Business Profile

Pre-Paid Phone Cards

TracFone Wireless, Inc.

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Pre-Paid Phone Cards.

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

3,482 total complaints in the last 3 years.
814 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:07/27/2024
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.
On 5-12-2024 my phone went to emergency calls only and ask for a 8 digit code. I couldn't make calls,text or get emails. I called the *** was able to verify my account and gave me 8 digit code. When I went back to my phone it wouldn't pull up the screen to enter the code. I called back *** verified and looked up my account my sim card was unusable he was mailing me a new card he told me what type to buy it was going to take 5to 7 days. I bought a new sim card called them back to get phone working. The *** was able to verify my account but was having trouble getting it working she was transferring me to another ***** I was disconnected. I called back 4th time this time all the info I gave them was told invalid and couldn't help me told me to get the correct info and call them back I told it was the info I gave the 3 other ***s they were able to verify since that call no one has helped me all I get sorry I can't give you any information. I'm was on recurring payments I ask them remove t charge me was told to go to my bank. They charged me ***** in 6-3-2024 I disputed with my bank. I tried several more times told me same thing. On7-5-2024 they charged me again *****.i disputed with my bank. I haven't been able to use that phone or phone number since 5-12-2024 that night I purchased a new phone and plan. Now my bank has charged me back the ***** for 6-3-2024. I don't know how I'm suppose to gt my money back.
Business Response
Date: 08/09/2024
Dear ****** ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 27, 2024, regarding BBB Case number # ******** complaints.

Your complaint states that your phone service was not working because your SIM card is no longer usable; bought a new SIM but cannot get it working due to account authentication failure, and you are still being billed without using the service.

We have reviewed your case and found that your Tracfone account is active and provisioned in the network. However, on 5/13/2024, you reported that your SIM card needs to be replaced. Reference number **********. A new SIM was delivered on 5/17/2024, as per *** tracking number 1ZY870930200324172, but the new SIM was never activated because of account authentication failure; the same goes with your Auto Refill cancellation request.

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.

In addition, we found that Auto Refill was set up in your Tracfone account. Auto Refill enrollment allows the system to automatically bill the card on file in renewing your phone service during the scheduled date. As of 8/02/2024, the Auto Refill for the $30 unlimited talk & text, 5GB data, 30 days plan has been cancelled due to a payment decline. As we check the accounts purchase history, it shows three recent successful payments made for the month of May ($33.75), June ($33.75) and July ($33.51). We verified your usage report and confirmed that June and July have no usage; in which refund can be processed.We notice that chargebacks were requested for the said charges and upon review,one was rejected and the other is still pending.

We have been in contact with you via phone number ************ and email ********************* on 07/31/24, 08/06/24, and 08/07/24. We discussed the chargebacks registered on the account wherein you stated that your financial institution has no record of it being successful. We let you authenticate the account to provide further assistance, but you were unable to do so. To resolve the matter, an escalation was filed to determine the status of the chargebacks.Meanwhile, we are going to remain in contact with you until we clarify this information.

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 Tracfone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive Resolution Department

Customer Answer
Date: 08/15/2024
On 5-12-24 on my 3rd call that day I had a new sim card the *** had trouble and was transferring me to another **** the call was disconnected when I called back that's when you couldn't verify I don't know what she did you guys changed my info. Everything I give you was correct until the 4th phone call. I disputed with my bank but because the account is still active they sy it's valid I have not had service since 5-12-2024. I would like the refund and stop my account with the date of 5-12-2024. They did something that changed my info.

Thanks
****** Maples

Customer Answer
Date: 08/15/2024

Complaint: 22052471

On 5-12-24 on my 3rd call that day I had a new sim card the *** had trouble and was transferring me to another **** the call was disconnected when I called back that's when you couldn't verify I don't know what she did you guys changed my info. Everything I give you was correct until the 4th phone call. I disputed with my bank but because the account is still active they sy it's valid I have not had service since 5-12-2024. I would like the refund and stop my account with the date of 5-12-2024. They did something that changed my info.

Thanks
****** ******

Business Response
Date: 09/04/2024
Dear ****** ******:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated August 15, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you believe your information was changed, leading you not being able verify your account. You filed a dispute with your bank and were told the charge was valid,but you had no service since 5/12/2024. You would like to get a refund and deactivate your account.

