TracFone Wireless
Reviews and Complaints

Here is a transcript of a support chat conducted with a TracFone rep this evening:

"Thank you for visiting Tracfone today. How may I help you?

Thank you for contacting TracFone. Our hours of operation are Monday-Sunday 8am to 11:45pm. If you receive this message during normal operation hours, our chat agents are helping other customers. Your position is 2 in the queue. Your wait time will be approximately 6 minute(s).

Kenneth: Thank you for visiting TracFone Wireless.

Kenneth: Hi Mark.

Kenneth: How may I assist you?

You: Hello Kenneth. My TracFone suddenly began displaying Invalid SIM in the upper left corner of the screen.

Kenneth: I'm sorry to hear that.

Kenneth: Before I check your account, does your phone number end with ####?

You: Yes

Kenneth: Thank you for the information. Please allow me a moment to check your account here on my end.

You: Thank you!

Kenneth: You're welcome.

Kenneth: Thank you for waiting.

Kenneth: Kindly turn the phone off and remove the battery.

You: Done.

Kenneth: Pull out the SIM card.

You: Done.

Kenneth: May I have the SIM card number?

You: ####################

You: I'm only guessing on the series of zeros, since the last character has a factory punch mark in it that renders it unreadable.

Kenneth: It's okay.

Kenneth: Put the SIM card and battery back in and turn the phone on.

You: Done

Kenneth: Does the phone is showing the same message?

You: Yes, still showing Invalid SIM card

Kenneth: With regard to this matter, we will need to speak with you directly to better troubleshoot this issue. Please contact one of our customer care representatives at [protected]. Please use reference PIN (032700). For your convenience, our representatives are available Monday-Sunday from 8:00 AM to 11:45 PM EST.

You: I cannot call anyone, as the Invalid SIM renders the phone inoperable as a phone.

Kenneth: You need to use a different device.

You: A "different device" isn't available.

Kenneth: Thank you for chatting with TracFone Wireless.

Kenneth: Have a wonderful evening.

Thank you for chatting with us today. The agent has left this conversation. For further questions, please start a new chat."

Immediately after the support rep ended the chat session, the option at the top to print or email a copy of the transcript disappeared, so I had to copy the entire thing to the Windows clipboard and past it into a Notepad document to save it.

So I now have a TracFone with a lot of value in unused text, data & phone service that I cannot use, and the response to my particular situation is, "Have a wonderful evening."

I bought some minutes & used a bonus code on July 1st that didn't work. I got a message to call customer service to work it out. Thay gave me the run around, tryed to sell me a new phone, & didn't tell me they couldn't do anything until 20 minutes had gone by. When I tryed complaining to a manager a loud beeping went off in my ear the whole time I tryed talking to her. All I was looking for was the 60 bonus minutes or to have it quickly resolved, so I didn't waste minutes. A horrible experience altogether.

I added minutes to my phone and made a call the phone service was off an oversight but added immediately. Please pay me for my unused minutes I had over 10, 000 look at how long I had this service! You are the worse and I will let anyone I know do not ever purchase or deal with trac phone how unfair can one be I see your true colors! I cannot understand why a phone company would steal to make more money when I am consistent with purchasing phone cards you are the worse and I am very very dissatisfied with how this was even handled! I want compensation for my minutes or return them back on my phone stop making excuses and do the right thing by your customers

I purchased a bring your own phone SIM card kit and a $15 airtime card for my local Walmart. I spent considerable time trying to get the SIM card to work in my phone. I ended up having to call TracFone customer service and after numerous attempts to try to troubleshoot the problem the representative made a comment to me that it was like the SIM card was defective. She offered to mail me and other one that I needed to get a phone up and running before that one would be received. She then informed me that I could return the SIM card and a $15 air time card to Walmart for a refund. When I went to Walmart they informed me that these items were non-refundable. They indicated TracFone would have to be the one to issue a refund. I again called it TracFone and was on the phone with them for almost 45 minutes getting the runaround about how there was nothing they could do for me even though their product was defective. They refused to issue a refund or to even give me an anything for my trouble. The representative, who can hardly speak English. Just kept saying sorry there was nothing we can do. I think it is ridiculous that this company does not offer any kind of warranty for their product nor do they back it up against being defective.

