TRACFONE THE WORST - Page 3

Abrowneyegirl · ‎03-15-2010

If you have 10,000+ texts that you need for legal reasons keeping them on a phone is the WORST idea ever. Have your attorney download the texts as legal evidence.

That way all info will be properly stored and documented.

JGalt · ‎03-10-2010

I have known for years it is best to avoid calling Tracfone, but I sympathize with the OP. I generally change phones every year, and activating the new phone is quick and easy via the Tracfone website.

However a couple years ago, the new phone would not activate online. I had to resort to calling. It was indeed a nightmare that went on for a few days. The wait times with each repeated call were great, the language barrier was challenging, and with each call they would change my phone number when I really wanted to keep the original number. Then you go through this business of they will send a new SIM card. They sent the Net10 card, not Tracfone (I know they are one company) which didnt work. I returned the phone. I learned my lesson. If the transfer doesn't work easily online, return the phone and try again another time.

This time, with the LG Stylo 3, thankfully, online transfer was done in minutes.

I urge everyone to try very hard, very carefully, to do all business with Tracfone on their website.

x Hedge · ‎08-18-2016

Thank You @gardenman

I'll read that very carefully.

The texts are on a phone that is 4.3 Jellybean, the last model before Kit Kat.

x Hedge · ‎08-18-2016

@JGalt, I used the live tech chat one time in an effort to avoid the dreaded call to TracFone.

The problem was a simple technical glitch (on their part) that could have happened with any service provider.

First the tech suggested that I'd done this myself, tying somehow to cheat. Then he blamed it on the fact that I accessed the same email address from both TracFones.

This nonsense stopped when I wrote that before I buy time, check balances, etc anything, I always take a photo of the last balance shown on the TracFone widget, plus a follow-up pix.

So I had photos, just minutes apart, of their widget, before and after the glitch occurred, on both phones. I make sure the date & time are in the photo.

Would he care to see them?

Funny, he didn't need to see them, and the glitch was un-done by him without further delay.

I write this because, yes, there are times you just can't do-it-yourself and it can be frustrating to deal with them. But OP still hasn't said what her issue was.

She only pronounced them to be "THE WORST" and I guess was looking for the villagers to come out with their torches and pitchforks.

Highlands72 · ‎06-04-2016

@x Hedge wrote:

. . . do you happen to know, will that Transfer Wizard transfer texts?
Not just a few, but about 10,000.
I have a TracFone with one continuous conversation I need to keep for legal reasons.
I'd like to upgrade but not until I'm sure texts will transfer.
TIA for your insight on this. ☺

Some of the previous posts regarding transfer might be more helpful, but as a last resort, you could just keep the old de-activated phone.

The texts will remain on that phone as long as you don't remove the sim card.

I have done this in the past, but I did not use the Transfer Wizard. I transferred manually using the website. Not sure if the Transfer Wizard would affect the existing texts, so I didn't use it.

SoX · ‎03-15-2010

It took me less than 10 minutes on line to set up my new phone, transfer my current number and remaining minutes, text and data. I couldn't have been more pleased.

In previous years, when trying to deal with a customer service rep ... oy, what an ordeal ... most times I couldn't understand the rep's dialect and many times they gave me the wrong information.

533on · ‎05-02-2018

My old tracfone died. All right,
so I buy a new phone. I transfer
my old account to my new phone.
I bought and paid for Double
Minutes on my old phone so they
Should transfer to my new phone.

So I go in to tracfone.com to
add minutes. My new phone is a
Smart Phone, like what the hell's
the difference, a cell phone is a
cell phone. So to add minutes there's
a Smart Phone plan, and I guess,
something else. Since I got a
Smart Phone, I assume I Have to use
a Smart Phone Plan. Why the hell else
would they Have a Smart Phone Plan?

But when I add minutes on a Smart
Phone Plan, Tracfone doesn't double
my minutes, like it did Automatically
on my old phone. Apparently a Smart
Phone Plan is just an old bait and
switch con job, to cheat me out of my
Double Minutes that I bought and paid
for in perpetuity on my old phone.

Tracfone Won't Double my minutes for
my recent purchase. Tracfone Won't
make my Double Minutes retroactive on
my previous purchase of minutes on
this new phone. Tracfone won't cancel
my new Smart Phone Plan purchase and
refund my money so I can just go in and
add minutes like I used to and get my
Double Minutes. Tracfone cain't tell
me what the hell the difference is
between a Smart Phone plan and just
adding minutes the normal way.

Apparently a Smart Phone Plan is just
a marketing scheme to cheat Tracfone's
old customers out of their Double
Minutes.

kcladyz · ‎04-30-2012

I have a regular verizon. Took all of 2 seconds to transfer number. It happens automatically when you activate phone

glb613 · ‎03-09-2010

@533on wrote:
My old tracfone died. All right,
so I buy a new phone. I transfer
my old account to my new phone.
I bought and paid for Double
Minutes on my old phone so they
Should transfer to my new phone.
So I go in to tracfone.com to
add minutes. My new phone is a
Smart Phone, like what the hell's
the difference, a cell phone is a
cell phone. So to add minutes there's
a Smart Phone plan, and I guess,
something else. Since I got a
Smart Phone, I assume I Have to use
a Smart Phone Plan. Why the hell else
would they Have a Smart Phone Plan?
But when I add minutes on a Smart
Phone Plan, Tracfone doesn't double
my minutes, like it did Automatically
on my old phone. Apparently a Smart
Phone Plan is just an old bait and
switch con job, to cheat me out of my
Double Minutes that I bought and paid
for in perpetuity on my old phone.
Tracfone Won't Double my minutes for
my recent purchase. Tracfone Won't
make my Double Minutes retroactive on
my previous purchase of minutes on
this new phone. Tracfone won't cancel
my new Smart Phone Plan purchase and
refund my money so I can just go in and
add minutes like I used to and get my
Double Minutes. Tracfone cain't tell
me what the hell the difference is
between a Smart Phone plan and just
adding minutes the normal way.
Apparently a Smart Phone Plan is just
a marketing scheme to cheat Tracfone's
old customers out of their Double
Minutes.

A cell phone is not just a cell phone. Smart phones can access the internet and that is one of the differences. If you want to do that, you need a data plan not just minutes for talk and text. I'm not familiar with Tracphone and all of their plans and promotions. Perhaps someone else can help you.

AngelWhispers · ‎10-15-2010

@x Hedge

As far as I am aware of and from past experience, Text messages can be stored or transferred to your SD Card and from there you should be able to also download an app that backs them up for you. I had one in the past once but cannot remember the name of it but if you will search the play store (if on Android) you will find one that will let you back them up and save them.

OP, I have been a Tracfone user for about 20 years and I love the service. Yes it has been a bumpy road at times but there are other ways of contacting them when you need help besides calling them. You can also submit a ticket and contact them through their facebook page. I havent had to contact them in a while for any issues but I do know that over the years the options to do so have gotten much better/easier. I cannot recommend them enough!