TracFone Wireless
Reviews and Complaints

I merely attempted to transfer my current phone number from an old cellular device to a new cellular device with a 1200 minute triple service plan. According the Tracfone's website, this is supposed to be done "easier than I think". I suppose my thought process was too simple! After all, I've been a Tracfone customer for nearly two years and had upgraded my cellular device before, while keeping my same telephone number. This attempt to transfer my current phone number to my new device was ABSOLUTELY HARROWING!

In the beginning...I received and activated my cellular device, with a 1200 minute triple service plan, according to the instructions that came along with it. Instructions stated to call customer service to get assistance with a transfer if you want to keep your same telephone number. I did that the very next morning and the representative said I needed a SIM card and one would be mailed to me within 24 to 48 hours. TEN days later, I received the SIM's card and as instructed call customer service back to get assistance. After deactivating my old cellular device and activating my new cellular device; we learned that the SIM card I received was TOO LARGE! Tracfone DID NOT send the correct size for my cellular device. The representative asked me to "take a pair of scissors and cut the card down so it would fit and to be sure not to cut any of the gold bars". REALLY! Well, I did and it STILL DID NOT WORK! No SIM card detected...Emergency calls only... The representative said she would send another SIM card immediately and to call back once I received it. I requested for her to transfer the service back to the old cellular device as the new cellular device would not work without a SIM card and I did not want to be without cellular service for another TEN days. Flustered and frustrated; I told her that the last SIM's card took TEN days to receive. She assured me that it would only take 24 to 48 hours to receive it. Well, USPS was working in her favor; as, I did indeed receive the new SIM card in exactly 48 hours. I got home as saw that the new SIM's card had arrived and I called Tracfone Customer Service Immediately. The representative, instructed me to insert the SIM card into the new cellular device and she would place me on hold 2-3 minutes for the transfer to be process...Tracfone representatives ALWAYS say "may I place you on hold 2-3 mintues to process". It's more like 30 minutes in 2-3 minute intervals. After completing the transfer, we tested the new cellular device to ensure it was working properly...it was NOT. She placed me on hold once again for an additional 2-3 minutes totaling 65 minutes until the problem was corrected. HERE'S IS WHERE IT GETS EVEN WORSE! I could not place any calls. The representative told me "there was not any call minutes available". I said "What?" That can not be; we've just activated this phone with 1200 minutes. What happened to the minutes? She said she would have to transfer me to another department. TRANSFEERED to another department... I explained the representative what all had just taken place. Of course, I had to hold for 2-3 minutes for him to review the account. After all that, and the account being confirmed, the notes on the account being read, and confirming the transfer of the current phone number from the old cellular device to the new cellular device; he said that I had no call minutes available on the new cellular device because the old cellular device did not have any call minutes. My response: that's why I transferred the current phone number to the new celluar device and service plan of 1200 minutes. AGAIN HOLD FOR 2-3 minutes. 20 minutes later; his response as there was NOTHING he could do due to the transferring of the old device to the new device before/after the new cellular device was activated/deactivated. WHAT!?!?!?!?!? I requested to speak with his supervisor...15 MINUTES later...supervisor not available...I said "I'LL HOLD"...all I've been doing anyway...same guy says "Mam, there's is nothing we can do; due to the new device being deactivated prior to the transfer of...ME: hold on / wait a minute/ you are the same guy I've been talking to...originally you told me you did not have authorization to do anything and now you're the supervisor ...you're not being honest with me...let me talk with your Manager or someone who has authorization to fix this problem! He tells me to hang up and call 1-800...I said NO! I will not hang up and call back...let me talk to the C.F.O., the V.P. the President...the Executive Board of Directors...someone who has the authority to fix this problem tonight! If I get disconnected, I'm going to be extremely upset! 15 minutes of that, he wants to transfer to the Head Quarters...I told him that was fine...don't let me get disconnected! Make sure someone is on the phone with me before you release the call. I have to go through the ENTIRE SPILL AGAIN. This lady is telling me the same thing...NOTHING she can do...I again respond...call the C.F.O., the V.P, the President or the Executive Board of Directors. She advised I call back Monday morning...I said ABSOLUTELY NOT! She places me on hold to find someone who has the authority to fix this problem. She comes back and offers me 370 talk minutes...REALLY!?!?! I paid for 1200; that's what I'm expecting to receive. She places me on hold yet again to verify the usage of the minutes from the time the phone was first activated...remember... the phone would not work...Then she says there is nothing more that can be done. I said you have the capability to track every minute, text, and data used...use your system to see what Tracfone employee took the minutes and give them back to me and then I want to press charges because some Tracfone employee has stolen my minutes. I paid for 1200 minutes and that is what I expect to receive. Then I remembered that I took a call for 30-45 when I first received the new device with the old number. I humbled myself and said to her that I'd remembered doing that. She placed me hold again 2-3 minutes. She then said she could place 1000 talk minutes back on my cellular device. I then thanked her merely for being RESONABLE. After 2 hours and 38 minutes of going back and forth with Tracfone from my landline...they were only willing to place 1000 talk minutes on my cellular device. I reminded her that I had the Triple Service plan. The number of minutes, text, and data triples in number. She agreed to place 1000 data minutes as well...3600 text minutes was already showing on the account...transferred form the old cellular device. I told her I would agree to that because it was RESONABLE. It wasn't exactly correct...but it was RESONABLE...I wasn't asking for any additional minutes...of which I believed was deserving at that point...however, the 1000 minutes was RESONABLE. 2 hours and 38 minutes is NOT RESONABLE in solving a customer service issue... of something that is advertised at being "EASIER THAN I THINK".

