Business Profile

Pre-Paid Phone Cards

TracFone Wireless, Inc.

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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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

3,475 total complaints in the last 3 years.
817 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

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:10/08/2024
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.
My wife's passcode on her phone hasn't worked for a month. We called the company to help fix or reset it but we got nowhere with it. I purchased a Galaxy A53 but it wouldn't activate. This phone was purchased from another vendor than this company. She contacted the company's customer service for help. They sent her a shipping label through *** to send the phone back to them. They said they'd send us a new phone once they received the old one. The old phone was shipped on 25 September 2024 and we were told the new phone would arrive 5 days later. This is 8 October 2024, *** verified delivery through our shipping number but we haven't received our new phone. **************** can verify that we have an account but can't say if our phone has been shipped. They continue to draw payment for a phone we can't use and now they owe us for another Galaxy A53 phone. I'd appreciate better service for a customer of 5 years and compensation for the phone that I now don't have because of said sloppy service.
Business Response
Date: 10/17/2024
Dear ******* ********:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint.

This response is in reference to your correspondence dated October 09, 2024,regarding BBB case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you have not received the replacement phone for your ******* Galaxy A53. It is a phone that you purchased but was not activated. You already returned the phone after receiving the shipping label processed by a customer service representative and were advised that a new phone will be sent once confirmed that the old phone was returned. After confirming the shipment of your old phone on September 25, 2024, you were told that a new phone will be sent within 5 days, but you have not received it.

We apologize for any inconvenience we have caused with the issue. We value customer feedback to support future improvements and to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.

In our efforts to provide assistance with your concern, we checked through our records using personal information to verify the status of your replacement phone; however, we found no records. Thus, we were unable to conduct further review of your issue.

We made multiple attempts to contact you through phone number ************ on 10/09/2024, 10/10/2024, 10/11/2024, 10/13/2024, 10/16/2024, and on 10/17/2024.However, you were unable to answer our calls.

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

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket number 1306746265.

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: 10/26/2024
Good Day,
We've received our new phone from the company. However, they continue to give us the endless numbers to call for assistance without a conclusion. They refuse to help us activate the new phone and continue to draw money out of my account for services i am not receiving. This is the second month that they have done this. When we asked them to discontinue service, they said that there was not a way to do so. The monthly cost that they have withdrawn is $32.88 a month. So 2 months of non service, I would like to be compensated for the $65.76 that they took from us.
Customer Answer
Date: 10/28/2024

Complaint: 22398529

We've received our new phone from the company. However, they continue to give us the endless numbers to call for assistance without a conclusion. They refuse to help us activate the new phone and continue to draw money out of my account for services i am not receiving. This is the second month that they have done this. When we asked them to discontinue service, they said that there was not a way to do so. The monthly cost that they have withdrawn is $32.88 a month. So 2 months of non service, I would like to be compensated for the $65.76 that they took from us.

Sincerely,

******* ********
Business Response
Date: 11/05/2024
Dear ******* ********:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated October 28, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that the company refused to assist you in activating the new phone you received. Your account is still getting monthly charges and you got refused when you requested to discontinue your account.

We value our customers and take their complaints seriously. We searched our system for your name and contact number included in the complaint, but the information provided does not match our records. We are unable to investigate this issue further at this time. For us to investigate your concerns, the following information is needed: the customer's full name associated with the account, the phone number, and the email address associated with the account, in addition to the device's ESN/IMEI, and information related to the method of payment for the account, if applicable We will continue to investigate this issue and update our findings once additional information is provided.

However, please note that TracFone and its affiliate brands, customer account authentication policy operates under strict security standards to protect its customers' information. We cannot discuss customer information or make changes to accounts unless the account holder authenticates the information.

We attempted to contact you via phone number ************ on 10/29/2024,10/30/2024, 11/1/2024, 11/2/2024, and 11/5/2024, to discuss the status of your account and service concerns. However,we were unable to reach you. We need to speak with you directly to discuss this matter.

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 1306746265.

