Tracfone Problems

I just got rid of my Tracfone. I had decent service out of them on my phone, but my wife's phone was a completely different story. I had to spend more hours than I care to count dealing with them just to get her phone number transfered from her old Tracfone to her new one. Then we found out a year later that they didn't really fix the problem, they only delayed it a year and she was going to lose her phone number that she'd had for 7 years!

This is a very 'abridged' version of the story, but needless to say they lost 2 customers that day. I will never go back. Especially now that I found out that they are dealing with lawsuits and still treating customers like crap.

This is the second prepaid fiasco I've dealt with, so I'm even done with that deal. We got a regular service set up in less than 3 hours and have had no problems at all. Even when I decided I didn't like the phone I ended up with, they exchanged it with no questions and a smile!

Earlier this year, I purchased a cell phone from "Tracfone Inc.". This cell phone was purchased on a special promotional offer that included the cell phone and 600 minutes of pre-paid air time. After using approximately 75 minutes of air time over a period of time, the cell phone became defective..

I called their "1-800-867-7183" number and they took down the info and sent me another "reconditioned" cell phone which I got within about 3 days. Enclosed with the new "reconditioned" phone was a pre-addressed bag that I used to send in the old defective phone.

When I tried to activate the new "reconditioned" cell phone they "Mickey Moused" around and tried to get me to accept lesser air time. First it was 250 minutes, then it was 300 then 400 then back to 200. I kept telling them that I would not settle for any less than 500 air time minutes.
They then told me that I would have to wait 2 weeks as they would have to check with another department and that I would have to call their "1-800-867-7183" at that time,

I waited the time and finally got back to them after 2 and a half weeks. Now they will only offer me 350 air time minutes. I told them that this was NOT ACCEPTABLE and we went round and round about this with me being put on hold numerous times over about a 2 hour period of time

Now they want me to wait another 2 weeks again before I fear they are going to use the same routine to try to get me to accept lesser air time than the 500 minutes that I feel I paid for and am entitled to.

Hello. I'm a Tracfone and Net10 Rep and I really would like to adviced to all these angry customers: DO NOT BUY TRACFONE AND NOT EVEN NET10. They're bullshit. The phones have no solveable problems. We, Reps are obliged to follow RIDICULOUS scripts and also APOLOGIZE and even say THERE'S NOTHING THAT I CAN DO.

Have you ever requested a SUPERVISOR?? They are not really sups. They're other REPS chosen to answer calls like Tech Support. They have not even a training to deal with customers. They have no scripts, no american accent, nothing. IT'S ALL A LIE IN THE 10 CALL CENTERS. We are localed in ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, GUATEMALA, THE PHILLIPINES, BELIZA, GUYANA AND COLOMBIA

What you need to do when you have trouble with Tracfone is file a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau in Florida.
I know most of you don't think much BBB and neither did I but it was a last resort thing with me. I could not believe how fast I got a responce from them. My problem was that I had a phone that went bad with over 500 minutes of air time left on it. When Trackfone gave me a rebuilt phone to replace the bad phone they Micky Moused around and tried to get me to accept first 200 then 300 minutes of air time. After more than two weeks of trying to get them to give me the more than 500 minutes of air I felt I had coming I contacted BBB and within 3 days Trackfone called and restored 610 minutes of air time to my reconditioned phone that works fine now. I know you people don't have much faith in BBB but it worked for me. Try it it just might work for you also. All it cost is your time to file the E-mail complaint.

Dear R simet: You really suck. The way you write. There are more than 100 countries in America. We, Tracfone people are also Americans.
From Argentina to Canada. You American people get what you deserve.
You cannot even speak two languages.
Your service provider is an American company.
If you change tour mind you can get something better...

Remember that when you are calling and shouting and asking for a
supervisor or shouting or crying WE ARE LAUGHING...

Well since I see here the reps think they are invincable perhaps it is time to make sure thier boss see's how they feel with print outs of thier comments to the BBB, Florida State Attorney General, Montana State Auditor, the congressional commision currently reviewing cell phone companies and how the cunsumer can better be protected. In addition, have taken the liberty of mainstreaming your comments on the web. Just figure the more people that read them, the more likely some blood sucking greedy attorney will take this up and show Tracfone that it might be less expensive afterall to move thier operations back to the USA. Since several companies are already reviewing these options - why not Tracfone - would be a great way to boost thier immage and would relieve you poor, overstressed, people of the burden of dealing with the people of the USA. Thanks for listing the countries as well, plan to put a bug in a couple congressional ears about our "charitable" contributions both our house and the UN. He who laughs last laughs best!

Unfortunately, I purchased a Tracfone June, 2007 as a way to save money on my monthly cell phone bill. The first phone they sent me stopped working after only 3 weeks. Since that was the only phone that I owned, I purchased another Tracfone from WalMart so that they could transfer over the minutes. When I contacted customer service, they told me that they could transfer the minutes but could not refund the money I paid for it because I didnt send it to them prior to buying a replacement phone at the store. I had also purchased 600 minutes of airtime with a bonus that automatically DOUBLED any minutes that I would buy in the future. When I added 400 minutes yesterday, it did not double. I contacted their customer service department which made me think its located somewhere in India, they said that I had NEVER bought a double minutes card and that they could not do anything because I had trasferred the service to another phone. I was put on hold so many times I lost count. Then I spoke to a supervisor who stated he would provide a refund for the 400 minutes I had purchased. When he placed me on hold, I was hung up on. What is going on with this company???

My comment is for "Rep"...if you indeed are a TracFone representative, which is questionable. First, the call centers that I have read are clients of TracFone all provide call monitoring and state their goal as one-call resolution. While I do not doubt that many "employees" such as yourself abuse customers and violate call center paradigms, the likelihood that you will (a) be caught and (b) be fired is very high. Second, I find it laughable that you would comment on the writing abilities of those who posted other comments--particularly considering I have yet to see you type anything more than a run-on sentence punctuated with numerous commas. Finally, if you indeed are from a country other than the United States of America, you would be familiar with the fact that the term "American" is widely accepted as meaning "from the United States." Or, in Spanish (since you claim fluency), the term would be Estadounidense. But, then, you made a generalization that "Americans" don't speak more than one language. However, what you describe is a fallacy as this country has opened its borders to counteless immigrants since it's founding. I, for example, am fluent in 9 languages other than English. Going back to the original point of this forum, which is TracFone Problems, you have little to brag about when commenting that you knowingly participate in call-center abuses. And, I sincerely doubt you will glean much pity from those who post comments in this forum regarding your alleged poor work conditions (the 10 call centers you mentioned, though did not state names for, are actually required by international law to provide quality work environments and conditions. If what you are typing has any merit whatsoever, and you are really only permitted one 20- or 30-minute break per 12-hour shift and are still working at that call-center, then I find it highly ironic that you question the intelligence of TracFone customers calling in with legitimate concerns yet you are remaining at a slip-shod place of employment. Que mala suerte...but the ignorance is actually on your part. Ciao.

I am a long time user of Tracfone prepaid - 4 years no problem until now. PLEASE READ.....
I recently went to buy more airtime minutes on-line. A message came on the screen stating my current NOIKA phone would soon be obsolete. They would provide me
with a new digital phone at no charge and my minutes would then be transferred over to new phone upon receipt.
Within 3 days I received my new phone from Tracfone in Ohio. I called the 1-800-867-7183 and was told that they were having technical difficulties and I would have
to call back in 3 days. WOW, some serious technical problems! Well I tried back the next day and they could not get my minutes transferred over due to "technical
problems"! OK, I'm starting to get ticked-off now~ Well, while I am on with the 3rd Tracfone rep, I ask where they are located, she tells me Belize. She then tells me
that I need to hold for 3 minutes while she talks to a supervisor. Okay, next she tells me that she needs my name, home phone and birthdate. NOW, I am concerned.
I refused to give her my birthdate and she disconnected me! I call back and the guy tells me they cannot activate my new phone for some reason - remember this is my
free one they sent via DHL express mail to my home. What the heck is going on with Tracfone? Now I have 2 tracfones that don't work! Minutes due to expire today!!!

My Verizon account will be up soon so I thought I may try Tracfone. But, after reading everyones complaints I am going to use US Cellular....Nominated by JD Powers Assoc.

I work as a Tracfone rep in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I totally understand
your frustration towards the company, the service they provide is
extremely bad... However, i think you´re also very unfair when you
say our english is bad... Most of the customers just don´t even want to
listen what we have to say. Millions of times i would just say: "THANK YOU
FOR CALLING TRACFONE WIRELES, MY NAME IS ------, HOW MAY I ASSIST
YOU TODAY?" And the cust would reply: "I WANT TO SPEAK WITH
SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS IN ENGLISH" And when i rephrased what cust had
just said(yes, we have to rephrase EVERYTHING you say) and asked cust
a few questions in order to transfer the call, cust understood EVERYTHING
PERFECTLY!!! So, come on!
And "polyglot", America is a whole continent, not just your country...
and it is true that we only have 20 minutes of break, and yes, we work
under awful conditions... just in case you haven´t noticed... we need
the money.

I am in a position of taking care of my father 3 days a week in Mass who is dying of cancer. I live in Maine. I drive 3 and a half hours back and forth by myself. My son gave me his old tracfone. I purchaced a year to have the privlige of having the same phone number for $99.99. I had to get the ISN # from inside the phone. I called the # on the reciept and did what the macanical vioce told me to do. I had thought that my phone would receive the units and phone # with in a short time over the tracfone. This did not happen. When I got out of work I called the same # and spoke with a foreign humon voice. I rechecked the ISN# and found that I had programed the last digit wrong. The voice on the other end told me there was nothing he could do< Oh I sorry anything else I can do? . I do know that if I had accidently put my $ in another bank account the bank would rectify the mistake. I have contacted the Better Bussiness Bureau of Maine. I was given phone # for Office of Consumer Affairs and Florida Attorney General Office. The girl I spoke with from B B of M said the company is out of Florida. I am definatly following though on this! Debbi D.

when i apologize to a customer, i really mean it... things would also be soo much easier for us
if we could just offer you 500 minutes everytime sth went wrong with your Tracfone.. However, we can not give any free minutes unless a supervisor authorizes it.
Sometimes there is really nothing we can do about the problem you are having, eventhough we want to.
I honestly apologize for all the inconveniences you have with these phones... and i wish i could do more than just apologize in some cases.