We have thoroughly reviewed your TracFone account with phone number ending in 4387 and found no suspicious activity indicating that it was compromised. To this date, the account is active but no longer enrolled in Auto Pay. It was confirmed as well that the chargeback requested was denied. Therefore, if you want the account deactivated and to process your refund, we need 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 attempted to contact you multiple times via phone number ********** and email ********************* on 8/23/2024 but with no success. We have not heard from you and no email response was received as well.

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 1302493671.

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:07/26/2024
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.
six times six phone calls had to repeat airtime pin numbers told that the card ending ************************************************************************* my file then gave the numbers from to previous the **** kept telling me i have ran out of time call back in 15 minutes or call back tomorrow. look all i want is my airtime pin minutes and thats it.
Business Response
Date: 08/08/2024
Dear ***************************,
We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 27, 2024, regarding BBB case No. ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you were trying to redeem an airtime plan but had not been able to do so.

We have reviewed your case and found that you tried to add airtime on your number ending in 7492 on 7/23/2024. However, a technical issue caused the system to restrain the redemption of the airtime card; consequently, we decided to create a ticket to fix the error in the system, as per reference ticket No. **********. On 08/02/2024, we manage to restore your phone service using the same airtime plan,and as a courtesy, additional 10 days of service where added to the account. Reference ticket No. **********. Based on the usage report the service works and is being used.

We spoke with you via phone number ************ on 08/05/2024; the aforementioned details were confirmed; the phone works and the new plan was added. However, you stated that your balance information was incorrect. We had our investigation department to verify your claimed minutes but records does not recognized the balance requested. You were informed about the result, and you agreed to close the case.

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

Please refer to email reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1302483261.

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:07/26/2024
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.
First of all, I have asked for your assistance about this company before and you took their side without doing any proper research. They had told you that my account was past due and that was not the case. Your company informed me that the case was closed because my account was past due with no way for me to comment or contest. I pay TracFone in advance now specially because of that inconvenience. My phone is now destroyed and I want a refund for what I have paid in advance. Their website clearly states "Some more ways to get help. Text, call, or e-mail us. We're here, ready, and available to help you." @ ********************************************** I can not call or text because I do not have a phone. They have a chat agent and anytime I ask for a refund they say that they can not refund via chat. I ask for someone to email and they said that their company does not have email. Their website that I quoted specifically says that they have email. I have bank statements that I showed them and they told me that I needed to contact ******** where I purchased the phone and then told me to contact my bank. They do everything that they can to push me as far away as possible, without actually doing anything to help. They advertise that they have email and then lie to me saying that they have no email and no one can refund what I have paid in advance, while their website says that they do. I have seizures and can not deal with the stress of their company anymore. I just want a simple refund.
Business Response
Date: 08/08/2024
Dear ***********************,

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated 07/26/2024, regarding BBB case number ********.

Your complaint stated that you were requesting a refund for a service plan you paid in advanced as your phone is currently destroyed and you do not have another device to use the service; however, you have been experiencing inconveniences with customer support team, thus, you have not received any refund yet.

In reviewing your account, it is currently inactive due to non-renewal of service on 8/6/2024, with the **** or Serial Number ending in 3489. Your accounts Transaction History shows payments of service plans every month,until July of 2024. We needed to verify which purchase you are requesting a refund for. Moreover, we found no usage in your account since 7/24/**************, it is best to speak with you directly to discuss this matter.

In addition, Tracfone Wireless 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 sent you an email to ***************** on 07/29/2024 requesting a phone number to contact you to complete the refund process. You responded to this email stating that you wanted to continue with the process through email only.Therefore, we have sent another email on 07/30/2024, requesting for security information to authenticate the account, and the particular transaction you are requesting to be refunded. We received your response with the required information, and we have deemed this request valid. Thus, we created a refund request and it was successfully processed on 08/05/2024 per refund reference No. 1806799340_CR0, please note that the money should be posted on your account within 3-5 business days depending on your financial institution.We sent you the email with the aforementioned information, and we received your confirmation via email on 8/5/2024.

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 ticket No. ********** and email reference No. *******.

