Complain about a product or service

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

Debora of Dover Foxcroft ME (10/23/08)
Purchased phone card that says adds 1 year to your service end date (OK) plus double minutes on other minutes you add for the life of your phone. This is the problem. They are telling me the double minutes are only good for one year, but that is NOT what the card I paid 139.99 for said. I had been receiving double minutes until my last card purchase of 200 minutes. I only got 200 minutes. I believe I should have received 400 minutes.

I feel I did not receive the 200 double minutes that were offered for the life of my phone. I will not receive double minutes unless I purchase another card wich is not what the card said.That's what I was told by a technician. I would like to be able to redeem any further minutes for double as promised without any hassles.

John of Kirtland, NM October 10, 2008

John of Kirtland NM (10/10/08)
The acute problem right now is, TracFone has pocketed my 96.86 I paid online last night, but I did not receive the minutes I paid for. Their customer assistance agents claim that their computers show I got the minutes. When I insisted I still have '0.00 minutes', they then put me back and forth 'on hold' for most of two hours. I had to hang up, call back, was dropped, bounced around, fed the same old lines 'let me update your information again...or let me put you on hold while I talk to my supervisor...'

I then started insisting 'I just want my money back; I don't want the minutes anymore.' They were then unable to accomplish that. One polite agent(and one more informative than most) admitted that she just could not pull up my information on the computer, and neither could her supervisor. I simply cannot afford to spend hours and hours just to get back my 96.86. This comes after a 6-week period (Aug-Sep 08) in which I actually spent a total of about 10 HOURS(!) on hold with TracFone agents, because they were technically unable to change my phone number FROM my relatives' Chicago area code TO my current area code in New Mexico.

When I FINALLY found someone at TracFone who was able to resolve my problem, she admitted she was astounded to see that TracFone had repeatedly sent me SIM cards to change my number TO the Chicago number I already had! (but didn't want anymore) rather than the New Mexico area code I was requesting. Wow. Just...wow.

I'm still out nearly 100! And I have lost vast amounts of valuable work time.

Brenda of Morrill, ME September 24, 2008

Brenda of Morrill ME (09/24/08)
I went to their website and bought 200 units of airtime. my credit card was charged 42.39 They need the the serial number and the tracfone number then they confirm that it went through yet I never received the minutes on my phone. when I call the service center that stated there was nothing they could do. it went to someone else phone I asked them to credit my credit card . They refused to comply.

Carol of Junction City, WI September 23, 2008

Carol of Junction City WI (09/23/08)
I updated to a flip phone when ordering additional minutes to keep my account active. Even though I submitted all required information to program the new phone, it came with a new number instead of the one I've been using through Tracfone for two years now. I contacted Tracfone and after talking to six different reps, was finally told I would need a new SIM card to reporgram the phone -even though previous reps had assured me they had made the change via my phone calls.

I would be without my phone for over a week while waiting for the SIM card to arrive and be programmed so I asked to use my minutes on my old phone so I would not be without service. They refused to reactive the phone even though the problem was due to a mistake on their end. Correction- they would reactive it if I paid them 19.99 for a new phone card, which I did not need as I had just purchased new minutes when I accepted their new phone offer. Now, unless I bow to this extortion, they have informed me that they will not return my phone number to me and insist I let me account lapse when I purchased the new phone.

It will take hours before I can reach all my contacts to inform them I will be available only through a temporary alternative number. It distresses me greatly that I have been so jerked around by Tracfone's representatives as I was assured that all information had been switched to the new phone - and then WHAM - they try to strong arm me into buying minutes I don't need. It feels almost like a set up. I know my decision to not pay more was not an ideal business decision because I'm currently without my number and know I might not even get it back, but someone has to stand up to such unethical practices.

Linda of Johnsonville, NY September 22, 2008

Linda of Johnsonville NY (09/22/08)
I added a 90-minute card last month to a double-minute-for-life tracfone and received only 90-minutes. My for life card according to the technician had expired. I was repeatedly placed on hold over a half hour period (good thing I used my land line) to be told I would be contacted in 24-48 hours regarding the expired double-minute-for-life card.

I explained to him that that constituted false advertising and that I would report them and that I wold follow up myself. I am also forwarding them a copy of the web page with all the currently existing pile of complaints. Please please follow up and put them out of business. I am SO TIRED if getting RIPPED OFF!

David of Tucson, AZ September 16, 2008

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |