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It sounds simple enough. TracFone advertises itself as an easy-to-use prepaid cellular service. Just buy the minutes in advance and order more when you need them. But some customers say it's not that easy. Read a few of their reports and AT&T, Verizon and other big bullies don't look quite so fearsome.
Oh, and here's Tracfone's response:
Hello Tracfone customer my name is Elston and I am a Tracfone Employee and I am her to assist anyone that is having a problem with their phones. you can contact me at 1.800.626.4883 ext 6107 or by email elombillo@tracfone.com.
Mike of Wichita, KS March 14, 2009
Mike of Wichita KS (03/14/09)
I bought a trac phone from their web site when it arrived tried to activate it on line. Did it so I could save my # from verizon. which I switched back to. After getting the phone working after speaking with various people that could not understand got phone working. But You have to dial the area code plug the number to make local calls. Spent over 2 hours on and off of hold to be told this was a new feature for their upgraded system. Makes you want to know how good it was before it was upgraded. Their lying because if you buy one from a local retailer you do not have to dial an area code first. AVOID TRACFONEiy
Called to get a authorization to send phone back have not been able to stay on hold long enough to get it yet. 30 day return policy will expire before they get it. Raymond of Brunswick, OH March 2, 2009
Raymond of Brunswick OH (03/02/09)
I had service with them. I bought a new Moto W460g and called them on the phone to activate it to my existing tel#. That was on the 19th of Feb 2009. Today is Mar 2nd and I still have no service. I have been calling almost every other day and all I get is give us another 24hrs. I asked the girl where she was located, she said in South America. Fortunately I do not need this phone every day or I would definitely be in trouble.
Mike of Orleans, MA February 23, 2009
Mike of Orleans MA (02/23/09)
Do Not do business with this company. They go out of their way to make it impossible to activate or add airtime. You can never reach them, nor does their web site support inquiries.
Service was terminated while purchased airtime remained. Loss of over 300 Alicia of Sacramento, CA February 20, 2009
Alicia of Sacramento CA (02/20/09)
I bought the phone as it was recommended to me as I am from New Zealand and will not be here long enough to make a contract deal viable. The reason I got it was to make International calls and text (sms) message back home. It took over a week for them to activate the international service. They kept saying it wouold be done in 24 hors and it was not. So I was spending minutes talking to them and they kept not fixing the problem. On top of this I had to purchase calling cards as my phone was not working. Also you cannot phone mobile phones from their international service nor can you text.
To summarise a complete waste of time and money. Nowhere on the box did it state you would not be able to make certain calls or sms to certain countries. The customer service was very poor also. Do not buy this phone is you are a traveler. You would be better off getting a month to month contract. Cost me minutes to fix the problem caused by them. Did not have a working phone so had to spend money on calling cards, which I was trying to avoid and the whole reason I bought the phone. Joe of Onalaska, WI February 5, 2009
Joe of Onalaska WI (02/05/09)
I purchased a TracFone at a Wal-Mart store on Jan. 30th. I came home and tried to activate the phone and use the purchased minutes, but I kept getting the message on the phone, Prepaid Service Disabled. So I tried to contact customer service at their 800 telephone number. The customer service recording told me they were closed. I tried calling them the next day and spent over an hour on the phone with different reps. and supervisors. After spending all this time on the phone with them, I was told it would take 24-48 hours to get the phone activated. They said they would call me back after this time period.
They didn't call, I had to call them. Naturally I was given the same run around as I had on Saturday when I called. They apologized and put me on hold over and over again. They kept giving me the same instructions, codes, promises and still no phone service or minutes. When I purchased this phone from Wal-Mart they told me the more minutes you buy the better the price on the minutes. Boy oh boy what a mistake!! I also was promised the minutes would double, how can they double when you can't even get the phone activated?
So today, after waiting another 48 hours, they didn't call and I had to call to get the same answers I had before. Needless to say, I don't have a working TracFone and I'm sitting with a totally worthless phone card with minutes that Wal-Mart won't refund me on. AVOID THIS PRODUCT AT ALL COSTS! I will add, I did get a refund on the phone itself, but now I'll have to deal with my credit card company or go to our local Better Business Bureau. I also want to add when I returned the phone to Wal-Mart, the supervisor at the customer service desk replied, NOT ANOTHER ONE OF THESE PHONES! This said it all for me when she made that comment.
Furthermore, I want to add my frustration that I experienced by having to waste my precious time on the telephone for accumulated hours that added up to over 3 hours of my time. These so called customer service people need to be trained in the USA if they are going to communicate with people who speak English. How does a company like TracFone stay in business? I can answer this, they rip the consumer off by not giving them their purchased minutes! No wonder they are a multi-million dollar company, when they treat the consumers with no care or respect at all!
I'm out 40.00 + tax if I don't get satisfaction from my major credit card company or if the Better Business Bureau can't help me.
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