I have a V170 Motorola phone from tracfone. Forgot to mention that. from my message above.

I got 50 minutes free on buying 200+ minutes from <a href="http://www.couponalbum.com/coupons/tracfone.htm&qu...; store through Couponalbum.com by using coupon code "59673"......!

I would like to say Thank you for the help I recieved. We played phone tag for a couple of weeks and I was becoming frustrated. But Trachone reached me yesturday and I was able to recieve my 1 year service and the units. I still have to travel every weekend, but now I will feel confident that if anything was to happen I will be able to reach family. Alot of winter snowstorms and highway driving is ahead of me. Thank you agian.

Check out http://www.tracfonebonuscodes.com for tips on how to get the cheapest tracfone service, free tracfones and bonus minute codes.

UNREAL--PRAY YOU NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM-----I ordered a phone online with min's. $85.00 They shipped it and i was not here to sign for it. I have called six time so far
each time the tech who can't speak english has asked a question, puts me on hold to talk to a manager, this goes on and on... Each time I'm told the money has been or
will be refunded. As I write I'm on hold..................................I wish I had read this site before I put my credit card numer into their web site,,,,,

I certainly wish that I had found this website before I tried to reactivate my cell phone with Tracfone! WHAT A POOR EXCUSE FOR A BUSINESS! Originally when I activated my phone about 2 years ago, it was a breeze. Had it up and running in about 30 minutes. This time a totally different story. I encountered many of the same problems that I have read about here ......being put on hold endlessly while "I talk to my supervisor", asking questions of the reps and never getting a straight answer, could not tell me why my cell phone was not working, telling me that they would reinstate my minutes and then not doing it, the phone connection was horrible, and, of course, could not understand what they were saying half the time, etc. etc. etc. Over the last 2 days I have been on the phone with Tracfone for four (4) hours and still nothing has been accomplished. Finally today, after being asked to call back tomorrow, I requested that they just refund my money. Even though I was given a refund confirmation number I will definitely call my credit card company tomorrow to stop payment on their charges. Well, I am off to check out other blogs for other cell phone companies in hopes that I may find one that is located in the good ol USA!

it doesnt help anything when you call tracfones 800 # and get the phillipines or another foriegn country.The phone connection is always terrible even from a
a land line

I have been a Tracfone customer for over 7 years and until recently, a fairly satisfied customer. However, the upgrade process to a new phone has completely changed
my perception of Tracfone. True customer service does not exist for this company. They cannot get the new phone to work, cannot tell you why it won't work, ask you
a million questions (some I regret answering), don't seem to really understand the problem, obviously read from a script that doesn't even flow with the problem resolution,
and will put you off endless times with directions to wait another 24 to 48 hours and try the phone again. I have been on the phone with customer service four times over
this one issue and have not been helped. I have also tried the email route with "technical support" with the same results. The answers given by "technical support" are
very similar to the customer service anwers (coincidence?).This is by far the most frustrating experience I have encountered with any business, large or small. After
reading this blog, it is obvious that I have a lot of company with people frustrated over Tracfone. If something doesn't change soon, Tracfone will certainly lose a
substantial amount of business in the not too distant future. There are certainly many other services out there who are eager to take on new customers like me.

I've gone through the whole gamut with TracFone. Getting hung up on. Their failure to provide proper explanations, Failure to make things happen. Being held on the telephone for more than two hours. Getting BS on bogus promotions seen in emails, and on the Web Site. Not being able to get through on the telephone. Frequently broken Web Site (as I'm writing this). Being given bogus FAX numbers. Not being able to understand their terrible English. Need I go on??
Also, they sold me a Motorola C261. It is a color phone with camera, speakerfone, and vibrator. Now, this phone has a lot more capabilities. But Tracfone has disabled most of them. The browser only allows me to go to THEIR Web Site, for THEIR STORE, OR THEIR NEWS, OR THEIR SPORTS, and THEIR WEATHER, AND ONLY THEIR RING TONES. Chat is disabled, and so is the capbility to get email that's sent by a computer. Basically, the only thing that I can do with this phone is SMS messaging, and Voice communication. Do you call that good service?? It's just as if their computer equipment is too primitive to be able to handle modern services. It's either that, or they are just not smart enough to bring their equipment and services up-to-date.

I have had a tracfone for several years and hadn't had a problem until Christmas. I purchased 200 minutes and never received them and after several calls to someone who did not speak English with an American accent my problem was still unresolved. That was $50.00 I don't have. That is like throwing a fifty dollar bill out the window. I don't know how many people can afford to do that, I can't. I am so PISSED tha I have warned people and told them what happened to me. I bought a Go Phone and love it I can talk to my sisters for FREE!!!!!!

I have had a Tracfone also for several years with no problems of adding minutes until this week. I tried to switch to one of the Value plans over the internet and had an error message to call the 800#. The error was that their program would change my town name and add a different town to my zip code. The town that the program added has not had a post office/zip for over 4 years and is a rural rt of my town. I called the 800# and tried to speak to 3 different reps without them understanding the problem. I finally decided to buy an air time card and tried to do it on line. Still no go. I called one more time (800-876-5753) and got a rep that spoke very well. She tried to place the order and kept getting an refusal for my credit card. I tried to explain to her that their zip code data base has an error. Our county just went to E911 and all the address have been updated. Some how their program is keying in a town that does not have a post office. After trying 3 time with one card we tried another card and still was denied. She then offered to place a conference call to my credit card companies. The first card company had honored all three. We got them to remove all charges. Then we called the other card company and they had approved the charge also. Then we tried the 1st card one more time. Did not go thru. The Tracfone bank had not accepted the okay from either credit card company and I had been charged a total of 5 times. I finally gave up. She was helpful in getting the charges removed , when she had in fact said that my card had never been charged. This morning I went to the drug store and bought a card and added minutes with no problem. I have written a letter to Tracfone. Tracfone Wireless, Inc., 8390 NW 25th St. Miami, FL 33122-1504. They really do need to get their act together and give better customer service.

I purchased a Tracfone (Motorola V170) to replace my previous phone that got wet and no longer functions. I have been trying to have my new phone activated and my previous number and minutes transferred to the new phone. I have been told that the phone was not scanned properly when I purchased it, so I have had to fax my receipt and serial number. I've done this 3 times to 3 different numbers and each time I call, I am told a different number. This has been going on since 12/21/07. Today I called again and once again was told they have not received my information. So I have faxed it yet again.

I've had a TracFone for several years without too many problems, and what problems I've had were handled well.
Although not native English speakers, I was able to understand the help desk representatives.
Something has gone terribly wrong at TracFone in the last 9 months though. Every time I add airtime now, my
credit card is billed and the time doesn't show up. It takes many calls and many hours to get the time added.
I've had reps answer and hang up before I could even say a word. I've had the old standby putoff - "The time
will show up in 24 hours." The web site is broken, where I get the message to try again later or "Server Error."
The only thing that isn't broken, is the emails and phone messages telling me that my time is about to expire.
The actual phone service has been good, but getting the service has become more trouble than it's worth.

I wrote on 1/16/2008 that I had had trouble purchasing minutes and change of plans using the internet. Also had the same problem with customer service. I finally went to drug store and bought a card to add minutes. I received a call today from Tracfone this afternoon in regard to a letter I had sent them. They offered an apology that they were unable to help me with my zip code problem and they gave me 50 minutes of extra air time. I also explained that part of the problem was with the US Postal Service and that the USPS has made a correction in their data base that would not change my town to an alternate town for zip code address.
The customer service person was very nice and spoke fairly good English with a very heavy Spanish accent. I really recommend writing a letter to Tracfone when you have a problem that you can not resolve. They really want to give good service.

I, too, have been a Tracfone customer for several years and have not really ever had any problems...until the switch-over this last fall! I received a new phone, which wouldn't work properly, so Tracfoen immediately sent me another one (received in 2 days). Had a little difficulty activating it, but a very helpful rep was able to help me. Fast forward to January 5 when I had to add more time and minutes. Immediately upon trying to add the time and minuters, the phone displayed "Non Registered SIM", so I called the company. 6 hours of calls later, I am due to receive my 3rd SIM card (not counting the original one) and I still have NO SERVICE!! Today was the thrid time I spoke with an agent who told me that my SIM card was the wrong one. I might add that it has been taking a week to receive my new card. (The first time I was supposed to get one, it was not even sent out. I have been patient and polite to the reps as I realize that the equipment is not their fault but I still have not received any actual service! I will no longer be a Tracfone customer, but I can't afford to lose the money I have tied up in minutes. I am very happy to read that the BBB has helped some of you. They are my next stop. And, after reading about the reps who work long hours with little break, I can not support a company that treats its' workers in susch a fashion. I feel for those reps, after all they are only trying to make a living, but the human rights part of me says "Dump Tracfone".

Hey Guys, remember that you are buying a 10 or 15 dollars phones, not computers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are fighting to return Tracfone from Argentina to the U.S, but you will get the same service!!!!!!!!!!
The carriers will be the same!!!!
Tracfone Carriers:
Cingular
Verizon Wireless
T-Mobile
US Cellular
Dobson Cellular
Tracfone depends on these carriers. They usually disconnect the lines.
So, if the company goes back to the U.S the carriers won't change.
So sorry so sad! It doesn't happen in my country!!!!!!