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:10/08/2024
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.
1. On date September 12, 2024, ******* *****, Complainant shopped for and purchased and paid for one (1) count Tracfone Phone and one (1) count service of minutes. At that time, TracfoneStore emailed the confirmation Order# "0021-FSOR9T01R5" thanking ******* ***** for her order. See Exhibit A.2. On date September 13, 2024, purchases and charges totaled thirty-four dollars and sixteen cents ($34.16) in that Tracfone *Phone billed ******* ******* ******************* account ending in 5059, $34.16. See Exhibit B.3. At that time, TracfoneStore emailed ******* ***** that the order shipped out to her address. See Exhibit C.4. On date September 23, 2024 ******* ***** called Tracfone **************** to report the issue that she has not received the herein referenced items that she had ordered whereby **** ***, Tracfone **************** Agent provided ******* ***** a Ticket number for a refund, was Ticket # **********.((While discussing the herein referenced issue, Tracfone told ******* ***** that Tracfone order number shall strictly contain numbers, not any letters whereby on September 12, 2023 TracfoneStore had emailed ******* ***** a order number containing both letters and numbers (See Exhibit A). Such remark was confusing and daunting in that it made her believe that TracfoneStore have a hackers in it.))5. On date September 24, 2024, ********************* (***) sent the package containing ******* ******* Tracfone item back to Tracfone at ********, ********* whereby is was received by the Tracfone ******** Office on September 26, 2024. See Exhibit ****** of today, date October 8, 2024 no refund has been provided from Tracfone to ******* *****.7. The loss of ******* ******* $34.16 is a deprivation of her personal property and such loss is interfering with her use and enjoyment of said property whereby she wishes for and requires Tracfone to return her $34.16 immediately, please.
Business Response
Date: 10/16/2024
Dear ******* *****:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint.

This response is in reference to your correspondence dated October 08, 2024, regarding BBB case # ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you purchased a TracFone phone and a service plan through TracFone store on September 12, 2024. Confirmation was sent that your purchase was successful and was already shipped, but you did not receive it. Upon calling customer service, a ticket was created with reference number ********** to process your refund, but the representative was unable to properly check your order number. Furthermore, you have noticed that the package for your order was returned to TracFone, but still did not receive the refund.

We apologize for any inconvenience we have caused with the issue. We value customer feedback to support future improvements and to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.

In our review, we have confirmed your order through TracFone website with order number 0021-FSOR9T01R5. Records show that we shipped your order through *** on September 13, 2024, with tracking number 1Z7X29A90254948403. However, *** was unable to deliver it. *** indicated that the delivery was unsuccessful due to an incorrect Street number. Thus, the package was returned to TracFone facility on September 26, 2024.

On the other hand, the ticket for refund that was created on September 23, 2024,with ticket reference number ********** was pending for review, awaiting the confirmation of the return.

We spoke with you on October 11, 2024, by phone number ************. During the conversation, updates regarding your refund were provided. We have sent an escalation to review the refund request for your case to make sure that it will be handled accordingly.

On October 13, 2024, we got confirmation that your refund was successfully processed in the amount of $34.16 with confirmation ID ****************. The credit post usually occur within 3-5 business days from the time it was processed. For credit verification, we recommend contacting the financial institution for further verification. We made a follow-up call to you to provide the update, but we were unsuccessful.

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

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1306753127.

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:10/07/2024
Type:Service or Repair 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 October 6, 2024, I was unable to use my TracFone that uses Straight talk as a calling service.I have ATT Wifi calling turn on through settings. I called my daughter, and the call goes directly to Straight talk automated machine. I finally am able to talk to a representative after 3 minutes. I talked to 3 representatives. When I asked for the representative name, he refused to give me his full name.Each representative told me to wait 15 minutes for them to solve the problem and then turn the phone off and on again. On the third phone call, I asked for a supervisor. The reply was that he was the supervisor. Then he started to repeat the script. Within the script, each representative told me that there was background noise and to hang up so they could call me back on another phone. When I said that there was no background noise, they apologized and said that they could hear me better now. There was background noise on their end. I could hear other phone calls being made. My issue was never resolved. I still can not use my WiFi through ATT home service to make phone calls with my Trakfone.
Business Response
Date: 10/18/2024
Dear ***** ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated October 07, 2024, regarding BBB case # ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that the WiFi Calling feature of your TracFone device is not working, and customer service representative has not been able to resolve it.