June 18

[protected]

I was looking for an iPhone to buy & I saw on facebook.
we made contact I purchased the phone for $140 cash with just the charger, no box or receipt. trying to activate with my carrier cricket but its locked by tracfone.. customer service can't do jack squat I done called since that Monday and I am very angry and frustrated. they all tell me the same thing about getting it rescan... like ok I get that but how the F am I suppose to, when I don't have a box nor a receipt.

resolution: please just unlock my friggin phone here's my imei: [protected]

Well I have had safelink since jan 2017. I move to a different address in march of 2018. Since then I have been having problems with sending them verification documents. First they tell me me physical address is invalid. I have "section 8" how can my physical address be in valid. I send them az copy of my ebt card (back and front) they say it's invalid. They don't have information on the new updated ebtedge card. So ok, a representative tells me we'll do it this way. Let's cancel this application and start a new one using your section 8 program. Mind you this have been going on over a month now. Okay so I sms the documents from section 8, I uploaded the documents, and I emailed the documents. Today I called and checked they said the still didn't receive any documents. I asking speak to a supervisor they tell me they can't transfer my call. Then safelink has this deal where if you buy a $15 tracfone phone card you get unlimited minutes. I have bought a card twice and both times I got 250 min. I call them and they tell me I bought the wrong card.
Honestly it sounds like their ripping off the gov. The gov. should get virgin mobile as a lifeline carrier instead of tracking.
Frustrated and don't know what to do.

Hello my name is larry and my fiance sophia and I have been consistent customers with your company for over five years. The reason for this complaint surrounds an old outdated five dollar alcatel tracfone that I happily utilized, until the screen became cracked and phonecalls dropped alot in certain cities and buildings, so I upgraded to an i-phone se simple mobile except I did not want the simple mobile service, I just wanted the my tracfone phone number to be transferred over to the i-phone. That's where the problems and poor and unrealistic incompetent customer service began. I had to ask to speak to a supervisor because the representative could not do it. So a supervisor by the name of ezikiel, I am probably not spelling his name correctly, but he said he completed the transfer and to turn the off and try to make a call in 15 min. I waited 20 min. Just to be sure, unsuccessful. So my fiance did some research and saw some reviews that said it could take up to two days. The day of my call to your company was may 13, 2018, so from that day to may 15, 2018 I was hoping the activation would activate but no. So I called your customer service again on may 15, 2018, upon the representative answering the phone I immediately asked to speak to a supervisor but the representative insinuated that they might be able to help, so I explained and sure enough the supervisor was needed. That is when another person answered the phone and stated upon asking are you the supervisor — anjum brothra — said that he was. Now I was told by him that my phone was not transferred over to make a long story short because communication between us was not understood and my fiance was in the background trying to interrupt and I was getting irritated with her because I was very aware to be calm and patient with — anjum brothra — because that was the only way I thought I was going to solve my problem but to no avail an to my dismay upon trying to communicate with — anjum — which proved to be a failure because he seemed to not understand the language that I was using then at some points in the conversation he started telling me that I didn't want him to help me, but I kept pleading with him that that was to the contrary. And then it had reached the point where he started pushing buttons on the phone when I kept pleading with him by asking him questions calmly so that we both could understand one another but — anjum — appeared to be getting more and more irritated and frustrated wiith me. I calmly kept letting him know that I was going to contact a higher authority if he did not calm down and listen to what I was trying to convey to him to please listen. You can verify the whole conversation on — may 15, 2018 — please look into this matter. Again my name is — larry j. Wilson ii phone number [protected] — and also how I found out anjums' last name was because he was so upset with me that he called my fiance s' phone number inappropriately and she traced the number backed to him. — your associate — veronica — was more considerate but was unable to process the request for the sim card. But you will see in your phone recording that from my fiances' phone number which is — [protected] — that her conversation with a lady proved to be successful. Thank you tracfone.