Dear tracfone:
It is fraud to steal the minutes off of someone's three family tracfones and then refuse to provide a record of their usage without a court order, sworn statements, and several other requirements that will cost me more money as well as attorney fees. It is wrong to then state that after jumping through all those hoops you will then call me on the phones you stole the minutes from to confirm the information in my sworn, notarized statement or court order before sending the records within 30 days. The phones don't work, because you took out minutes, and i'm certainly not going to add more minutes so you can call me to confirm information that you already have from a sworn statement or court order. You're business practices and customer service practices constitute fraud and theft. Your process for disputing such theft/ fraud is expensive, convoluted, and unfair to a consumer who has been a long-time customer with three accounts for several years. I have been lied to, stolen from, and had my time wasted by several of your agents. I'm disputing charges with my credit card company. You should be ashamed. If anyone is interested the company operates under various names including tracfone, net10 wireless, total wireless, straight talk, safelink wireless, telcel américa, simple mobile, and page plus cellular. I would avoid all of the above unless you want an endless series of headaches and extra expense to get what you paid for!

I purchased a Tracfone in June/2016. It is still under warranty. Every time someone tries to call me, their call goes to voicemail. I have call Tracfone over ten times but to no avail. I am passes from representative to representative asking the same guestions and left on hold, sometimes over an hour. I am told I can not be reimbursed for being left on hold. Sometimes I get the service center in the Philippines, sometimes the states. The people in the Philippines are hard to understand. Neither service center provide satisfactory results. I need help! Every time I call it's the same thing. My telephone number is [protected]. Don't know what to do!

I've been using Tracfone for several years My phones and my children's phones have been erratically losing minutes. I have called several times on it and was told to fax in a subpoena with verbatum verbage saying this is my phone with a photocopy of the sims card, yada yada. As i continuously fed $ into the phones like a slot machine i continued to lose my minutes. I thought it might just be easier to get a new phone and maybe the problem would be solved. I purchased 3 new phones each with 1200 minutes + the minutes that rolled over from the last phones. Within a few months (of barely using them i might add) you guessed it- the minutes were gone. Needing to speak with my young children i kept adding minutes mainly for emergencies. I just called on it again this time to finally have resolution & the "manager" Ryan Paz straight out told me he doesn't BELIEVE me because it never happens, he's never heard of any problems until now & that in fact it is IMPOSSIBLE for the minutes to disappear. HA! Then as expected from their poor cust service over there in Honduras he hung up on me. Blown away by their incompetence. I called to speak with another person who automatically said "yeah i'm a manager too" minutes cannot disappear like that. Just a bunch of trained monkey's! Calling Corp HQ tomorrow. ++++SCAM++++Wish me luck!

