TracFone - Can't Get Local Number

I just purchased a TracFone and added minutes. The area code assigned by their "system" is a long distance call from my home phone. Every time I spent hours with their rip-off agents, they changed the phone number, but to the same long distance area code (based on my zip code).

Darlene requested a new phone with her phone number attached to **. We were assured that the number will be on the phone when it arrives. It wasn't again. I called the 1-866-234-4357 with assures this would be resolved and a new sim card will be sent with the # attached to the sim card. Again, it wasn't. I have been lied to several times. This is switch and bait and against the law. This elderly lady pays for her minutes every month. She is on a limited income.

I got the 3rd sim card and tried to get a local number. This is the third time they have given me a long distance number on this new phone. Each time, they gave me a number of **. This is a number for De Leon, Texas, which is not a local call. They told me they were giving me a local number. But they just lied to me after about 8 hours on the phone with them and 3 sim cards. They refused today to let me speak to a supervisor. And again, they gave me a long distance number for the cell phone. This is the 3rd phone that they have done this to. I spent hours on the phone with explicit instructions on how to find a local number and they refused to do it. I give up on the worst customer service people that I have ever dealt with. They will lie to you just to get off of the phone and have no intention to help you.

I have been a Tracfone user for many years with no complaints about service until this year. I ordered a new phone in December 2010. I have had repeated problems with getting phone numbers that were long-distance to my area. Each time I call Tracfone, I have to start over at the beginning, because it seems that they don't even take notes, even though they give you a "ticket number" at the end of the call. I have been sent many SIM cards to correct the problem, and still it persists. This latest time, they deactivated the phone before they sent me a new SIM card, so now I'm completely without wireless service until I get the new SIM card, which can take 5-7 days. Then the rep can't even tell me which phone number I will be getting, as I would like to save some steps if it turns out to be another long-distance number.

I purchased a Net10 phone in Texas and then moved to a new state. I called Net10 and asked them to change my area code and number where my new location is. They said, after two hours on the phone, that my phone I had bought would not be able to change area codes. They said that they would send me a new free phone that would work. That was one month ago.

I have called them about six times and they keep saying that they lost the ticket or they are still working on it. They keep promising me that it will be coming and of course it does not. I live in a rural area and I cannot get good signal with big cell phone companies. I got mad last time and told them that I would drop dead as soon as my phone arrived. They are horrible company and they need to hire Americans to speak to Americans too. These people act like machines, not human beings.

I have been trying since 03/04/10 to do what should be, one very simple thing: transfer an existing telephone number with minutes to a new phone. On 3/4/10, I was advised I would need a new sim card and assigned a case number. The CSR (which is a joke, they have no idea about customer service) advised he would send one out immediately. I should get it in 3-5 days. I called on 03/09/10 to find out the status of the card only to find the order was never processed. They renewed the order and I received the card on 03/10/10.

I called on 03/11/10 to go through the transfer process again, advising the CSR I spoke with that I had an existing case number and I wanted to transfer a number. I was under the impression she listened to me when I gave the number, seeing as she read it back, and repeated that I wanted to transfer a number. She went through the process with me and advised the transfer would be complete within 1 hour. Two hours later, I called back and found out they had assigned a new number to the phone. I was then advised by a supervisor "Gainsimee", that I would need yet another sim card and that it would take up to 7 days.

I asked "Gainsimee" or whatever he claims his name is (oh I worked as a telephone CSR and real names are never given) the following question: "If I went to Walmart and bought a brand new phone (mind you the phone we're transferring to is less than one year old), would I have this much of a problem?" His answer? "No." Hmm, so go throw my phone out which results in more clutter on the earth and spend more of my hard earned money? Okay.

Question 2: If I had a loved one in the military, stationed somewhere far away, or a child away at college and was doing this for them as this would be our only form of telephone communication, what would they do then? Would I still get the same headache? Answer: "That would not be our problem." Excuse me?

Oh and yeah, I might have an absolute perfect command of the English language; however, when you speak with me on the phone you can understand what I am saying. I did ask what country he was in and he refused to tell me. Hmm, thank you, Tracfone, for screwing up our economy even more. While my husband is still able to use his phone, I am starting to wonder if it's all worth it. Oh and anyone that does home party type business, do not use Tracfone for your business.

I could not understand the employee on the phone. She spoke too fast with an Asian accent. I asked for the supervisor and was given another Asian Accent with terrible background noise. I could not understand either employee. I suggest you do something about the background noise, like having in-home customer service. I am American and proud of the fact. Please hire English speaking people so we may understand them. No dialects.

I have had several people that dial my number and they are connected to a different person! Apparently, there is more than one person assigned to my phone number. This is a major issue since I am looking for a job and using this for employers to contact me. When a person dials my number, there is a 50/50 chance it will not ring my phone.

TRAC FONE took my money, gave my number to someone else and will not help me get my number back. Loss of phone services, loss of money, no phone number.

I got my first cell phone, a TracFone, on christmas two years ago. Now, some of the keys stopped working, so, I bought a new TracFone. First, I went online to activate the new phone while keeping the number of the old phone. At first, nothing happened to either phone. Today, the old phone showed an unregistered SIM at the top of the screen.