Double minutes were stated that it would be for the lifetime of the phone. Whenever I have called to ask about it not happening, the call has been conveniently dropped, repeatedly.
The phone was sold with that option. Bad business practices. I don't usuallt complain, but I believe this is known as false advertising. Is it not. Shouldn't Tracfone be accountable? 0I have read many forums with the samw complaint.

Date: May 29, 2018
Tracphone Number: [protected]

Renewal information provided on a card I received in the mail: Renew for another worry-free year: 365 service days
400 minutes
Another 400 minutes with your double minute benefit
250 bonus minutes by using promo code 13512
Total minutes: 1050
Hurry! Offer ends May 31, 2018
I year card: $99.99

After a laborious amount of time with the rep, at one time in our conversation, she said the cost would be $199.99. The message she sent my phone: 400 units 400 bonus and 365 days added. Obviously, she completely neglected to add the 250 bonus minutes by using promo code 13512?

I have to say she is not what I could call a great rep for your company - It was a very frustrating experience for me!

I bought a new LG phone in January 2018. The phone came loaded with 1200 minutes/1200 texts/1200 data. My old phone still had minutes that were added to the new phone.

On May 20, 2018 I tried to send a text, that did not go through, and received a message to tap and try again. I did this several times and it did not work. I called TracFone and talked to a tech (Shakona) who informed me I only had one minute of call time left, 0 texts, and 0 data. What?

When I checked my account on my phone it showed I had 1.88 GB data/3313 minutes/1225 text remaining. The tech suggested I uninstall my TracFone account and reinstall it. This was to reboot my account. It actually erased all my minutes and left me with...one minute call time. Something is not right! Where did all my time go?

I asked for a supervisor (Joric). After much discussion he stated he would add time back to my account. He did...but not what I originally had.
Somehow I lost a lot of data, minutes and text time.

A refill minutes card was purchased at Walmart at the end of March and successfully entered into my phone reactivating it. I paid cash for the card so I discarded my receipt since it was entered, accepted and reactivated. My phone is only used sparingly for emergencies, thus did not realize time was up.
So to avoid a future lapse in service it was noted on my kitchen calendar to buy another card the end of June. Imagine my surprise yesterday, May 16 upon trying to place a call to be informed the phone needed to be reactivated and to enter a charge number. I knew my phone was good until the end of June. That it had to be some kind of mistake. A friend suggested calling customer service and they would straighten it out. What a joke that was! They insisted my last card purchase was in January and thus ended in April. In reality my December card was up in March and then my new card was purchased at the end of March! Tracfone questioned did I know the date and was the card purchased at some store? Apparently Tracfone frowns on buying your card at Walmart. I worked in management for 20 years and was not only most disappointed but quite upset after speaking with customer service. I may be a senior citizen but I'm not senile. I know I purchased my card after my husbands and he is still using his with no problem. I had 3000 minutes
left unused and still had 6 weeks of time. I do NOT appreciate being ripped off or
taken advantage of! What kind of games are they now playing at Tracfone or do they want to steal my unused minutes. My husband said the phone must be broke get a new one I bought your card after mine it has to be broke. The phone is not broke but the company is trying to cheat me out of my time and minutes. I continue to teach 3 days a week and evenings at the ballroom. I most definitely will inform all my students at the 5 seniors centers and 2 ballrooms to be forwarned if you purchase your minutes at a store to save your receipt with the date and card number to avoid being cheated at Tracfone. It is the PRINCIPLE I paid for the time and minutes and do not want to be scammed by Tracfone.

