TracFone Wireless
Reviews and Complaints

Tracfone is by far the cheapest wireless phone service you can purchase. But, the adage you get what you pay for certainly applies here. Customer service is non existent, if you have to contact them plan on spending hours, and I do mean hours, on the phone going over and over the same story and the same trouble shooting until you call is accidentally dropped, then you can start over again with the next phone call. Getting your minutes wither on line or with Card codes is hit or miss. If you get missed, again plan on spending hours on the phone with customer service and then like as not you will be told the YOU are mistaken, the minutes were added. If I had it to do over again I would not have spent the money to purchase any tracfone products. My recommendation to you is avoid this company at all costs.

i bought a new tracfone ..i have a old one and i called to get my old phone plan put on the new phone .they said they would help me over the phone ...they were asking me questions and the guy talking to me was talking back and forth.to a superviser having me enter some code this was gioing on for about 40 minutes so far ..then the guy said i need to transfer you over to another dept ...i waiting about 10 or 20 minutes on there waiting phone conection...and it just got to be to long ..to do this so i hung up...i tried to get a refund for my phone and they said its been used so im out a refund..i filled a complaint with the bbb and they called me once and said that i never contacted them on the phone...in a letter 3 days befor i got the letter i filled another complaint saying they give me the tracfone corporate personel ansering machine..will ill see what is going to happen

I had to replace a failing motorola so I bought a new lg410g... Wanted to transfer my minutes and phone number... Obviously. But they couldn't use the sim card in my old phone or the sim in the one... So they had to send a new sim card... Every 3-4 days since sept 16 2009 I spend about 4 hours on the phone with someone reading a script and not enough english speaking capabilities beyond what is written on that script to understand that I was asking when I would get the sim card I was told would arrive 2 -5 days from the 16th of sept.
They sent it sept 27th I got it sept 28th only to be told I need a different sim card, they can't register the one they sent... I said no register this one! Now! Only to be told that the new phone is already working... Even though it had an unregistered sim card in it and I could not make phone calls from it!
I spend several more hours on the phone begging for a supervisor to sort it out and being told there isn't one and being hung up on or put on hold!
Recalling and being transferred from one person to the next, finally one guy gets the sim registered another gets my old phone number transferred another tries to do the same and transfers the number again then a third tries to transfer some of my 1500 (When I should have had somewhere between [protected]) when I pointed out that minutes where missing and that there were several days missing from my service... He said "no that;s right that is all you get unless you have an airtime card..." I said no there are 35 minute and 6 days missing from my phone I wanted them back i'd spent the whole day on the phone I was late picking up the kids because of their dallying do it now.
He repeated no, that is all you get unless you want to add a card now. I said no and filed with the bbb, ftc and the florida attorney general. Because i'd been weeks and I officially had enough of tracfone and want every penny I put into this phone back, it was bad enough that my double minutes for life never actually got me any double minutes!

October 13th I finally got an email from the bbb complaint liaison who emails me at 6:45pm est (After business hours) asking me to call her before she goes home for the day at 5pmest to resolve the issue... I am officially positive all she can do is give me money back now.. So a week later when I finally get a hold of her, I tell her I want a refund... So... She puts airtime and a year service on the phone! I told her I did not want it she says "think about it think about it".. But I had gotten a tmobile cell weeks earlier so why would I think about a company that tortures me and countless other customers for fun?
A week later I get a hold of her again and tell her I still haven't used the blasted phone give me my money back for the phone and the minutes as layed out in the bbb complaint and emails, she says fine no problem after all the mess that you had to go through it's no problem... Then she sends an envelope to return the phone and tells me to include the receipt for the phone.. I threw it all in.
I email her and tell her that I may not have every single receipt for the minutes but the minutes are displayed in the phone... (Open it you will see them) then suddenly she doesn't know what the refund is for and then she insists that her boss will let her refund only for the phone.. So I call and ask for her boss (Who no one at tracfone seems to know what her boss's name actually is because everyone pronounces and spells it 9 different ways) who tells me that she knows nothing of this whole mess, asks me that I paid for the phone and each airtime card.. I tell this boss person her and now these people are under the misapprehension that I discussed to a refund of $41.06!
Which is bunk! Which they keep insisting is very generous refund because this includes sales tax.. And is not quite 10% of what I actually paid or already agreed to in october! I am no longer supposed to talk to the liaison.. Just her boss whodoes not answer the phone or respond to emails... Shocker!
They have a phone and airtime with$551.20 of my hard earned dollars! They thought that I would have just folded in favor of the $41.06 and an end to the torment but I dang it I have principles too!
I've called the ftc and the attorney generals and consumer protection agencies up and down the eastern coast! Next stop... The press and the courthouse! And if tracfone or straighttalk which is tracfone have messed with you I suggest you do the same!

