[X]
Write ReviewJump to 
1
Helpful
Votes
Votes
Tracfone - Pathetic Enough To Make You Weep!
Tracfone/Straight Talk Service - Complaint
Review by keysgypsy on 2013-03-05
Rating: 
KEY LARGO, FLORIDA -- I had been a customer with Straight Talk for more than 3 years but the summer of 2011 is when the Tracfone system that was powering Straight Talk went haywire and I spent hours on pay phones (great fun finding one that worked) while traveling trying to get my Straight Talk and a new Tracfone to work. They somehow worked the bugs out and things were good till I needed to replace my phones with new ones. Now they had SIM cards and the fun began. Kept one phone 8 days and returned it thinking my problem was the phone. Ordered a new one on-line and proceeded to call and e-mail about not being able place or receive calls.
In a one month period other than the calls the techs would make to test the phone I received 8 calls and was able to make even less calls out. Returned that phone and gave up on Straight Talk bought a Tracfone. The store clerk spent 20 mins porting my number but they had to send me a new SIM card???? So for 2 days no one knew my number and then when I got the SIM I could not make or receive calls. Spent 2 hours on the phone passed off to 6 different people before Julio was able to resolve my problem. But - the second new phone which I have had for 1 week has only worked when I call tech support and they test it. I just spent another 1.5 Hours on the phone. First tech passed me off and I went on hold to that "pathetic" hold recording and then they said there were so many waiting I should call back at another time. 9:45 Pm called again passed to 2nd person turn off/on, remove battery, enter codes, remove battery and SIM sometimes works when he calls me sometimes not, I ask for a supervisor and guess what, I get disconnected! I call back busy recording 'call is important to us', yadda yadda. Tech called back while I am on hold listening to the noise and leaves a different number to call him back - try that, get some long string of numbers and no connection.
When I try to make a call from my land line to the cell I get a 'cannot be completed at this time and a message 6. When I try to call from my cell it looks like it is ringing - no sound - and after 3 pulses on the face of the phone it says call ended and goes back to the home screen. Text works and I can call voicemail for all the good that does as I am not receiving calls.
In a one month period other than the calls the techs would make to test the phone I received 8 calls and was able to make even less calls out. Returned that phone and gave up on Straight Talk bought a Tracfone. The store clerk spent 20 mins porting my number but they had to send me a new SIM card???? So for 2 days no one knew my number and then when I got the SIM I could not make or receive calls. Spent 2 hours on the phone passed off to 6 different people before Julio was able to resolve my problem. But - the second new phone which I have had for 1 week has only worked when I call tech support and they test it. I just spent another 1.5 Hours on the phone. First tech passed me off and I went on hold to that "pathetic" hold recording and then they said there were so many waiting I should call back at another time. 9:45 Pm called again passed to 2nd person turn off/on, remove battery, enter codes, remove battery and SIM sometimes works when he calls me sometimes not, I ask for a supervisor and guess what, I get disconnected! I call back busy recording 'call is important to us', yadda yadda. Tech called back while I am on hold listening to the noise and leaves a different number to call him back - try that, get some long string of numbers and no connection.
When I try to make a call from my land line to the cell I get a 'cannot be completed at this time and a message 6. When I try to call from my cell it looks like it is ringing - no sound - and after 3 pulses on the face of the phone it says call ended and goes back to the home screen. Text works and I can call voicemail for all the good that does as I am not receiving calls.
Comments:
Posted by leet60 on 2013-03-05:
I moved to straight talk from tracfone a year or two ago. I preferred tracfone, simply due to the double minutes and the fact minutes did not expire at the end of the month. My primary reason for switching was the lack of decent phones with tracfone.
Straight talk is powered by tracfone. They do not have their own towers and the service "piggybacks" off existing carrier towers. Often if a tower is busy with their own subscribers the system will try to route you to another tower,sometimes failing to do so.
I switched phones with straight talk to a newer phone and had a similar experience to yours at one point. After hours of calls I reached a representative that advised me to dial *22891 (this is different from the *22890 they use to program your phone). Using this number I was able to get may phone to work again. You may want to try this option.
Straight talk is powered by tracfone. They do not have their own towers and the service "piggybacks" off existing carrier towers. Often if a tower is busy with their own subscribers the system will try to route you to another tower,sometimes failing to do so.
I switched phones with straight talk to a newer phone and had a similar experience to yours at one point. After hours of calls I reached a representative that advised me to dial *22891 (this is different from the *22890 they use to program your phone). Using this number I was able to get may phone to work again. You may want to try this option.
Posted by keysgypsy on 2013-03-05:
THANKS FOR THE CODE - BUT I JUST SPENT OVER AN HOUR WITH 2 TECHS AND THINK IT IS WORKING FOR THE MOMENT. BUT, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CODE AS I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT WHOLE SCENARIO.
Posted by Starlord on 2013-03-06:
I have been with Tracfone for nearly eleven years now, and have never had a problem such as described. Not in 2011 or any other year, For service when the big shots had none, clarity of the calls, reliability, and phone service for $6.50 per month, I will stick with Tracfone.
Posted by keysgypsy on 2013-03-12:
I KNOW IF THEY EVER GET ME UP AND RUNNING IT WILL BE GOOD FOR WHAT I NEED BUT THE TIME I AM SUFFERING THROUGH IS JUST HORRID. STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND NOW THEY ARE SENDING ANOTHER PHONE - ACTUALLY 2 OF THEM - BELIEVE IT OR NOT. ONE DUE LATER TODAY THE OTHER - WHO KNOWS.
Note: All comments are reviewed by a moderator before being published. Please be sure to read our guidelines before commenting.
Company Reps: Post your company response!
