Business Profile

Pre-Paid Phone Cards

TracFone Wireless, Inc.

Headquarters

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for TracFone Wireless, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

3,490 total complaints in the last 3 years.
814 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:05/12/2025
Type:Product Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On April 28, 2025, I paid $211.71 to Tracfone for a one-year phone service renewal for my iPhone. After payment, the device lost mobile data access, iMessage failed to activate, and texting did not work properly. I spent 10 days (April 28May 7) working with Tracfone across multiple support tiers. They failed to resolve the issue and finally blamed the iPhone, which worked fine before renewal. I ultimately switched to another provider on May 7, 2025, and requested a refund for the unusable service, which Tracfone denied.I am requesting a full refund of $211.71 for the undelivered service.
Business Response
Date: 05/27/2025
Dear ****** ****:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 12, 2025,regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you paid a year's plan amounting to $211.71, but your data service and text messaging did not work properly. You tried asking for assistance from customer support, but the issue remains unresolved. Thus, you decide to switch to another service provider and request a refund for your airtime plan.

Upon review, we found that your TracFone account had been deactivated due to a port out request on 5/07/2025 with reference number **********. We were able to confirm as well that you paid $211.71 for your phone service in April 2025. As per terms and conditions, if you elect to transfer or port out your telephone number to another provider, once your phone number is transferred, your Tracfone Service will be deactivated immediately, and you will lose any unused Service days remaining in your Plan. Tracfone airtime has no cash value and is non-refundable.

We spoke with you on 5/16/2025 via phone number ************ and discuss your refund request. With the aid of our investigating team, your accounts usage and balance were checked; as a one-time courtesy, we agreed to process your refund request amounting to $211.71 with Refund transaction reference number 481505143AMKVBYS. Please know that this credit posting will usually occur within 3-5 business days, and you may contact your financial institution for verification of this posting.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320780936

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing TracFone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 05/28/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

****** ****
Initial Complaint
Date:05/12/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Purchase Order ID: *************** Status: APPROVED $414.56 Mar 08, 2025 Device need unlocked: Handset:*************** Paid full price for the device and the total ********************** service is not allowing to unlock the device after 60 days of period after activation of services.I purchased a Total Wireless activated device on March 13, 2025, and as of May 12, 2025, 60 days have passed. According to Total Wireless unlock policy (older policy before new policy was added affective from April 1, 2025), a device is eligible for unlocking after ******************************************* full.
Business Response
Date: 05/27/2025
Dear ****** *******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 12, 2025,regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that Total Wireless refused to unlock your phone based on the unlocking policy in effect at the time you purchased and activated your phone.

Total Wireless Unlocking Policy states that ******* Value will remotely unlock the phone when it becomes eligible for unlocking, provided it meets the following conditions:

* The cellphone must be in working condition and turned ON.
* The cellphone was activated with ********************* by purchasing and redeeming an airtime plan on that specific phone ("Activation")
* For all cellphones Activated on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, the cellphone will be remotely unlocked automatically 60 days after paid Activation and 60 days of paid active service.

Please know that this Unlocking Policy is subject to change at any time without advance notice.

We spoke with you on 5/14/2025 via phone number ********** and discuss your unlocking request. Upon review, we found that your phone has been deactivated since April due to non-renewal of *********** only refilled the phone once and that was upon activation. Therefore, as we checked the phones unlocking eligibility, the system prompted the message,Not eligible - insufficient time from device activation or 60 paid service days required. Thus, we encourage you to add a service to the phone to complete unlocking eligibility to which you agree. However, due to a system error, we were unable to reconnect your service and had to file an escalation.Reference number **********. We made follow-up calls on 5/15/2025 and 5/20/2025 where we were able to reactivate your phone and let you know that phone will be remotely unlocked once unlocking eligibility is met in a few weeks. No further assistance is needed.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320596862.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Total Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 05/28/2025

Complaint: 23317359

I am rejecting this response because: the phone still not unlocked and I did paid additional service charges for third month upon talking with customer care representative

Sincerely,

****** *******
Business Response
Date: 06/06/2025
Dear ****** *******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May *******, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that your phone is still locked after paying for the third month of your service.