Ordered a phone directly from Trac Fone website. After spending 2 plus hours with customer service to activate the phone am told the phone cannot be programed and to return it for another phone. New phone arrived and was able to activate, but not for my local area. Went to Walmart and bought a cheap no frills Trac Fone and was able to activate for my area. The phone would self dial in my pocket so I purchased another different model at Walmart. Again, could not activate. Called customer service and after 2 hours transferred me to another agent. In the process of transfer Trac Fone lost over 400 minutes of voice, text and data. I am so disgusted with incompetent customer service we are discontinuing our service and we have been with them for over 10 years.

I had a old tracfone i had just added 445.20 min. .But it was hard to use so my daughter gave me a newer tracfone. I called the trac co, to get my min 's transferd but no matter what they could not do it they told me the i had they no longer carried so i got a new phone but they still could not switch over my time so i thought i'll just buy time and low and behold the next day the time was there and i could make calls but the phone would not pick up wifi i had it on 3 other places and the company could not help me so again i buy a new tracfone and the told me that they did not have service here yet they had it the day before . So i told them that you did have it, plus my husband can make all kinds of calls and my daughter can call any where when she's here i am disabled and 65 i told them but they did not care ida j. Davidson .Dubois wy. And cant afford to buy any more phone why did they keep selling me time? yet neither has service here

Look on the packaging where it details the phones to be used with a certain card. There are none. Bought the wrong card. Called customer service. Second worse phone conversation ever in my life. The more aggravated I became the more they read from a script or a flip chart. I listened to them and asked what they could do to rectify my concern. Nothing .
Must be enough new customers to keep pace with their dissatisfied ones leaving.
The worst customer service since Sprint used Pakistan as their customer service hub in the 90's.

I am raj. I have my unlock smartphone ... I had check my IEMI number on tracephone website and they said that congrats your phone is compatible. I had purchase new BYOP SIM Card... after that I had contacted there customer service agent... they said your phone is not compatible bcz it is overseas phone. After sometimes the agent had asked again my serial number of the SIM card. Then they said you had not activated the card. for that I required air time Pin. I went to Walmart and purchased $22 air time card.
Now I had contacted them again and the agent was so rude and unprofessional... even didn't care to reply also... we have to hang up and hang up then they say something which is irrelevant what they said before.
again wait and wait...
Then they asked me the Air time pin number I had provided that ..no reply from then... again wait and wait ... when I asked repeatedly is there some one no reply no reply...
Then again they asked me ZIP code... I had provided it ..no response... wait and wait...
When I was getting mad... Tracephone agent shows there attitude... rudeness... unprofessional...
And finally Tracephone agent had told me that you SIM card is faulty and has to replace it. When I has some query ...they shows rudeness ...you want replacement? only one reply.
Really spoil my long memorial day weekend!
I am getting frustrated... with Tracephone services and particularly the behavior . I never came across such rudeness, unprofessional, attitude people.
When I had informed that you are making me mad ! then who bothered ... Tracephone had try to make me more mad and frustrated. I didn't know what is going on.
I am so upset that a Tracephone getting new customer and they are behaving in such a way then what they will do once I start the services. I have no hope that they will provide any services.

