_cooperation

[TBF]

12. You forgot "Verizon sucks". Maybe I will try Credo. nt

[ecstatic]

13. There is a hybrid wifi/mobile service being offered at 19/month

http://www.republicwireless.com/how

I'm not on the plan (unfortunately with T-Mo), but it seems like a good fit for people who are around wifi alot.

[Faux pas]

14. I have pure talk usa. $39.95 a month, unlimited calls and

texting, no other fees or taxes. Got my own unlocked phone to use it with. So far, so good.

[lonestarnot]

15. looking also! Bookmarking for later.

[quinnox]

16. I can only tell you that I have both t-mobile and At and t

And the phone I got from AT&T was very flimsy and disappointing, even though I paid $50 for it, and now they are saying they are going to cut off my account if I don't refill it soon (its a pay as you go)

T-mobile is giving me a deal where any money I put in my account has a one year expiration date which is nice and their phone is much sturdier and better.

Unfortunately, T-mobile was bought by AT&T but this merger still hasn't been approved yet by the US regulatory authorities, so T-mobile might be absorbed by AT&T if this deal is approved.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Credo uses the Sprint network.

I live just a few miles from Sprint world headquarters and the reception is crap. Not enough towers. Sprint phones don't work in my house and only barely work in my neighborhood. Now if Sprint can't even get their phones to get reception in their hometown, what does that say about their commitment to service on the rest of their network?

Until Credo uses a different network, I'm not switching carriers. Bottom line is being able to actually USE the phone, isn't it?

[onestepforward]

21. I've had Credo for about 10 years.

No problems and great customer service. They often offer specials and discounts when it's time to renew. They make it easy to make small donations by rounding off the bill and they give to progressive causes.

Thumbs up from me!

[LWolf]

32. I would be, if sprint got a decent signal in my area. It doesn't. nt