This is for Rep BsAs, who states that we are purchasing 10 or
15 dollar phones....Mine cost me $49.00 us! And it is not
the carrier service we are all complaining about....It is the
customer service representatives that are not empowered to
do anything except read off of a scripted page! TracFone needs
to "TRAIN" their representatives and empower them to take care
of all situations that they can handle like moving units, etc.

Attention Snowbird Canadians!
DO NOT BUY TRACFONE
This is a perfect example of a brain-dead US company. You cannot buy additional airtime over the web or phone because you can only use a US address and US credit card. The "customer service" (laugh here) is in India (need I say more?) therefore you are exempt from any specials that are offered.
I will attempt calling the Corporate Headquarter number posted earlier in this blog but I am not holding my breath.

This is for Judi Priest:
These kind of problems should be for a 3rd world country.
I am very sorry to read all the inconveniences.
We are all prepared to help customers but you are not prepared to receive help from a different accent person. So, you will really get the service that you deserve. As I wrote before we don´t get this service in Argentina.
I agree with you when you say that we will have to be better trained because my training was for 5 days and then we were sent to take calls without knowing what a phone was. But after 2 weeks I knew how to resolve problems when somebody wanted to be helped.
Just to give you more information:
There are only 40 afternoon shift workers in BsAs. You won´t have the accent or understanding problem anymore...I am sure that it will work better with Estadounidense Reps!!!!! so sorry, so sad...

Just an update....
I called the Resolutions number posted above. I was on the phone for less than half an hour. The rep checked the numbers of all my SIM cards and had me try one of the older ones. He took my phone number saying it would take a bit to work on the problem and he would call me back. The next day I received his call--he had programed another SIM card which he was sending to me. Well, it arrived today and I called (and got the same person), we put in a few codes and...voila!...I had service, a phone number, and extra minutes and time for my troubles. I may still change to another cell company, but I applaude the Resolutions line for giving very good service!

This is to Grace Miller:
Hello I was a BsAs Tracfone Rep. Your units will not be charged when it says
AT&T VM. That means that your carrier (tower or line) is AT&T.
You can try to set up the VM from the landline.
Just turn the phone off, call from the LLphone and then just follow the
instructions.
Try to find the VM number to see if it correct. It should be on the phone.
Remember that the +sign and the number 1 should be at the beginning of
the number.
Good Luck!

I am another dissatisfies TracFone customer. I have had two phones and for the most part they worked well. The first one was lost and I replaced it. The second one was stolen. I have yet to get an answer on the number when I call and, to my knowledge, it has not been used, which probably means it was thrown away. My issue with the company is hteir lack of service or concern. I have called them twice because I had just purchased a double minutes card and I wanted to have that transferred to a new phone. I was told they could not do it and in the next breath the rep told me if it was a service problem with the phone they could transfer it. So, I said what you mean is you COULD transfer it but you choose not to. I told him I would like to have it noted that for this reason I would NEVER deal with tracfone again. His comment was, if that's what you need to do....

Such wonderful customer disservice...they need to be boycotted and run out of busines..

I posted on feb 6 that I tried the number in florida for corporate headquaters. It took a couple weeks to get it fixed but they did it. The man I spoke to was very helpful, like I said it took awhile but they did get my problem fixed. The customer service overseas said there was nothing they could do. So I will keep using them. I was very pleased with the customer service in florida.

He is right, this is for POOR PEOPLE!!!!!!

I'll say one thing...I keep it simple. I buy only the time I think I may need
and the reception is better than any cell phone I've ever owned!
OK, That was two....

I posted the message just above this one, now let me tell you what I just experienced this morning. I had just purchased a new tracphone, and my older phone again, had over 600 units on it. I called the customer service number and got a guy who was foreign, but he spoke very slowly and clearly to me. He guided me through tons of codes being entered on both phones, and now maybe 10 minutes later I have all my old units transferred to my new phone. I thanked the rep for being so nice and helpful to me. Again, this shows you that not everyone has bad experiences at all with TracPhone or the Reps. I have NO plans or thoughts os leaving TracPhone, for me they are great.
My name is Robert Benjamin and I live here in the states in Pennsylvania.

BEWARE OF TRACFONE - Unethical people. Bad product. I purchased a 1-year, 400-minute airtime card with my phone and it stopped working after 60 days. Target would not take it back because it was a Christmas gift and the receipt had expired before the problem revealed itself. After very long arduous call to TracFone Customer Service they agreed to send a new SIM card to fix it. The card arrived and I called to activate it. I was told the SIM card number was invalid. They agreed to send another SIM card, but after many long holds and unintelligble customer service reps, they hung up on me and never called back (they had my phone number). I began to suspect I was the victim of a scam and checked the Internet. There are thousands of complaints about this company. I called again to try to get a new SIM card. We'll see.

I'd like to add to my previous post that if you get a One Rate phone, you never pay roaming. My wife and I both got them and we've never paid more than about 8-10 cents per minute, no matter where we go.

what if your phone dose not turn on how do you turn it on iv chared it and everything and it wont turn on.

Hi my wife and I got 2 phones over 2 years ago and we got double min. cards now after 2 years they are telling that our cards were only good for one year.
and if we want to be able double our mins. again we can go buy yet another card I am finding that tracphone has no real problem taking your money but customer
is way down on the bottom of the list. We are glad to say that when our mins. expire we will no longer be using this service.

not that i think tracphone cares but I just wanted to let you know

this comment is for nancy who posted on 2/19/08. when i read your story i thought i was reading my own. the same thing happened to me. i bought a tracphone 2 years ago with the double minute card that they now claim is just for one year. i recently had the minutes transferred to another phone but the double minute plan went on there twice. and the other phone got no plan. they said the 2 plans would combine as one which i thought was bs since there goes my 129.42 out the window! only one rep explained to me that the card was only active for one year but they themselves never corrected me when i called it a double minute for life card nor did they say it shouldn't be there. also the phone i transferred the minutes and card from was still doubling the minutes before it was deactivated. they said that was an "error". i don't think so. not my error. the fact they saw it was a double minute card in their system and acknowledged it to me meant that it was their internal system adjustment for all double minute cards. i got out the scanned walmart receipt and read them the serial number of the card. i also told them why would i buy a card for 129.42 and it not be doubled when today they're sold for $50 and are doubled for life? i ended up having to write letter to bbb and 1st she said it would be on in 24 hours. now tf is giving me the "it'll be on there in 24-48 hour" thing and that was 3 days ago and hasn't yet and won't be. 24 hours was tuesday since i 1st called monday and now this is wednesday. based on previous experience with another phone i know that "24-48 hours" thing is just a stall tactic as soon as you hit enter on any pc the transaction should take effect immediately not stall for 24-48 hours. bs.

long story short I just got off the phone with the "corporate office" and got my problem solved (switching over to a replacement (reconditioned) phone). When she asked me if there was anything else she could do for me i said more airtime minutes would help and she (we) added another 30 minutes. yes, it's frustrating to deal with this bs but i was reading this blog while on the phone with them and was inspired to remain calm and patient. THANK YOU JEFFRY for creating this blog and providing the corporate number!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, I'm also a TracFone Rep, and I know the service is not the way you are expecting, but as you all know, customer services offices are located outside of USA and we as cust rep we dont have all of the access and the programs that coporate office has in Miami, most of the time that we tell you you need to wait 24-48h to escalate the information it is because we need to send it to Miami, they are the only one who has access to all of the records about missing units, charges on hold or technical issue that's why the can solve the issue immediately, and our access to the TracFone system is limit, I mean, we as cust reps would like to help in a one call resolution, but we can do as far as we have access to all of the systems to resolve the issue
Let me tell you good tips if you decide to call someday cust service 1-800-8677183
i know most of you complains about the long waiting before reaching a rep, so just after you press 1 for english, you press 4 technical option, and then option 5
also most of the times if you choose the tech option, on this way you get reps with more experience about the job, and if you are still unsatisfied with the service, you can request for a sup, they are also reps, but with more experience and more access to tracfone tools
also if you are patient and polite, reps maybe should be giving u some free minutes if you ask for it
but if u are calling us yelling and treating us in a bad way, dont ask why you call was disconnected several times because even if we can solve your issue immediately you are not being polite, reps are not going to help you never

I just off the (other) phone with a series of Tracfone representatives. Apparently, they hire the (mentally) handicapped. After one hour and twenty-four minutes, I was told that my service had been canceled because I did not use the phone often enough. In a shocking display of poor business practices, these fine folks terminated my service while we were on the phone.
The fact that my phone never got a good enough signal to make or receive calls is the reason I contacted the (non)service department.
Although my airtime (supposedly) was not to expire until August, the saw fit to simply terminate my service. Of course, they were perfectly happy to take my money - they just didn't feel that I should get anything for it. All four of the "professionals" I dealt with insisted that they could not help me unless I bought even more unusable airtime.
My advice: get a Net 10 phone. Even if the service is less than stellar, you'll be getting it for one third the price. Further, I'm fairly certain they could not possibly have more annoying or less capable representatives than the fine folks at Trashfone.

Thanks for the free minutes I got at http://www.tracfonebonuscodes.com

UPDATE: Upon switching to Net 10, the following improvements were readily apparent:
1. Superb signal strength; I can now make and receive calls. Net 10 was actually considerate enough to set up my phone as I requested - this includes taking into account my zip code.
2. Call quality is excellent. No dropped calls, static, or other deficiencies to report.
3. Net 10 gave me a tremendous amount of free minutes when I activated my new phone online.
I wish I had switched sooner. Trashfone has been such a bad experience for such a long time that the switch to Net 10 comes as a great relief. Finally, something works correctly. I'm now getting superior service at a fraction of Trashfone's fees.