Ticked off, and unable to make or recieve calls from either phone, I called their 1-800#. The woman I spoke with had an accent and didn't understand what I was saaying at first. Finally, she got it so that the old number would be transfered. A minute later, I recieved a message that the phone had been activated, but with a completely different number.

Even more ticked off, I called again, and this time spoke to a man who sounded mor like he knew what he was doing. After much recitals of numbers, adresses and the like, it was resolved. In the end, he said that I would need to be sent a new SIM card for my new phone, so that it could be activated with the old number.

So, I am now waiting for that SIM card to come, but according to other reviews, I may as well chuck both phones out the window and start over. TracFone is cheap. That is the only good thing about it, and in many cases, it isn't even a good thing. The phone service is pathetic, the phones are nowhere near as sophisticated as other phones, and in the end, you have a cheap company.

Actually I have had a good experience with Tracfone, and prefer it to my att cellphone service which is way more expensive. The only problem was that the phone number in the phone is different from the phone's actually number, but that was spotted by the technical support people which I first tried to establish the service.It is a very basic service, but the little nokia cellphone is as tough. I have dropped it to pieces half a dozen times and it keeps on working. I thought that the pre paid is more expensive that the regular service but att is $100 a month and I never paid that much a month on the tracfone service.

Wasted $60 on Tracfone equipment, much time ($80/hr billable CPA hrs), and much aggravation on Tracfone's obvious couldn't care less attitude.

i received a nokia cellphone from my wife as a gift for christmas. our son who is mentally retarded goes with me where ever I go, also has seizures and I really needed the phone for calling emergency personnel as needed. the phone worked well until wed. of this past week, it shows no network coverage, also during this time my number changed by one number. I have a total of 65 minutes left on this phone.

My family bought a TRACFONE for my grandmother for Christmas. The phone was activated and you could send calls, but the number she was given was not local.

A test call to the phone ended up in another person's answering machine. We tried several more times and someone picked up at the other end - NOT my grandmother!

We tried to reach TRACFONE but all we got was a machine that said, Please hold. We were on hold for two hours and finally hung up. Later we tried again and again, and were on hold for at least an hour each time. We tried for several days and didn't actually get to speak to a real person.

It's the 4th of January and the phone is still messed up.

I activated a TracFone but the number activated was not a local number. When I called TracFone they said they would have to deactivate my phone and then I would have to wait 24 to 48 hours to get a local number. Why don't they tell you when you call in to activate a phone there are no local numbers available? Having to wait for a local number takes valuable time as well as the fact I do not have contact with my son due to the wait.

For those who have trouble getting a number in your area code because Tracfone doesn't have one...don't despair. Simply go to the Better Business Bureau.

I had the same issue with them. I live, work, worship in one area code and I did not want a different one for people to reach me. It made no sense. After 2 WEEKS of calling, getting the wrong SIM card, and what had to been a call or two from the BBB, I finally got what I asked for. Now I am seeking another company to deal with!!!

I purchased a motorola tracfone v60i-TDMA and it wouldn't work in my area, I called the toll free number and they told me that if I sent it to them they would send me back the v60i CDMA which should work, I told them if they couldn't do that to send me back the same phone That I sent to them they kept my phone and sent me something different, which is not what I wanted. It has been 7 mo. and still they keep giving me the run around about how they will get me the right phone !!!!

The damage is stress from not being able to get the phone I sent to them on their suggestion to do so!

When I purchased a new phone to replace my older one I asked if I could keep the same number, I was told I could. Upon receiving my new phone I fould out I need a SIM card. That card has a new phone number. I contacted Tracfone, was told it would take 10 business days to get the problem taken care of. After 10 days I called and the person told me I had to wait 10 days, it had been 10 days, I could not get the person to look at a calendar to count the days.

I contacted them last week Friday, was told the contacted that department that does the cards and was told it would take another week to call back in a week. Well I called today and was told it would take 30 days to get this number assigned. What are we talking about 5 minutes of time to change the number? I called the department that I purchased the worthless phone from to have them send me a return slip as I am done waithing and listening to their stories. Well I was told THEIR PHONES ARE NOT RETURNABLE - ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

I purchased a tracfone on december 28, 2005 and did not get a local number. I have been calling tracfone for over 2 months now and keep getting the run around. Know one seems to know why I have'nt been sent a new sim card with a local number. I am always told that I should receive my new sim card within 5 day's and it never show's up. I can't understand why I should have to call this company every 5 days to see if they actually sent me a new sim card!!!! It seem's as if no one cares that I spent my money on their product and they are screwing me over!!! Tracfone should let people know that they are here only to take our money and could care less about customer support!! This is terrible, something needs to be done!!

I bought myself a TracFone so my husband could get ahold of me if I was out and about. I also bought 80 Minutes at the same time. When I activated my phone, I received a LONG DISTANCE number. I contacted TracFone, and there response was, we no longer have any local numbers available, check back some other time to see if a local number has become available. I don't feel that they should be allowed to sell their phones in area's that they dont have numbers for.

They did say I could return the phone to them (I would have to pay shipping) and receive a credit, but I can not be given money back from buying 80 minutes. So now, if my husband wants to call me, I have to pay .50 cents a minute on MY phone, AND our home phone is charged a long distance charge. This is NOT a good cell phone company, Virgin Wireless and Cingular also offer pay as you go phones that only cost .25 cents a minute AND you get a local number.