On November 17th, 2009 I attempted to redeem a 200 minute airtime pin number directy onto my phone. Somehow those minutes were redeemed on a different serial number.

The company declares that it does not redeem minutes to another IMEI than the one requested.(Obviously it did!) They will not transfer/replace/reissue my minutes and their terms and conditions preclude a refund as this was a "successful" redemption.

As I did not receive the minutes that I purchased, this can hardly be considered "successful" at my end and I cannot afford to absorb this loss of $40 plus tax.

This company refuses to be held accountable.

Well where do I start? I bought a tracfone motorola 260g. I activated it and used it for a couple of weeks. I decided to upgrade to an LG600. When I transferred my minuted to the lg, everything ok until I tried to make a call. I got a message that the service I was attempting to use was restricted. I called tracfone and throught the accents and lack of technological knowledge, the finally said the lg was defective. So they said they would replace it. Great...they sent my new phone to San Diego, I live in Indiana! When I called them they said another one would me sent. Well when I got that, it was a motorola 370 not an lg600. So I called to complain. I don't think they new what to do. After trying to explain that it was the wrong phone...they even tried to tell me they didn't have the ticket number they assigned me. Anyway after numourous time being put on hold, I swear, they hung up on me. So responded with a not so polite email to them. Remember the motorola 260 I started with, well that was deactivated when I transfered minutes to the lg.It still works! What idiots! The lg shows minutes and service time but I still can't make a call. I'm trying to get them to deactivate it. Then I'll get it unlocked and use another service. *** Tracfone!

Same deal with others. I purchased minutes - they took the money from my checking account and never put the minutes on the phone. When I called to question it they said I put in the wrong serial number and will not refund the money.

The phone number I entered can only have one serial number - there fore and error should have come across the screen. TRACFONE IS A RIP OFF COMPANY. I SUSPECT MANY PEOPLE JUST DON'T BOTHER WITH THEM AND SWITCH WITH A DIFFERENT COMPANY LIKE VERIZON.

I have been with tracfone for many years, so this shocked me.
I am presently in a location working this summer where there is NO cell signal service. I bought a 60 minute card from the online tracfone site. Since the minutes cannot be downloaded I have to manually put in the codes into the phone to get the minutes. so...while I was putting in the codes from the sight, one of the codes said "invalid" call tracfone to correct...so I did just that. I got a person on the line who could not speak english well, so I ask for someone who could, because I could not understand them...the person I was speaking too got mad at me, and I am telling you the truth, she did something and deleted the instructions on my PC screen with the codes for the minutes. I ask to speak to her supervisor, only to be told off by this person and told I have no minutes to add to my phone. Now get this...I have the charge for the minutes on my credit card...which now I have to get reversed, a copy of the transaction I printed out, as well as a copy of the screen before she deleted my minute download codes for the 60 minutes...and still tracfone says I am lying. I have never in my life dealt with such arrogance with a company. Grant you I was having angry words myself by the end of this conversation...but still could not believe this person I spoke to could make it look as though I have no minutes to add to the phone. I was so angry after this I threw my tracfone in the trash.

About six weeks ago, I upgraded my phone and a few days later I noticed that I couldn't receive incoming calls. They were going into a voicemail that I couldn't access. I could make calls just fine, but I couldn't receive any. I spoke to at least six service people over the phone trying to get this resolved. Their service people were all very polite but failed to solve the problem. Three times, I was told to wait 24 hours and the problem would disappear. Nothing happened. Finally, I filed a complaint with the Georgia Public Service Commission, which has intervened on my behalf. But it is now a week later, and all I got was a phone call telling me they were working on it. I really, really doubt that. I feel they've given me the runaround and they're now doing the same thing with the Georgia PSC.

I have had my cell phone service through your company for a number of years and have always been pleased with my service. But now, I am looking for a new cell phone provider.

I was looking through the graphics that are available to the Tracfone customers and was highly offended and horrified to find a graphic of an African American baby sucking on a bottle while shooting a automatic gun.

