topic Tracfone setup in Electronics

Tracfone setup

millieshops — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 00:56:57 GMT

Not really a technical question, but does anyone know what Tracfone charges for a pin number they say I need to activate their phone?

I can't find this info on their site - although I probably could if I started the activation procedure.

This kind of nickel and dime struff annoys me no end; I've never paid to get a pin elsehwere. Hope their customer service is better on other topics!

TIA

Re: Tracfone setup

Mistreatedbycs — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 01:01:56 GMT

Your PIN number is included in your paperwork.

Re: Tracfone setup

millieshops — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 01:03:42 GMT

@MistreatedbycsTY - Either I overlooked it or it's in something other than the the Activation Card.

Re: Tracfone setup

Mistreatedbycs — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 01:05:22 GMT

Do you have a brand new phone or are you "upgrading" an existing tracfone?

Re: Tracfone setup

Kachina624 — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 01:42:53 GMT

If you have received your phone, all the instructions are included in the package that comes with it. Your first step should be to insert the battery, then charge the phone. I'm looking at the instructions I got with my phone last fall and don't think I needed a Pin, just the serial number. You definitely don't need to buy anything. Did you check your QVC invoice for a number? I'd suggest starting the activation and see how far you get, then call QVC if there something you need but don't have.

Re: Tracfone setup

x Hedge — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 01:43:35 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
Not really a technical question, but does anyone know what Tracfone charges for a pin number they say I need to activate their phone?

I can't find this info on their site - although I probably could if I started the activation procedure.

This kind of nickel and dime struff annoys me no end; I've never paid to get a pin elsehwere. Hope their customer service is better on other topics!

TIA

@millieshops, if you are trying to activate a a new Tracfone you recently purchased from QVC, look in the box for the "Welcome Guide". Follow directions there.

No extra nickles and dimes needed.

Re: Tracfone setup

x Hedge — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 03:07:25 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
Hope their customer service is better on other topics!

TIA

P.S. to @millieshops and other new TracFone users, their customer service is notorious for being able to try the patience of a saint.

Most do not seem to know English as their 1st language. They have steered me wrong, giving bad information a handful of times. On a few calls, sensing where it was heading, I had the sense to hang up quickly, and called back later, starting over with a new person.

Calling them to ask a simple question or address an issue I could have answered by reading through my oen paperwork or their website is something I've learned to avoid.

On the other hand, I have all the phone service I need for about $7 a month because over the years, I have figured out how to take advantage of their strengths and avoid their weaknesses.

There are experienced Tracfone users that visit this forum and it's a good place to start. A lot of helpful info has already been written, and reading thru Tracfone threads would be worth your while if you're new to Trackfone.

See: TracFone Reviewer.com for lots of links to useful information.

Re: Tracfone setup

millieshops — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 14:28:37 GMT

@x HedgeI'm giving Tracfone a try just because I know if I have to I can go back to Verizon which I like because I can always find a real person to answer questions. Right now I'm in Florida and there are 2 Verizon stores within 3 minutes of home - one is better than the other, but both are better than the call I made yesterday to Tracfone before I came here and found you and others who gave me far more helpful answers. Thank you.

I should have realized their CS might be bad. During Superstorm Sandy, my Verizon cell wouldn't work (just my kind of Droid) and they were overwhelmed and couldn't fix it immediately. I bought a Netflix10 phone/account so I could communicate. Absoluitely the worst CS I've ever had in my life - owned by Tracfone.

I'm willing to try again, this time cancelling Verizon which will more than pay for the trial. But I'm also willing to bet I'll be here reading the Tracfone threads and asking questions during the months I pay for this phone.

Re: Tracfone setup

Mistreatedbycs — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 15:33:23 GMT

Please don't say the Tracfone CS is bad, I've absolutely had no problems what so ever. I got them on the phone numerous times and I believe you can also chat online with them.

Once your phone is activated, it operates just like any other phone. You have a quick guide to refer to and seriously I use it to text and call, that's it.

The main problem is remembering to charge it but other than that, for basically $100 a YEAR vs, paying $200-$300 a month, I'll take the

tracfone any day. No huge cell phone bills for me, to me, that's crazy.

