topic Re: Tracfone Treasure Review in Electronics

Tracfone Treasure Review

Ainhisg — Fri, 13 May 2016 20:40:28 GMT

Unfortunately, my review will not be detailed as my phone was defective. I started my port last night online (took 4 minutes to do), and the new phone hadn't activated by this morning. I was porting from an Ultimate 2 (CDMA) to the Treasure (GSM). I have read that porting from a CDMA phone to a GSM phone takes more time than like system to like system, so I wasn't too concerned. But after awhile, I decided to use FB TF chat to see if they had porting information. The CS rep was able to activate my phone right then and there, and that's when we discovered that the phone had no sound. Even a factory reset did no good.

That's when my fun began... The CS agent abruptly ended the chat with no resolution and after several phone calls to different numbers complete with transfers and disconnects...UGH...I did reach corporate who got my old phone activated again and all my minutes restored to it. It was very frustrating, annoying, and made me remember why TF is so cheap. lol

Facts, advice, and thoughts...in no certain order:

1) All minutes/texts/data did port to the Treasure from my Ultimate 2,

2) I'm pretty phone-saavy and could not find any way to make the home button answer calls like the Ultimate 2 will do. That option is not given in the settings. Maybe because the home button is not physical? For me, the phone was difficult to swipe to answer (when the CS rep was having me make a call from my home phone to it to see if it was working).

3) ADVICE: Try every aspect of your phone before activating it. While waiting for the number to port last night, I arranged my apps, downloaded new ones, etc. but didn't even think about going to settings>ringtones and playing some to see if the sound worked. Who would think of that? I would have caught it if I had played a You Tube video, but I didn't do that, either.

4) I really like the size of the phone, and the display was similar to the Ultimate 2. I couldn't tell any difference between the two to the naked eye. And surprisingly, the case that came with it is decent...better than any I've gotten in the past from TF. I had actually ordered a case and screen protector from Amazon (search for LG K7), but decided to use the TF case. I highly recommend iLLumiShield - Japanese Ultra Clear HD Film with Anti-Bubble and Anti-Fingerprint protectors available on Amazon.

If you do order a screen protector, make sure you get the film and not glass. This screen is curved. Because of that, the film protector will not go all the way to the edges.

Speaking of which, I learned my lesson about not ordering a case or a screen protector early until I make sure the phone works. I'm now out $15 for those.

5) There is NO prepaid return label should you decide you want to return it or get a defective one like I did. I called HSN, and I had two choices...return on my own dime or wait three weeks for a label to be sent. I said I would return it myself and asked the CS rep if they could give me a credit or something since the phone was defective. She said to call back with the tracking info, and they would do "something." I did, and they are mailing me a check for the return shipping.

6) There are only 2 home screens, but you can get more."Pinch" any screen, and it brings all of them up in miniature. You can then set a new home screen as well as add a new one by pressing the empty miniature screen with a plus sign in it.

7) If you need to take a screen shot of anything, you can press the volume DOWN button and power button at the same time and hold for a second. You will see an animation of your shot and hear a camera sound. The image will be saved in your gallery folder under screenshots.

8) The flashlight control is in the top, swipe down area to the far right.

9) You can make the phone repeat a sound for text and call notifications. You have to go into the settings to check that option. Without the phone right here in front of me, I can't tell you step-by-step how to get there. Sorry!

10) I just read about an app that will transfer your contacts and photos from one phone to another. I had planned to try it, but I will give you the information on it since I didn't get to. It's called the Tracfone Transfer Wizard. Search Google Play for Tracfone Transfer Wizard in both phones. Download to both phones. Then when you're ready, go to the old phone, open up the wizard, and click from this phone (or words to that effect,) then open in new phone, and click to this phone. You will get a bar code-looking thing on the old phone, aim your camera of the new phone over that and they will pair up. You choose what you want to transfer. There is a You Tube video on how to do it.

11: ADVICE: Start your port on a Monday or Tuesday morning esp. if going from a CDMA phone to a GSM phone or vice versa as they can take longer. If you need to call or contact the corporate office, they are only open through the week.

