topic Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment in Electronics

Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

anitagayle — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 00:08:04 GMT

I'm back with another Tracfone question. Almost a year ago, we purchased a phone for Mom for her to use to let us know what she is up to when out and about and for emergencies. She really doesn't want it, but we insist!! Unfortunately, the phone doesn't work in her apartment, but others who visit have no problem. Sometimes there are problems with her landline, so it would be very helpful for her cell to work in the building. How does one find out if a particular phone (tracfone) will work in certain situations?

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

Nightowlz — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 00:23:45 GMT

You can go to the Tracfone site & click on it browse all phones. If the phone she has is listed there click on it & click on buy & it will ask for your zip code. It will say if it works in her area or not. You can also click on Coverage & enter your zip code & it will show which phones are available that work in her area. We bought one for my dad to use when he's outside in case he needs to call for help or other emergencies. He did not like using it & he did not add airtime so all his mins & number are gone. He has a home phone & OnStar in his car but thought he could keep the cell phone with him just in case.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

Kachina624 — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 00:24:27 GMT

You have no way of knowing except by trial and error. I've had a TracPhone for 4 or 5 years and have never had a problem with reception. Sometimes reception is best near a window.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

olewoman — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 00:27:14 GMT

My brother lives in mobile home but no matter what kind of phone that he buys he has to go out on his porch to get reception,and live in the city limits.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

Nightowlz — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 00:29:53 GMT

On 2/21/2014 kachina624 said: You have no way of knowing except by trial and error. I've had a TracPhone for 4 or 5 years and have never had a problem with reception. Sometimes reception is best near a window.

I use mine in the house with no problems. Maybe it has something to do with being in an Apt building. I have never had any problems with reception.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

gailcoco — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 01:30:33 GMT

The Tracfone site showed that it should work in my zip code but it doesn't work inside my house. As soon as I step outside my garage the phone will work.

I think it's the cheap cell phones that isn't connecting. Everyone else in my family have nice phones like iPhone and Samsung, with different plans and their phones work fine in my house. But of course Tracfone wouldn't offer triple minutes with an expensive phone.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

circles — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 01:57:05 GMT

Gee....I hope that doesn't happen to my brother....I talked him into a Tracfone that HSN is offering...and one of his questions to me was will it work in my home....and I said Yes, of course..........hahah...I have never had a Tracfone that did not work inside my home...

I am sorry your mom is having this problem...not much use having a phone you have to go outside to get service....who the heck wants to do that...

Hope you can get that problem resolved...

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

keri — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 03:45:10 GMT

There are variables with all phones. I've had several different TracFone models for the last decade, used each in multiple states and never had the connectivity problems that I experienced with Verizon. Conversely, my friend who swears that the only one for him is an iPhone (AT&T service), can't use his mobile phone on a major highway in a large metropolitan area for nearly half of his commute because either the calls don't connect or drop shortly after they do. In his home, other than outside, there are only two locations where his precious iPhone works even marginally.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

Deadeye Daisy — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 03:57:56 GMT

On 2/21/2014 Nightowlz said:
We bought one for my dad to use when he's outside in case he needs to call for help or other emergencies. He did not like using it & he did not add airtime so all his mins & number are gone. He has a home phone & OnStar in his car but thought he could keep the cell phone with him just in case.

You don't have to have any minutes or even a phone number available to use a cell phone for 911 calls. ANY phone (even an old 'flip phone') will work to that end. That's why we encourage people to donate old cell phones and chargers. They are given out to people who just need something in case of an emergency.

Just make sure he keeps a charge on it.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

Deadeye Daisy — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 04:05:49 GMT

Not working in the house has NOTHING to do with Trac Fone service or your make/model phone at all. I can't make voice calls on ANY cell phone service inside my house unless I go to the other end of the house or out on the patio. Neither can anyone else who comes here. No problem with texting, though, but texting doesn't need the same kind of reception as voice.

Samsung Galaxy 4, Motorola Droid, IPhone. Doesn't matter if it's a prepaid plan or regular cell service. ATT, Sprint, Verizon, TracFone, TMobile. Doesn't matter. NONE work.

By the same token, my cheapie TracFone can make and receive text messages at the gun club, and people with expensive plans with the big 3 can't make calls or text.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

bowlicious — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 04:23:35 GMT

My experience is, it depends on the roof and what the building is made from. We used to rent a cabin and it had a metal roof. Our cell phone didn't work in the cabin. That was a verizon phone.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

RainyDayGal — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 04:30:15 GMT

There's a lot of reasons as to why it may not work. Lots of trees perhaps. Where I live (lots of trees) Tracphone did not work at all. AT&T is a bit better, but iffy. Verizon works best. Not perfect, but better. At least I can call out and receive calls. It's just the nature of where we live.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

ivey — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 04:41:15 GMT

I've used Tracfones for at least 5 years. My phone has always worked wherever we were traveling. It works in my home just fine--worked in the mountains when we traveled. Guess I've been fortunate.

My son and his family--there's a certain place in town if they have called me--they drop every time. And they have the expensive phones and expensive plans.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

anitagayle — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 07:12:10 GMT

My SO's phone works fine in the apartment, and previously Mom had a cell that worked there also. The only reason we switched to Tracfone for her was that we were paying about $50/mo. for something she rarely used. It's a dilemma.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

hckynut — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 07:25:19 GMT

My wife's Samsung Galaxy SII with Virgin Mobile does not work in our home, but my TracFone does. It depends on your carrier and with TracFone for over 8 years my carrier has always been AT&T, my former employer, and T-Mobile. The combination of these 2 carriers covers 99% of the United States.

Now with just T-Mobile? Wouldn't work anywhere in our city, we would have to cross the bridge into Western Iowa for it to work as this carrier has little to no coverage in the Eastern part of our state.

Has you mother tried stepping outside the home? My wife is fine as long as she is at least half a mile from our home, but to make calls she has to use our land line or my TracFone.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

MikafromTopeka — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 08:29:49 GMT

On 2/21/2014 hckynut said:
My wife's Samsung Galaxy SII with Virgin Mobile does not work in our home, but my TracFone does. It depends on your carrier and with TracFone for over 8 years my carrier has always been AT&T, my former employer, and T-Mobile. The combination of these 2 carriers covers 99% of the United States.

Now with just T-Mobile? Wouldn't work anywhere in our city, we would have to cross the bridge into Western Iowa for it to work as this carrier has little to no coverage in the Eastern part of our state.

Has you mother tried stepping outside the home? My wife is fine as long as she is at least half a mile from our home, but to make calls she has to use our land line or my TracFone.

I had the same experience. I always had Tracfones until Virgin Mobile came out with the first pre paid smart phone. It was a Samsung (intercept?) The phone itself was fine when I was out in a larger town at appointments and such but it wouldn't work in a 1 mile square area right in the center of our town and that is where I needed it most. Near the kids' schools and my mother's place. I'm sticking with Tracfone.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

151949 — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 14:51:26 GMT

The very things that make a home safe in any and all weather also make it difficult to get reception . tracfone uses several different companies cell towers so they actually have really good reception. Our house was built to the 2002 Miami hurricane standards and that makes it like a fortress - and we do not have reception inside from any company.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

anitagayle — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 18:27:15 GMT

hckynut - Her phone works fine everywhere except her apartment. Sometimes her landline goes out (it's with Time Warner), so it's important to us to be able to reach her at home whenever that happens. I have another inactive phone on my account that I am thinking of reactivating and having her number ported over. The problem is that I don't know if that phone will work in the apartment. I'm thinking that I could just buy a limited time to try it. I usually get the 1 year card so I don't have to fuss with it every few months, but in this case it might make sense to give this a try. What think you?

BTW--I imagine you're enjoying the Olympic hockey. One of the Canadian women (Megan Agosta-Marciano)went to college at Mercyhurst University here in Erie,PA. Some people here thought that it would be a win-win situation for Erie, no matter who won. It certainly was a heart breaker.

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

hckynut — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 06:59:58 GMT

On 2/22/2014 anitagayle said:
hckynut - Her phone works fine everywhere except her apartment. Sometimes her landline goes out (it's with Time Warner), so it's important to us to be able to reach her at home whenever that happens. I have another inactive phone on my account that I am thinking of reactivating and having her number ported over. The problem is that I don't know if that phone will work in the apartment. I'm thinking that I could just buy a limited time to try it. I usually get the 1 year card so I don't have to fuss with it every few months, but in this case it might make sense to give this a try. What think you?

BTW--I imagine you're enjoying the Olympic hockey. One of the Canadian women (Megan Agosta-Marciano)went to college at Mercyhurst University here in Erie,PA. Some people here thought that it would be a win-win situation for Erie, no matter who won. It certainly was a heart breaker.

Many times in multiple dwellings cell phones do not work well, some not at all. The more wiring/electronics/multipliers and other components needed to pass city/county/state codes require lots of things that can cause interference with cell towers. They at times cause wi-fi and other problems in the QVC and other networks that have lots of electronics going to produce their shows.

Might want to check out a different technology for her so you can always reach here. Will leave a link you can check out some of those technologies. Don't know prices or anything just thought it might be an option that one can depend on working all the time

The Link

Re: Tracfone doesn't work in mom's apartment

anitagayle — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 18:45:17 GMT

Thanks for the link, hcknut. She already has a medical alert system. Your explanation of multiple dwelling problems certainly makes sense. It's just frustrating when one person's phone works and another doesn't. I'll probably try that old phone of mine since her time expires this week. I appreciate your input.