I have been trying for weeks now to get my password reset on their website but when I click on submit to get the reset. I get the message that the system is down. As the website does not recognize the password I had recorded, and I cannot get the website to reset my password, how am I to access my account? I tried their customer service number but all I got was people trying to figure out what was wrong with my phone, even though I clearly stated that I was having a problem resetting my password on the website. I came back to Tracfone after a 2 year absence, because I got tired of paying $40 a month for the little bit of time I used my phone. Their customer service leaves a great deal to be desired as well as their website maintenance.

Tracfone put my 95 year old mother in law's phone on auto renew which, as the bill payer I did not authorize. When discovered on the second round of Visa bills (my wife pays the visa) I called Tracfone. They said the money couldn't be refunded even though they created the billing. I said refund me the money and cancel my service. They said no refund. I hung up. Then they cancelled the phone service without the refund. I called today, went through three flunkies and ended up with Jayson who said they would not reactivate the phone or refund the money. The phone has 1795 minutes we paid for and 711 days. Either this company is the biggest scam ever, just dishonest or a combination of that and the worst customer service since Comcast. I will continue my trolling of this worthless company to help others who don't want to get ripped off which should be pretty much everyone.

My husband & I use pre-pay tracfones because cell phones do not work where we live (in remote MN, no towers) but when we travel, we must have cell phones.
The deal is, you buy their phone-cards, as you go, to get the minutes. He bought 450 minutes for 79.99, but he scraped off 2 of the #'s & couldn't read the "airtime PIN"... so he kept the card & receipt & called them, they told him to FAX copies to them. He doesn't know how to do this... but I do.

So later, I FAX it to them. They do not respond. We don't get the minutes.

5 days later I'm told after being transferred to many different 'departments' that they can't see the FAX, so I do it again! (I have verification reports for this from the UPS office.) No response again!

So I call them again & get the run around AGAIN & they tell me I have to email the copies of the card & proof of purchase. I do. They tell me to wait 24 - 48 hrs.

Now a week later we got nothing, nada, bupkis! Note: in 5 frustrating, long phone calls, I have used over 200 minutes just to trying to get them to give me what I have already paid for & can prove it! their customer service is Crap!

I don't understand the problem on their end. It's so simple. We bought the minutes, proof of purchase is clearly on the receipt, but they CANNOT... WILL NOT... make good on their end of the deal.

I feel ripped off. It's not fair that they can sell these cards & take your money, but if a problem like not being able to see 2 of the numbers in a code can't be fixed or understood on their end, you lose your money.

In all the years of using these phones, only once before was there a problem with seeing the number & using the bar code # on the back (over the phone) they fixed the issue immediately! I just don't get it this time. It ain't right.

Thanks for listening.

March 15th 2018 I received an email telling me to update my Tracfone app. When I did this I lost all my time I lost 10gb at 3777 minutes of talk time and 22000 text. When I called the helpline for TracFone they basically told me I was a liar that I had used it all. They said they had no way of tracking. I asked the man to send me to someone who could help me. The person he transfered me to was rude and hung up on me. I called back several more times one person gave me 1990 min talk time. I still was not happy I called back again this person gave me back my data 1200 text and another thousand two hundred talk time. So well I did get some time back they screwed me out of 1200. Also when I looked at the correspondence it says that I upgrade my software disconnected my phone reconnected my phone. I never disconnected my phone and now I get emails from them telling me they want me back. I have never disconnected my phone. Terrible terrible service. They stole 1200 minutes from me.

After having switched an at&t compatible sim to a t-mobile sim, all of a sudden my internet speed slows down to 2g. When I replaced the t-mobile sim back to an at&t sim, my data speed was still 2g. Called customer service and got one response saying I still had x amount of data left, but another said I had no data left and also had a restriction placed on how much data I can get at one time. It doesn't make sense because if i'm out of data, I shouldn't be able to connect to the internet to type this on my phone. Also, the restriction doesn't affect my ability to purchase more data, which I have been doing with the first sim card that was in my phone, meaning the restriction is nothing more than an irritating word. It's useless and nobody there knows what the hell is going on. Worthless

A customer service rep agreed my phone was reinstated on March 15 2018 and should go to April 15 2018. A manager them fraudulently changed my date to March 6 2018 so I would look like a lie. I called corporate and I told them a debit card was used and was around March 15 2018. Not sure of exact date yet but the first rep said it was the 15th. I can just look on my bank records.