We spoke with you on June 2, 2025, via phone at ************ regarding the unlocking eligibility of your phones. Following our conversation,we successfully initiated the unlocking process under reference numbers ********** and **********. This process typically takes two business days.

On June 5, 2025, we received confirmation that your phones have been successfully unlocked on your end. To complete the process, please ensure the following steps are taken; turn your phones off and then back on,connect to a Wi-Fi network, and insert the *** card from your new service provider.

We attempted to contact you again on June 6, 2025, to confirm the status, but were unable to reach you. Additionally, we have not received any response to the emails sent to *********************************.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320596862.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Total Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Initial Complaint
Date:05/12/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have a phone that is locked to tracfone. The policy is that I must pay at least 60 days of tracfone service in order for the phone to be unlocked and able to be used with a different carrier. I paid for service for a few months but the phone did not unlock automatically, the amount I paid was more than I was used to but I paid it hoping that it will unlock after 2 months just like the policy states. Now, after at least 5 months of using their service, I transferred my number to a different carrier, the one I can afford, but I am not able to insert the *** card because the phone is locked I called tracfone to complain and ask them to please unlock the phone since I should be able to unlock it as the policy states. But they were very unhelpful and claimed that Ill need to pay $150 to unlock the phone! BUT I ALREADY PAID FOR OVER 60 DAYS OF SERVICE JUST AS THE POLICY STATES!!!! so now I dont have service because my *** card doesnt work in this locked phone, and tracfone wont help me!!!!
Business Response
Date: 05/26/2025
Dear ****** ********:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May *******, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaints.

Your complaint states that TracFone has not unlocked your phone which you have been using for at least five months.

Upon review, using your email, we manage to pull up a TracFone account with an IMEI number ending in 0996; however, we still need to confirm if this is the phone in question. Nonetheless, the record shows that the phone is already unlocked.

We attempted to contact you via phone number ************** and email, ************************ on 5/12/2025, 5/13/2025, 5/14/2025,5/15/2025, and 5/18/2025 but with no success. We have not heard or received any response from you.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320481765.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing TracFone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Initial Complaint
Date:05/10/2025
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Hello, I am writing to file a formal complaint against Total Wireless for misleading business practices, retroactive policy changes, refusal to honor the unlock terms in effect at the time of my purchase, and unhelpful customer service.On 1/5/2025, I purchased a phone and one-month wireless service from Total Wireless (Order #****-20ES3SRT7E) based on a promotional offer ("buy service, get a phone free") and a clearly stated unlock policy: that the phone would be eligible for unlocking 60 days after activation, with no requirement for maintaining 60 days of active service. This condition was well-documented at the time and widely confirmed in online user forums such as Reddit. Relying on this policy, I activated the phone and service on 2/15, and after using one month of paid service included with my purchase on 1/5, I transferred to a more affordable provider on 3/15. However, after 60 days had passed, my phone was not automatically unlocked as promised. On 4/19, I spent nearly an hour with a Total Wireless online chat agent who ultimately said they could not help and advised me to call customer service. When I called, I was informed that the unlock policy had changed and now required 60 days of active service. My request to unlock the phone was denied, and repeated requests to escalate the issue or speak to a supervisor were also refused. This is not the policy under which I made my purchase. Had the current 60-day service requirement been in place at the time, I would not have chosen Total Wireless. I consider the retroactive enforcement of this new policy to be deceptive and unfair. I respectfully request that Total Wireless be held accountable and required to immediately unlock my device in accordance with the unlock policy that was in effect when I purchased it. Thank you for your time and assistance. Sincerely, *** **** ******************** ************ ******* Galaxy A35 5G IMEI1 351 353 011 046 024 / 05 IMEI2 356 079 191 046 022 / 05
Business Response
Date: 05/26/2025
Dear *** ****:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May *******, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaints.

Your complaint states that Total Wireless refused to unlock your phone based on the unlocking policy in effect at the time you purchased and activated your phone.

Total Wireless Unlocking Policy states that ******* Value will remotely unlock the phone when it becomes eligible for unlocking, provided it meets the following conditions:

* The cellphone must be in working condition and turned ON.
* The cellphone was activated with ********************* by purchasing and redeeming an airtime plan on that specific phone ("Activation")
* For all cellphones Activated on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, the cellphone will be remotely unlocked automatically 60 days after paid Activation and 60 days of paid active service.