Final thoughts...I was ready to head to AT&T or Verizon (physical stores) after my experience this morning, but after looking online at these retailers at how much their prepaid plans and phones cost, I remember why I went to Tracfone. lol

My husband and I have had TF for 2 years, and in that time, have ported 5 times. We've never had any trouble with our phones or the service until today. But...when you do have trouble, it can be a real...ahem...challenge. I'm not reordering the Treasure just because of the difficulty swiping it, and I need to recover from my ordeal this morning. lol I hope my U2 will last a bit longer until a new offering comes down the pike that I might want.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

hoosieroriginal — Fri, 13 May 2016 20:53:28 GMT

@Ainhisg wrote:
Unfortunately, my review will not be detailed as my phone was defective. I started my port last night online (took 4 minutes to do), and the new phone hadn't activated by this morning. I was porting from an Ultimate 2 (CDMA) to the Treasure (GSM). I have read that porting from a CDMA phone to a GSM phone takes more time than like system to like system, so I wasn't too concerned. But after awhile, I decided to use FB TF chat to see if they had porting information. The CS rep was able to activate my phone right then and there, and that's when we discovered that the phone had no sound. Even a factory reset did no good.

That's when my fun began... The CS agent abruptly ended the chat with no resolution and after several phone calls to different numbers complete with transfers and disconnects...UGH...I did reach corporate who got my old phone activated again and all my minutes restored to it. It was very frustrating, annoying, and made me remember why TF is so cheap. lol

Facts, advice, and thoughts...in no certain order:

1) All minutes/texts/data did port to the Treasure from my Ultimate 2,

2) I'm pretty phone-saavy and could not find any way to make the home button answer calls like the Ultimate 2 will do. That option is not given in the settings. Maybe because the home button is not physical? For me, the phone was difficult to swipe to answer (when the CS rep was having me make a call from my home phone to it to see if it was working).

3) ADVICE: Try every aspect of your phone before activating it. While waiting for the number to port last night, I arranged my apps, downloaded new ones, etc. but didn't even think about going to settings>ringtones and playing some to see if the sound worked. Who would think of that? I would have caught it if I had played a You Tube video, but I didn't do that, either.

4) I really like the size of the phone, and the display was similar to the Ultimate 2. I couldn't tell any difference between the two to the naked eye. And surprisingly, the case that came with it is decent...better than any I've gotten in the past from TF. I had actually ordered a case and screen protector from Amazon (search for LG K7), but decided to use the TF case. I highly recommend iLLumiShield - Japanese Ultra Clear HD Film with Anti-Bubble and Anti-Fingerprint protectors available on Amazon.

If you do order a screen protector, make sure you get the film and not glass. This screen is curved. Because of that, the film protector will not go all the way to the edges.

Speaking of which, I learned my lesson about not ordering a case or a screen protector early until I make sure the phone works. I'm now out $15 for those.

5) There is NO prepaid return label should you decide you want to return it or get a defective one like I did. I called HSN, and I had two choices...return on my own dime or wait three weeks for a label to be sent. I said I would return it myself and asked the CS rep if they could give me a credit or something since the phone was defective. She said to call back with the tracking info, and they would do "something." I did, and they are mailing me a check for the return shipping.

6) There are only 2 home screens, but you can get more."Pinch" any screen, and it brings all of them up in miniature. You can then set a new home screen as well as add a new one by pressing the empty miniature screen with a plus sign in it.

7) If you need to take a screen shot of anything, you can press the volume DOWN button and power button at the same time and hold for a second. You will see an animation of your shot and hear a camera sound. The image will be saved in your gallery folder under screenshots.

8) The flashlight control is in the top, swipe down area to the far right.

9) You can make the phone repeat a sound for text and call notifications. You have to go into the settings to check that option. Without the phone right here in front of me, I can't tell you step-by-step how to get there. Sorry!

10) I just read about an app that will transfer your contacts and photos from one phone to another. I had planned to try it, but I will give you the information on it since I didn't get to. It's called the Tracfone Transfer Wizard. Search Google Play for Tracfone Transfer Wizard in both phones. Download to both phones. Then when you're ready, go to the old phone, open up the wizard, and click from this phone (or words to that effect,) then open in new phone, and click to this phone. You will get a bar code-looking thing on the old phone, aim your camera of the new phone over that and they will pair up. You choose what you want to transfer. There is a You Tube video on how to do it.

11: ADVICE: Start your port on a Monday or Tuesday morning esp. if going from a CDMA phone to a GSM phone or vice versa as they can take longer. If you need to call or contact the corporate office, they are only open through the week.

Final thoughts...I was ready to head to AT&T or Verizon (physical stores) after my experience this morning, but after looking online at these retailers at how much their prepaid plans and phones cost, I remember why I went to Tracfone. lol

My husband and I have had TF for 2 years, and in that time, have ported 5 times. We've never had any trouble with our phones or the service until today. But...when you do have trouble, it can be a real...ahem...challenge. I'm not reordering the Treasure just because of the difficulty swiping it, and I need to recover from my ordeal this morning. lol I hope my U2 will last a bit longer until a new offering comes down the pike that I might want.

@Ainhisg - question - were you transferring from one Tracfone to the Treasure? I'm not sure what CDMA or GSM are. Thanks. Mine is coming today - hopefully I'll have an easier port.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Ainhisg — Fri, 13 May 2016 21:06:15 GMT

@hoosieroriginal, yes, I was porting from the Tracfone Ultimate 2 (CDMA) which uses Verizon towers to the Tracfone Treasure (GSM) that uses AT&T towers. CDMA and GSM are two different phone technologies.

I'm sure your port will go fine. My husband ported from the Ultimate to the Sunset (GSM) without problem...it did take about an hour. I have no idea why mine took so long to port (Maybe starting it at night?), but once Facebook Tracfone chat stepped in, it ported right away only to discover that I had a defective phone. Just bad luck on my part.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

BHawk — Fri, 13 May 2016 21:18:35 GMT

My transfer/activation took just a couple of minutes with no issues - Ultimate to Treasure...guess I just did it at just the right timeh! But , I also do not like not being able to anwer/disconnect calls with the home key...hate the swipe! Otherwise, am very happy...but in full disclosure, am not a heavy user.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Ainhisg — Fri, 13 May 2016 22:01:58 GMT

@BHawk wrote:
My transfer/activation took just a couple of minutes with no issues - Ultimate to Treasure...guess I just did it at just the right timeh! But , I also do not like not being able to anwer/disconnect calls with the home key...hate the swipe! Otherwise, am very happy...but in full disclosure, am not a heavy user.

You did do it at the right time! I'm not a heavy user either, which is why I refuse to pay more for a different phone company. I think I will change my profile name to HatetheSwipe. lol I feel just like you do about that!

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

BHawk — Fri, 13 May 2016 22:22:04 GMT

got to be a way around it.......I will persevere!

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

hoosieroriginal — Fri, 13 May 2016 22:38:54 GMT

@BHawk wrote:
My transfer/activation took just a couple of minutes with no issues - Ultimate to Treasure...guess I just did it at just the right timeh! But , I also do not like not being able to anwer/disconnect calls with the home key...hate the swipe! Otherwise, am very happy...but in full disclosure, am not a heavy user.

@BHawk - did you do your activation online? Also, how do you get your 1350 minutes or does that happen automatically?

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

BHawk — Fri, 13 May 2016 22:56:41 GMT

Online....so easy.....and yes , minutes were automatically added to my roll over minutes. Faster than dialing the 800 number.....

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

hoosieroriginal — Fri, 13 May 2016 23:03:46 GMT

@BHawk wrote:
Online....so easy.....and yes , minutes were automatically added to my roll over minutes. Faster than dialing the 800 number.....

@BHawk - Thanks - by the way, on the HSN website it says "Upon completion of your TracFone activation, please dial "*22890" from your new handset to complete the over the air programming" - did you need to do this?

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

BHawk — Fri, 13 May 2016 23:09:43 GMT

noooo....did not see that but the TF instructions say to make a call....which I did.......