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: 08/08/2024

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:07/25/2024
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 phone from Tracfone for my elderly mother. I also bought her minutes of prepaid use. Each set of minutes I bought was roughly $100 for at least 1000 minutes, and that did not expire, but rolled over. I did that with my initial order, and twice more in subsequent October's. So I spent at least $300 on minutes that I was told did not expire. Last December my mother's home was burglarized, and among other things, her phone was stolen. I called Tracfone, and discussed this situation with a customer service representative. I wanted to prevent the thief from also stealing all the minutes I had paid for. I was told I could deactivate the account and still keep the minutes in the account available when I purchased a new phone. I called Tracfone today to coordinate buying a new phone with the recovery of the old account and minutes. I was told that Tracfone deleted the account and the hundreds of dollars worth of prepaid minutes that "did not expire" were gone and could not be recovered. So my mother has effectively been victimized twice: once by the criminals that robbed her, and again by Tracfone that has stolen hundreds of dollars worth of prepaid phone usage. I have tried discussing this on the phone with Tracfone **************** and have not gotten any assistance. They say that waiting more than 60 days to buy a new phone caused the account to disappear, even though when I asked them about deactivating the account last December, they never mentioned 60 days, and told me that The minutes for this account would still be available when I purchased a new phone. If Tracfone is willing to restore my account with roughly 3000 minutes, I will buy a new phone and continue to do business with them. Otherwise the resolution should be a refund for unused minutes that did not expire, and that I was told would still be available after I deactivated the stolen phone. I am very unhappy with a policy that steals unused minutes from a robbery victim.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/30/2024
I received a phone call on Sunday 7/28 from a Tracfone representative from the corporate office. I explained in more detail why I thought the representative I spoke with last December did not provide honest and accurate information, and how that created the basis for this dispute. The representative I talked with Sunday indicated she needed to do more research and she would call me back on Monday. That did not happen.

I have since spoken with my credit card company. The last time I bought minutes from Tracfone was October of 2023. Specifically, the transaction date was October 6, 2023 for $143.53. This amount includes tax. I believe it was for 1500 minutes and a year's worth of service. My credit card company is willing to create a dispute process. I told them I would wait to try and resolve this issue through the BBB process before filing a credit card dispute.

The October 3 transaction was the third time I bought at least 1000 minutes and a year of service, and almost none of those minutes were used.
Business Response
Date: 08/12/2024
Dear *************************************:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 25, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that TracFone deleted the minutes balance from your mother's account.

We reviewed your TracFone account; it has been in inactive status. Our records show that it was deactivated on 12/4/2023 per customers request, and has not been reactivated since then. In addition, TracFone Terms and Conditions indicate that airtime which remained unused at the time of deactivation will still be available if Service is reactivated within sixty (60) days from the deactivation date, otherwise any unused airtime will be lost. Nonetheless, we escalated this issue and got approved to add the remaining 2966 minutes balance to your account.

We spoke with you on July 31, 2024 via phone number ************ regarding your account and service concerns. We informed you that the remaining balance can be added and you asked to be called back once you got a new phone. We called you again via same contact number on August 7, 2024; we successfully activated your new phone with IMEI or Serial Number ending in 5083, and added the remaining balance of your old phone. In addition, you confirmed that the phone is properly working.

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

Sincerely,

Executive *********************
Initial Complaint
Date:07/25/2024
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 got the prepaid service and now they want $150 to unlock a $45 phone. I'm not paying 3 times the pricei paid for a phone that doesn't have monthly payments it's ridiculous.
Business Response
Date: 08/06/2024
Dear **************************:
We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 25, 2024, regarding BBB case # ******** complaint.
Your complaint states that you have a prepaid service; however, you were required to pay for $150 to unlock your cellphone.
Please be advised that any phones capable for remote unlocking activated with ********************* on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, the phone will be automatically remotely unlocked sixty (60) days from Activation. We reviewed your account, and we have found out that your phone was activated on 06/21/2024 and deactivated on 07/22/2024. Therefore, we cannot unlock your phone as 60-day requirement has not passed yet.
We spoke with you on 07/26/2024 by phone number ************; and discussed with you our unlocking terms and conditions.You have mentioned that you were not informed about it; and therefore, you would like to ask for a 30 days of service compensation due to the inconvenience. Unfortunately, we cannot provide you any service compensation as there were no service disconnections observed on your account and it was perfectly working throughout your paid service.

Furthermore, we will make sure to unlock your phone as soon as the 60-day requirement has been completed.