Re: Tracfone setup

glb613 — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 16:57:10 GMT

@Mistreatedbycs wrote:
Please don't say the Tracfone CS is bad, I've absolutely had no problems what so ever. I got them on the phone numerous times and I believe you can also chat online with them.

Once your phone is activated, it operates just like any other phone. You have a quick guide to refer to and seriously I use it to text and call, that's it.

The main problem is remembering to charge it but other than that, for basically $100 a YEAR vs, paying $200-$300 a month, I'll take the
tracfone any day. No huge cell phone bills for me, to me, that's crazy.

I have a Verizon plan for my cell and home phone for $109 a month. You don't have to spend a fortune if you don't want.

Re: Tracfone setup

Nuttmeg — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 18:02:37 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
@x HedgeI'm giving Tracfone a try just because I know if I have to I can go back to Verizon which I like because I can always find a real person to answer questions. Right now I'm in Florida and there are 2 Verizon stores within 3 minutes of home - one is better than the other, but both are better than the call I made yesterday to Tracfone before I came here and found you and others who gave me far more helpful answers. Thank you.

I should have realized their CS might be bad. During Superstorm Sandy, my Verizon cell wouldn't work (just my kind of Droid) and they were overwhelmed and couldn't fix it immediately. I bought a Netflix10 phone/account so I could communicate. Absoluitely the worst CS I've ever had in my life - owned by Tracfone.

I'm willing to try again, this time cancelling Verizon which will more than pay for the trial. But I'm also willing to bet I'll be here reading the Tracfone threads and asking questions during the months I pay for this phone.

Tracfone is not a US company. English is not the first language of many people who buy service or provide CS. It is based in Mexico or South America.

Re: Tracfone setup

x Hedge — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 19:55:37 GMT

@glb613 wrote:
@Mistreatedbycs wrote:
Please don't say the Tracfone CS is bad, I've absolutely had no problems what so ever. I got them on the phone numerous times and I believe you can also chat online with them.

Once your phone is activated, it operates just like any other phone. You have a quick guide to refer to and seriously I use it to text and call, that's it.

The main problem is remembering to charge it but other than that, for basically $100 a YEAR vs, paying $200-$300 a month, I'll take the
tracfone any day. No huge cell phone bills for me, to me, that's crazy.

I have a Verizon plan for my cell and home phone for $109 a month. You don't have to spend a fortune if you don't want.

@glb613, Thanks for making the point. You don't have to spend a fortune if you dont want. (Or CAN'T )

I can only speak to my own costs, but you are paying more than $100.00 more than I am each month for phone service.

Thats over $1,200.00 a year.

I look at that as the difference between do-it-yourself customer service versus pay-someone-else customer service. Financially, I have to choose between do-it-yourself or do without. The "pay-someone-else" prices aren't an option for me.

@Mistreatedbycs, I've had some excellent customer service from Trackfone. Some so-so. Some very bad.

The last time I had a problem I couldn't resolve myself was a transmission technical glitch due to having two TracFones side by side, both on WiFi and using the Tracfone app at the same time. (Don't do that!)

Everything from phone-2 , including the phone number, was mistakenly transferred to the primary Tracfone, and the secondary phone was deactivated!

I chatted online with a Tech. I would have wound up with a deactivated phone, lost all my minutes, and lost all my Airtime if I had accepted what the Tech told me.

But thru experience, I've learned to take a picture of the widget showing date and minutes BEFORE adding minutes, airtime, doing any updates or anything else that has the potential for error.

Their Tech insisted I'd requested my phone be deactivated, and claimed they kept NO RECORDS showing whatever minutes or airtime might have been on there.

I told him I'd taken a picture of each phone's widget showing date&time, Airtime, and minutes on that phone just before this had happened. I offered to share my photo-information with him if that was necessary to restore both my phones. There was a pause. My phones were restored.

In all fairness to TracFone, this could have been any servive provider. Tracfone offers real advantages, but as a general rule, I approach their CS cautiously, with the assumption that I know more about their business than they do.

@Kachina624 i always feel so bad you sent your phone back to them. That "refurbished-exchange" is one of the biggest complaints.

Re: Tracfone setup

Duffy — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 01:49:09 GMT

You don't need a pin. The Welcome Guide Under 2. "You do not need to provide a Service Plan PIN" it's already there. All you need is the Serial Number on the red Start Here card.