Death to Tracfone

01.08.2019 Nate Hoffelder No Comments

I need a recommendation for a cell phone provider, because I am done with the incompetent folks at Tracfone.

I have been a Tracfone customer for the past 4 years (with my current number). This company is an MVNO on Verizon’s network, so reception has been reasonably good for both data and phone. Service was cheap, too, and so long as I kept getting the ($100 to $125) annual plans I could roll over my minutes and data.

I should have several thousand minutes of call time and several GB of data remaining on my Tracfone account. Tracfone  insists I used it all, but has refused to provide any evidence.

I am sure you think I used all those minutes (well, no, it’s 2019 and no one talks that much any more). I will grant you that I cannot prove I should have all those minutes, but that is only because Tracfone’s system broke repeatedly over the past two months, and has lost all my info. At this point I can’t even prove how long I’ve had my current phone number with them.

Starting some time in June, Tracfone has:

• Disconnected my service plan from my phone (at least 15 times)
• Thrice transferred my phone number to, well, nowhere
• Lost my phone completely (I tried to make a call, and got Verizon customer service)
• Repeatedly told me that my service had ended the day before (my contract runs through late November)
• And as a final, indignity, Tracfone has somehow transferred my service to Straight Talk  (that’s who answered when I called this morning, anyway).

As I have repeatedly told their service reps, Tracfone did this all on their own without my permission or involvement.

Now, look at that list and tell me again how I used up all my data and minutes. Please.

Folks, this post represents me throwing in the towel on Tracfone. I have spent over 4 hours on the phone, arguing with their reps, and I am done.

The lost time and wasted money is my penance for trying to go the cheap route; I knew better, but I didn’t want to pay for quality service, so I got what I deserved.

Can you recommend a cell phone company?

I have a trip next week, so I would need to get the phone in the next couple days.