Author Topic: Leaving Republic Wireless due to terrible customer service - who to go to now?  (Read 10840 times)

schmiecs

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Due to reading articles here, I switched to Republic Wireless from At&T in January. Got myself and my husband Moto Es and had the $10/month plan that included cell service, but no 3G. I took advantage of the feature where you can turn 3G on and off to go on trips where we would need it, and it worked great. I told everyone I know to switch and sang their praises.

Last weekend, my husband went out of town, and I switched his 3G on. When he came back, I switched it back off, except that I made a stupid mistake and switched him to the $5/month Wifi only plan. I immediately tried to switch him to the 10/month plan, but the phone told me I had used up my 2xmonth plan switches. Fair enough, that is the rule, but this was a silly user mistake and I was sure they would help me out. I got right on chat, and told the customer service agent what I had done, not 10 minutes previously, and asked if she could switch it for me. Nope! Couldn't do it. Okay, that's annoying for sure, but I asked her to escalate. Surely someone higher up could deal with it. She said her supervisor would look at it, but it couldn't be done. But I knew they'd probably help me, they wouldn't just leave a customer high and dry like that?

Well, 24 hours later, I get an email saying that it can't be done, and I have to wait until the end of my billing cycle in a week to switch back. Which leaves my husband without cell service (when off of Wifi) for over a week. I can't believe they would allow a user mistake to leave a customer without cell service for a week, and I don't buy that there isn't a way to do it on the back end.

So, I'll be leaving, because I'm obviously not the right customer for this. I could go back to At&T - had no problems with them ever, just didn't like the prices. Or I've heard good things about Ting?

And anyone want to buy two Republic Wireless Moto Es? :)


fiftyincher

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I've been happy with PureTalk. No issues at all.

Daley

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First, your experiences are one of many reasons why I don't recommend Republic and balance so many recommendations by others here with the downsides of the service. Also for the record, they used to permit three plan changes a month. This is pure anti-customer garbage.

Anyway, have you seen the guide (unabridged here) yet?

No matter where you go, the next hurdle you're going to encounter with your formerly beloved carrier is potential porting out issues with your numbers. Either Republic will do something between sitting on the port request so long that it'll cause problems, or depending on the MVNO and parent network, you may encounter porting issues back out to your next provider as your number is no longer considered a mobile number but instead landline number. LNP (local number portability) is supposed to be universal between the three DID (direct inward dial phone number) types here in the States, but you'll find that portability still runs into issues, and it's usually due to who/where you're porting out of. Occasionally, I've heard of some number ports back out of Republic going reasonably smooth, and I hope you're one of them... but don't be surprised if it doesn't. Most of those positive porting out reports are usually of people bailing during the trial period.

Regarding where to go to from here, you mentioned that you used to be with AT&T. This means a couple things: 1) AT&T reception works for you, and 2) it's possible you may still have the handsets. Regarding point #2, if you do, I suspect you didn't get the phones carrier unlocked from AT&T before you burnt that bridge. Hopefully (and thankfully due to carrier unlocking becoming legal in this country again), you can pick up cheap carrier unlock codes through Ebay or something for your old AT&T handsets if you still have them. Just do due diligence on the seller and read the instructions thoroughly if you do. Sadly, Republic's handsets are proprietary, so as you mentioned you don't actually own them, can't unlock them, and can't take them with you elsewhere. Yet another real world downside of this provider, and I'm more reiterating this for other potential Republic customers who might come across this thread than telling you this specifically... but back to the phones and providers.

Why I'm recommending an AT&T MVNO is due to ensuring a happy experience and building on your past experiences. If you go with a T-Mobile or Sprint MVNO, you're going to deal wit a drastically different reception footprint. Now, if you know with some authority that, say, T-Mobile coverage will work for you already, then consider something like Ting; otherwise, stick with what you know. I'd also recommend going GSM with T-Mobile MVNOs, even if you leave AT&T, because then you have a greater handset portability freedom between all GSM networks. You go with a Sprint MVNO, you're going to be limited to taking nearly any phone you get only to other Sprint MVNOs. Verizon's a slightly different bird, but what few Verizon MVNOs there are, they are the most expensive options of the lot. Let's keep focused on the GSM end, and AT&T for compatibility and expectation sake.