We reviewed your TracFone account and we found the phone and service active and connecting properly to the network. Based on the usage records we reviewed for your account for the last 30 days of service, it does not appear that any service interruptions occurred during that time period, and it indicates that the device was functioning properly. Moreover, we have verified that the WiFi Calling feature in your account is provisioned. Therefore, we need to speak with you directly to ascertain what caused this issue.

Meanwhile, our records show that you contacted customer service and were able to process a ticket to replace the device on 10/11/2024, with reference ticket number **********. As per ticket, a replacement phone was delivered at *************, **, on 10/17/2024, with *** tracking number 1Z7X28F00255002936. As of this writing, the replacement phone has not been activated yet.

We attempted to contact you via phone numbers ************ and ************ and email *********************** on 10/18/2024, to discuss the status of your account and assist with activating the replacement phone.However, we were unable to reach you and have not yet received your reply to our email. We need to speak with you directly to assist you with this matter.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. 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 1306628052.

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

Sincerely,

Executive *********************
Customer Answer
Date: 10/30/2024
Tracfone has responded to my complaint and has sent me a new phone.
It took me a few phone calls with the company.
At first they followed a script to answer my questions. I requested to talk to a supervisor and they told me that they were the supervisor. I argued with them and after that I talked to a supervisor, they sent me a new phone.
Customer Answer
Date: 10/30/2024

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:10/06/2024
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 problem with the unlocking three of my old Apple IPhone 5s from Tracfone/Straighttalk. I currently do not have an active account with **********************/Straighttalk. My last account was from around 6 years ago. Phones is paid off and were used for over 1 year and I was under the impression that they will be automatically unlocked.IMEI number *************** and Serial Number ***************** number *************** and Serial Number ***************** number *************** and Serial Number ************.
Business Response
Date: 10/17/2024

Dear ***** *******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint.

This response is in reference to your correspondence dated October 06, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you have been having issues unlocking your old iPhone 5S phones from Straight Talk. You mentioned that your last account was from around 6 years ago. Due to that matter, you were expecting that your device would be automatically unlocked as you already have met the requirements with the service that you have paid for and used for over 1 year.

In our review, we can see that two (2) of your phones were indeed eligible for free unlocking but there was no request being submitted yet to start the unlocking process. On the other hand, records show that your phone with IMEI ending in 3462 does not meet the requirement for free unlocking. It only has 183 active days with 60 days of paid service.

Please be advised that Straight Talk Wireless unlocking Terms & Conditions states that:
-For all phones Activated with Straight Talk prior to November 23, 2021, the phone will be remotely unlocked upon request after twelve (12) months of active Straight Talk Service.

We spoke with you on October 17, 2024, by phone number ************. During our conversation, we were able to further review your accounts and found out that request for unlocking your two (2) has been submitted with ticket reference number ********** and **********. You were advised to turn the phone OFF/ON to complete the unlocking process.Meanwhile, you agree to reactivate your other phone to be eligible for free unlocking after 60 days. However, we were no longer able to get hold of you again. A follow-up call has been made to you twice, but you were unable to answer our calls.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. 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 Resolution Department
Initial Complaint
Date:10/05/2024
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 Straight Talk phone plan I paid for the bronze it ends up being almost $40 a month. I do not do anything unusual on my phone that should take up much data and yet the last week of the month every month my data is out and they are messaging me trying to get more money. Last month my phone stopped working after 2 weeks of paying my bill and I did absolutely nothing different to cause the data increase but I was unable to clock in and out of work which ended up costing me two and a half hours of time I could not check my important emails I could not access my online banking to move money around and take care of things that were important. I have tried to get a resolution in the chat and I have tried by phone and I was told to pay more money for the plan with more data at this point I am absolutely infuriated. If you do the math on what I make hourly they cost me money and then they want to ask for more to have my phone work properly the way it should have to begin with? I have to look around and see what other companies offer better plans because I work too hard for my money to just be throwing it at them for inadequate service. It's a rip-off.....
Customer Answer
Date: 10/16/2024
TracFone has been calling me everyday and emailing me while I'm at work I finally answered the phone when I had a minute today so that I could be told that the only way to remedy the situation is to pay almost double monthly for a new phone plan in order to have data throughout the month and that is outrageous all they care about as many they do not care about the service being provided and I am livid I already told them by phone that I was not accepting that I got two weeks of years out of paying $40 they want me to pay over $50 just to have my phone work for the month they basically told me to go ahead and get another phone and a plan awful, just awful.....
Business Response
Date: 10/17/2024
Dear Jennie Wisdom-Falkenstein:

We have received and reviewed
your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your
correspondence dated 10/05/24, regarding BBB case number 22384056 complaint.

Your complaint
states that you purchased the bronze plan for your Straight Talk phone, but your
data runs out faster than usual and you have not done anything different with
your phone.

Per terms and
conditions All Straight Talk Plans provide data services. Your use of data
services (“Data Usage”) occurs whenever your phone is connected to the network
and is engaged in any data transmission, including, but not limited to, (i)
opening an internet browser or accessing a website, (ii) sending, receiving, or
downloading emails, documents, pictures, multi-media messages and other
content, (iii) downloading, updating, or using an app; or (iv) if internet
access is initiated in any other way or for any other purpose.

Some apps,
content, programs, and software that you download or that come pre-loaded on
your phone automatically and regularly send and receive data transmissions in
order to function properly, without you affirmatively initiating the request
and without your knowledge. For example, apps that provide real-time
information and location-based applications connect to our network and send and
receive updated information so that it is available to you when you want to
access it. We will deduct all Data Usage from the amount of high speed data
provided by the Plan you purchased whenever your phone is engaged in a data connection,
including any type of connection which you affirmatively initiate or those that
run automatically in the background without your knowledge whether they are
successful or not.

We reviewed your
Straight Talk account; it is active and provisioned in our system. Transaction
History shows that your las redemption of the Straight Talk $35 bronze plan was
on 9/4/2024. This service plan includes unlimited talk, texts and 10 GB of
data. An in-depth review of the account shows that the allotted data of the
plan has been used up within the service plan cycle.

We spoke with
you via phone number 570-575-7715 on 10/16/24 and informed you about the data
usage on your account and that you used all the data available on your plan. We
suggested to upgrade your phone plan to receive unlimited data but, you mentioned
that you would find a new service provider.

If you should
still require assistance, you can contact 1-888-251-8169 enter PIN 1120. Hours
of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference
number 5422531 or Ticket Number 1306633185.

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

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 10/17/2024

Complaint: 22384056

I am rejecting this response because: for the bronze package I should be able to utilize my phone for the month I do not do anything unusual I don't use very many apps this issue has gotten crazy worse over the past year last month being the absolute worse than I did nothing different and yes all I keep being told over and over again is to give you more money to be able to have my phone work properly that is not an adequate solution. I am going to be forced to purchase a brand new phone just so that I can get a company with plans that actually work through the month without price gouging and that is not okay this has cost me money time and energy and the only response I have gotten up to the countless hours going back and forth is for me to give you all more money so that my phone will work I find this completely outrageous