Please know that this Unlocking Policy is subject to change at any time without advance notice.

Upon review, your phone has been deactivated since March due to non-renewal of service. You only refilled the phones once, and that was upon activation. As we checked your phones unlocking eligibility, the system prompted the message, Not eligible - insufficient time from device activation or 60 paid service days required. Thus, we had to decline your unlocking request.

We attempted to contact you via phone number ************** on 5/14/2025 but with no success. However, you responded to our email via *****************************,stating that it is your preferred channel for communication. Your email messages reiterated your intent to have your phone unlocked. We understand that you desire to have your phone unlocked, but your device does not currently meet the eligibility criteria for unlocking as outlined in our policy. Rest assured once the account reflects the required 60 days after paid Activation and 60 days of paid active service, and the device meets the other conditions; you can resubmit the unlocking request.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320595181.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Total Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department

Customer Answer
Date: 06/01/2025

Complaint: 23314017

I am rejecting this response because:
The business continued its misconduct by refusing to acknowledge the applicable unlock policy and did not offer any meaningful resolution. As such, there is nothing for me to accept.
To clarify, I already included in my original complaint the official unlock policy that was in effect at the time I purchased and activated the phone. Total Wirelesss reference to a different version of the policy is both irrelevant and unacceptable.
I also responded to their calls and returned them as instructed in Total Wireless emails, only to have another hour of my time wasted. The representative made no effort to resolve the issue and instead attempted to sell their service again.
The subject to change clause does not give Total Wireless the right to retroactively violate the terms of the original agreement. Moreover, they cited abuse as the rationale for the policy change in their email to me, which is contradictory, given that the company continued to call and email me to rejoin.
As a resolution, Total Wireless may either:
- Unlock the phone immediately using the information already provided in my original complaint this can be done remotely and does not require further calls or emails; or
- Refund the full purchase price of the phone and service.
Had the original unlock policy not been in place at the time, I would not have made the purchase.
Before this issue is resolved, I have no reason to trust this company or continue doing business with them again.

Sincerely,

*** ****
Business Response
Date: 06/11/2025
Dear *** ****:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated 6/2/2025, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your follow-up complaint states that the Unlocking Policy should not be applied retroactively. With this, you are requesting for your phone to be unlocked immediately, and get a refund for the phone and the service plan you purchased.

We understand your desire to use the device on another carrier's network, and we want to provide clarity based on our Unlocking Policy, which became effective on April 1, ******* outlined in our policy, for cellphones capable of remote unlocking (this includes most iPhones and some Android cellphones) that were activated with ********************* on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, the cellphone will be remotely unlocked automatically 60 days after paid Activation and 60 days of paid active service. Unlocking requests submitted on or after 4/1/2025 must comply with this policy.

In addition,Total Wireless Terms and Conditions indicate that if you purchased your Total Wireless device from Total *********************** official website, you have thirty (30) days from the date your device was delivered to you to return it to us for either an exchange or a ********* process a return, you must follow the return instructions that came with your device and pay for the shipping cost to send it back to ***

As reviewed, your account was activated in February 2025 with a 30-day unlimited plan, and got deactivated in March 2025 due to non-renewal. Therefore, the device has yet to meet the required 60 days of paid and active service, to be eligible for device unlocking.

We attempted to contact you via phone number ************ and have sent emails to ******************** on 6/5/2025, 6/8/2025, and 6/9/2025, to discuss the matter with your complaint. However, we were unable to reach you,and have not yet received your reply to our emails.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320595181.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Total Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Initial Complaint
Date:05/10/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a trac cone wireless plan unlimited talk/text and 7G data. I have not been able to use data since i started the plan. I have had the phone 5 months and have had house of help desk calls with no resolution. I have limited opportunities to sit on hold for hours. Today I have been on hold waiting in the queue since 4:52pm est and it is now 6:06pm. This is without any assistance yet! I dont want to lose my current cell phone number since the people i know have it and Im too old to start with a new number. But I pay for DATA and cannot use all the features on my phone away from home. Their customer service is putting me at risk every time i go out of the house and cannot use the map or find an address. I dont think it is too much to ask for the service to work as expected and paid for
Business Response
Date: 05/26/2025
Dear ****** ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 11, 2025, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.?????

