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TracFone Straight Talk CDMA GSM Bait and Switch Tactics, very poor service, refuses to make it right Miami Florida
On Sept.20,2013 I purchased two new phones from Tracfone on their website. I used their phone finder zip code search thing and it came up with several phones that supposedly worked in my area. I chose new, Samsung S425G phones and paid $49.99 each, got free shipping, used a $10 off coupon and after tax it was a total of $95.38. Keep in mind that everything I tell you is about two of the same type of phone. One is mine and the other is my husbands.
I received the phones and was able to switch over the sim cards, minutes and time from our previous phones. I was pretty happy until out of the blue I start getting empty texts from the number 129. I went on Tracfone's support forum, which is a complete and utter joke and asked about it. Not only does one have to sign up for the forum, in order to get help they must make 5 posts before support can send them a Private Message. Finally I was able to get through and get the Private Message which is nothing more than a tinyURL link to a chat. When through their "what's the issue" drop downs, entered my serial number, etc. Waited 20 mintues... no one came on. Well, I didn't have time to wait just then so I put it off.
About a month later I finally got though. Got into chat and was told by the agent that they had no control over who texts me. I explained that I had done some research and learned that 129 was a t-mobile voice mail page. Telling me that there was a voice mail. Which is interesting since there was no voicemail. Not only that these 129 texts cost .5 minutes to view. Still the agent insisted that there was nothing they could do.
Next I/we started getting "Emergency Calls Only" on the screen when I turned the phone on. ???! I called support and was told to just turn the phone off then on and that should fix it. I did that and it worked ok for a while.
Next we got "Check Call Restrictions 34" turned it off, turned it back on and "Check Call Restrictions 34." I did this repeatedly on both phones and one would Call restrictions 34 and the other Emergency Calls Only...or visa versa.
So later that week when I had time as was near my home phone I called TracFone's Support line. I spoke to a person with an accent that ASSURED me that new sim cards would fix my problems with the phones. He gave me two reference numbers: 1088204952 and 1088205311, I was to wait 3 days for approval and then after it shipped it would be 3 to 7 days.
Today is March 25, 2014. I received two emails today. Both said my order had shipped. The first one says they are sending me a different hand set. And the second one says they are sending me something and a tracking number.
I think New hand set?! It's supposed to be a sim card! So I call customer service AGAIN. Tell the story yet again, give info,reference numbers, order numbers... and wait while the agent tries to find information on it. Finally after what seemed eternity, she tells me in what can only be described as gibberish because all I got was new phone because my phone won't work in my area. Gee that's interesting since it has been working!
A few minutes later I think to look up this phone they are sending me. I am astonished. Not only are they giving me an inferior phone, they are giving me a refurbished phone.... and I am supposed to send my "NEW" phones back?!
So basically... Tracfone sells me a phone that doesn't work in my area (even though their website says it does) then tells me I need a new sim card to make it work... then tries to send me reburbished inferior phones with a value of $9.99 to replace my New phones I bought at $49.99. Isn't that just a bit like saying... 'here, I have this polished turd instead of that pearl?'... and expecting me to be happy about it. Uh, nope.
I get back on the phone to yet another worthless agent and let them know that this is not an acceptable replacement. I don't even know how many people I talked to now but it was numerous! I kept escalating until I got "Jim" who was supposedly at the corporate office. I warned him that at this Point I was livid... extremely angry with tracfone. Told the hold story again, explained that sending me a refurbished phone that isn't even remotely the same features-wise was not acceptable that they could upgrade me or get me a New not refurbished comparable CDMA phone. He hmmmed and hawwwed, put me on hold numerous times and finally disconnected me because I said "d**n."
So, Now I'm FURIOUS. I have filed an FTC bait and switch complaint. I have looked up the Senior VPs and the Pres of the company. I am determined to talk to one of them about this. I called and of course by this time (6 hours later, today alone) their corporate offices are closed. So I called another number and spoke to Gracelda who wrote an email to Corporate asking them to call me tomorrow. And I BETTER hear from them within the time alloted.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Fed-Up-Pissed-off
Caldwell,Idaho,
Finally!