I paid.my service on 3-18-18 at the time of paying I had a message that stated the next service cycle for at least one of your phones in your account has been paid for. You can renew the service for the phones shown below. Which I did, if I wanted to do anything else I couldn't. The on 3-22-18 I get a text telling me my renewal date is tomorrow . which would be today 3-23-18 and to log in to pay. I called customer service because this had to be wrong. I talk to someone at 1pm he understood and said there was a glitch/error but its not my fault and they will fix it. He said the system needed to be rebooted and he will call me bk. (He didn't) so at 6:30pm I called bk trying to ask again I was transfered 2 times I asked for. Supervisor and he answered the phone and then immediately after i explained what had happen he said he will look and see the phone made a piercing noise and wouldn't stop so I had to hang up. I called back asking for a supervisor again I got a lady who looked into it said okay she sewn the problem they would honer what was said and she saidnahe had to transfer me and the last guy read her notes and act like he didn't understand and only wanted my charge CX are or a form of payment. Didn't care didn't try and intended up asking for a complaint number, he said there is no number, no email just a n address in Florida which i took down. Now in checked my account today because I couldn't log into it because they said they were fixing it. It showed earlier that they had honered the post so my date to renew was 4-23-18. But... At 10:42pm on 3-23-18 while talking to my son away at college in another state my phone service was disconnected. If I had chosen not to renew service your phone goes off at 11:59pm. But someone in the office is purposely messing with me. I haven't done anything to them but ask for them to honor what was posted in my account in the first place. So I have attached the message and showing the onlynohines that I was able to pay for and pictures on how they renewed those and picture of my phone the main account holder inactive and it isn't even 11:59 my time.

Today is March 22nd 2018. A year ago I heard that the Federal Government had made it mandatory that companies allow phones to be unlocked. As I spend my summers in Canada, I wanted to be able to use the phone with a different SIM card during the summer and so I called to ask for it to be unlocked. Tracfone had replaced my phone in November 2016 and even though I'd been a customer for over five years, they told me that as I'd only had this particular phone for five months, I wasn't eligible for unlocking. Fair enough, I could wait another year. So today, having had this phone for 17 months, I phoned again to ask for it to be unlocked. I was told I only had 270 days on my account and so it couldn't be unlocked. I looked at their website where you can check your payments and it showed I had paid since November 2016. I phoned back and was told the same thing by another operator, I asked her to look at my account and see that I had paid for several years. Still got the same answer so I asked to speak to a manager. He came on the line a few minutes later and said that the operator had given me the correct information and put the phone down on me. Very unprofessional. I just want to be able to use the phone in Canada. They wouldn't be losing any money as I would still be using my Tracfone during the winter but I'm definitely looking at changing service if I don't get some resolution.

Buyer beware... I have been a Tracfone customer for over 10 years. There customer service has deteriorated in a major way and if you are trying to transfer minutes from one phone to another, be prepared to spend at least 3 hours on the phone with them. They will deny you have minutes available even when you have printed out documentation to support the minutes transfer when it "occurred." They will try to force you to purchase a plan in order to prevent this from happening. They will not accept a fax or email to support your claim. They will offer you a reduced number of minutes instead of the full amount of minutes that you are due. After threatening to make a report to the Better Business Bureau, they will then transfer you up to corporate office who will eventually "believe" you and give you an interaction number to allow the customer service personnel to authorize the minutes that were due you in the first place. If you don't care about your time or frustration level, feel free to become a customer... otherwise steer clear of this company. They seem to care more about spending money on advertising and less concern about maintaining the customers that they already have.