Sincerely,

Jennie Wisdom-falkenstein
Initial Complaint
Date:10/04/2024
Type:Service or Repair 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.
Today, September 28, 2024 my straight talk phone, which is through ******** magically stopped being able to connect to the internet. I have called the *********** number that was given in the error message 3 times today only to be hung up on all 3 times without getting to talk to anyone! I pay for a plan with unlimited data and I demand that ******* IMMEDIATELY fixes this issue so I get the service I pay for or I'm taking my business elsewhere.
Business Response
Date: 09/29/2024
Dear Ms. **** *.,
We have attached our response to this complaint as a PDF. Thank you for your partnership.
Best Regards,
*****
Customer Answer
Date: 10/04/2024
After being disconnected multiple times from the phone number shown in the error message, I called the Straight Talk customer service number and the issue was resolved.
Initial Complaint
Date:10/04/2024
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 purchased 11 prepaid phone cards this year and added them to my reserve. I was told when I added the last on number that I had service through November 3rd, and now I have no phone time. So Straight Talk has stolen (2) months worth of phone time from me @ $55/mo +tax. They are stonewalling me and refusing to repay or readd the time to my service. This is NOT this=e first time I have had these issues with Straight Talk.
Business Response
Date: 10/17/2024
Dear ***** *******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated October 4, 2024, regarding BBB case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you purchased and added 11 prepaid phone cards on your reserve and should have service by November 3rd. However, you currently have no phone service and about 2 months of airtime was stolen.

In reviewing, the Straight Talk account is active and provisioned in the system. The usage report shows that service is being used. Based on our records, for the month of September, 2 airtime plans were completely added to the account instead of just one, resulting to an interruption of your phone service. However, this was corrected on 10/7/2024 by adding back one of the airtime plans to the accounts reserved. Reference number **********. To this date, you have phone service until 12/03/2024.

We spoke with you on 10/16/2024 via phone number ************ and you were able to confirm that you successfully received the missing month of service.

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 1306620432.

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
Initial Complaint
Date:10/03/2024
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 bought a iphone XR from tracfone and used two month. I want to unlock my iphone XR. But tracfone showed that my iphone could not unlock. The **** number is ***************. I want my iphone XR unlocked.
Business Response
Date: 10/15/2024
Dear **** **:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated 10/04/2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you bought an iPhone XR from TracFone and used it for two months to be unlocked; however, it shows that your phone is not eligible to be unlocked.

TracFoneUnlocking Policy states that for all phones Activated with Tracfone prior to November 23, 2021, the phone will be remotely unlocked upon request after twelve (12) months of active Tracfone Service. On the other hand, phones that were activated with the ******* network after November 23, 2021, the phone will be automatically remotely unlocked sixty (60) days from Activation.

We reviewed your TracFone account; it has been inactive since 10/7/2024, due to non-renewal of service. The account was activated in June 2023 with the ******* network, and has at least 60 days of service plan redemption. Therefore, the device should be eligible for unlocking. However, an in-depth review of the account shows that the initial activation of this refurbished iPhone was in June on 2021. The system recognized the initial activation due to a systemic error, which caused it to require the device to be active for at least 12 months. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you, and we already submitted an escalation to process your request.

We attempted to contact you via phone number ************ and email *********************** on 10/04/2024, to discuss the status of your account and unlocking request.However, we were unable to reach you via call. Nonetheless, we received your reply thru email stating that you have hearing problems and requested for future correspondence to be done thru email. With this, we have sent emails on 10/8/2024, 10/10/2024, 10/11/2024, and 10/13/2024; however, we have not yet received your reply.

Per escalation response, we have successfully processed your unlocking request.Please power cycle the device and connect it to a WiFI to completely unlock the phone.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN ****. 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 1306435170.