I, as an African American, so offended by this graphic, it sickens me!
Our babies are dying in the streets EVERY DAY, not only African Americans, but babies of every race and you as a company find it prosperous to promote your company on the unmeasureable sorrow and pain of mother's and father's who have lost a child to guns. But not only do you show that you are OK with our children having guns (and find it funny and cute) but you are signalling out African Americans to attribute these crimes to. Do you not know, or care, that we are trying hard to fight the stigmatism that society sees most, if not all, African Americans are gun toters. And now you are putting the guns in the hands of our babies...HOW DARE YOU! YOU AS A COMPANY SHOULD BE ASHAMED! Do you care about the impact that you have on society with these graphics? Do you care? Or is the most important influence on you the amount of money you can make on being short sighted?!

I have two granddaughters and everyday I worry for their safety. It's a shame that your company is telling all children it is OK to pick up a gun because it is cute and funny.

I am highly disgusted and offended by your company. You have portrayed African Americans as being a negative influence on society and everyone should beware of not only the adults but of their children/babies too.

SHAME ON YOU!

Audra
Sharon, PA

I bought 2 $20 unit cards formy tracfone on June 23 from Shop Ko from Helena, MT 59602 and 3 days later i got a phone call at 8PM.As i went to answer the incoming call, all the functions on the phone where unresponsive.The recourse i had was to remove the battery, then put it back in the phone and powering it back up.As of right before this incident i had 300+units left on the phone. Now once it powered back on, it booted up all the screen settings were back to default and i had no units left.This is upsetting.I need to know what my options are and if you can help!

In early 2007 I purchased a Tracfone and paid an extra $139.95 for a card that provided 800 minutes of airtime for one year plus double minutes for the life of the phone. Since that time I've purchased additional minutes on a number of occasions and always received the double minutes. Recently, since my old minutes were about to expire I bought a new 1 year 400 minute card and went online to add the units to the phone. I got the 400 minutes but no double minutes so I called customer service and was told that my double minute card was only good for one year and had now expired. I pointed out that the double minute card has been functioning for more than two years now and indeed, what I had originally purchased in February of 2007 was clearly an offer that, to quote Tracfone: "Adds 800 minutes and 365 days to your service end date, plus double minutes on any future airtime card you add for the life of your new or current phone". While the person I spoke with acknowledged that their system showed that I had been using this card for more than one year and that I had purchased it with the phone two and a half years ago, they insisted that is was now an expired one year card. They stated that they could only resolve the matter if I provide the serial number from the original double minute card I purchased two and a half years ago, which I no longer have. I know of no one who keeps their old used airtime minute cards. Essentially, they've reneged on the original double minute card I purchased. What a scam!

The customer service person (in the Philippines) I spoke with on my second attempt to resolve this was allegedly a supervisor with some authority to resolve the matter, but she sounded more like some kind of mind controlled robot who could only repeat the same script over and over regardless of how illogical it was in face of the facts. Finally, when I told her that I would use up the minutes I've purchased and switch to another prepaid provider since I don't appreciate being ripped off by Trafone she said that she would escalate the call the the "executive resolution department" and that I would receive a call back within 24-48 hours. You guessed it, I have never heard back from anyone at Tracfone. All in all, I wasted more than an hour on the phone with this crooked company trying in vain to resolve this.

It is clear from the number of similar complaints I see online about Tracfone Wireless that such problems are not glitches in their system, they are a business plan.

In the past I bought a tracfone card that offered one year of service plus double minute bonus on future cards. They doubled the minutes last year but won't this year. This is fraud. Calling has done no good. I shall contact all stores in the are that sell them plus the bbb, attorney general's office and local tv station to warn other customers.

On or about the end of October, 2007, Tracfone decided that they were doing away with their TDMA (Analog) phone service to their customers and contacted me to force me to change over to digital service (which I had already determined would not work as well in my area). They offered to send me a 'replacement' phone for free and agreed to transfer my Tracfone number (which I have used for my business for over 5 years) to the new phone.

I received my new (cheap toy) phone and activated it and Tracfone supposedly transferred the phone number to it. I used this phone (even though it did not work as well as my old TDMA Nokia) until about May, 2008, when I noticed that I had not been getting any calls on my phone for some time. At first, I just dismissed the lack of calls due to the down economy or my business contacts were just busy.