If you still require assistance, you can contact an agent at ***********************; 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 1302317287. 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: 08/06/2024

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:07/25/2024
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.
My number for 19 years was ************ After trying to get my new phone. purchased from TracFone and number activated the blundering goofs at support, did not transfer my number but gave me an unknown number and disable my account. Over 15 years I have had an issue every six months and their tech support has never fixed a single issue. I always have to go to extreme measures.. The BBB has never once resolved an issue from these clowns.NEW PHONE imei ******************* sim *********************** 91 All I want is my number back. This should be easy for any company except tracfone.You would not believe the stupid excuses provided for not being able to fix this problem.The last agent sent me a text code to my old number and expected me to reach out in the either somewhere and get it. These bubbling idiots, not because they are stupid, but because the TracFone system cannot handle anything at all.BTW, I am deaf and had my blue tooth hearing aids linked to my phone, so you can't even call me.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/26/2024
This is 22 times in 15 years that TracFone has screwed up my account.
I am a Vet and awaiting a kidney transplant.
This is not the time to waiting for a phone. I need my phone yesterday
Business Response
Date: 08/07/2024
Dear *******************************,

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 25, 2024, regarding BBB case # ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you have tried to upgrade your phone number to a new phone; however when the assistance was provided, the phone was activated with a new phone number. Additionally, you stated that we cannot call you due to having Bluetooth hearing aids linked to your phone.

In our review of your account, we found out that on 7/8/2024, you requested to transfer your phone number ending in 7089 from your old phone with IMEI (also known as serial number) ending in 5033, to your new phone with IMEI ending in 5355 which was, at that time, active with a phone number ending in 0024. After the process, the old phone was deactivated, and the new phone was activated with the existing number ending in 0024. Nonetheless, we have confirmed that the phone number ending in 7089 can still be retrieved. We can request to activate it with your desired phone number.

However,Tracfone Wireless 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. Hence it would be required to communicate with you in order to address this matter accordingly.

Moreover,since you requested not to be contacted via phone call, we have sent you an email on 7/26/2024 instead, to discuss this matter. We received your response on 7/27/2024, together with the required information to authenticate the account. Thus, on 07/29/24 we verified that the account information you provided via email ************************* were correct, and at the same time,we processed an update on the account to retrieve the desired phone number ending in 7089 to the new phone as *********** Ticket No. ********** and the instructions were provided through your e-mail. In addition, we received your reply via email on the same day, verifying that the issue has been corrected.

We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and will do our best to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. As part of our commitment to assist our customers, our team undergoes continuous training. As a courtesy we have provided 10 extra days of service as per reference Ticket No. ********** on 08/02/24 and the information was provided today at your e-mail; however we have not received any new response.

If you still require assistance, you can contact an agent at ***********************; 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 **********.

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: 08/07/2024

Complaint: 22042994

I am rejecting this response because:The information provided by tracfone is an outright LIE..
example:However, Tracfone Wireless 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. Hence it would be required to communicate with you in order to address this matter accordingly..
All of this was done & completed yet they still managed to S**** IT UP BEYOND STILL BELIEF. The authentication ws only an ISSUE after they sent by number of 20 years out in the ether someplace.All the authentication in the world can't un-screw something that has been TOTALLY WRECKED. These people are only qualified as tow truck Drivers. After deleting my number they want to verify it - AS STUPID AS STUPID Gets. Absolutely impossible.
Even after the TracFone BBB *** contacted me it was 6 more days (and 26 messages from various BBB agents) that I DID NOT HAVE MY NUMBER for a total of 35 days/ I am in ************* for a kidney replacement....Trade Places with me with no phone. They could have murdered me while jerking off with their authentication routine. I kept all of them if anyone wants to view them.
My 35 day refund is still not posted,
Their CYA routine doesn't work on me. I was an eMail tech support Supervisor for HP. If just one of our customers had been treated like that, and if I had not fired the sgent and walked them to the door, then I would have been fired on the spot. We worked with 97% First Call Resolution.
I am rejecting this solution because it contains too many deliberately falsified statements to CYA. The agents screwed up. a whole bunch of them and the BBB Group is trying to pretty it up.Spreding it around and dressing it in a bow is not helping and where is my 35 day refund.

Sincerely,

*******************************
Business Response
Date: 08/16/2024
Dear *******************************:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated August 7, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you have issues with the account authentication procedure and are asking for 35 days refund.

We do apologize for any inconvenience this concern may have caused you. As we reviewed your case, we found that a transfer was made on 7/08/2024. The system was only able to transfer your minutes and service days to your new device with IMEI ending in 5355; new phone was still active with the number ending in 0024 at that time. Please know that to transfer phone numbers, minutes and service days to a new phone, the new device must not have an active service. On 7/29/2024, we had to deactivate the number ending in *************************************************************** 7089,in which, at that time, was still provisioned in the network with your old phone. This action warrant account authentication as we are to perform changes on the account and so on the networks information.

