Complaint Review: TracFone

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.