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TracFone Missing Minutes

TracFone • Missing minutes • Activation problems • Can't get local number • Defective phone • Network problems • Lost the phone • Advertising, promotions • Rebate problems • Inside Trac --- News • TracFone Pays $50,000 for Violating Missouri's Do Not Call Law

carol of biddeford, ME January 31, 2010

I have a value plan that should have added doubleminutes to 2 phones on 1/29/10. Only my secondary phone recieved minutes. I checked on line and was charged 16.90 twice on both phones. I recieved a total of 60 instead on 160. I called Tracfone on 1/29/10 and was told to enter codes with no results, then was told to call back tomorrow.

I called 1/30/10 8 times, each time I was aked to hold but was never asked to enter codes this time. Each and everytime the person whom I was speaking would go away but you could still hear everyone talking then I would be disconnected. The last call I made to them I was connected with a person to talk about the double billing of my charge card, he acted like he didn't understand then told me that it didn't look like I was charged twice even though I was looking right at it on line. He told me that I wasn't scedualed to recieve my minutes until 1/31/10. One phone on 1/29 and the other on 1/31.

This whole session of calls took almost 3 1/2 hrs. I was finally disconnected from my 8th call. It's like they are waiting for you to hang up. So, on 1/31/10 no minutes were recieved, I called and tghis person told me that I recieved my minutes on 1/29/10 and I told her no I did not. She still says I did. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was told no one was available and to call back. I got mad and swore at her and she had the gutts to ask me not to use vulgar language.

I asked to be transfered to someone who could solve the 2 charges on my credit card and she just flat out wouldn't do it. She stayed on the line not saying anything, I kept saying hello and she would say she was still there and I asked her what she was doing and she said nothing, there was nothing for her to do. I asked her name and she wouldn't tell me. Not that I could have understaood her in the first place. I have sent emails to the complaint dept na dalso the corporate offices.

Now, my secondary phone keeps popping up with a code 34 call restrictions. Last month I blamed a friend for using minutes on my primary phone, the one that isn't getting the minutes, because they all of a sudden disappeared only about 30 of them but it emptied out the phone. My friend swears he didn't use the phone and now I believe him. I feel this is all a ploy to buy more minutes.

Something is going on with this company and it needs to be delt with. Also, now the web site is not responding. I can't rely on my secondary phone. My primary has no minutes. Loss of use, I need it for work as I travel also I need it because of emergencies at home. I have digital landline and if the power goes out I must rely on my cell. Last week our power went out and I was stuck with no phone as it said code 34 call restrictions.

MARK of Ottawa, IL January 20, 2010

Tracfone was extremely difficult to get completely set up, it took six phone calls over a period of one month. Tracfone deducted one month from my time when I was not able to use the phone and refused to return the time. I noticed that my minutes seemed to be deducted very quickly; Tracfone charges a full minute for any portion of a minute used after the first 15 seconds. When I spoke to customer service agents and supervisors and complained that this policy amount to a form of theft, we do pay for the time, they simply said, "that's our policy." When I stated that I may leave Tracfone because of this policy, I was told "I'm sorry you feel this way, you are a valued customer, but that is our policy." I plan to return to Verizon where problems were rare but the cost is high. It's worth the price not to be ripped off.

Julia of Glen Burnie , MD January 19, 2010

I ordered a new tracfone in December. I had used them previously, I had minutes to transfer, and everything had worked well with the old phone service. No such luck this time. After spending over 2 hours on the phone with customer service I was finally told - by the third person I spoke with - that the SIM card included in the phone did not actually go with the phone. So basically, tracfone sent me a defective product. After another hour on the phone I had them agree to send me a pre-paid/pre-addressed envelope to return the phone. I put the phone in the post on 12/23/09.

I called on 1/5 - I actually tried to call on 1/3 and 1/4 but their phones were busy ALL DAY - to inquire as to the status of my refund. They told me it could take up to 30 days. I called today, 1/19, to check on the status. The first call ended after 15 minutes - when they apparently hung up on me. I called back and spent another 35 minutes on the phone simply trying to confirm that they had received the phone. I'm sure anyone who has called tracfone is familiar with the phrase "Can I put you on hold for 3 minutes." After about 15 minutes I demanded - again - to speak to a supervisor. Didn't do any good. The "supervisor" either wasn't a supervisor or is as incredibly clueless or incompetent as the rest. More likely the "supervisors" are simply the best at toeing the party line of don't ever give a customer their money back and if you stall long enough most of them will hang up.

My only advice is this...if tracfone sends you an envelope to return an item, pay the postage yourself and send it certified (with a signature required). You need a way to prove that they received it, because they don't have any intention of refunding your money even when they've sold you a defective product and wasted hours of your time.