Meanwhile, the record shows that your old phone,after the transfer on 7/08/2024, was still enrolled in Auto Pay and was getting billed, a system error. With that, escalation was filed to process the de-enrollment and a refund was processed, amounting to $17.28 with reference merchant id *******************. A refund should be posted within 3-5 business days up to ************************************************* addition, we updated your new phones renewal date to 9/08/2024. To check, text DUE DATE and send it to 611611.

We attempted to contact you via phone number ********** and email ********************************** 8/15/2024, but with no success. We have not heard from you and no email response was received.

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 1302325520.

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: 08/16/2024
The BBB has done a good job, even though they CLOSED THIS COMPLAINT TOO EARLY.
I find the babble of the TRACFONE response impossible to follow. I can not tell if the 6 weeks of h*** was compensated for or not.
TracFone (in the original conversation) disabled my number of 20 years for no reason and over my objections. Then sent me messages to the old number, repeatedly and refused me actual tech support because I could not relay the codes that they sent. Tech Support was too dumb to stop doing this as it happened again and again. It took 6 weeks and a BBB Complaint to get it fixed. Even with the ** Complaint it took 5 days and 22 eMails (after the the 1st TracFone Response) to restore my number.
I refused the first RESOLUTION because it did not pay me for my time out of service, The babble just reviewed does NOT seem to correct that issue. I am certainly not interested in their internal procedures to s**** up my life, My kidney transplant eval was pushed back to mid September. And I currently live with pain. I lost 45 days thanX to TracFone and I have a mind to sue them,
But that brings me the question from the **** BBB Correspondence: DID (or are they) going to reimburse my account for thse 6 weeks?
Business Response
Date: 08/26/2024
Dear *******************************:
We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated August 16, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.
Your complaint states you refused the previous resolution we have provided because it did not pay you for the time you were out of service. This is during the time that your phone number that you have over 20 years was disabled, and the technical team was unable to provide you proper assistance in resolving the matter. It took 6 weeks to resolve the problem.
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.
We have further reviewed your case, and our records show that you were indeed calling us multiple times to resolve the issue with your phone number and service. After careful review, we are determined to provide compensation of service due to all the inconvenience we have caused.
We spoke with you on August 26, 2024, by phone number ************ and you have requested to proceed with your request via email due to your condition. After successfully authenticated your account via email correspondence, we then added the 42 service days to your account. Your account service was successfully updated and should be active until 10/20/2024.
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 1302325520.
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: 08/27/2024

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.
Additionally, The ** is to be commended, especially for their endurance of this matter.
I offer one over-riding suggestion to TRACFONE, Gives you agents the freedom to solve and correct errors. Way past Stupid, was the rule that they send me a code to a NONEXISTENT PHONE. And another that fist they send a msg tome via eMail - (so who else could answer) then thy have to send a code to the SAME eMail. which I then have to answer the same code at the same eMail by (Here it comes) EMAIL.
I was eMail Supervisor for two prominent companies NetGear and HP. At ** we resolved 3500 eMails per day with an annual FIRST CALL RESOLUTION of 97%. I personally handled calls plus the 3% not resolved on the 1st call. We never had a problem last a week. NEVER.I strongly believe that with proper management; TracFone could be number 1 in this field instead of DEAD LAST,

Sincerely,

*******************************

Again - ThanX to All for Getting my Phone & Account rectified.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/25/2024
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.
Very poor customer ************************* who could not or would not help to correct situation. I called to have a new tracfone activated & minutes transferred over from old phone. Thought this would be a simple task. Some representative said this couldn't be done, even though I knew it could. Another rep. said no problem & started the process, when he said he was almost done, I was disconnected. Kept calling to get help. When someone, listened & tried to work on it, disconnected again. After more calls a rep. tried but for some reason the new phone wasn't able to react to the activation. So I just asked re-transfer minutes, texts, data back to old phone. What ever they did or didn't do, I now cannot use the phone at all. More calls, reps telling me, it was fixed, wait a few minutes & try making a call. This happened a # of times, but nothing. Went on the computer to start a chat, After an hour & half it said out of data, try later, Called again, this time I was informed that all my data, texts & most of the minutes were gone. All of the calls were made on my landline since I couldn't use the cell phone. I called again to complain, got nowhere. Now I have to wait 24 hrs because some ticket was made. I don't feel my issues were important to them. None of this was my fault, The phone was working perfectly before this happened. I now have no phone to use & no way to get help. Date of problem July 24, 2024 # of hrs trying to resolve approx. 8 hrs. Minutes on phone before issue ***** -- afterward 200, texts before issue ***** -- after 0 data approx. 700 ? (whatever term is used) -- after 0. My minutes, ************ should not have been used trying to fix a problem they created. Now I have no way of resolving this issue. When I asked each rep. if I could be transferred to another rep, they said no, each time I called, had to explain all over again. I want all min. etc returned to me on a working phone
Business Response
Date: 07/29/2024
Dear *****************************,