Your complaint states that you purchased a TracFone unlimited plan with fixed data and you were not able to use the data service since you added the plan.

Upon review, your account with phone number ending in 6442 is active with $41 plan,which includes unlimited talk and text, with 3 GB of data. Your account is well provisioned in our system and supported by our upgraded network.

Please be advised that within coverage areas, there may be significant limitations or interruptions in coverage that may affect service and result in dropped and blocked connections,slower ****************** and data speeds or no ****************** or data connectivity and call interference. This could occur due to many factors including your device, network changes, network traffic volume, network outages, technical limitations, signal strength, the terrain and your proximity to buildings, foliage and other obstructions, weather and other conditions. Thus,we need to speak with you to assist you accordingly.

We attempted to contact you multiple times via phone numbers **************, ************** and email ******************** on 5/14/2025,5/18/2025, 5/20/2025, and 5/23/2025, but to no success. We received emails from you, but we were not able to reach you via call.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or 1320618858.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing TracFone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 05/27/2025

Complaint: 23313787

I am rejecting this response because:
All i have been provided is an additional option to troubleshoot via phone. Which i have done on multiple iccasions for hours. On repeated calls they say it should wor with the model and version of iphone i have. They have deceived the customer and i can confirm the iphone 6+ at its too version allowed by iphone dors not work. However i tried the sim card in two other phones to confirm my theory. The sim card works fine in an iPhone 11 that was tested. Another friends old iphone 6+ also did not work. When i purchased the plan i told them it was being used on iphone 6+ and during multiple troubleshoots also confirmed and support says it will work

i can confirm that model ohone and iphone version does not! They should not deceive elderly customers whose only temaining option is to lose their number their old friends know and/ or py to upgrade the phone which they readily promote as an option.
Sincerely,

****** ******
Business Response
Date: 06/06/2025
Dear ****** ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 28, 2025 regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your follow-up complaint states that your phone still did work despite following additional troubleshooting steps. You confirmed that your phone is not compatible with the service since the other phone you tried with your SIM card worked.

Upon investigation, your account with phone number ending in 6442 is active with an unlimited plan which includes 3 GB of mobile data. It is associated to a Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) device,and is provisioned in our system. We also confirmed that you have ******* Coverage in your area, and that there are no reported outages. Your accounts network records also did not show any connection failures and the network is performing as expected.

Please note that some Carriers differentiate the wireless service they sell by prioritizing the data traffic of customers on a non-Carrier brand at times and at locations where there are competing customer demands for network resources. Where the network is lightly loaded, if any, effect from having lower priority. This will be the case in the vast majority of times and locations. At times and at locations where the network is heavily loaded in relation to available capacity, however, you will experience increased latency during a data session, particularly if you engaged in a data-intensive activity. When network loading goes down or if you moves to a location that is less heavily loaded in relation to available capacity, the latency associated with a customers data connection will improve.

In addition, TracFone does not guarantee the availability of ************* at any time and reserves the right to modify, suspend, interrupt, discontinue or permanently cancel *************,or portions thereof, without notice. ************* are not available in all areas. TracFone is not responsible and will not be liable for any modifications, interruptions or discontinuation of the ************* or for any failure in receipt of the purchased *************.

We spoke with you on June 6, 2025 via phone number ************, and discussed the status of your account and service concerns. We followed the troubleshooting steps; however, the phone still did not work. Since we could not process replacement phones for BYOP devices, it is recommended to purchase a compatible phone to transfer the number and service.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320618858.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing TracFone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive *********************
Initial Complaint
Date:05/10/2025
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
My cell phone had quit working in the first couple days of July. 2024, I called Straight Talk on July 8th and told them to stop service immediately, they stopped service for one month and then started billing me again in August because they said since I had been enrolled in autopay, that the billing and payments were automatic. I called them numerous times and they changed their story and had new excuses every time I called them, texted them but the bottom line is that they refused to quit billing me, they kept telling they could not stop charging me because I was enrolled in autopay and I had to change bank card number in order in order for them to stop billing me, they should have stopped he billing the day I notified them stop services, I find there whole company, which is now 100% owned by *******, to be nothing less than a company of ******** and con artists. I've had my bank reverse 5 or 6 of the months in question but the banlks claims department has not been to cooperative lately, Last month Straight Talk promised me they would stop be billing me and like clockwork, they did not keep their promise, I would really like to see them pay me $5.000.00 in damages for all the time I have spent trying to get these con artists to relinquish their insidious ways
Business Response
Date: 05/23/2025
Dear ******* ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May *******, regarding BBB case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that your phone quit working in July 2024 and requested to stop your phone service. However, you were still getting billed because of your Auto Pay enrollment. You were able to dispute the previous charges, but Straight Talk has billed you again recently. Thus, you are requesting to stop these charges and receive a compensation of $5000.