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Ainhisg — Fri, 13 May 2016 23:55:02 GMT

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
@BHawk wrote:
Online....so easy.....and yes , minutes were automatically added to my roll over minutes. Faster than dialing the 800 number.....
@BHawk - Thanks - by the way, on the HSN website it says "Upon completion of your TracFone activation, please dial "*22890" from your new handset to complete the over the air programming" - did you need to do this?

You only have to dial *22890 if you're activating a CDMA phone.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Mothertrucker — Sat, 14 May 2016 01:44:49 GMT

umm was I supposed to CHARGE my new phone before I started the transfer prcess? and since it is transferring now, should I have my new phone plugged in /turned on? sorry the instructions were not clear..

I an not even sure how to turn on this new treasure..my old Trac is a Blackberry, it has buttons..

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Ainhisg — Sat, 14 May 2016 02:01:15 GMT

@Mothertrucker wrote:
umm was I supposed to CHARGE my new phone before I started the transfer prcess? and since it is transferring now, should I have my new phone plugged in /turned on? sorry the instructions were not clear..

I an not even sure how to turn on this new treasure..my old Trac is a Blackberry, it has buttons..

I always plug it in and let it charge up. The power button is on the back in the middle of the volume up and down button. I'm on my tablet, or i would give you the link of an online tutorial that would get you started. Google it, and you should see one. You will need a google mail account to set up the phone. If you don't already have one, I advise setting one up online first.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Ainhisg — Sat, 14 May 2016 02:09:53 GMT

I meant to add to turn on your phone, set it up, and start exploring it! The phone will port even if you're using it...no problem. Just use you Wi-Fi for internet, and make sure your data is turned off unless you need it while you're out and about. The controls are easily reached in the swipe down menu. I keep my Wi-Fi turned off unless I'm using the internet. It really drains the battery to leave it on all the time.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Mothertrucker — Sat, 14 May 2016 02:15:58 GMT

Thanks! I figured out how to turn it on, give it my wifi and password. So it has SOME charge.. It is chargingnow, like you recommended.. Phone is askingme for timezones etc so I will do that-

Can i set up the Google account on my MacBook Pro right now, or does it have to be on the Android phone?

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Ainhisg — Sat, 14 May 2016 02:33:29 GMT

@Mothertrucker wrote:
Thanks! I figured out how to turn it on, give it my wifi and password. So it has SOME charge.. It is chargingnow, like you recommended.. Phone is askingme for timezones etc so I will do that-

Can i set up the Google account on my MacBook Pro right now, or does it have to be on the Android phone?

Yes, set up the gmail account (I may have called it google earlier, but I meant gmail) on your Macbook Pro.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Mothertrucker — Sat, 14 May 2016 02:53:59 GMT

OK, set up the gmail account, phone is charging..transfer is supposedly happening...how will I know when it is complete? Is this what you mean by "port"? "port" is now a verb?? Who knew!?

Wow! this is fun!

I forgot to eat dinner! oops!

I also got that "charging tower"..

thank you, @Ainhisg you are an excellent teacher!

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Ainhisg — Sat, 14 May 2016 03:06:46 GMT

@Mothertrucker wrote:
OK, set up the gmail account, phone is charging..transfer is supposedly happening...how will I know when it is complete? Is this what you mean by "port"? "port" is now a verb?? Who knew!?

Wow! this is fun!

I forgot to eat dinner! oops!

I also got that "charging tower"..

thank you, @Ainhisg you are an excellent teacher!

You're welcome! That's funny, because I'm a retired teacher. Lol Call your cell phone periodically. When you get a busy signal, the phone is porting or has ported. Then turn your new phone off and back on, and call again. If it rings to your new phone, it has ported. Then make a call out. If that works, you're good to go. If you get a busy signal after turning your phone off/on....periodically repeat the steps until it goes through.

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Mothertrucker — Sat, 14 May 2016 03:15:00 GMT

ok, when I call my cell # I get nothing..no ring no busy..nothing

Re: Tracfone Treasure Review

Mothertrucker — Sat, 14 May 2016 04:20:05 GMT

EUREKA!!! Houston.. we have ignition!!!! thank you!!!