That said, of the GSM providers, AT&T MVNOs are overall more expensive than T-Mobile ones (though Ting is one of the more expensive, unless you're doing multi-line and moderate group usage). As such, it's best to know what your actual average monthly usage needs are and find a plan from one of the recommended AT&T MVNO providers that fits those needs for the right price and sufficient overage cushion. You should also learn to embody the following philosophical idea: PAY FOR WHAT YOU NEED. Most people don't need mobile phone service as much as they think, especially data (but you probably know that already), so pay for what you need. If most of your calls are done at home, don't use mobile minutes... learn how to adapt on the SMS and data usage ends, and effectively incorporate VoIP technology on your terms. Combos like Truphone as your mobile provider and Rebtel or Localphone for VoIP services with a good smartphone can be both trivially easy to set up and powerfully cheap to operate with greater flexibility than Republic ever gave you if you don't have an irrational fear of technology.

And that brings us finally to handsets. If you find yourself needing new handsets and keeping in mind the GSM advice... get a GSM handset and buy carrier unlocked with at least GPRS/HSPA 850 and 1900MHz band support. T-Mobile still uses some 1700 and 2100MHz bands around the country, but they're mostly on the same frequencies as AT&T now, especially for high speed data in metro areas. Shop with a mind towards what you need in features, try to buy a handset that you can replace the battery on yourself, buy used/refurbished if possible, if you go Android again go for a handset with official CyanogenMod support to extend lifespan further, but don't be afraid (again) to pay for what you need... just remember, need does not equal want.

Any other questions, feel free to ask... but that should give you everything you need to find the best solution on your own instead of having someone blindly tell you what you should do without knowing your actual needs. After all, that's what lead you to Republic in the first place.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2015, 08:32:55 AM by I.P. Daley »

schmiecs

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Thanks so much for all the info!

sol

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My family's experience with ting has been outstanding.  Multiple devices with lots to choose from, shared buckets of usage for all of us, free roaming to other networks, great customer service and speedy deliveries, $47/mo.   

It has worked out especially well for adding phones for the kids who don't use much, because each new line is just $6 and their minutes/texts have fit within our existing usage buckets.  We get full control (through the website) of defining usage limits for each device, including warning emails or texts when you reach any threshold value you specify, so it's easy to monitor usage.

I have previously been a customer of of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T mobile and Virgin Mobile.  So far, Ting is a far superior user experience to all of them.  I can't comment on how they compare to other small MNVOs like ptel.

Bob W

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That is a problem!  Sorry they couldn't help you.  I'm a Republic fan (3 phones)   never tried to use customer support but the chat thing really bugs me. 

You could just wait it out with a lesson learned attitude.   I don't know your wifi situation but I have it at work and home so for me it would just be a buzz kill but no significant difference. 

But damn that would be frustrating as hell!

I'm sure Republic monitors this forum occasionally so they will likely eventually see this.   MMM will definitely see it so perhaps he can call his contact and work it out?  Hope he does and PMs you to resolve. 

Dear Republic Wireless,

You customer service sucks and you are losing customers and running off potential new customers.

Please fix this dear user's issue today and give her 5 free months of service for being numbskulls.

Sincerely, 

The Entire MMM Forum Community

TRBeck

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We switched to Airvoice from AT&T almost two years ago. No problems whatsoever with reception, and the service has been fine. My wife's iPhone finally gave up the ghost last summer, so we got her a Republic plan and the Moto G. Some issues with the phone aside, it sucks. Dropped calls occur regularly when going from WiFi to cellular, reception is spotty, and the service is subpar to nonexistent (nonexistent in particular when it comes to troubleshooting dropped calls). We are considering our options, even though it means the known porting-out issues and the purchase of another handset. Wish I had read the warnings about it more carefully prior to switching, but nothing to be done now.

Airvoice is the likely candidate as of now for us; AT&T's network is strong here, plus the service has been fine (which is to say almost never needed and accessible when we want it) and we know what we're getting.

F Republic.

SuperSecretName

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i am happy with cricket.  they have free phones with a new line of service.  if you want a referral (we both get money), PM me.

Duchess of Stratosphear

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I ended up going with Ting (a Moto G was cheaper than with Republic), but I think Republic would have been a better choice for me because even though I work where there's great Wifi, I would like to not have to have it to search for something online. With Ting, I just leave data off so I won't run up my bill to over $15 or so, but with Republic, I wouldn't feel like I had to do that. Also, in the basement of one of the buildings where I work, I can't get a cell signal, so the calling over the internet thing would be awesome because there is a good wifi signal down there. I know there are other ways to call over the internet, but I haven't bothered to figure it out yet (suggestions? Is there an app I should know about?). Another thing is that I'm not sure Ting/my phone is letting me roam like it's supposed to, but I can't be bothered to trouble shoot that either. I guess the first time I get a flat tire in BFE, I'll wish I had. Oh well.

With that said, I thought Ting's customer service was super duper! Really really nice and helpful folks.