I purchased my second tracfone about 4 months ago. I had my last tracfone for about two years and never experienced any issues. Two days ago I took my phone out of my purse and plugged it into my charger as the battery was running low. After a while I heard the message notification go off and it kept going off. I checked my phone a noticed that it wasn't the messages it was my phone shutting off and restarting and shutting off again over and over, never actually getting to the home screen. I googled the problem and tried to troubleshoot it on my own, nothing worked so I called customer service the next day.
The first person I spoke with didn't seem to understand that I had no control over the phone he asked me to go to settings, turn the phone on, turn the phone off, all things I can't do. Finally he said their send me a replacement. I gave him all my contact information and he told me to return just the phone not the battery or ad card and it would take 2 weeks before I receive my new phone. This was very frustrating to me because tracfone have me a defective phone shouldn't they value their customers and replace it immediately? I spoke with a supervisor who then told me it doesn't take that long I would get the phone within 4 days. She told me to return the phone with the battery and sd card and they be emailing me a return shipping label. I never received the label so I called back, the first rep had phone problems so I was on hold for 15 minutes I hung up and called back the next rep was extremely rude and kept me on hold for 15 minutes. I finally told her I just want to check what email they have on file and she told me they didn't have my email address. I have her my email and she tried to rush me off the phone in frustration so I asked her to repeat it back to me and she had it incorrect. I tried to ask a question and again she tried to end the call at which point I told her she kept me on hold for q5 minutes now it was time for her to provide, me customer service...she hung up. I called back and asked for a supervisor who told me none of the informatio, I'd given twice was in the system. I gave it again. He said I had to return the phone with the battery no sd card and the charger. And it could take a week to get the phone. He also said I would get the email with the return label within two hours, it's been 12 and I don't have it.
My frustration level is through the roof. I wouldn't even call that customer service it's all purely aggrevation. And I still have a broken phone

I purchased a new tracfone and had the minutes switched from my old tracfone to my new phone...the new phone was an Alcatel tracfone...after I switched I began having difficulty managing the new phone...called tracfone customer service several times but they were of no help...I then decided to go back to my old phone...after a half hour wait time I was connected to someone I could hardly understand...very nasty...I started out with 259 minutes and she said they would only return 85...I had the new phone only one day..didn't even get to use it...is this fair? What can be done

Saturday 04/30/2016 I was to receive this warranty replacement phone over month ago.
Congratulations TracFone you took more of my life, my health, & my $$$ !
I called the # TracFone gave me & it cost me 26 minutes 22 seconds of my minutes I paid for just to learn the phone is not in stock & there is no idea when it will be in stock. Why didn't TracFone contact me to let me know this? Even though it is normally a toll free # (866) w/ any other phone, w/ TracFone it costs you to call them even though it is their fault. What a racket!
This after all of the hours I wasted online trying to get an answer.
Is TracFone going to @ least reimburse the 26 minutes 22 seconds it cost me to learn something TracFone should have notified about? Well?
TracFone does not care, because they don't have to care! They already have my $$$ & if I drop dead because of the stress TracFone has caused me, so what they already have my $$$ ! The minutes I didn't use are just more profit in their pockets!
Well, what is TracFone going to reimburse me? Nothing! They don't have to!

it took 3 hours to fix Tracphone's error to set it up so I could purchase minutes from my phone. Finally achieved that and got 2 calls back telling me they hoped my issue was resolved, which deducted minutes I had purchased for MY use. I also provided feedback on my time consuming frustrating experience, and got 2 calls, also deducting my minutes. I went back on their sight, and told them to quit calling me and reinstate my minutes. The person told me they would fix it. The result was 2 more calls deducting minutes and no resolution. SO today I tried again, through the chat window, and was told the only way to fix it was to call them using my minutes...seriously? They have a system set up to use your customers minutes, and then we have to purchase more because they wasted our minutes, and then to resolve it we have to take even more minutes and our personal time? BIG SCAM