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:10/02/2024
Type:Service or Repair 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.
I purchased a plan and data add-ons on their website. My prepaid balances (no exact amounts on hand, alas, but I had plenty of talk/text remaining) were removed (set to 0, not just paused due to picking up an unlimited plan for a month). The data add-ons and new plan did not work, leaving me with no phone service at all (call, text, or data) despite having just paid for it. Access to the 3 GB of data from the add-ons was briefly restored (long enough for me to use about 0.01 GB), only to once again stop working/remove my balance on the same day.After multiple hours in TracFone app support chat and on the phone (using another device), I was directed to purchase a new SIM card. After installing this and working with their customer service again, the purchased phone service was still not provided. During this process, they ceased responding to support chat exchanges multiple times.Since then, I have migrated to another phone service provider and attempted to get in touch with them about refunds through the same chat channel. Representatives have transferred me to other departments, only for no one to pick it up at all. Whether this is an issue on their end or an attempt to wait me out is unclear.While they normally don't issue refunds for service plans, in this case the service was never provided.
Customer Answer
Date: 10/04/2024
I was promptly contacted by TracFone in response to the complaint. Per their terms, I can't get a refund because I had transferred to a different service provider (before requesting the refund, which is my mistake). Unless anyone on your end thinks otherwise, that's probably all we can do in terms of pursuing a refund.
For consumer information purposes, I would still submit that their normal support lines (chat, etc.) frequently drop the user without warning. The only way I managed to actually get in touch with them regarding refunds was through BBB.
Thank you for the assistance.
Business Response
Date: 10/11/2024
Dear **** ********:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated October 03, 2024, regarding BBB case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that your prepaid balances including your data add-ons were removed from your account causing you not to have a working service.

We have reviewed your TracFone account and the record shows that you have ported out your number on 9/10/2024 with reference number **********. As per your purchased history, we have confirmed the refill you made for the month of July up to August of 2024 and so as your usage with the service. With the initial investigation conducted, we can at least provide a refund for the plans purchased on 8/26/2024. To process the refund, it would be best for us to speak with you.

TracFone Wireless 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 have attempted to contact you multiple times via phone ************ and email *********************** on 10/03/2024, 10/04/2024, 10/06/2024, 10/07/2024 and 10/10/2024, but with no success. We have not heard from you, and you did not respond to our messages.

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 1306394132.

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: 10/25/2024

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:10/02/2024
Type:Service or Repair 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.
I purchased by mistake two Net-10 plan cards for our TracFone account July 30th. I noticed my mistake when I tried to add them to our account. I did an online chat with a *****, (which I have a copy of and is attached) Who said he could convert them for me as a onetime courtesy and our end date would be September 1st and September 8th. I had to call back Aug 10th, because Our phone no longer worked. I had to call a second time on the 12th, due to issues. The person I talked with said that he didn't add the cards correctly and said they can correct it, and our end dates would stay the same Sept 8th and Sept 1st. On Aug 29th I purchased the correct card plans in preparation of the upcoming end date. I went online and entered the pins for both My husband and My phones, which should have extended my service (Unlimited ************** until Oct 1 and Oct 8th. My Husband's phone had no issues but mine stopped working on Sept 29th. I did another online chat with ******* who informed me that I had two end dates and that my plan expired on the 29th of Sept. which robbed me of 9 days of service. The cards are a 30-day plan, If my end date was Sept 8th and I added a 30 day plan on Aug 29th, it should have taken me through to Oct 8th UNLIMITED Text and Calls! I have called and tried to speak with a manager, but ***** said she was a Manager (but she answered the phone) and that there is no one else to pass me too. She also stated she had no way to see previous transactions and there was nothing she could do for me. Because I had no working phone, I had to go buy another card 8 days before I was to expire, just to have service. I write down my end dates at time of keying them in on my calendar. I only got 21 days on my August 29th purchase. It should have gone into a reserve until my plan expired on Oct 8th, not cut off and start new before expiration! That is the only explanation, because I entered it on Sept 29th thinking it went into reserve.
Customer Answer
Date: 10/08/2024
I received a call from a Tracfone to state that they are going to review my account and call me back, you'd think that they would review the account and then call me! (That was Oct 4th) I missed a call on Oct 7th, and I called back Oct 8th and talked with a Judy. Judy states that I did not lose service and that their records shows that Nov 7th is my end date, disregarding the fact that I had to purchase a $40 plan card on Oct 1st to be able to use my phone until its original date of Oct 8th and that's why it shows an end date of Nov 7th. It was very difficult to understand Judy as she had a severe accent. I told her that I have the online chat transcript where Tracphone employee told me that my service ended on sept 29th and she said she couldn't see the chats I had with Tracphone Reps. I asked if she could see the attachments that I included with my complaint, which were the transcripts of chats. I will send copies of my proof of Tracphones robbing me of 9 days to the cooperate offices as well as the FCC. Once we locate another carrier that is not owned by Verizon, such as Net10, Straight Talk an Tracphone we will be changing to that carrier and will not recommend the above-mentioned companies to family and friends, as well as post on my Facebook page the problems I have had since we started with Tracphone in April of this year (2024). They did nothing to compensate me for time lost on my phone and doesn't seem to care whether they lose 2 cell phone clients, only saying sorry to hear that! Tracphone has very poor customer service and doesn't take care of their customers. We were with Net10 for almost 15 years and switched to its sister company in April of 2024, only took 6 months to lose me as a customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 10/08/2024
I received a call from a Tracfone to state that they are going to review my account and call me back, you'd think that they would review the account and then call me! (That was Oct 4th) I missed a call on Oct 7th, and I called back Oct 8th and talked with a Judy. Judy states that I did not lose service and that their records shows that Nov 7th is my end date, disregarding the fact that I had to purchase a $40 plan card on Oct 1st to be able to use my phone until its original date of Oct 8th and that's why it shows an end date of Nov 7th. It was very difficult to understand Judy as she had a severe accent. I told her that I have the online chat transcript where Tracphone employee told me that my service ended on sept 29th and she said she couldn't see the chats I had with Tracphone Reps. I asked if she could see the attachments that I included with my complaint, which were the transcripts of chats. I will send copies of my proof of Tracphones robbing me of 9 days to the cooperate offices as well as the FCC. Once we locate another carrier that is not owned by Verizon, such as Net10, Straight Talk an Tracphone we will be changing to that carrier and will not recommend the above-mentioned companies to family and friends, as well as post on my Facebook page the problems I have had since we started with Tracphone in April of this year (2024). They did nothing to compensate me for time lost on my phone and doesn't seem to care whether they lose 2 cell phone clients, only saying sorry to hear that! Tracphone has very poor customer service and doesn't take care of their customers. We were with Net10 for almost 15 years and switched to its sister company in April of 2024, only took 6 months to lose me as a customer.
Business Response
Date: 10/14/2024
Dear Michaelle Entringer:

We have received and reviewed
your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your
correspondence dated 10/03/24, regarding BBB case number 22373287 complaint.

Your complaint
states that you called to add a new plan to your phone which should had been
added to your reserve but instead it was added immediately; this caused you to
lose 9 service days of your current service plan.

Upon reviewing
your account our records indicate that the service plan you called to add on
08/29/24 replaced the previous plan added on 8/09/24 and started a new billing
cycle.

We spoke with you on 10/10/24 via
phone number 406-451-4350; we discussed the aforementioned. We both agreed to
add the 9 service days back to your account. We completed the process, with
reference ticket # 1306792499 and you confirmed that your service due date was updated.

If you should still require further
assistance, you can contact 1-888-251-8169 enter PIN 1120. Hours of operation
are Monday to Sunday, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to email reference
number 5420867 or 1306447957.

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

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department
Customer Answer
Date: 10/15/2024
I called multiple times and talked to a call center person every time that was unwilling to help me, said that their records show I never lost service. I requested to speak to a supervisor and was told there wasn't anyone. I have all email, chats and cards and receipts, which I included in my complaint, they ALL said they couldn't see them in their system. So, when I responded to my previous complaint, I received another call from Tracphone and had to inform them that I was going to send to corporate office and the FCC my proof of stolen 9 days of 30-day plan and that we (my husband and myself) would be changing carriers and would be sure that it isn't a Verizon owned company. Finally, they agreed to return my missing 9 days, but My husband service is still acting up and not corrected and it had nothing to do with Samsung as it is a new phone, and Samsung did test as well as it was taken to a warranty repair shop where they said it is the carrier. I have wasted a lot of time with Tracfone in the last 6 months, (that's how long we have been with Tracphone) than I have the entire time I was with Net10 (15 Years). We are currently looking for a better Carrier.
Customer Answer
Date: 10/15/2024

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22373287, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

Michaelle Entringer

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TracFone Wireless, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.