Although Trashfone and Net 10 may be owned by the same people, there are tangible differences. Much like a Lincoln Navigator and a Ford Pinto are both produced and marketed by Ford Motor Company, but yield very dissimilar performance, Trashfone and Net 10 - regardless of their presumed common ownership - yield very dissimilar performance.
I must admit, however, that I have not yet found it necessary to engage in conversation with Net 10's customer service personnel. Such a circumstance may well be just as frustrating as my past experiences with Trashfone's personnel.
That said; owing to the great rates, easy online start-up, and flawless service, if problems arose with customer service, I would throw the phone away and start over - with Net 10 - before ever reconsidering Trashfone.
In summary, just as with Ford's Navigator and their Pinto, sometimes two products offered by a common company do indeed yield vastly differing performance.

I like the Tracfone as just an emergency phone for my
husband. Purchasing a $20 card several times a year keeps
the cost to less than $7 a month. Luckily he has never
had to use it. Service is good.
The problem is adding minutes. I've tried to use the
automated 'add time' feature. But for some reason my
phone does not match up with what operators says will
appear on my phone. Have tried to do it on line but
something always happens in the middle.
Talking to an operator at Tracfone is a nightmare!!! And
since I'm buying 90 days at a time I totally dread each
time that renewal date comes up. I worked for many
years using phones, talking to people all around the world.
I press the number to get English but this is not English
as I know it. I do want to say they are polite.
And for some reason the first time does not get the
minutes added. It always takes at least one and sometimes
two more frustrating calls to finally get the minutes to
show on the phone. I find myself talking louder and
louder.
My sister insists that these operators are not even
located here in the USA.
I have an option of changing his phone; but it will cost
another $5 or so a month. It might be worth it to keep
my blood pressure down!

Tracfone is a NIGHTMARE! Not only did my phone just stop working and I lost 200 minutes, but I can't even add airtime. The website is dysfunctional, I can't understand the reps and the script they read from is so annoying. They say "please bear with me" at least 50 times per call. They give me instructions on accessing my menu when I already know how to do it. Tried yesterday to add airtime and the female rep went on and on with so much UNNECESSARY talking that my phone went dead! Another wasted call to tracfone! THEY ARE THE WORST COMPANY IN THE WORLD.

The bluetooth issue is no surprise at all to me. Tracfone has to be one of the most unethical "companies" in the world. Once you've bought that phone or airtime card, it's a total crapshoot how things will turn out. I can't even add simple airtime to my phone without major problems. First of all, the "redeem airtime" won't even show on my phone. Secondly, their website always gives me a "Internal Server Error" if I try to buy time there. You're FORCED to deal with their "reps", who are all in third world shitholes. I've already smashed one tracfone with a concrete block and am thinking about doing it to the phone I have now. I pity the fools who buy the one year airtime deal!

As far as I know, *67 doesn't work on cell phones period. It doesn't even work on our local landline phone system. Where I lived for 30 years before, it always worked and I had the habit of always using it. On cell phones, it may have something to do with cell phones not having a dial tone. When you use it on a landline, you get those 2 or 3 beep tones when it's activated.

tracfone isn't any good. i bought one back in june, on the first, 2008. they gave me a number that was no good, it was a number that had been discontinued by a bank, i could call out but no one could call me. they sent me another phone (reconditioned), then they emailed me telling me they gave me a bad number. well that phone didn't work so they sent me another, at which it didn't work either so i sent them all back. i thought it would be easier to have a cell phone because of all the crap i delt with at&t and toon boot i didn't like federal spying, now i don't have a phone. they still owe me for 51.4 units, but did they try to make amends? no. karma baby karma you stupid idiots

Mysterybid, you can kiss my ugly white ass, posting your cheerful little posts here about the cute little "bonus codes" you got. Even the bonus codes are a scam. They rarely ever work. Hell, I can't even add regular airtime to my crapfone, MUCH LESS bonus codes!!

Obviously you haven't had to deal with them very much. You're a very rare case or you're just one of those who refuses to say anything negative about a person or a company. Nothing new.

If you bought a phone just to "share ring tones with friends", you deserve to be screwed. Many people, including myself, only have a cell phone for emergencies, not for b.s. like you speak of. What a waste of money. I'll bet you're one of those zombies walking around with your phone in front of you, glaring at it constantly, waiting for the next "important" text message to come in. What a loser.

Hi, I purchased a Tracfone 5-6 years ago a Motorola v120 and it still works
fine, I purchase cards and install the minutes using my home pc and my
tracfone accout, I tried to add minutes while receiving instructions with my
land line and got a rep with an english dialect which was hard to undrestand
but we managed slowly to get the several 15? caracter codes entered and get it
working, always look for promotional codes that I can add to my phnone for
extra minutes, I understand that ATT charges $1.00 pr day to access a line

Quoth The "REP" (10/2/07 12:51 AM) "Remember that when you are calling and shouting and asking for a supervisor or shouting or crying WE ARE LAUGHING... "

Ah, yes, the typical TracFone "professionalism" we've come to know and love... um, I mean, um, tolerate. That is, ENDURE.

Ca ANYONE tell me where there is NOT a class action suit filed against these creeps? They are into me for more HELL than I care to think about -- and it just does NOT stop! I guess I am going to have to grit my teeth, unload my two TracPhones onto someone with greater stamina (and lower blood pressure), and go with Verizon. Will I pay more? Maybe -- but at least I'll have usable phones, AND be able to avoid spending half my life on the line with lying toads at customer "service" -- and I certainly DO feel "serviced" -- in the animal husbandry sense of the term.

HAHAHA! Your story is a carbon copy of thousands of others. Yes, tracfone remains a miserable experience for all, but there's not a damn thing you can do about it. As long as we choose to not go with a "real" cell phone, the misery will go on. But "real" cell phones are expensive to keep active. I'm not a cell phone addict like many are or I'd go with a real one. I just want something to get by with and actually hate phones period.

diddlysquat,

Removing the number from this blog prevented tracfrone from pursuing legal action against me. I'd hardly call it pointless.

Ralph,

Sounds to me like that is exactly the type of thing one can get sued over. If you read tech dirt on a routine basis, you'll find they write about plenty of similar lawsuits. That does not, as you imply, mean the lawsuits have a legal grounding.

As a service provider, I would technically be protected under the communication decency act (I believe section 403; but don't quote me on that). After discussing the issue with my own legal counsel we decided it was in my best interests for me to remove the offending comments.

In a battle of legal wills, they have more money / resources than I and would most likely lose; regardless of whether or not I was in legally right.

I just searched google and and just on the first page of search results, Fredrick Pollak's phone number is posted twice. Even his email and home address are shown. It also shows how much of our tracfone money went to Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Wow... I love the smell of astroturf in the morning... it smells like... a professional production.

Now, to balance out the smoothie astroturf -- our most RECENT misadventure with these clowns involves the ongoing pain of adding minutes to our Motorola W370. Great deal, we thought -- double minutes for life, only $14.97, so, we bought the phone -- and it's been misery ever since.

It's NEVER been able to manage to deliver on the "supported" email/multimedia stuff. Non-text email is simply impossible -- stuff sent TO the phone disappears in the void. Stuff sent FROM the phone is NOT sent -- the phone chuggles along for a few minutes, then pops up an error message saying to try again later -- and debits MINUTES from its balance! We PAY for NOT sending mail.

TEXT mail that's sent FROM the phone is sent with a bogus return address (it's an ATT relay -- apparently they do NOT want our recipients from being able to do anything but REPLY to a specific email).

Then, we tried to add minutes to it. Instant blood-pressure booster. (By "instant" I of course mean "several HOURS of hell on the phone -- over the course of several DAYS.)

Ultimately we DID get what we paid for -- but it was a real snakefight getting them to relent and give us what we PAID for.

The deal was, by such and such an amount of minutes, and get so-many "bonus" minutes. Sounded like a good deal, so, we did it -- over the web, knowing better than to TRY to do it over the phone.

Their server accepted the order, and issued the base minutes AND the bonus minutes. They sent a text message to the phone confirming the base minutes and the BONUS minutes.

But, they did NOT give the DOUBLE minutes, which should be automatic with a DMFL phone (built-into the phone, NOT added later via a DMFL card).

The fun began. THEIR absurd story was that they DID give the double minutes, but would NOT give the BONUS minutes, since the bonus code was invalid.

Only problem with that LIE of course is that they DID accept -- and CONFIRM the bonus code, and, issue the BONUS minutes, both at time of purchase, on the website, AND, via the text message that is still stored in the phone!

Yet, they DENIED it -- basically said that WE were lying about it! Flat out REFUSED to issue "bonus" minutes (while maintaining that the BONUS minutes we received were NOT "bonus" minutes, but were rather our DOUBLE minutes). REFUSED to even LET us demand our DOUBLE minutes, since they insisted we HAD received them, even though we had NOT!

It's like talking to a brick wall. A very polite brick wall, that loves to put you on hold so they can "talk to a supervisor" (apparently a LOT of people engage in this madness ON their tracfone, and the longer they can drag it out, the more minutes they'll burn up in the process -- calls to customer "service" are NOT free! So, we do it over the landline -- EVERY time we try to do anything with the phone.)

After HOURS of this BS -- both with thier "might speak some english" people in BFE, and later on, with their "Executive Solutions" people in Florida (or whatever they're calling that office this week) -- who ALSO dug in and stonewalled, INSISTING that we DID receive our double minutes -- they "relented" and "gave" us some "bonus" minutes -- in the amount of the DOUBLE minutes we PAID for -- acting like they were throwing some "go-away money" at us as a GIFT, to shut us up!

I think I am going to run down the minutes on this POS and then sell it to someone younger, healthier, and with more adventure in their soul than ME.

How this company stays in business is truly beyond me. This is FAR from the ONLY nightmare we've had with them -- and from all I've read on the web, our tale is FAR from unique. If anything, it seems par for the course. What are they, Above The Law or something? Must be!