I purchased a cell phone off hsn and it became defective after about one month. Tracfone said I need to send old one in before I get a new phone. My old phone had 5413 minutes on it with an end date of 2030. When I got my new phone and tried to activate it on January 28, 2016. The thieves-(tracfone) stole nearly 3500 minutes from my deactivated account. And the thieves (tracfone) told me also that they were stealing my time on my account only giving me 90 days. To anyone reading this review, do not buy tracfone because if you have to get a new phone-they will steal all your minutes and the time on your account that you paid for. If your account has to briefly be shut off! Avoid tracfone! I would except a refund of my minutes but they are claiming that my account does not show my complaint of actual minutes and the closing date of my account. So I feel I will be screwed! I had a case number when I was advised to send old phone in [protected] My email is [protected]@yahoo.com My old phone had the evidence of minutes and account time on it when I sent it back, unfortunately it locked up! When they deactivated my phone number, my account on my computer went inactive so unfortunately my account evidence was at there mercy! I am saddened to feel I will not be compensated. I will have to go elsewhere for cell phone service!

I have purchased a new Tracfone and am trying to get it activated along with transferring my old phone number and minutes. I have been in contact with 4 of your agents which are ether in India or South America. They do not understand the English language. I have been sent an additional SIM number and told to call again with the new SIM number. This I have done on a number of occasions and receive the same response, to call back in 24 hours. This has become totally unacceptable and am now at the point of just returning the Tracfone and discontinuing my service with this company.

I requested a larger phone as I am 65 and it's difficult using the small phone. After going through four people in the Philippines and two at their headquarters I finally shamed them into sending a replacement I have not yet received although I was told 5 to 7 days, then 7 to 10 days. Now I cannot get through to their worthless customer service at all. They must have blocked my ticket number and phone number. These people are low life and an example of government tax money going to lobbyists for the phone companies. No company as Tracfone should have a government contract the taxpayers are funding. MY replacement dates to the request Dec 29TH 10:AM and it is now January 9TH. Ticket Number #[protected]. I doubt if these lowlife even read this board.

I couldn't take picture or receive pictures she was nice we went through codes was on line for hour she couldn't find problem I couldn't even receive downloads she still didn't find problem so while I was waiting I happened to see that Bluetooth was on so I sent a picture it worked I typed excuse me I fixed it you didn't told her my Bluetooth was on and I didn't need her she typed any thing else I can do I replied no thank you signed off gave them a bad review and they cancelled my account I corrently have no phone think they are unfair when we called she said we had to buy min now im waiting on sym card in four or five days tracfone just screwed my ad on line thank you trac foney

This company has inflicted malice based severe distress due to your error (S) and fraudulent activities. I want this resolved today including full reimbursement and compensation for the hell your company has put me through. Please read below the chronological series of event that you caused and call me at [protected] brought a phone card today, 1/3, as per the (Pardon the expression) ### in your loss prevention department (Who refused to disclose his name, cut me off and was not interested in looking at the facts) was rude, condescending and punitive, again to your company's series of errors and fraudulent activities on my account in order to avoid criminal action which is within my rights, please read about what your company has done to me I want this resolved, including compensation for the malice that you have inflicted on me due to your errors and illegal activities. This is my last attempt before filing charges to resolve this matter. Please forward below to you executive resolution department in the us for a call back monday morning before 10 or after 11:30. See below for the multitude of violations and harassment you have caused me - the latest – demanding I pay for 2 refills for 2 phones 9i. E. A shakedown!) after they illegally disconnected a phone with service through july, which was not involved with the illegal charge to my account. Loss prevention person refused to give me his name. I need this resolved, please call me and them today, monday and also please forward paperwork to file a criminal complaint. They committed 3 felonies by: failing to double minutes charging me for adding my doubled minutes suspending my paid in advance service - ) not including the renewals - one january 12 the other june - because I disputed unauthorized charge to my card resulting in a overdraft with related fees. They refuse to solve the issue or have a competent american call me to resolve. Better have someone call today (No your chart line is another rufe that doesn't work - or I will, through a relative who is a federal prosecutor, file criminal charges my 2 phones are on auto refill with 2x minutes. When the one phone was refilled, they only gave me the straight minutes, not the double. After 5 calls, they added the minutes and charged me causing my checking account to overdraft. I called the bank to dispute this charge after tracfones illegal refusal to transfer me to an american - 6 times. Yesterday, they disconnected both my phones without notice causing me undue harm and distress. Both phone before their added minutes were valid through mid january on one phone and september on the other. They refused today to transfer me to a supervisor and they have fraudulently and with gross malice with the intent ot defraud, disconnected 740 minutes on one phone and 440 minutes on the other. I want to file criminal charges against this company and I want meaningful compensation for what they have done by turning me off even though I am prepaid through mid month january. I have requested in writing to speak with an american and these requests have been ignored. The department that handled this is closed for the holidays.