#5Author of original report
Wed, April 23, 2014
Well, it took almost EXACTLY 1 month since I filed the BBB report to get an acceptable exchange for my new phones. Ms. Starkey did have a personal issue on Monday that kept her out of the office. She did apologize and I understand her reasons. I would have taking the day off too.
I am now the proud owner of 2 new LG L39C phones. These are a definite upgrade from the new Samsung 425Gs they are replacing. (however I would have prefered a phone that had a REAL keyboard, but this one works well and I'll just have to get used to it) It's just too bad that Tracfone had decided to make it a huge hassle to get proper replacement. When it was all said and done I have over 40 hours of time invested in making them make this right. Thank GOD I have a land line as well as these phones.
My advice to others who have issues with their customer service and tech support is to file a BBB report asap. There is a special dept that handles bad bbb reports, you are assigned ONE agent who will handle all your issues. Do not go to the forum for support, do not even bother trying to call the 800 number repeatedly... once you get an "I can't help you response." or have a trouble ticket fail due to incompetence... go right to BBB south florida and file your report.
Tenacity is a virtue with companies like this... which has a corporate culture of passing the buck, giving out misinformation and replacing new with used refurbished (wrong!!)
Fed-Up-Pissed-off
Caldwell,Idaho,
April 21,2014 STILL not fixed.
#5Author of original report
Tue, April 22, 2014
On April 10th I got a call from TF Shelly-Ann Starkey following up on a BBB report I had filed. She was very nice and offered to make things right. She offered me a choice of 3 TF CDMA Android phones. My home phone's battery was going dead and it went dead during our conversation. :-/ I also got an email from Shelly in which she gives me the model numbers, etc. I replied explaining what happened with our being disconnected and told her I wanted to look the models over before I decided.
Later that evening, I had made my choice for 2 new LG39C phones which I see now is vulnerable to the heartbleed bug. But that is an entirely different problem.
Once I chose the phones, the BBB complaint was closed. However, as of today April 21,2014, I have new phones but I can't get Shelly-Ann on the phone to activate them as per her instructions and despite the fact that she told me to contact her between 11am and 4pm mountain time (When she would be able to take care of me) Pfft... I started calling at 11 and as of 4:02 pm, I still was not able to reach her. I tried to get a hold o fher supervisor.. nothing. Called corporate offices.... immediately sent to yet another worthless CSR.
Next stop? I've sent 8 faxes so far... and I intend to send about another 50 before the night's over. I will get a VP on the phone if it is the last thing I do!
Fed-Up-Pissed-off
Caldwell,Idaho,
Yet another phone call... still no resolution.
#5Author of original report
Mon, April 07, 2014
Just spent another 37 minutes on the phone to the corporate call center. 1-800=626-4883 x 3324. Spoke with "Maria" She looked up my original escalation ticket number 1088517337 and found it had been closed as being on the wrong type of ticket. (Seriously?!)
She again tried to get me to accept a refurbished phone and I made it very clear that No way, no how would I accept a polished turd as a replacement for my new phone.
New Escalation Ticket.... 10891631885. Wait another 24-48 hours.
If this doesn't resolve it... let the fax storm begin.
Fed-Up-Pissed-off
Caldwell,Idaho,
Still waiting for suitable solution
#5Author of original report
Mon, April 07, 2014
After some waiting, called the corporate number and asked for the VP of customer retention. The opperator asked if was a customer and when I said "yes" she immediately forwarded my call to yet another Agent. Aileen.
Aileen patiently waited while I told of my issue yet again. And she filed an "Escalation Ticket" #1088517337 and said since it was Thursday, I would likely have to wait 14-72 hours for response because "they" aren't open on the Weekends.
Well, It's been OVER a week and I haven't heard a darned thing. No email, No phone call, no vmail on my tracfone. I have 3... count them 3 polished turds (refurbs) sitting in my living room... that I refuse to send back until I have NEW CDMA phones in my possession. I bought New... I wan't new... I NEVER buy refurbished electronics. I've been burned by that before. Never again.
I guess I will have to dispute the charges for my tracfone purchases with Amex.