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TracFone

TracFone • Missing minutes • Activation problems • Can't get local number • Defective phone • Network problems • Lost the phone • Advertising, promotions • Rebate problems • Inside Trac --- News • TracFone Pays $50,000 for Violating Missouri's Do Not Call Law

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.

Jim of Fargo ND (12/21/08)
We purchased a Tracfone for my parents for Christmas as they don't use a cell phone very much at all but it nice to have just in case. I activated the phone and over the next 72 hours the phone was never usable. Every time we tried to use it all we got was an automated attendant in the roaming network and our phone is not registered and can't be used. I would call Tracfone and spend 10 to 15 minuted each phone call putting in new codes and they would say it should be working in the next 4 hours. IT NEVER WORKED!! I finally called and cancelled everything. I would stay away from this phone, it is a pain in the butt.

Chase of Nashville, TN December 10, 2008

Chase of Nashville TN (12/10/08)
I just purchased a Tr[a]cfone and i followed the steps exactly as i was told to, and guess what? Can't make outgoing calls. I called customer service for tech. support and i could barely hear the tech. person due to all the nise in the background from other technical support people trying to resolve what sounded like hundreds of problems. they told me to call back in an hour due to problems they were having.

Tubtim of Tomball, TX December 8, 2008

Tubtim of Tomball TX (12/08/08)
Sometime during the week of Dec. 1, 2008 I Lost my tracphone wireless in Florida. I called Tracfone to turn off service, I receive a conformation number. I called Tracfone on Dec. 8th to check status. I was told that the Phone number to my Phone was registered to a different name and they could not help me. I bought the phone new 4 years ago. They have the number of a person who is reg to my phone number, but they say they can not call to verify Phone number.

I will lose 300+ minutes about 60.00

Jeff of Bloomington, MN November 13, 2008

Jeff of Bloomington MN (11/13/08)
The reconditioned phone I got from Tracfone when I last added airtime has become unuseable. Following the directions on their website a attempted to transfer my account back to the phone I originally transferred it from. After many attempts, the only result I got was You have entered an incorrect phone number, please try again. After a few emails, in their third message, they said I needed to buy more airtime to activate the phone before I could transfer the airtime I already had, to that phone.

Rather than throw good money after bad, I purchased a new Tracfone phone. Tried following their instructions with the new phone, with air time, but got the same results. Also every one of their email replies takes 2 days to receive. I am thoroughly convinced that their Activate my TracFone with a number transferred from one of my other TracFones procedure never works, regardless of what is entered. It is just there to placate (ex)customers.

I'm out the cost of the new phone, plus my airtime, as well as all the time I have wasted trying to resolve this issue. And I still have no cell phone service!

Betty of Paducah, KY November 4, 2008

Betty of Paducah KY (11/04/08)
the other day tracfone disabled a perfectly working tracfone without cause. It was the only one I had and when I contacted them they said I had requested the airtime be transferred to my new tracfone. I didn't have a new tracfone and told them that over and over again but they did not listen nor are they willing to take care of their mistake.

I only have one tracfone and it still had unused minutes on it with no time to be added until 12-31-2008. I gave thenm the serial number and they said they didn't have a serial number in their system matching it. then they said I must have read the serial number wrong so I even sent them a good clear photo of the serial number right off the phone but they still offered no help.
More than 300.00

Peter of Lenox, MA October 1, 2008

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