Upon review, we found that your Straight Talk account with phone number ending in ****************************** Auto Pay with the $35 airtime plan. With Auto Pay, new Plans will be automatically purchased and added to your Account each month prior to your Service End Date and your preferred payment method will automatically incur a monthly charge for the cost of the Plans you elect to purchase on a recurring basis. Meanwhile, we found no usage report for your line. With that, it would be best for us to speak with you. Please note, to safeguard the integrity of its customers data,Straight Talk ********************** implements its customer account authentication policy in accordance with strict security guidelines. Any changes to an account must be authenticated.

We have attempted to contact you via phone number ************ and via email ********************* on 05/13/2025, 05/15/2025,05/19/2025 and 05/20/2025 but with no success. We have not heard or received any response from you.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320545775.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Straight Talk Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 05/28/2025
I called Trac Fone last Friday afternoon, they asked me the same questions and I spent over a half hour answering the same questions and giving them the same responses. They told me that they are going to be calling me this week sometime but they still do not seem to realize that it was my decision to stop service, and they did stop the service but they are still billing me, I do not understand why they think I am required somehow to utilize their services.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/28/2025

Complaint: 23312052

I called Trac Fone last Friday afternoon, they asked me the same questions and I spent over a half hour answering the same questions and giving them the same responses. They told me that they are going to be calling me this week sometime but they still do not seem to realize that it was my decision to stop service, and they did stop the service but they are still billing me, I do not understand why they think I am required somehow to utilize their services.

Sincerely,

******* ******
Business Response
Date: 06/06/2025
Dear ******* ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated 5/28/2025, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your follow-up complaint states that you contacted customer service to discontinue the charges in your account; however, you are asked the same questions.

Please note that Straight Talk customer account authentication policy operates under strict security standards to protect the integrity of its customers' information. Any changes to an account must be authenticated.

We reviewed your account with phone number ending in 2443, and our records show that it is still active and enrolled in Auto-refill. For your accounts security, it is required to authenticate the account first, prior doing any changes.

We spoke with you via phone number ************ on 5/28/2025, and discussed the status of your account. We assisted you with your request; however, you failed to validate the account. Therefore, we required further information, and submitted an escalation to resolve this matter. We advised to contact you once we received updates on the escalation we submitted.

We received feedback regarding the escalation, and successfully cancelled the auto-refill enrollment in your account on 6/5/******* attempted to contact you via same phone number and have sent an email to ********************* on 6/5/2025; however, we were unable to reach and have not yet received your response to our email. We will make further attempts to inform you regarding this update.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number **********.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Straight Talk Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive *********************
Customer Answer
Date: 06/06/2025
I never received the above communication they said they sent on 6-5-2025, it is filled with errors and / or outright lies. I will pursue damages via the courts and the *** will also be notified. a company of *******'s stature should not be allowed to do what this company is doing. They are very polite on the telephone and then outright lie in telling you what the real communications were. You can close this case as you see fit but this matter is not finished. I spent over a half a working week communicating with my bank, this corporation and the Better Business Bureau, I am owed more than a simple refund for charges that should have never been charged, they did not have the decency to include a written apology for their illegal charges.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/09/2025
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I activated a Straight Talk phone on March 10, 2025. At that time, their official unlock policy stated:For all cellphones activated on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, the cellphone will be remotely unlocked automatically, sixty (60) days after activation.That policy was posted publicly and required only 60 days after activation not 60 days of paid service.On May 9, 2025, 60 days after activation, my phone was still not unlocked. When I contacted Straight Talk support, they told me I now need 60 days of paid service which is a condition added after April 1, 2025, and was not part of the unlock policy when I activated.I explained this and requested they honor the terms I agreed to, but they refused and closed the chat. I believe this is a deceptive business practice and violates consumer *************** requesting that Straight Talk honor the unlock policy that was in effect at the time of activation, and promptly unlock my phone.
Business Response
Date: 05/21/2025
Dear ******* *****:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 9, 2025,regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you request Straight Talk to unlock your phone based on the unlocking policy at the time you purchase and activated your phone.