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 25, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

******************** complaint that no one could help her. She called to have her new phone activated and transfer the minutes and phone number. Customer stated that it really just an easy task but some of the representatives assisted her mentioned that it couldn't be processes, some said that it almost done. So, she asked if she could transfer back the minutes and phone number back to her old phone. But her phone is not working, she called several times. She was informed that her data, texts and minutes was gone. She was provided 24 hours since there was a ticket created. She stated that before this happened her phone is perfectly working. He really wants her phone activated and plans transferred.
Upon review, account active and provisioned on the system. As per review there is a ticket created for phone upgrade last 7/24/24.

We attempted to contact customer last, July 28, 2024, at 4:40 PM EST via phone number **********, but to no success routed to voicemail.

Thus, we send email.

We spoke with the customer today, July 29, 2024, at 1:19 PM EST via phone number **********, as per conversation with customer she confirmed that her issue was already resolved but she is not happy with the whole process. We apologize for the inconvenience that she experienced with the whole process of upgrading her phone. She also stated that she is waiting for her new phone to arrive and she's really hoping that she will not encounter same issue in the future. We informed customer that once she received the new phone, she can directly call us using our hotline number and we assured customer that we are going to assist her with the whole process of activating her new phone and transfer her phone number and the remaining phone service.


No further assistance needed.
If ******************** should still require assistance, he can contact ************** enter PIN 1900. Hours of operation are Monday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST.

Please refer to KANA reference number ******* or Ticket Number 1302434757.
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:07/25/2024
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.
When you purchase a new TRACFONE.From the most expensive to the least.You cant activate it online.You have to call an agent and give them your EIMI phone number.This is not something you want to share with anyone.When I spoke to someone at tracfone,they would not tell me their call center location.I suspect they have been selling IMEI numbers on the dark web for years.An agent called my mother many years ago and verbally abused her.I dont know who is running the tracfone show,but I dont think they are playing by the rules.
Business Response
Date: 08/01/2024
Dear *************************:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 31, 2024 regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Mr. ********' complaint alleges that he can't activate a phone online will not provide their location when he called an agent.

As per record, Mr. ********** TracFone account is no longer active as the service expired and was not renewed.

Additionally, TracFone Wireless representative is allowed to disclosed its location and it can also be found through the TracFone Wireless website.

We spoke with Mr. ******** on 7/31/2024 at ************ and he stated that there is nothing to discuss with since he is just having issue with the representative not providing TracFone's location but would not go further and was advised to close the case.

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

Please refer to Ticket Number 1302318789.

Thank you for choosing Tracfone Wireless.

Sincerely,

Executive *********************
Initial Complaint
Date:07/24/2024
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've enjoyed TracFone's service for a number of years but over the past six weeks I've had the following problems: ************ was turned on & off intermittently. Though many **** didn't know the reason, one *** told me that it's because I'm not officially signed up for the $22 plan in TracFone's system, though I was charged for it monthly. Without resolution after many tries, I went to a ******* reseller, where I was told that my newest TracFone phone, could be used with ******* service. The *** shredded my phone's SIM card, as if it was a common thing to do. After she charged me for ******* service, she saw that my phone wouldn't work on *******'s network, that it needed to be unlocked by TracFone. TracFone told me that the phone can't be unlocked since I didn't complete 60 days of TracFone service with it. I have tried to reactivate my TracFone service to complete the 60 days, & possibly remain a customer, yet all of the activation agents I've spoken with are telling me that the PIN I use over the phone is inaccurate, for some reason. Additionally, they wanted me to sign into my web account, & the password that I have is old. When I click on the reset password option, it doesn't give me that option, it only takes me to TracFone's home page. No agents have been able to help me, because they can't verify my identity. After my **** was charged $22.21 on 7/15/24, for a month of TracFone service, I was told that the original SIM card on my new phone should have never been shredded, & it's required to get my service restored. The agent refused to refund $22.21. BTW, when agents attempt to send identity-verifying emails to ************************ they don't come through to me. Some agents seem to believe that I'm trying to scam them. Only the email with the home page link that I referred to earlier, came through to me.Please help. I've been without phone service for 2 weeks. The mobile # listed on this form is ************, the nonworking one.
Business Response
Date: 08/01/2024
Dear ***************************:

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 25, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that your data service was turned off and on intermittently. You had spoken to several representatives but no one was able to resolve your issue. Thus you decided to go with ******* reseller where you were told that the phone will work with ******* service and and the reseller shredded your SIM but your phone won't work with them as it is still locked with Tracfone and Tracfone can't unlock your phone as it is not yet 60 days active. You tried to reactivate the phone to complete the 60 days however representatives were unable to help you as you are unable to authenticate her account.

As reviewed, your account is active and provisioned properly in the system. Records verify that you ported out your number on 07/10/2024 with reference number **********, but on 07/13/2024 you ported back in your number to Trafone with reference number **********. Records verify that the port in was completed but phone is still not working.

We were unable to contact you as your contact number is also the number subject to complaint in which you mentioned on your complaint that is not working, but we were able to send you emails at *********************** on 7/25/2024, 7/26/2024, 7/29/2024, 9/30/2024 and 8/1/2024. We have not heard back from you in our correspondence thus far.

If you should still require assistance, you can contact ************** enter PIN (1900 or *****. 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 1302250364.

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: 08/07/2024

Complaint: 22040872

I am rejecting this response because:
I've contacted TracFone multiple times via the phone numbers they left for me on my mobile phone's voice mail. It turns out that voice mail is the only working aspect of TracFone service at this time on my phone. I keep getting the response from TracFone that there is no way to activate either my old or newer phone since they can't verify/authenticate my account. ********************** tells me they keep sending me emails for authentication, yet, they don't make it to any area of my email, including spam or junk mail. If only the agents would get a supervisor involved to talk with their IT department to see why I'm not receiving their emails. It's an issue on TracFone's end as I continue to only have problems receiving emails from TracFone. No other business entity or individual has an issue sending them so I receive them.
On Saturday, 8/3/24, I spoke with a ***** named ******* who gave me a ticket number of 130-287-8930. She said that with the ticket number, she informed their IT department about my inability to receive TracFone-sent emails, & that TracFone Corporate would get a response within 24 hours. She insisted that this would happen, as she has worked there for years, & this is the protocol for such issues. I called TracFone Corporate on Monday, 8/5/24, & was told that they had received no response to the ticket number.The first ***** I spoke with was ******* & she said that ******* was wrong, & the ticket number technique only applies to first activations, not second activations like mine. She claimed that no one in her department, including supervisors could help with the problem, that I'm essentially out of luck. That they have no ability to interact with their IT department.. I thanked her, & called back, & got a very helpful & friendly agent, I believe named Febrelene. She insisted that she could help me activate the phone by getting email correspondence to me. Unfortunately, my borrowed phone dropped the call, so I'm back to square one, with no help.
I'm going to contact the attorney general for the state of *******, because it's a travesty that a company can keep a vital service, phone service from a paying customer, for roughly a month. Please respond immediately to solve the problem.
Sincerely,
***************************
Business Response
Date: 08/22/2024
Dear ***************************;

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated August 8, 2024, regarding BBB Case number ******** complaint.

Your complaint states that you have contacted customer service regarding your inability to use the phone service; however, you were told that your phone could not be activated since you could not authenticate the account. You stated that the emails sent for authentication is not getting in to your inbox.

TracFone 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.

As reviewed, your account is active and provisioned properly in the system.However, we found no records of the phone service being used. In addition,interaction notes indicate that you have been calling customer service about your inability to use the phone service, and our agent identified that this was because of a different *** card inserted to the phone, and that we need to update the system with the *** card that you currently have. However, you failed to authenticate the account, so we could not make any changes.

We attempted to contact you via phone number ************ and email *********************** on 8/16/2024, to discuss the matter with your complaint. However, we were unable to reach you,and we have not received your reply to our emails. 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 **********.