Then, I tried calling my Tracfone from a landline, and, low and behold, I got someone else's phone on my phone number. I immediately called Tracfone's customer service number and waited an excruciatingly long time to get someone on the phone that I could hardly understand and explained the problem. They said that the number was no longer my number and that it was not available to transfer to my phone as it was now someone elses phone number.

I asked how my phone number could be changed without my consent or without even notifying me. The Customer No Service Representative from Tracfone stated that they could not further assist me and I did not know what to do at that point. I tried calling back several times and got no assistance from Tracfone each time I waited the long wait for customer service. I tried emailing them, as there seems to be a significant language barrier at customer service.

When my airtime card became due in September, 2008, I still renewed it, as I now had a boatload of unused minutes left on the phone and did not want to loose them. I again tried contacting Tracfone with no positive action on the part of Tracfone to rectify the situation. Tracfone is the one who changed my phone number, not me. Only Tracfone can correct the situation.

It also must be fairly annoying for the poor soul that has my phone number to be contacted by all of my business and personal contacts daily trying to reach me. I can just imagine the frustration of that poor individual. Again, Tracfone has created another problem.

Finally, in December, 2008 I emailed Tracfone and sent them a letter detailing my Tracfone experience in a last, final attempt to get them to respond with some customer service, prior to me taking much more harsh actions against the company. They responded two weeks later by calling me (not on my Tracfone, of course) and telling me that there was nothing that they could do.

When I asked to speak with a supervisor, he told me basically the same thing in many circles of illogical rhetoric. When I asked to speak with his supervisor, the general manager of Tracfone, or the President of the Company, he said that that was not possible. I will now have to push this issue to a new venue. I have heard that the Public Service Commission of the State of Florida regulates phone companies in the state, and, thus will file a formal complaint with them.

I also may be seeking assistance from the FCC, as they govern wireless carriers due to the radio frequencies employed. This is sure starting to stink like a telephone fraud scheme perpetrated by Tracfone. First, they force me to change my phone to one that does not work as well, then, they agree to transfer my phone number to that phone. Then they change my phone number without my consent or knowledge, and. lastly they refuse to correct their mistake or worse yet, just plain don't care about this customer!

It has been rumored that the State Attorney's office investigates such apparent cases of fraud by businesses against consumers. I may look into opening a case file with them, as well. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may be of assistance, as well. We will see.

Beware of anything that Tracfone tells you, either in writing, or, on the phone. Choose any other company that has a good reputation for customer service. Tracfone has demonstrated to me that they are either unwilling or unable to rectify the situation that they have created, and, I must now seek legal recourse to this dilemma.

They still refuse to correct their error. They still refuse to give my phone number back. They still refuse to acknowledge that it was their error that caused this mess. They have the worst Customer Service in the business.

STAY AWAY FROM TRACFONE!

I can not believe that this company has the ability to verify if a sim card is good or not BEFORE taking you money but instead takes your money and then will not give a refund.

I logged in to buy airtime on there website and it is about a 10 to 12 step proccess. Before it takes you money it ask for the phone serial number and and then proceeds to the purchase phase "step 5" it then took my money and said my phone can not be activated. I called customer service and spoke to 3 different people all in India of coarse. Fisrt was a rep did not get his number Second was supposed to be a supervisor Robam emp # 54887 third guy was supposed to be Robam's supervisor Miguel emp. # 54957

They both told me they will not give any refunds even though I can not use the minutes I paid for.

I reccomend EVERYBODY STAY AWAY from TracFone, They are crooks

I have had nothing but frustration trying to deal with Tracfone to solve their mistake and get a refund from them. Each time you call their "service department" it is as if they have never heard of you and have no record of what they sent you, when you called before, or what you were promised. Each rep politely has you repeat everything you have told another rep and then says she can't help you but will transfer you to someone who will. Then you are placed on hold for several minutes, finally get another person, and start all over again as that person has none of the information you just told the first person. Then you are put on hold again so this person can talk to a supervisor who again has you repeat the whole story including all the lengthy "case numbers" you were given. She then makes a promise to solve the problem, you wait a week or two and call back to start the whole process over again. Without a doubt the worst service department I have ever dealt with.

Tracfone is reuseing phoone numbers which is all reght to do, But they are not eraseing the other phone owners name so if you call someone the person that had the number before name will show up on caller ID.