Straight Talk Wireless Unlocking Policy states that ******* Value will remotely unlock the phone when it becomes eligible for unlocking,provided it meets the following conditions:

* The cellphone must be in working condition and turned ON.
* The cellphone was activated with ********************* by purchasing and redeeming an airtime plan on that specific phone ("Activation")
* For all cellphones Activated on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, the cellphone will be remotely unlocked automatically 60 days after paid Activation and 60 days of paid active service.

Please know that this Unlocking Policy is subject to change at any time without advance notice.

We spoke with you on 5/12/2025 via phone number ********** and discuss your unlocking request wherein you also provided the information of the phones you wanted to unlock. Upon review, your two phones have been deactivated since April due to non-renewal of service. You only refilled the phones once and that was upon activation. As we checked each phones unlocking eligibility, the system prompted the message, Not eligible - insufficient time from device activation or 60 paid service days required. You were dissatisfied with the information provided. We understand that you desire to have your phone unlocked, but your device does not currently meet the eligibility criteria for unlocking as outlined in our policy. Rest assured once the account reflects the required 60 days after paid Activation and 60 days of paid active service, and the device meets the other conditions; you can resubmit the unlocking request.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320481955.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Straight Talk Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 05/22/2025

Complaint: 23309815

I reject this response. Straight Talks answer is unsatisfactory for the following reasons:

1. Incorrect ****************************start="913" data-end="916"> My two iPhone 16e devices were both activated on March 10, 2025. At that time, Straight Talks published unlock policy stated that cellphones activated on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, would be remotely unlocked automatically 60 days after activation. There was no requirement for 60 days of paid active service.

2. Retroactive Change is Unfair and ******************start="1313" data-end="1316"> The additional requirement of 60 days of paid active service was not added until the revised policy was posted on April 1, 2025after my devices were activated and the 60-day countdown had already begun. Applying this more restrictive policy retroactively is both unfair and contrary to basic principles of contract and consumer law.

3. Prepaid **************************************************start="1716" data-end="1719"> I did not accept new terms; I merely used the service I had already paid for at the time of activation. There was no meaningful opportunity to opt out of the retroactive change.

4. No ***************************start="1933" data-end="1936"> I was not notified individually of this change, nor provided an opportunity to accept or reject it.

5. Supporting Evidence:
Attached: Web archive or screenshot of the unlock policy as of March 10, 2025

6. **************************start="2333" data-end="2336"> I request that Straight Talk honor the unlock policy in effect on March 10, 2025, and unlock both phones immediately. If the company continues to refuse, I will pursue relief through arbitration, the ***, and the *********************************

This issue is not resolved.

Sincerely,

******* *****
Business Response
Date: 05/30/2025
Dear ******* *****:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 23, 2025, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your follow-up complaint indicates that the new Unlocking Policy should not be applied retroactively, and you did not agree nor notified of this update. Therefore, you are requesting for the phone to be unlocked.

We understand your desire to use the device on another carrier's network, and we want to provide clarity based on our Unlocking Policy, which became effective on April 1, 2025. As outlined in our policy, for cellphones capable of remote unlocking (this includes most iPhones and some Android cellphones) that were activated with ********************* on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, the cellphone will be remotely unlocked automatically 60 days after paid Activation and 60 days of paid active service. Unlocking requests submitted on or after 4/1/2025 must comply with this policy.

As reviewed, your account with phone number ending in 8038 was activated with a 30-day plan in March 2025, and got deactivated in April 2025, due to non-renewal of service. It has not met the required 60 days of paid active service; therefore, it is not yet eligible for unlocking.