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:07/24/2024
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 and activated an ** L322DL phone in 2022 from Wal-Mart and kept it activated monthly until sometime in 2023. I kept the phone as a possible backup when I decided to re-activate it at some point. The week of July 15, 2024 I decided to re-activate the phone however I decided to get service with Consumer Cellular as I am retired and belong to AARP. I was told by Consumer Cellular that the phone was compatible with their network and at that point there was no other conversation concerning the phone other than activating the service and waiting on the sim card to arrive at which point I was told to call a number and they would help me get it set up. Upon receiving the sim card and contacting Consumer Cellular I was told that the sim card was not valid in the phone because it was locked. I was not nor was I told of this possible issue when I signed up and upon contacting TracFone was told that the phone was not able to be unlocked as it was not activated. I told the person from TracFone whose name is ****** if that is a real name whose employee I.D is ****** that I bought the phone and had activated service for over a year and that I requested the phone to be unlocked so that I could get it activated by Consumer Cellular. She re-iterated that the phone was not unlockable to which I told her that it was unlockable and that I requested it to be done. As a result of TracFone refusing to unlock it I have a phone that is not usable unless it is activated with TracFone. This is my opinion as a consumer a ploy to hold me and the phone hostage. I have had to put Consumer Cellular on hold with my account and have 28 days remaining before my account is deleted, and if I want to continue with Consumer Cellular I will have to buy a phone from them when I have a phone that is usable. I have attached a document outlining the requirements of getting the phone unlocked in hopes of getting this issue resolved in the 28-day period.
Business Response
Date: 07/30/2024

Dear *********************,

We have received and reviewed your Better Business Bureau complaint. This response is in reference to your correspondence dated July 24, 2024, regarding BBB case No. ******** complaint.
Your complaint states that you would like to unlock the device ** L322DL purchased in 2022 from ******* since you are going to change of service provider. Due to the impasses, you contacted our customer support team aiming to receive further assistance regarding the matter and to have the device unlocked; however, you were unable to reach someone able to honor your requests.
In reviewing your account with IMEI ending in 9727, our records can confirm that the device in discussion is not eligible for unlocking since the phone has not been active recently, unless you pay for a $6.42 fee to unlock it.
To safeguard the integrity of its customers' data ********************** implements its customer account authentication policy in accordance with strict security guidelines. Authentication is required for any account updates. ********************** will provide an unlocking code or codes to customers who request unlocking, provided the cellphones meet the following conditions:

The cellphone must be in working condition.
The cellphone has not been reported stolen or lost, and there are no indicators of fraud.
For cellphones activated with TracFone prior to November 23, 2021, on any carrier network, the cellphone must have been active with TracFone Service for no fewer than twelve (12) months.
For cellphones activated with TracFone on the ******** or AT&T networks on or after November 23, 2021, the cellphone must have been active with TracFone Service for no fewer than twelve (12) months.
For cellphones activated with new service on the ******* network on or after November 23, 2021, at least sixty (60) days must have elapsed since the cellphone was activated. For any active cellphones, notification of the phones unlock eligibility will be sent via SMS along with a link to the website where the unlock process can be accessed.
For more information about our Unlocking Policy, you may also visit our website at ********************************.
On the other hand, we appreciate your feedback regarding the negative customer service experience. We value customer feedback to support future improvements. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and will do our best to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.
We successfully spoke with you via phone ************ on 07/25/2024 and after the account identity protocol was processed, we informed you the abovementioned; consequently, you decided to perform the $6.42 payment to unlock the device and continue with the procedure, as per reference ticket No.**********. We agreed to call you back on the next day for us to provide you the unlocking codes and implement the steps to assure the device got unlock.
We attempted to contact you via phone and e-mails were sent to ******************* on 07/26/2024, and 07/28/2024; however, we were unable to speak with you and you informed us through an inbound call and email you would like not to be contacted anymore by us since the inconvenient has been solved, as per reference No. *******.
If you still require assistance, you can contact an agent at ************************; 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 1302241372.

Based upon the foregoing, we will close this matter unless we hear from you.

Thank you for choosing Tracfone Wireless.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/30/2024

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and find that there are some discrepancies in that yes, they did try to contact me, and I did call them back to no avail. I did finally get in touch with someone who was able to help resolve the issue and unlock the phone after being told it could not be unlocked. After doing so for their unlock fee it was restored, and I was able to switch carriers. After that they kept calling me to get the issue resolved and I told them on more than one call that it had been resolved and for them to update their records as such and to notify BBB of the resolution. I again was contacted, and I told them to not contact me any further as again the issue had been resolved. In closing I would like to thank the staff of the BBB for their continued effort in getting issues resolved in a timely manner and I consider this resolution satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

*********************

BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.

Cookies on BBB.org

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

If you've experienced an issue

Filter and sort by

Sort by

Complaint status

Complaint type

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Customer Answer

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Customer Answer

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

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