Daley

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I'm sure Republic monitors this forum occasionally so they will likely eventually see this.   MMM will definitely see it so perhaps he can call his contact and work it out?  Hope he does and PMs you to resolve.

Dear MMM readers (and Bob)-

Getting reasonable customer service shouldn't require some secret handshake and a backroom deal with a third party. This is inexcusable BS and you know it.

Please stop giving your hard earned money and mindshare to stingy, proprietary, sub-par service providers. You ultimately get what you pay for, and it only further encourages this sort of customer abuse when you not only support and tolerate it, but willingly suggest it to others.

Sincerely,
-Daley



I know there are other ways to call over the internet, but I haven't bothered to figure it out yet (suggestions? Is there an app I should know about?)

Start with the guide linked above if you haven't already, and look into LocalPhone. From there, all you need is very little mental effort and a little call forwarding magic.

Sweeney

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I switched to Ting from Sprint just over a month ago. So far the service has been the same and my bill for 4 phones lines went from $210 a month down to $38.

One thing I've found very useful is setting up google Voice numbers for each line and using them for both calls and messaging.

I. P. Daley has some very good advice and I would recommend looking over his guides. I just found Ting easy to setup and you can use either GSM or CDMA phones.

mikesinWV

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I would highly recommend Ting if you are one that doesn't plan on using a lot of data.  I have my wife and daughter on the plan.  Just be very careful in bringing a phone over there.  Make sure they support the exact device you plan on bringing (ie- not just the make/model). 

I ended up buying a phone that Ting didn't support (it is a Google Nexus but purchased originally thru a Sprint store).  I looked for a few other carriers and settled on Cricket Wireless which basically is AT&T.  I pay 45 bucks/month for unlimited voice/text and 5GB of data.  Customer service is fine, not great.  I was more impressed with Ting's.  They are really good.

schmiecs

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Ting is definitely a strong contender for me at this point. I have a friend who is sending me her referral link, and I have some old, unlocked iPhones from when I tried Airvoice previously. (Airvoice didn't work out for me - they couldn't work out porting my number, and the customer service person basically threw her hands up and told me to work with AT&T on it.)

I even tried RW's social media to try and get more customer service that way - someone said the ticket would be escalated shortly, but that was 2 days ago and I've seen no evidence of it.

I did read that on Ting you can set a limit for how much data you use - that seems like a useful feature. We only use data sometimes, especially for maps on trips, otherwise mostly Wifi is just fine.

schmiecs

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I will also read I P Daley's full report when I get a chance - looks like some great info in there!

chubbybunny

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Seems to be pretty dumb planning on their part if they are refusing to bump you up to a more expensive plan.  Customer service refusing to take more money from a customer seems like a pretty bad financial decision...

My husband got a republic phone last year.  He's switched from 3g to 4g twice while on travel (his only internet access), and both times the phone never registered 4g.  He rebooted several times, never got it to work.  So now he sticks with 3G or lower, but when he contacted support, they were not willing or able to refund the extra cost.


FIRE me

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Another happy Ting user here. My bill runs usually $11 per month, but for than amount I keep it under 100 voice minutes, no text (I hate texting anyway), and I use Wi-Fi for data. A high bill for me is $20, that is when I use cell data and go over 100 voice minutes.

Here is Ting's bill estimator, you just plug in your expected usage:

https://ting.com/rates

A few tips regarding Ting:

Look before you leap regarding bring your own device. Sprint has tightened up the rules, and the changes are not to the benefit of customers. Here is the Ting BYOD checker:

https://ting.com/byod

Call Ting customer service, if in doubt.

Ting now uses the both the Sprint network and T-Mobile's network. But not on the same phone. Due to legal reasons, Ting is not allowed to confirm that their GSM network is T-Mobile. Check both coverage maps to find out which one is best for you.

To keep your data usage low, IMMEDIATELY find your phone's setting to restrict apps and the OS itself to update over Wi-Fi only. Many new phones will update right out of the box. An Android update is hundreds of megabytes, with Lollipop coming in at about 380 MB. Since it downloads in the background, even if you don't choose to install it, it would be a unpleasant surprise on your bill.

Ting is not prepaid. You are required to have a credit card on file to which they bill your monthly service. Watch your card's expiration date. If it expires, Ting will cut off your service without warning.

If you need or want unlimited everything for one price, Ting is not for you.

kendallf

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A few tips regarding Ting:

Look before you leap regarding bring your own device. Sprint has tightened up the rules, and the changes are not to the benefit of customers. Here is the Ting BYOD checker:

https://ting.com/byod

Call Ting customer service, if in doubt.

Ting now uses the both the Sprint network and T-Mobile's network. But not on the same phone. Due to legal reasons, Ting is not allowed to confirm that their GSM network is T-Mobile. Check both coverage maps to find out which one is best for you.