We spoke with you on May 26, 2025, via phone number ************, and discussed the aforementioned. However, you refused to follow the Unlocking Policy. Please be advised that customers must comply with the Unlocking Policy when requesting to unlock a phone.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320481955.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Straight Talk Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive *********************
Initial Complaint
Date:05/09/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I opened up a plan with TracFone wireless and they told me that after 60 days I will be able to unlock my device to use it at other carriers, after 60 days they didn't provide me with the unlocking codes till another 90 days, and than the unlocking codes didn't work and the phone was never unlocked
Business Response
Date: 05/21/2025
Dear ***** *******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 9, 2025,regarding BBB Case number ******** complaints.

Your complaint states that you activated a phone with Tracfone and were told that you would be able to unlock it after 60 days. However, it took 90 days to get the unlocking code which did not work, and your phone remains locked.

We spoke with you on 5/16/2025 via phone number ************* and discuss your unlocking request. We received your email response via ******************** on 5/12/2025 wherein you provided the **** number of the phone you wanted to be unlocked. Upon review, your phone with the **** number ending in 7754 has been unlocked in our system for a while already. The unlocking was done remotely; thus, you were advised to power cycle the phone,connect to Wi-Fi and make sure the phone is up to date, then insert the *** card from the new service provider and test it to verify its compatibility.However, you insisted that the phone is locked and decided not to continue with the assistance provided.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320286810.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing TracFone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 05/28/2025

Complaint: 23307216

I am rejecting this response because:
You are repeating the same advice each time I spoke to you, however this phone is locked even though you are stating that it is unlocked remotely, it is not true. I put in different SIM from ******* or ******** it is not working. I did all the steps that you advised connecting to WIFI etc. and it is still locked

Sincerely,

***** *******
Business Response
Date: 06/06/2025
Dear ***** *******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 28, 2025, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your follow-up complaint states that your phone is still locked despite following the steps provided to unlock your phone. You tried inserting different SIM cards to the phone, but it still did not work.

Unlocking a cellphone associated with TracFone Wireless refers to disabling software that would otherwise prevent you from activating the cellphone on another carrier's network. However, due to different carrier technologies, an unlocked TracFone cellphone may not work, or may experience limited functionality, on another carrier's network. TracFone Wireless is not responsible for any limitations of service,or otherwise, resulting from the use of an unlocked cellphone on another provider's network.

We reviewed your account and determined that your phone, with IMEI/Serial Number ending in 7754, is already showing an Unlocked status. With this, you need to connect to a WiFi, reboot the device, and insert a non-branded SIM card. However, since you mentioned that it still remained locked, we may need to examine the device further, to resolve the issue.

We attempted to contact you via phone number ************ and have sent emails to ******************** on 5/29/2025,5/30/2025, 5/31/2025, 6/01/2025 and 6/05/2025, to discuss the matter with your complaint. However, we were unable to reach you and have not yet received your response to our email.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1321614471.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing TracFone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive *********************
Initial Complaint
Date:05/08/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
5/2/25 I ran out of data purchased$10.00data plan could not get it on my phone, spent over 6hr over the next few days, including today 5/8/25 with tech service, being told I need a new Sim card, purchasing Sim card. Can't use this Sim card cuz it's not compatible with my phone because apparently my phone is only **** compatible now they tell me I have to buy a new phone that is ******* compatible to get/use data I bought the phone I have from THEM there is NOTHING wrong with it, but tracfone is telling me that I have to purchase a new phone because they decided to switch from a **** to ******* for there carrier. I should not be forced to purchase a new phone They at the very least should give out very special deals on another phone. They have only regular "deals" and those phones are "cheap", my current phone is better quality than what they offer I don't believe there's much if anything bbb can do, but at least people will know that I'm ****** off with tracfone
Business Response
Date: 05/22/2025
Dear **** *****:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 9, 2025,regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you purchased a $10 data plan;however, your data service did not work.

Upon review, we found that your TracFone account is active, and a $10 data add-on plan was added on 5/02/2025. The record shows that the device in used is a Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP),compatible with an AT&T network. The provisioning of the account shows that the line is still active under the AT&T network, but the information in the system shows that there was an attempt to migrate your service to a ******* network by updating your SIM card. However, the registered **** device with the **** number ending in 0598 is not ******* compatible.