Both of my elderly parents have Tracfones just for emergencies. I'm the one who has to do all the upkeep of adding minutes etc. My dad bought a $21 60-minute airtime pin last July 31. I was just now able to redeem it and after all I went through, all I got was the 60 minutes and did not get the normal 90 days, so before the date runs out on Dec 30, I'll have to go through it all again. As always, I first tried to redeem the time directly on the phone, but it never works. Then tried on the internet and their defective site failed again also. Some things never change.

Right now I am not very happy with Tracfone. Purchased one for my mother many years ago and got her an upgrade for Christmas. After many hours online and on the telephone with a service rep now both telephones are considered inactive, no minutes have been transferred, and the value plan that she in on has not been transferred. I was told before I hung up with the rep that everthing would be in place in 72 hours. Now, I am being told that not everything can be transferred. I always try to look for a positive - the old phone number has been transferred to the new phone! This has been a HUGE ordeal and it shouldn't have been!

Their website doesn't work! I've tried all day to set-up an additonal phone with no luck. I called the toll free number and couldn't understand the tech. I have one phone
and would like to activate another phone so I can sign up for the value plan as my husband and I only use the phones occassionally. It would be nice if they took care
of their website if they are going to sell the product and encourage you to use the site when you call the toll free number!

Here's the website error I get every time I ever try to buy airtime online. It's the same every time and has been going on for months. Does anyone else get the same error? I'm using Firefox.
Error 500--Internal Server Error
From RFC 2068 Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1:
10.5.1 500 Internal Server Error

The server encountered an unexpected condition which prevented it from fulfilling the request.

OMG... I'm seeing myself here. We are at the end of our second WEEK trying to transfer minutes, airtime and phone number to our "upgraded" phone. Have talked to at least 10 different peopl, spent countless ours on hold, while they look for a "supervisor" who is actually just sojeone down the line who can't help you anyway. The latest time frame, from 1 hour to 24 hour, to 24-48 hours to 24-72 hours is now up to 30 days.
This is absolutely horrendous, as we have quite a few folks with our cell phone number in other states who might need to get in touch with us in emergency situations. It just won't work to change our number. Meanwhile, 7 voicemail promises to return my call over the last 5 days have gone ignored.
Believe me, when the minutes are expired, the phone number will go with me to some other company... hopefully one where the reps on the phone don't lie to your face!

I bought a Tracfone a couple years ago to use in Hawaii and Las Vegas while I stayed in the U.S. for a month. It worked out pretty good and the customer service was helpful when I activated it.
HOWEVER, I recently purchased two more as a Christmas gift for family members. As I speek about customer service with Tracfone, understand that I don't care what race, religion, ethnicity
or accent somebody has on the other end of the phone call. All the customer is looking for is a clear and competent source of information. Anyways, The service rep had a very thick Jamaican accent
that was difficult to understand at times but I got through it. She was nearly unable to comprehend what I was saying so a 15 mintue phone call turned in to 45 minutes of repeating myself and using phonetics
to spell my name and address. Talk about frustration. The phones I purchased were completely dead. Now why would that be? Two completely new phones from a major retail store invalid?
I was told two new phones would be shipped to my address immediately without charge. I recieved them a little late since the only thing correct on my address was the zip code. I told the rep the brand of phone I purchased and was promised the same in return. Unfortunately that did not happen. A phone is a phone, but I paid for a phone that I did not recieve. I activated the two new phones through an automated system. Usually I hate the idea
of talking to a computer but I couldn't have been more happy to activate them this way. The entire Tracfone industry is a scam, regardless of how many people give the company their praises.
The reps are poorly trained but look where the rep offices are located. After reading up on Tacfone/Net10 and researching it's history of bad customer service, pick pocketing customers and complete disregard
for running a faithful enterprise, I wasn't surprised how I or tens of thousands of customers are treated. Many other people were treated much worse than I have but I can still feel their pain and frustration.
You can't polish a tird, and Tracfone is just that.

You're now in Tracfone HELL. There's no way out. Tracfone doesn't give refunds for airtime but retailers usually give refunds for phones. You bought an annual plan? The biggest mistake of all. There is no hope for you. Bend over.

Well,Jeffry Dude!
Why not go through thier Safelink division?This is a program for low income people who are on gov't programs who need cellphones in caseof an emergency? It beats trying to spend mo
on one knowing that ads are now running about Safelink,and yes,they send you a Moto W175g Tracfone Free! Check it out!

well my tracfone says service disabled.! idk (i dont know) what that means!? can some one tell me how to get ride of that?! it wont let me text or call anyone!

I HAVE TRIED TO GET MY TRACFONE WORKING SINCE
DECEMBER 16, 2008. TODAY IS JANUARY 26TH 2009.
CAN'T CALL OR RECEIVE CALLS. EVERY TIME I CALL
TO ASK FOR HELP,THEY HAVE ME PUT A CODE IN TELL
ME TO WAIT 72 HOURS. I HAVE DONE THIS ABOUT 7
TIMES. THE PHONE STILL DOES NOT WORK. HELP....

ive been sent 3 phones in a week because reps keep messing them up got my units and # switched after over a week of calling total of 9 hours on phone and was given over 1000 units for my trouble not so easy to deal with but hey 1000 units makes it much eaiser to swallow

Please give me an opinion what to do. I lost my trackfone, and i am a tourist in USA, i will leave next month actually but i wonder if
somebody use my trackfone now or after i left the country, is this situation cause a problem for me? (Maybe criminal or something i don't know the rules of the
country), so i am waiting for your opinion what should i do. Thank you...

Darn I hope I wont be one of the many that has had problems with this phone.I have had strong signal where my old ATT had just a couple bars.For the most part Im pleased with the phone so far but then again I've only had it a few days.

I bought an LG tracfone a couple of years ago and it's been just fine. We ordered a Motorola tracfone from a distributor in Indiana for my wife on mothers day and to this day it still does not function properly. Even as I write this bitch note we're struggleing with tracfone to get minutes on it. As for the acidic remarks on this blog from the tracfone reps.....kiss my ass.

I'VE BEEN A TRACFONE CUSTOMER FOR AT LEAST 8 YEARS. HAD NO TROUBLE UNTIL THIS LAST MONTH, I LOST MY OLD PHONE I GOT NOTHING BUT RUN AROUND FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE I GOT A NEW PHONE I WANTED TO GET OLD NUMBER &MINUTES ADDED TO NEW PHONE WAS AWEFUL. I FINALLY AFTER 10 HRS TOTAL IN 2 WEEKS ON PHONE. I CALLED 1-800-876-5753 TALKED TO A KAREN SHE GOT MY MINUTES ADDED THAT I HAD OLD PHONE. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS!!!

Well... for all Tracfone cust...... why do u complain about the reps that do not speak english clearly?... do you even care to learn another language? guess what ... that people speak even three different languages, they are studing majors at universities and they laugh of poor customers that not even know how to turn a ph on!!!! ... as a TF reps... let me tell you .. that we have a lot of patient with you people... but if a cust is not willing to treat another human being correctly ... we will treat you like a piece of nonsense human..... just because... =D

Tracfone is the greatest i have ordered at leat 4 phones and each arrive within 3 days (for myself and family members)
I highly recommend them service and coverage is great
and for the price and peace of mind you cant beat it.
I only wish they would come out with newer web browser capable phones so you can check email
But the guy who wrote this article is wrong Tracfone Has Great Service!

Yea!
Don't know if tracfone fixed anything, but phone started working today.

I've had several tracfones. The first one's only problem was that the number had belonged to a lady who owed people a lot of money. I was still getting an occasional call for her two years later.

I don't remember why I replaced it, but I got another cheap tracfone and kept that for a couple of years and then I thought the battery wasn't holding very long so I went out and bought yet another one.

I tried to get the number and minutes to transfer to the new phone but it didn't work and I tried calling customer service. I was able to understand him though I had to get him to repeat several times, and the minutes got transfered, but the number was a problem. On the phone, it had the old number but the number that worked was actually different.

OK, I put up with that. Today, about a month later, I tried to add minutes. It was not the first time I added minutes. I got an error message that said that I was trying to put tracfone minutes on a Net10 phone. Sure enough, instead of "units" the phone says I have "minutes" left. Somehow, the phone switched from tracfone to Net10.

I tried to figure out the best course of action and decided that the easiest fix was to get yet another tracfone, take whatever number they gave me, put the new minutes on it instead of the old phone. Not too many people know my number so it doesn't take long to notify them.

Since the phone is still charging, I can't say whether the minutes took or not. I have not had any problems in the past with minutes not working.

I have to wonder how much better this would be for everyone if Tracfone went ahead and hired some savvy tech guys to improve their website services. Sure, customer service is a drain and that's why it's outsourced- but why not make many of these problems solvable through internet? Most people who use tracfone probably are using the internet anyway.

Take me, for example. My 376g has a broken screen, so I'm going to go ahead and buy a new phone (probably a cheaper one- I'm rough on my phones). Wouldn't it be nice if I could easily:

1) Verify that the bottom can happen
2) Switch my number onto the new phone
3) Carry-over the correct minutes AND Double Minutes card?

It would prevent another call to C.S. and save me and the company time (and stress).

I bought a tracfone and it has been a terrible experience.
I have had it for 3 weeks and have not been able to use it. Each time I call I am put on hold multipe times and
spend at least an hour on the call...it is absolutely ridiculous. I am going to return the phone to Target, but Tracfone
will not refund my money for the minutes that I purchased. How can I remedy this?

I have been a Tracfone customer for 12+ years. Until 2 weeks ago, I had no problem with the service. I have 'no' use of the web, get a message across the screen that says "Check Data Restrictions-36". I have spent over 2 hours (2 different days) on the phone with tracfone, to end up where I started. Neither 'Customer Care Rep' has a clue as to how to fix this. Both answers are to call back in 24 hours if it hs not changed.(I think so I get a different rep! ) I am ready to close all 5 of my family phone out. Errrrrrrr !