DAVID of JACKSON , MS January 16, 2010

I purchased approximately 800 minutes of airtime on a new Tracfone. This was in September of 2009. I rarely used the phone as I was in the process of switching from a different brand of cellphone and was using it part of the time. At the beginning of the year 2010, my phone suddenly showed no minutes remaining. I called customer service several times, and sent them E-mails regarding my lost minutes. At one point, one of the reps told me that the model phone I was using was known for this problem, but that they(Tracfone) would need another 48 hours to resolve the issue and restore my minutes, at that time I was given another reference number to use when I called back. I waited the 48 hours and when I called back, I was put on hold again. I was told to key in numbers to identify my phone and I did, then I was put on hold again.

As my patience was wearing thin, I sent an e-mail to tracfone expressing my dissatifaction. I was sent a reply which stated that my minutes would not be restored. I called tracfone again and was told that the loss prevention department had determined that I had used my minutes. So basically, they have accused me of deceit. This accusation comes after the admission that my phone was known to be faulty. From a reputable company, I would have expected not only a restoration of my minutes, but also a free tracfone of a different model. I am still using the minutes I had on my older, non-tracfone cell-phone by the way.

rachelle of brantley, AL January 11, 2010

i signed up for a value plan in december of last year and received my mintues with no problem but january i did not get my minutes and they took my money and gave me no minutes, they are saying the transaction was denied but my credit card company showed me it went thru and tracfone had the money, everytime i call no one seems to know what they are doing, they want to blame it on the credit card company, i have been told several different stories from i will be getting my refund to i wasn't getting a refund. i just can't understand how a big company as tracfone can't admit they made a mistake and refund my 11.03. i know its not alot of money but its the principal of it, they make a killing riping people off and saying they don't have the money. it is just sad they can get away with this and no one can help.

Jeffrey of Stanley, NY January 10, 2010

Two months in a row - minutes that are supposed to be automatically credited are not. In December, was on with a TracFone rep for nearly an hour and finally the missing minutes were credited. Today, nearly an hour but no additional minutes could be credited. First TracFone rep spoke English poorly and was difficult to understand, then gave us to a supervisor. They practically accused us of LYING about getting them and wanting more. No answers on why this has happened two months in a row, no idea if getting a new phone will rectify the problem. We have had few problems with TracFone in the past, and now it's snowballing.

Linda of Cumberland, MD January 10, 2010

Tried to activate a tracfone and chang phone number over from old tracfone as well as transfer minutes. The new phone shows correct minutes transferred and correct time transferred, and I can make outgoing calls but cannot receive incoming calls. The phone goes right to a message when someone calls and they hear "Message MO22, Welcome to US Cellular. The number you called is no longer in service." I have repeatedly called tracfone and talked to many people, they have given me a ticket number which supposedly means they are working on the problem.

But it has been 8 days and I still cannot get incoming calls. Plus the time and minutes still show up on the old phone as well as the new one and I can call out on both phones. But cannot get incoming calls on either phone. Every time I call they take my EIN # and sim card # and have me punch in codes, etc. and tell me it is fixed and to wait 24 hours, 72 hours, etc. They have me take the battery out and turn the phone back on, etc., but they cannot fix the problem. I asked them to just put the air time back on the old phone and I'll take the new one back to the store, but they said that will take just as long to do as to fix it.

They tell me there is a problem with the towers; that there are two that can be used ... US Cellular and Cingular. But if the problem is with the towers how come I can call out ? The only contact number for tracfone is the 800-867-7183 number so I cannot get to anyone else for help. I have also tried going online and sending message that way but have not heard from them. I thought about just buying another phone and using a new number and throwing away the phone I just bought, but I would also be losing the 269 minutes of service and 4 months of service. What to do?

John of Houston, TX January 9, 2010

My Tracfone has already had a "Double Minutes for Life" card added. I recently purchased an "Adds 1 Year to Service End Date and 400 minutes of Airtime" card. The card instructions say on line 3. "If you want to double the minutes on this card, and all future airtime cards you add to your current TracFone, just buy and add a Double Minute Card before you add this card.

Having already added the Double Minutes, I added the One Year plus 400 card. The 400 minutes were not doubled! Why not doubled? I called the Customer Care Center and explained the problem. After 30 minutes of holding and talking to two representatives they reinstalled the double minutes attribute to my phone and added the 400 missing minutes. I am now a satisfied Tracfone customer.

john of Pollock, ID January 6, 2010

bought the phone, card and charger. we used a total of 17 minutes trying to get it to work, no luck. we returned the phone and charger for a refund but in fine print on the back of the card ,no refunds.the phone with charger was 45.00, the card was 30.00.

Dan of Chardon, OH January 4, 2010

Well, after reading all the bad things about Tracphone, I just wanted to say that I've had nothing but good experiences with them. I have been with them for three years now and have had no problems. I am quite impressed. And, usually, they double the minutes when you buy on the internet. Thanks.

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