Terrible customer service from Tracfone (contracts, Skype, battery, emergency) - Cell Phones and Smartphones - - City-Data Forum

PDD · 03-24-2010, 04:13 PM

I have had Tracfone service for one week and this morning a burning smell was coming from the charger so I unplugged the phone and called Tracfone and told them to send me a replacement charger. After waiting for the service rep to confer with his supervisor he comes back and says "you'll have to go buy a new charger" I go nuts on the phone and tell the rep to let me speak to his supervisor. I get put on hold and after 10 minutes I hang up. I immediately call AX and told them the story and they agreed to credit my account.
The warranty that comes with the phone said 1 year limited warranty against defects but after only one week they tell me to go buy your own charger.

Needless to say I will never do business with Tracfone again.

southgeorgia · 03-27-2010, 09:41 PM

did the warranty specifically indicate it covers the charger also?

in all fairness to tracfone, they only charge about $10 for the phone and charger together.

i wouldn't be surprised if the warranty did not cover the charger also.

atlantagreg30127 · 03-28-2010, 12:48 AM

Buy your prepaid phones from a retailer like BestBuy, and you have 30 days to take them back (BB's return policy on a phone). You could have just swapped it out.

kay12345 · 09-21-2010, 06:01 PM

Tracfone has terrible customer service. I have had my phone since July and last Thursday when I turned it on, it said "Unregistered SIM" on it. I could only make emergency calls with it. So I called on my husband's Tracfone to customer service, which happens to be in Chile, and could barely understand what they were saying. The rep accused me numerous times of putting a different SIM card in my phone, which I did not do. So, finally they said that it would be working within 24 hours. Well, it wasn't so I called back and demanded to speak to a supervisor, who told me that I would need a new SIM card. I got it in the mail today and called to activate it. They told me that my phone would be working within an hour. Well, it wasn't so I called back and now they are telling me 24 hours again. On top of it all, I am due to have a baby any day now and if I can't call my friends and family to tell them I had a baby I will be even more furious! I have over 2500 minutes on this phone and can't use them.

LBP · 12-20-2010, 03:30 PM

Woe unto anyone who EVER has to use Tracfone service. I had a Tracfone for three years with no issues. I recently upgraded my phone and transferred my numbers and minutes. All worked fine for six weeks, then disaster. The phone would suddenly not allow me to make any calls whatsoever -- "Unregistered SIM." I called Tracfone and spent 45 frustrating minutes talking to some pleasant gerbil in Bangladesh, who was unable to solve the problem and gave me a work order number. If the Tracfone techs (do they exist?) were unable to solve the problem in four days, I would immediately receive a replacement phone. NOTHING was done in four days; I actually gave them six. Today I spent a solid HOUR talking to another pleasant gerbil in Bangladesh (ALWAYS on an impossible connection -- can a phone company establish a decent connection, for crying out loud?), repeatedly removing the battery, entering numbers, etc., etc. All to no avail. No replacement phone, but they would send me a new SIM card to see if that worked. No thank you. Bye-bye, Tracfone.

juggler · 12-21-2010, 10:36 PM

Tracfone is great for people like me who HATE forking over a fee month after month for cell phone service. I've had my Tracfone for about 2.5 years and have had no problems whatsoever with it (Knock on wood). I think if I ever DO have a problem with it, I might be better off (at least from a sanity perspective) just throwing it away and buying a new one.

Macrina · 12-21-2010, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juggler

Tracfone is great for people like me who HATE forking over a fee month after month for cell phone service. I've had my Tracfone for about 2.5 years and have had no problems whatsoever with it (Knock on wood). I think if I ever DO have a problem with it, I might be better off (at least from a sanity perspective) just throwing it away and buying a new one.

Except, if you want to keep your same number, you'll have to call the Dreaded Customer Service....

Allwyna · 02-05-2011, 04:03 PM

I just posted another thread about Tracfone and the bad surprises

. The new one today (I was wondering why the communications are soooooo bad.. of course they must be in Bangladesh

) is I can't call international cell phones, the system doesn't allow

. Great, all my family and friends are in Europe

. Skype is still the best way!!!

Ron97457 · 03-15-2011, 09:58 PM

I have had a Tracfone for 1-1/2 years. It keeps getting deactivated for no reason. My doctors and other important callers get told my number is no longer in service. I can't resolve the problems I'm having online and their website says, "If your cellphone is inoperable and you do not have a landline available to call customer service at 1-800-XXX-XXXX. Nice trick.

Macrina · 03-15-2011, 11:07 PM

Try this company: No Contract Cell Phone Plans - Consumer Cellular. NO contracts, and their Customer Service is great! I've had this service for about 6 years and am quite satisfied.

There are several different phones to choose from and they always offer a basic one which is free.