I have never been so frustrated with a company as I am with Tracfone. I believe the best description of this company is "Everyone is happy as long as you buy more time..." But have a problem with a phone, or even try to do something as simple as
upgrade to a "newer" phone (or really...just another obsoleted model phone - come on, Mr Pollack...) and the whole world comes to an end. Don't even think of asking a question that isn't on the Que card... You'll get the proverbial " Can you please hold
for 2 minutes while I speak to my Supervisor".. really... everything can be solved in 2 minutes? I spent 2 hours on teh phone tonight trying to get this resolved.. and after speaking with 5 people, from 3 help desk persons, to a supervisor, and then a
"manager", I'm told that basically I'm without a phone. "But with you persmission, we'll mail you a new SIM card, which you should receive in 3-4 days" WONDERFUL.. In the meantime, I'm missing calls from potential interviewers. I wish I had read this
blog before I considered "upgrading" to a "newer" phone. I think it would have been easier to just go buy a new phone. Afterall, that's what the help desk told me I should have done. But wait.... I just did that. The problem is that you, Mr Pollack,
in your infinite wisdom, have decided to make sure that all of the SIM cards you use become proprietary, by pre-programming them with the SIM's serial number and the Phone's serial number. STUPID idea. I wonder how much you're spending on
a cripled customer service that really can't handle most of the calls they recieve? T-Mobile doesn't have this problem (my wife has their service, and I've upgraded her phone 4 times, and have yet to have to use a new SIM card. Common sense tells you that you shouldn't marry the SIM and phone together... just atach the phone to the SIM card. Why would you care if they've upgraded the phone? And it would save you a lot of money in inventory and service problems.

I took the time to read all of these....

One thing is certain - I would expect the person that thinks they can help me with a problem with their product, to be more intelligent regarding their product than I.

and yes, this IS "America". "America" is not a continent. "North America" is a continent. "South America" is a continent.

I will admit, for the amount of time I spend talking on a cell phone, Tracfone makes sense. What doesn't make sense, is it's business model and "policies". These are the reasons I would guess that
Tracfone doesn't have many long-term customers.

Bad business model.

I PURCHASED A TRACFONE BACK IN NOV 2008 TO USE TO MAKE CALLS TO A CELL PHONE IN ENGLAND. I TRIED IN VAIN FOR THE 6 MTHS I WAS IN THE USA TO USE THIS PHONE TO CALL ENGLAND AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. I RETURNED TO FLORIDA IN NOV 2010 AND REACTIVATED MY TRACFONE AND STILL I COULD NOT GET THROUGH TO ENGLAND. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER EVERY DAY FROM 30TH NOV TO 6TH FEB AND COULD NOT GET TO TALK TO ANYONE JUST A RECORDED ANNOUNCEMENT SAYING THAT ALL CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WERE BUSY AND I WAS IN A QUEUE.
TONIGHT I ACTUALLY GOT TO TALK TO A HUMAN BEING BY GOING VIA THE TECHNICAL SERVICES DEPT. VERY HELPFUL GUY WHO PUT EXTRA DAYS AND A FEW DOLLARS EXTRA CREDIT ON MY CELL PHONE AND THE SAID HE WOULD TRANSFER ME TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO COULD ACTIVATE MY CELL PHONE TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO CALL ENGLAND. BEFORE HE DID THIS HE GAVE ME THE NECESSARY NUMBERS I HAD TO DIAL TO CALL ENGLAND. THESE DID NOT WORK. THEN HE SAID THAT A REPRESENTATIVE WOULD HAVE TO ACTIVATE THE CELL PHONE.
GUESS WHAT OVER TWO HOURS LATER I AM STILL ON HOLD AND LISTENING TO THE SAME MESSAGE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. YOUR CALL IS IMPORTANT TO US - THAT IS A JOKE IF IT WAS IMPORTANT THEN WHY IS IT NOT ANSWERED. I COULD ACTUALLY HEAR SOMEONE IN THE BACKGROUND AS THE ANNOUNCEMENT STOPPED AND THE BORING MUSIC STARTED AGAIN. EACH TIME I HEARD THIS I SHOUTED AS LOUD AS I COULD - IS THERE ANYONE THERE OR CAN I TALK TO AN AGENT.
NOTHING. IN THE END I GOT SO ANNOYED I ENDED THE CALL.
SO NOW I HAVE A CELL PHONE WITH SERVICE DAYS ON IT, MINUTES ON IT BUT IT IS USELESS.
HOW ON EARTH DOES THIS COMPANY GET AWAY WITH IT.
I WAS TALKED INTO BUYING THIS CELLPHONE BY SOMEONE IN WALMART IN LARGO, FL. I WANTED A VIRGIN CELLPHONE BUT WAS ASSURED THAT TRACFONE WAS THE BEST SERVICE TO CALL ENGLISH CELL PHONE NUMBERS.
I WISH I COULD REMEMBER WHO THE GUY WAS AT WALMARTS BECAUSE I SURE WOULD LIKE TO STICK THIS PHONE RIGHT IN THE PART OF HIS BODY THAT HE SITS ON AND THAT HIS BRAINS ARE LOCATED.
AS YOU CAN SEE I AM SO SO ANNOYED - NEVER NEVER PLEASE ANYONE WHO IS READING THIS EVER CONSIDER OR EVEN BY A TRACFONE.

Tracfone for no reason whatsoever, deactivated my phone that had over a year service on it & over 500 minutes on it, claiming falsely that the phone wasn't deducting time when used.

The phone was sitting on a table when it spontaneously deactivated. I saw it actually go to the "UNREGISTERED SIM" message. I called Tracfone Customer Service the first time, telling them the bizarre thing that had just happened. The rep said they would immediately reactivate the phone within 24 hours. The phone was never reactivated.

I called Tracfone again. This time a rep went through a bunch of troubleshooting codes and finally said he would have to send me a new SIM card and then they would reactivate my phone.

Nothing happened so I called yet a THIRD TIME. Again a rep said they would send me a new SIM card & reactivate the phone. ALL 3 TIMES I WAS ASSURED THAT MY PHONE WOULD BE REACTIVATED, I WOULDNT LOSE MY SVC TIME OR MY MINUTES ON THE PHONE, & THEY APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSING ME.

THE FOURTH TIME I CALLED, a customer service rep told me the phone couldn't be reactivated unless I called another office. I pointed out that customer service had told me several times already that my phone would be reactivated & a new SIM card would be sent to me but I hadn't ever received it. She ignored that comopletely. Then she gave me the phone number for the "other office, which was the same phone number for customer service I had always called!!!! the only number TF gives out for their customer service number!)
I told her that the number she gave me, was just the same tracfone customer service number I'd been using, so she offered to switch me to the other office. I got promptly disconnected.

I called back, only to get another rep who went claimed I had to call another office to reactivate the phone, but this one told me the people in the other office had gone home for the day and to call back the next day.

The next day when I called back, I got a customer service representative who claimed I had to talk to the other office & she promptly put me on hold, and left me on hold 45 minutes then disconnected me.

Again I called back, and this time I got a customer service rep who claimed I needed to buy a new phone because my phone had been deactivated because it wasn't deducting minutes. I protested that the phone was deducting just fine when used.
I had purchased a year 400 minute card & added it on Dec 5th, with double minutes & a bonus code I had a total of 1100 minutes added to the phone....BY DEC 13, I HAD ONLY A LITTLE OVER 500 MINUTES ON THE PHONE, although I hadn't used the phone nearly that much! (I only use my tf for texting, not talking & I'm not a heavy texter even!)
She insisted it wasn't even though I pointed out that a month and a half before the spontaneous deactivation, I had just purchased a year card with 400 minutes on it doubled to 800 plus 250 bonus minutes.

She said she didn't care what I said, the phone wasn't deducting minutes so they had deactivated it.

I tested the phone by sending a text message, which of course didn't get sent anywhere because of the phone being deactivated, BUT THE PHONE DEDUCTED .30 minute CORRECTLY JUST LIKE IT HAD BEEN DOING FOR THE 3 YEARS I'VE HAD IT NOW!!!! Tracfone always has deducted minutes even for text messages that fail to get sent at all, another little way they steal from their customers all the time.

I offered to send photographic proof that the phone was indeed correctly deducting time when used, either by email or snail mail, to prove it was fine. I had photographed the screen before and after the text message, to show that the phone had deducted time properly.

I asked to talk to the girl's supervisor who put someone else on the phone who gave me the same false claim that the phone had been deactivated because it wasn't deducting time when used. I offered to send the photographic proof to whomever in the tracfone office could do something to resolve my problem and get my phone reactivated. She said THEY DIDNT NEED TO SEE ANY PROOF BECAUSE THEIR OFFICE WAS WHO MADE THE DECISIONS WHOSE PHONE THEY WANT TO DEACTIVATE (those were her exact words too... WANT TO DEACTIVATE!!!!)

To make a long story short, I talked to two more Tracfone customer representatives and got nothing except the same false claim that the phone was deactivated for not deducting, as well as repeat refusals when I offered to email or snail mail photographic proof the phone was properly deducting.

The last time I called to try to get my phone reactivated, I went through everything again, telling the rep that customer service had promised me several times to send me a new SIM card & reactivate my phone, but I never received it, and then when I called back, customer service representatives were claiming my phone wasn't deducting minutes but I had even taken photographs to prove it was deducting properly and could send the photographic proof to whomever needed to see it. This rep said she would transfer me to another office, and she transferred me to another representative who of course needed me to tell the whole story from the beginning again, who transferred me to another one who again needed everything repeated from the beginning. This went on for almost FOUR HOURS as
Tracfone customer service representatives REFUSED to let me speak to anyone in management, and transferred me back and forth between different customer service reps, until finally the last rep who I tried to get help from, took Tracfone's horrific lack of decency or ethics to a whole new dimension.