I've had continuing problems with Tracfone. The reception is very poor. It has also become difficult to add minutes online because their website is so touchy. So what would have taken a few minutes to add minutes, now takes 1/2 hour because their system keeps making you reenter the same information. When you try to contact the chat helpline, they blame you and your internet connection, and keep repeating what you already knew before you began the chat. When you have to call to add minutes because their website is so inefficient, their system is so slow that it takes 20 minutes and having to constantly repeat your credit card information, name, etc. You are charged for each of these minutes if, like many of us, you no longer have a landline. There are other phone options. Don't choose Tracfone.

Bought my Daughter a TracFone, Register it and everything, the phone number she had receive for her phone is not the right phone number.She called the house number and then A different phone number showed up instead.I just bought a card with more minutes, the minutes did not go to her phone, and now Im very upset.Tried to call Customer service for over 6 times, and that had not gotten me anywhere no human answers the phone, I just keep getting the same Response press this, and press that, Im really pissed now.I wasted my money on a minute card, and can't seem to get any kind of help.

Complaint activity report case # [protected] bbb serving southeast florida & the caribbean consumer info: km, km business info: tracfone wireless, inc. 5916 w milwaukee, wi [protected] 876-5753 location involved: (same as above) consumer's original complaint : i purchased 2 phones (4 total )most likely last year some time from dollar general- the first phone didn't work - defective. so i went to dollar general to take it back- along with the other one that was unopened to exchange for a different flip phone- i was told i could exchange the unopened phone- but the defective phone i had to send back to tracfone.the store scanned it a million times and then advised me that tracfone wasn't taking back the unopened one either- and i paid for the flip phone anyway without an credit for the one they scanned a million times when they handed it back to me. i asked if it worked after all that monkey business and was told yes.- i threw all the phones in a drawer and had intended just to sell them all at a yard sale - it was so much of a hassle to return defective phones for my money back. then a year later i found them after forgetting about them - i activated the flip phone and it turned out that one was defective as well - plus the phone number they assigned me used to be a porn sight number![protected] divine seductress - ... it does not ring or show the numbers calling! and only records a message when it feels like it. i didn't want my nieces to have that kind of number so i attempted to activate the other phone i attempted to return. turns out when it was scanned a million times - it does not work as dollar general promised. i went threw all the 'hoops" to get it activated. tf made a service number and promised they would have it working the next day! well, it doesn't and now i'm suppose to jump threw more hoop to get my money back for 3 defective phones - and they can't start the service for the new one. i've spent hours on the phone and now just spent a long time filling out chats and waiting and waiting only to have them disconnect that chat too product_or_service: samsung //trac fone account_number: [protected] consumer's desired resolution: desiredsettlementid: other (requires explaination)i also filled out a customer service "chat" and waited forever...i asked if they were still there- and then they hung up. after all that time as well!alejandra: i will need to read all the chatalejandra: are you still there? if i do not get a response from you within three minutes, this session will have to end.***i want to know why someone can't take back the defective phones at the store purchased with the receipt unopened or opened with a receipt? and why all the hassle. not happy bbb processing 11/23/2015 web bbb case received by bbb 11/24/2015 vg bbb case reviewed by bbb - member 11/24/2015 otto email send acknowledgement to consumer - member 11/24/2015 otto email notify business of dispute - member the customer service is virtually worthless and i can't get the headquarters to correct the frustration either. so far i spent over 5 hours with customer service and $50 in phones that do not work. along with a 22.00 phone card