We spoke with you on 5/14/2025 and 5/20/2025 via phone number ********** and discuss the status of your concern.We troubleshot your phone which resulted in processing a replacement SIM card. Reference number **********. In addition, we process a refund for your $10 data add-on plan with refund transaction ID **************. Please know that this credit posting will usually be available within 3-5 business days and you can contact your financial institution for the verification of this posting.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320543632.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing TracFone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Initial Complaint
Date:05/08/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I ordered a phone through straight talk on 4/18/2025 and payed $4.95 for next day shipping. We financed through smart pay, but paid a deposit including shipping of $29.88. It was a Friday so I didnt expect it to ship until the following Monday. We waited a week and it still Had not shipped. I called on 4/29/2025 and they said they could not see why it hadnt shipped. They said it looked like the order hadnt processed. They gave ticket number **********. They said to give them 3-5 business days and they would reach back out with an answer. We tried today and we cannot get a hold of a representative and they have not contacted in any way. I use my phone for work and it has not worked properly, which is why I ordered a new phone. A payment is due next week on a phone I have not received.
Business Response
Date: 05/21/2025
Dear ****** ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint.This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 8, 2025,regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you ordered a phone through Straight Talk on 4/18/2025 which was also finance by ******** to which you paid a deposit of $29.88 including shipping fee, but you have yet to receive the phone.

Upon review, we found that your order was placed on 4/18/2025 with order number 2511-G13T1RGA92 and it was financed through SmartPay. However, due to order issues, it got cancelled on 5/7/2025. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and will do our best to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. Rest assured we are here to help.

We first spoke with you on 5/13/2025 via phone number ********** and discuss the status of your order wherein you were advised to contact ******** since the order cannot be fulfilled and you agreed. On a follow-up call made on 5/18/2025, you confirmed to have spoken with SmartPay and were told that the phone is out of stock. Moreover, we were able to confirm with SmartPay that a refund was processed for you on 5/20/2025.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. The hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320537854.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Straight Talk Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 05/27/2025

Complaint: 23305443

I am rejecting this response because:
Straight Talk claims the order was cancelled on 5/7/25, yet no one informed me at the time that the order was being cancelled. I never requested a refund, and was never informed that I would be receiving a refund until it was already complete.
The phone Straight Talk claims is out of stock is still (a month and a half later) showing as available through their website.
The only acceptable resolution is a new phone shipped directly to me. It needs to be at minimum the phone I ordered, or if it is not available, the first available IPhone of equal or greater value. It also needs to be made available to me at the same price and payment plan as the original purchase. Because I do not trust Straight Talk to do anything in a timely or trustworthy manner, I will not be making any payments until I have physically received the phone.
I also need someone in upper management from the main office in *****, ******* (NOT a call center or overseas department) to call me with a full explanation of why this matter has taken a month and a half to resolve.

Sincerely,

****** ******
Business Response
Date: 06/04/2025
Dear ****** ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated May 27, 2025, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you were not informed immediately that your order was cancelled, and that it was claimed the device you ordered is out of stock, yet it is showing available in the website. With this, you are requesting for the same phone or a phone of equal value, to be shipped directly, prior making payments.

Orders online are processed in our remote fulfillment facility. A phone model could appear as available online sometimes, since the inventory is not updated in real-time, especially during high-demand periods. Your order was cancelled after our fulfillment facility confirmed that the requested phone model is out of stock. Refunds will be processed afterwards for canceled orders. We apologize if this has caused you further confusions and inconvenience.

In regards to your request to receive a phone prior making any payments, unfortunately, orders are processed after successfully placing the order online. In addition, for orders leased via ********, you may contact ******** for any offers available to you.

Additionally, our agents are thoroughly trained to address a variety of customer concerns. Should we ascertain that your issue necessitates escalation to a specialized department for resolution, the matter will be promptly escalated. Consequently, you will either be transferred to the appropriate department or receive a callback to resolve the issue.

We spoke with you on May 29, 2025,via phone number ************, and discussed the aforementioned. We provided information regarding an ongoing promotion for the iPhone 13; however, you requested to receive the phone prior making payments which could not be done.We also provided the information regarding SmartPay ; however, that did not change your decision.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1320537854.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you. Thank you for choosing Straight Talk Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive *********************

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