I asked the girl if they could send me a new SIM card like I'd been promised by customer service representatives they would do in the first place. She said no, because the people in the other office said it's deactivated and that's just the way it is. You have to buy a new phone.

I asked the rep if the phone wasn't deducting, why didn't I still have 1052 minutes on it (I had bought the card with 2 min left on the phone, making 1052 minutes and extending service until year 2012) instead of only 500 plus minutes left on it.


The service rep said she didn't care, that the people in the "other office" whatever that is, says the phone was deactivated and cannot be reactivated and then said "They said you can't tell them what to do, if they want to deactivate your phone, you can't do anything about it, you're not in charge of them!"


I told the rep that I had photographic proof that the phone WAS deducting properly and she said, "I DONT CARE WHAT PROOF YOU HAVE, THE OTHER OFFICE SAID YOURE NOT THEIR BOSS AND IF THEY SAY THE PHONE IS DEACTIAVED, ITS DEACTIVATED AND YOU CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I asked if I could speak to management, and she said, MANAGEMENT NEVER TALKS TO THE CUSTOMERS, THEY DONT HAVE TO!

I asked her how they could say my phone wasn't deducting when I can PROVE ABSOLUTELY THAT IT IS DEDUCTING. She said, BECAUSE THE OTHER OFFICE IS IN CHARGE AND YOU AREN'T AND THEY DECIDE WHEN THEY WANT TO DEACTIVATE SOMEONE'S PHONE, NOT YOU.

I asked her about the phone's remaining 500 plus minutes & almost 2 years svc time on it (I had just purchased a year card with 400 minutes on it doubled to 800 plus 250 bonus minutes, a month & a half before Tracfone wrongly spontaneously deactivated it!!!! I asked her how could they just deactivate my phone and claim it wasn't deducting when it WAS DEDUCTING AND I COULD PROVE THAT IT WAS DEDUCTING?

Then THE CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE START LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY AT ME & I COULD HEAR OTHER REPRESENTATIVES IN THE BACKGROUND LAUGHING TOO AS SHE SAID THE PHONE WAS DEACTIVATED AND THEY DIDNT CARE WHAT I COULD PROVE BECAUSE THE OTHER OFFICE SAID TO TELL ME I WASNT THEIR BOSS & COULDNT CONTROL THEM. I asked again to speak to management, SHE TOLD ME, MANAGEMENT NEVER TALKS TO CUSTOMERS EVER, YOU CANNOT TALK TO ANYONE HIGHER UP BECAUSE THEY DONT EVER TALK TO THE CUSTOMERS AT ALL.
THEN SHE SAID "TOUGH SHIT, YOUR PHONE IS DEACTIVATED BECAUSE it isn't deducting, WE DONT GIVE A DAMN WHAT KIND OF PROOF YOU HAVE, YOU DONT RUN THIS COMPANY, YOU NEED TO BUY A NEW PHONE.

Then she hung up on me.

So after 3 plus years of being a good customer of Tracfone, buying 3 phones from them, buying airtime regularly from them, I had my phone wrongly deactivated a month and a half after buying a 90 dollar card for it, I had empty promises and empty assurances from the first few customer service representatives that they would reactivate my phone, then I was told they would send me a new SIM & reactivate my phone, then came the false claim that the phone wasn't deducting & the worst treatment I've ever gotten from any business EVER, ending with the laughter of the customer service representatives as that last girl delivered her hateful remarks in an extremely nasty tone of voice, ending in the cruel cussing grand finale when she hung up on me.

I was patient throughout the whole ordeal from first call to that last rep's cussing hangup, never got rude or angry in my tone of voice, never cussed or insulted anybody, even offering photographic proof that the phone was deducting, WHAT MORE COuLD I HAVE DONE TO TRY TO GET TRACFONE TO DO WHATS RIGHT AND REACTIVATE MY PHONE LIKE THEY SAID THEY WOULD?

I wonder if those who own the company approve of this way of doing business with their customers. (I find it exceptionally vile too, that "management never talks to the customers, EVER")

I think that someone who has some kind of authority and power within Tracfone, should do the right thing, reactivate my phone & give me a large number of minutes of airtime to make up for the wrongful deactivation and all the time & effort I spent trying to resolve it, & all the shock, pain (especially at being laughed at by multiple reps as that girl talked so nastily to me), frustration, and horror at the brutal way I was treated.

Reality check, your story is a typical example of tracfone madness. It can be a living hell dealing with such a situation and I've been in the same situation several times with tracfone and their evil twin Net10. My last go around was when tracfone decided to deem our phones obsolete and deactivate my phone and both of my elderly parents phone and make us buy new ones and lose hundreds of minutes. It sounds like the tracfone "representatives" are enacting some kind of revenge on some of us for unknown reasons. I'm sure a lot of frustrated customers give them hell on the phone and I don't blame them. Then some of us pay for that.
Ronald, to answer your question, I say NO, there is no cell phone service that gives you what you pay for and as advertised. Technology keeps taking backwards steps. We get to a point where certain technology gets to a pinnacle and we're happy with the way it works, then some geek sitting behind a computer somewhere decides to fix something that isn't broken. It happens constantly. Just look at how Bill Gates finally got it halfway right with XP. Then the dreaded Vista came along and took a giant leap backwards.
On my present tracfone, I avoid any of their special offers like double minutes and all that. I just buy 90 minutes at a time so I have less to lose when tracfone decides to push a button on their keyboard and inactivate my phone. I've seen too many horror stories on people losing hundreds of dollars over and over. One rule to remember is that tracfone is one way. You pump money into their system, but none ever comes back. There are never any refunds and you don't have a leg to stand on when these things happen.

I just finished a moderately frustrating experience of porting my old # to a new phone, but it did finally get resolved. I've been using Tracfones for years and years, and since I'm not a frequent caller, it's a great deal for me. As for the cs reps not speaking the greatest English, yes, it's frustrating, but I just try to be patient and follow the instructions, and it generally works out.

I HATE TRACFONE!!! Somehow they gave a new customer my ACTIVE telephone # (that Ive had for 5yrs) and no one from the company can explain how this occurred. I've called the company several times daily since 3/31/2010 and each time I'm told that it will be escalated. I am currently without phone service and they want me to have my # changed. I have employment applications with that # and all of my business contacts have that #.

Oops. Please excuse the typos in my previous post. Value Plan payments and emailing "conformation" is a boo-boo. It should be "confirmation". And Tracfone beats "by" old Verizon plan is a boo-boo, too. It is "my" old Verizon plan... Thanks for letting a near-sighted old guy post this correction.

Tracfone is nothing more than a bunch of forgien ripoff artist, I feel if Tracfone is doing business in the US that they should be held accountable for their
business pratices. I highley suggest to use another phone service, Tracfone is nothing more than over seas thugs trying to rip off Americans.
Do Not buy Tracfone No Contracts No Support No Service.
Tracfone is a Joke.......

It took me 3 hours to try to transfer my minutes from one phone to another. I had to speak with 3 people and not one of them could understand me properly (I was born and raised in the US - I speak perfect English). I could not believe what a bunch of morons I was dealing with....I had to repeat myself over and over....and the only way it got resolved was by threatening to call the BBB on them. Horrible customer service and their phones are not the greatest either - they are defective after a few months so you have to purchase a new one - stay away from tracfone!!

Would never recommend Tracfone. Our two phones have had continous issues deducting double minutes for every minute used. Probably over 20 hours with customer service or the last 6 months. At one point they wouldn't send replacement phone unless they tried to shut off service and turn back on, but no guarantee have same phone number. Last time phone was fixed, was only reimbursed 50 mintes for around 100 lost. Ths last time sent another replacement phone but rep only wated to give me new phone or lost minutes, not both. Rep lied to me saying ticket in system would do both to get me off the phone, but found out when activating new phone that ticket only coverd activating replacement phone and not adding lost minutes. Now taking up issue with corporate.

had > 300 units -mid sentence service lost and units
0.0 after 2 cs reps and 11/2 hr on phone only most
recent units restored --1st rep said call must have
been made and not ended and that used units up!
Phone had not been on all day. Units there when
phone turned on- was told they had no way to see
what units on the phone---most recent units restored
after I said when credit card bill came I was not
paying for the trac phone card purchased last week
Yes CS rep and supervisor DIFFICULT to hear as well
as understand. Have had a phone for yrs and this
is the 1st time this has happened

Thanks so much for that 1-800 number. After being on hold for 2 hours, I went on line, discovered your blog and tried that number. I finally got a competent person! hurrah!

