TracFone Wireless
reviews and complaints

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.

I bought my son a Tracfone that had web access. I contacted tracfone to find out if my son would be able to browse the web and was told NO. The only website that he would be able to access was theirs to download music not to browse the web. So I agreed that my son could have the phone.

Come to find out he was able to browse The Web not just download music, (inappropriate sites and all) So I contacted Tracfone to see if they could put a block on the phone and was told they could not, I then asked if they would send me a down graded phone with no web capability and was told they could send me a new phone but it would be the same model.

I then asked to speak to a manager and asked the manager to reinbuse me the cost of the phone so my son could go buy a phone with no web on it he told me they could compensate me but that they couldn't send me a new phone or credit me for the old one. I asked him what kind of compensation would they give and he replied they could add more minutes to my phone.

I bought a cell phone and it could not work in our area so Tracfone told me to mail the phone to them and they would send me one that worked in my area.I told them I wanted the same phone and they told me I would get it.The phone was different but everything was o.k. I had a Motorola Double minutes for life phone and they mailed me a LG 3280 that was supposed to be the same way with the double minutes.Everything was good for a year, now they won't honor my double minutes.They told me they have no record of my phone or my double minutes.They can't find a record of them mailing me the phone, even though I have the envelope that it came in.They say they don't have a record of anything.Even on their website today it has a big ad of the LG3280 with the double minutes for life.I asked them if I could email them a copy of their website so they could read it .I have had no luck.Could you please help me? Thank you, J.Poole

After 4 years with Tracfone I can tell you not to waste your time. I have a yearly contract and have had to replace my phone. I need to keep my phone number and have been getting the run around for almost 2 weeks now. Customer service is horrendous and there is no other option but to call the same 800 number and go through the song and dance. I plan on using up my contract minutes and dumping the whole thing---if I ever get the thing activated. I too plan to tell everyone I can NOT to deal with Tracfone. It just isn't worth the aggravation of dealing with customer service.

I went to add air time to my tracfone on 1/10/09 because it was do 1/11/09 I could not get it to work, so I called tracfone to get help was told they had deactivated it. they then reactivated it and I added 60 units. please note I had 404 units on this phone. In this process they deleted my 404 units and told me I had transfered them to another phone. Witch I did not why would I add airtme if I got a new phone. Then when I requested that they fix their mistake they gave me the run around and after three days of fighting with them they did give me back only 320 units. so I am out 84 units and I lost the money I paid for these units it is not right.

Have you been cheated by Tracfone. If so file a complaint with the FCC (www.fcc.gov) form 2000B. Also with the SE Florida BBB (www.seflorida.bbb.org). The BBB rates Tracfone as A. They will submit complaint and notify you of reply. It might do some good and will make you feel like you are doing something.

I've used the TracFone service since 2005. I do have an older model phone that works perfectly but to add airtime I have to speak with a tech and enter several codes. I had purchased a lifetime double air time card a couple of years ago. When I added new minutes to my phone they werent' doubled. The rep spoke with a supervisor that stated yes they were supposed to be doubled. I was given an interatcion # to call back the next day when that specific department was open and they would double my minutes. I called back the following morning and spoke with a rep that wasn't familiar with the process but she muddled through. I was told by her and the specific department. that I had purchased a second double minutes card, that had expired, and cancelled the lifetime card. Why on earth would I purchase a 2nd double minutes card when I had already purchased a lifetime one. They REFUSED to give me the date that I added the second card to my account. Now this was twice the lifetime card had been found on my account. For some reason when I asked to speak to a supervisor, the call was dropped. When I called back I spoke with Abagail. Went through the whole song and dance with her. This time I was told there was never a lifetime card purchased on my account. I explained that the 2 previous reps had found it. TracFone is refusing to double my minutes and I'm spreading the word. I'll also be forwarding this comment via email to all my friends and will ask them to forward it to theirs. I want to warn people about the service with TracFone.

Ruth Ann