Good tips here.  I have swapped both of my daughters to Ting, and recently got bitten by the device "financial eligibility check".  I bought an Ebay Iphone for her, advertised as clean ESN, etc.  Checked it on Ting's BYOD checker, it says it won't work on the CDMA side (Sprint) due to to balanced owed, yada yada.  The checker says, however, that the phone's OK for GSM use. 

What it doesn't say is that you have to have an unlocked phone to use the Ting GSM (which runs on T-Mobile's network, as you mention).  I ordered the Ting SIM card which, of course, wouldn't work in the locked Sprint Iphone.  Before I went too far down that rabbit hole, I went ahead and arranged to return that phone and bought another clean one for the CDMA side of the network, which is now ported and working  beautifully. 

Ting's customer service was good throughout, but it took a couple of weeks and buying two phones to get it done.

FIRE me

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Good tips here.  I have swapped both of my daughters to Ting, and recently got bitten by the device "financial eligibility check".  I bought an Ebay Iphone for her, advertised as clean ESN, etc.  Checked it on Ting's BYOD checker, it says it won't work on the CDMA side (Sprint) due to to balanced owed, yada yada.  The checker says, however, that the phone's OK for GSM use. 

What it doesn't say is that you have to have an unlocked phone to use the Ting GSM (which runs on T-Mobile's network, as you mention).  I ordered the Ting SIM card which, of course, wouldn't work in the locked Sprint Iphone.  Before I went too far down that rabbit hole, I went ahead and arranged to return that phone and bought another clean one for the CDMA side of the network, which is now ported and working  beautifully. 

Ting's customer service was good throughout, but it took a couple of weeks and buying two phones to get it done.

Glad Ting is working for you. And I hope your luck is better than mine at getting Ting referrals. $0 for me, I would starve if I were a salesman.

shadowmoss

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I'll put in a good word for Consumer Cellular.  Has really, really good customer service, plans I can switch around as much as I need over the month, a pool of minutes that Mom and I share, and uses AT&T unlocked phones just fine.  Check them out.

vamilla

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I noticed a comment in here that you don't own your device with Republic -- is that the same with Ting? How about Google Fi?

Does anyone know if iPhone sms counts as a text message on Ting?

Strongly leaning towards Google Fi just because you get credit back for what you don't use and it uses Wifi for calls FIRST. We can't get signal in our home with AT&T or Verizon, so we end up using a work VOIP number to call out.

Also, we get work reimbursement up to $500 per device which alleviates the sting of that nasty Nexus 6 price tag.

Daley

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I noticed a comment in here that you don't own your device with Republic -- is that the same with Ting? How about Google Fi?

Republic's handsets are proprietary, you can't activate them on anything but their service. Ting, Google Fi, etc... these are "vanilla" providers, and you can activate your handsets elsewhere. In the case of Ting CDMA, only other Sprint MVNOs, but GSM handsets can be taken to any GSM provider.

Does anyone know if iPhone sms counts as a text message on Ting?

Depends. If iPhones are on both ends, the message gets sent as data just like other SMS replacements like Kik, XMS, BBM, etc., IIRC. Otherwise, standard SMS rates.

Strongly leaning towards Google Fi just because you get credit back for what you don't use and it uses Wifi for calls FIRST. We can't get signal in our home with AT&T or Verizon, so we end up using a work VOIP number to call out.

Using VoIP for dead reception space isn't difficult, you can use any provider on both the mobile and VoIP end. It's all about knowing how to use call forwarding. If you've already got an iPhone, load up Bria on the thing, choose an MVNO that lets you forward calls (Ting will do this), and pick up a cheap LocalPhone account with incoming number or a freebie incoming number with CallCentric to forward to. Still might have SMS reception issues, but they'll just pile up until you get reception back. There's ways around that as well, especially if you're willing to let Google into your lives already.

Also, we get work reimbursement up to $500 per device which alleviates the sting of that nasty Nexus 6 price tag.

Maybe see how you can do it for far less first on any phone you like using Google Voice and a little call forwarding magic.
« Last Edit: June 30, 2015, 12:54:23 PM by I.P. Daley »

vamilla

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Wow - Thank you so much for this info! Going to try the call forwarding option tonight, and will look into the rest.


Daley

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Wow - Thank you so much for this info! Going to try the call forwarding option tonight, and will look into the rest.

If you're interested, you might want to give the guide a read. I go into a great level of detail about options and providers across the board.

patrat

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I've been completely satisfied with Walmart family mobile, its a tmobile service. Only thing lost is native wifi calling/texting.