I ordered two Tracfones on Aug 4, 2010 from the website. Both were
Samsung T101G models with double minutes for life programmed into the phone. I
wanted to keep my previous cell phone numbers, so that\'s how I activated the
new Tracfones online through their website. My phone #1, worked. The #2 phone
said SIM not registered.
So, I called customer service... (outsourced - you cannot speak to an
English-speaking American) they tried troubleshooting, then transferred me to
tech support. After many calls, taking about NINE hours, and asking for a
supervisor, they agreed to send me a new SIM card for phone #2. (It took that
long because they would hang up (accidentally?) and/or I got a rep who didn\'t
understand and I had to call again.) Oh, and if you use your Tracfone to call
them, it uses your minutes.
So, while waiting for the new SIM card, I found out that my phone #1 was
not able to receive incoming calls. ? I decided to wait until I got the SIM
card for phone #2, and call from someone else\'s phone (landline) to resolve
both problems.
The SIM card came, and I installed it. You still need to call them to
program the codes to get it to work. I call them and get a rep who seems to
understand and speak good English. We program the phone #2, and it turns on.
YAY! So far, so good.
I proceed to mention about how my phone #1 hasn\'t and isn\'t able to
receive incoming calls. He \"researches\" and tells me I cannot keep my
transferred phone number. Since this is the primary phone on my Sprint account,
and we kept the same phone number for #2, that we just fixed, I said that
doesn\'t even make sense. I already have the number assigned to the phone and
I\'ve been making calls with it! His reply was oh, you can make outgoing calls?
(Was he even listening to me?) Up to this point, I\'ve been on the phone for
an hour already -- I\'ve been patient, but I\'m losing my cool.
He has tech support still waiting on his line, and he puts me on hold many
times to talk with them. While waiting for him, I notice #2 phone now says SIM
not registered. (??? Can you believe it???) He comes back to me and says, \"In
this case,\" your phone #1, will not be able to get incoming calls. In what
case? \"The case that I transferred them online.\" What?! Do you feel my
frustration? I am NOT even going to start over with the #2 phone either. That
was my breaking point! I said, I give up, and I\'m sending these phones back.
I wanted to speak with a supervisor.
The supervisor explains to me she needs the order number from the purchase
order. I said, I am not at home, and I did not intend to send them back when I
called, so I don\'t have it. I have worked in customer service for many years
as a phone rep, and I know that if she doesn\'t have access to the records, they
can call the correct department to get it. She could at least email the
request. I told her I expect HER as a supervisor to be able to get that
information and process my refund request. She tells me, she is NOT a
supervisor! SIGH
She transfers me to her \"supervisor\" Angelie. Angelie asks me my name...
and tells me I have to have the order number to process a refund request. I say
that she needs to take initiative to contact whoever and get the info she needs
to assist me. (Isn\'t that customer service?) So, she says she will escalate
and get the order number. It will take 24 to 48 hours to process. Thank you,
but now she wants to know how much I paid for the phones, so that she can
request the refund. I say, I don\'t remember, - it will be on the paperwork
with the order number. She insists that she needs that info to further assist
me. I ask for her supervisor, she says she\'s the manager, and has no boss. I
ask for company owner or president information, can does not give me any other
contacts for Tracfone.
After realizing she was not going to give me any contact info, I gave her
my summary of expectations. I wanted them to send me the instructions to send
the phones back for a refund -- and I wanted the info sent to me by email. She
asked for a phone number to call me back. I said I do not have a working number
and I\'m not going to put out someone else to use their landline. She stopped
talking to me, and after several hellos from me ... she said\" thank you for
calling Tracfone\". That was her signal to say she was done. (I guess their
policy is to not hang up first.)
After thinking about the call, when I got home, I decided to email the
Tracfone customer service. I wrote about my conversation with Angelie and
mentioned I didn\'t have confidence in her resolving my problem. The next day
they replied saying they needed to speak with me to finish the process.
By now, I have gone back to Sprint and renewed my contract. So, I email
them my phone number. I was called within the hour, and what do they ask me?
What are the serial numbers of the phones? I couldn\'t believe it! I asked
them what else do they need, because in my email to them I wrote at the bottom,
my name, address, Tracfone #\'s and serial numbers. She said we need the serial
numbers. I said, READ MY EMAIL, and I hung up. Yes, I was rude. I then sent
an email to them and said don\'t call my number again.
TODAY I got an email with the address to return the phones. (my expense)
They say it will take 30 days for refund. The 186 remaining minutes on the
phones will not be refunded. I think they could have at least paid for shipping
back to them, if not the minutes. I used all my minutes to call them, and had
to purchase more.
I said all this to say - If you buy a Tracfone and it works, great! If you
need customer service for any reason, prepare for frustration. They read from
script, and don\'t pass on information from one rep to another. If you get
transferred, you have to tell them your name, serial numbers, and detail about
what the problem is AGAIN. If they listen, you might get an appropriate
response - otherwise you have to rephrase to get them to understand. Good luck

Oh, and I did get company contact info from the BBB. That\'s my next step!

Thank you Jose, for telling your story. I believe every word of it. Too bad Jeffry Houser takes so long to "approve" posts and also too bad he then allows the same post to be posted 3 times.

have had tracfone for 2 yrs. horrible customer svc probs in the beginning, but once everything was finally settled and figured out, have not had probs since, except that the reception is terrible. it's cheaper than getting on a contract w/ one of the other companies. i never run out of minutes, but run out of time, so always have to renew to be able to use my minutes. will try to use them up this time around and get on with someone different. don't like supporting these types of people. thank you for running this blog. it is a big help to all of us.

I've been dealing with Tracfone for nearly two weeks, about 12 hours on the phone trying to get my phone number transfered and credit back to my credit card for minutes purchased that haven't been added to my phone. I just get the run around and told call back in 24 hours. I've had it with this company. Is there any way of getting problems resolved with them?

OK, I suspect the answer is no, but here goes anyway:

I had a nice little Samsung phone that works fine. Liked it so much I decided to port my landline number over and dump AT&T, so bought a different (Motorola) phone and got my number ported over. However, Motorola phone is garbage, won't hold a charge, so I bought an identical Samsung phone, and had Tracfone transfer mins off my Motorola onto 2nd Samsung instrument and transfer my number to that same instrument. Now I find the NEW (2nd) Samsung phone won't show any BARS (can't get good reception) even though the two Samsung phones, side by side, show excellent bars on the OLD Samsung and crummy or no bars on NEW Samsung.

so my question is:
Can I swap the SIM cards between the two identical Samsung phones and still have each one work right? Or is the problem going to be with the two different serial numbers on the two different physical Samsung instruments?

Also:
WHY WOULD THE SAME MODEL, EXACT PHONES BE SO DIFFERENT IN PERFORMANCE? THE NEW SAMSUNG has lousy reception and audibility, which is why I got rid of the Motorola phone!

Also:
Am beginning to suspect that Tracfone is selling crummy phones with those FREE DOUBLE MINS FOR LIFE deals because they know you'll throw away the phones because they're lousy, so you won't really be getting double mins for life at all!

THIS IS ALL VERY FRUSTRATING!

i recently updated my old tracfones to 2new 231c so i could get picture messaging camera and browser i ordered off of there web site so i would get right ones when i got them and after 3 plus hours and numerus calls the text and calling works no picture messaging no browser will not work with my supplier they can switch me to verizin but i have to swith my number of 10 years i said no so i just wasted my time and money

We tried the corporate number listed and they gave us a phony number to call. We contacted the the california attorney generals office. We will also be calling the Colorado attorney general. We have spent more hours than we wish to count with customer service and have been polite with no resolve.

Best solution when you have an issue with Tracfone is to use their Facebook page for support. They have reps on there and monitor quests and requests for help. You can also fill out a reuest to and you;; be contacted. I couldn't believe it but it works!

Here's what happened to me. Also is that telephone number for complaints still in place and working? TIA


Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Issue Category:
Credit Card Purchases
Specific Issue:
Airtime Purchase
Brief description of issue:
I ordered airtime 2 days ago on my wifes Tracfone cell phone. The
airtime never showed up. I made 2 calls to your support people. The
first call went fine but because I did not have my wifes phone she was
unable to help me. I called today on was on the phone for 45 minutes.
The tech support person eventually said to me you put the minutes on the
wrong phone. I told her no I didn't and even if i did the information
regarding my credit card and phone number and name should have stopped
the transaction from going through. She then stopped talking to me and
put the phone down and for the next 13 minutes all I could hear was
people talking in your call center there. I made numerous attempts
asking her if she was still there but she never answered me. At the 45
minute mark she hung up. Is this the way your call people treat their
customers? She put the phone down and kept me waiting without talking to
me again and then she hung up? The transaction id for this purchase was
14443. As a long time loyal customer I'm totally infuriated!!

Don't bother with that "special executive cutomer service number" posted up top in the company comments. They are a bad, and even worse than the regulare number. I had to repeat things numerous times, they kept asking the same questions, I kept giving the same answers, they repeated things back incorrectly, despite me correcting them (like my area code) then later they would say it back wrong again. He said he will put minutes on my phone and call me back but that wa over an hour ago. I made him promise, but I don't think he's going to do it. It is insanity inducing warfare on our mental health. My nightmare is too long to even start to tell. I have been reduced to tears, and it makes me sick to my stomach to see that they are just laughing at us! I am with Debi about a class action lawsuit! I am now out of minutes, even tho I am supposed to have UNLIMITED! I have spent about 15 hours over the last 12 or 13 days trying to resolve the issues, and they keep multiplying instead. They changed my phone number without telling me! Now they say they can't give it back!!! The new number is not correct for my area code, so none of the local land lines can call me without long distance service, like my doctor's office. I have told them repeatedly, I am disabled, nearly bedridden and this is my only phone access! I have 2 of their phones so I can talk to them on one while tryinh to ix the other! There is so much more to say, but I won't. I just wish I had gotten that CEO's phone number before it was removed. I hope he dies a slow painful excritiating death!

TracFone sucks! I've been trying to get them to assist me and they won't so I am giving them as much bad press as I can!

I just went from abysmal (or "typical") to over the top excellence from tracfone customer service. I got an email telling me my international long distance had been activated at my request (nope- didn't ask for it and have no use for it). So I called 1-888-251-8164 which was in the email. Talked to a wonderful rep (definitely not in the US from her accent) who told me it was activated because of the type phone I had and didn't cost any minutes as long as I didn't use it. She asked if she could help with anything else and I breifly told her my earlier problem. In less than three minutes- BOOM! RESOLVED! So it appears that you usually talk to clueless folk and sometimes you luck out. May you all be as fortunate as me- otherwise go with the Miami numbers listed in earlier msg's. When your tracfone works its great- when it doesn't it's not even a good paperweight.

I have been using tracfone for about 6 years now with no issues until recently. For some reason I can no longer call Canada, as soon as I follow the instructions and place the call, a recorded message immediately comes on saying "plse check the number dialed" and then goes on in different languages all the while while the phone is trying to call my number. It will ring on the other end but no sound or voice and then the tracfone will disconnect saying "wrong number". I have tried working with Tracfone customer service to solve this issue to no avail. I am not sure if Tracfone recently changed this or the zip codes you could you use to call Canada however, all I know is not working and nobody at Tracfone can seem to fix it.