TracFone has its roots back in 1996 when David Topp and F.J. Pollack began one of the first prepaid wireless companies in Miami, Florida. Originally named Topp Wireless, in February 1999, Topp received a major infusion of capital from Telefonos de Mexico, a.k.a. TelMex, Mexico’s largest telephone company. TelMex paid $57.5 million for a 55 percent controlling interest in the company. In 2000, the name was changed to TracFone.
Originally, the company was tied to using their own TracFone branded cell phones, which were locked to TracFone via their SIM card. In 2013, the company expanded and introduced its “Bring Your Own Phone” plan, which allows customers to use other, unlocked, GSM-based cell phones. Since 2015, the company has offered a variety of smartphone plans, with basic plans starting at $15 a month for 500 calling minutes, 500 text messages, and 500mb of data.
The company also operates under other names including Clearway Wireless for Business, Go Smart Mobile, Safelink, Simply Mobile, Straight Talk, Walmart’s Family Mobile, Total Wireless and Net10 Wireless
In September 2019, Apple’s long-awaited iPhone 11 was released but only through pre-orders other than through TracFone service sold via Amazon.
Also in September 2019, the FBI served warrants to multiple companies, including TracFone, demanding subscribers’ personal information.
Headquarters for TracFone remains in Miami, Florida.
TracFone has its roots back in 1996 when David Topp and F.J. Pollack began one of the first prepaid wireless companies in Miami, Florida. Originally named Topp Wireless, in February 1999, Topp received a major infusion of capital from Telefonos de Mexico, a.k.a. TelMex, Mexico’s largest telephone company. TelMex paid $57.5 million for a 55 percent controlling interest in the company. In 2000, the name was changed to TracFone.
Originally, the company was tied to using their own TracFone branded cell phones, which were locked to TracFone via their SIM card. In 2013, the company expanded and introduced its “Bring Your Own Phone” plan, which allows customers to use other, unlocked, GSM-based cell phones. Since 2015, the company has offered a variety of smartphone plans, with basic plans starting at $15 a month for 500 calling minutes, 500 text messages, and 500mb of data.
History
The company also operates under other names including Clearway Wireless for Business, Go Smart Mobile, Safelink, Simply Mobile, Straight Talk, Walmart’s Family Mobile, Total Wireless and Net10 Wireless
In September 2019, Apple’s long-awaited iPhone 11 was released but only through pre-orders other than through TracFone service sold via Amazon.
Also in September 2019, the FBI served warrants to multiple companies, including TracFone, demanding subscribers’ personal information.
Headquarters for TracFone remains in Miami, Florida.
Where to begin. Too many hours with “tech” folks (7 of them over 4 days), many asking me to do the same things when I know their requests will not work. My Journey 5 flip phone will not allow me to make or take calls. No matter who I speak with, ground level support or managers of the department, the phone will not function. It is used for emergencies only. I want a new phone but am told I am not eligible to receive one. Really? I am ready for the BBB of Miami. It’s a simple $19.99 phone. I love the convenience of buying minutes every 3 months but this fix it issue has me over the edge.
It appears Im not the only one getting gaslighted/BSd by Tracfone…I too tried to reach the CEO Mr Corona and was told many times by a very rude switchboard operator she would not patch a call from a customer through. I was told I had to call back each day to see if my free phone was in or I could buy a discounted phone( consumer fraud bait/switch…I have 1671 minutes left on my tracfone.At a dime a minute Tracfone owes me 167.10 which I feel has been a conversion of my funds as they wont cut me a check for 167.10…I will be a part of a Class Action lawsuit to sue Tracfone..or will make a complaint with the USA Attorneys office here in Kansas..I urge any customers to do the same in their respective State…I have had no use of my cell phone since Feb 22. Here is a remedy tracfone, you should have sent a free cell phone prior to your service being disrupted to me and each and every customer…you have known for a long time about this…instead you waited and now you employ your bait and switch practice on your longtime customers such as myself..and ignore any greivences..this is not a good way to treat ANY customer..JPH
February 6, 2022
Mr. Eduardo Diaz Corona,
Every day, some elderly person dies because he or she gave up trying to communicate with your TracFone representatives. My parents are in their eighties. They both have TracFones. They depend upon them for emergencies. My father asked me for help last night because his TracFone stopped working and when he called your (800) number, he was unable to understand your representative. First of all, all of your reps only speak English as a second or third language. Also, they speak very timidly and quietly. Also, the connection is poor which is ironic since you are a telephone service. Also, they wanted my elderly father to provide the last four digits of the serial number on the phone, then the last six digits of the SIM number, then the four-digit secret code number he set up years ago, and to receive a six-digit code they needed to send through as a text message. My father is in his late eighties. He has never sent or received a text message in his life nor does he want to do so. You have made it nearly impossible for seniors to upgrade their TracFones which is now required by February 22nd.
Yesterday, my father and I spent over two hours on the phone with multiple representatives trying to accomplish something that should have been easy, but was obviously not. My father lives far from my home so we did a three-way call in which he was trying as hard as he could to follow instructions from your well-meaning representatives who don’t make the rules, but simply try to do the best they can. Why does it need to be this complicated? Was my father being asked to provide all this information in order to prove his identity? His home phone number, home address, and even birth date should have all been in your computer system. He should have been able to immediately identify himself and the TracFone number you know he has been paying on for years.
If this wasn’t bad enough, my mother’s TracFone number wouldn’t successfully update without a fee even though it was obvious my mother’s TracFone was exactly like my father’s and your rep even agreed that my mother should not have to pay additional money because she was already fully paid up. Her case required the rep to create an “Interaction ID Number” which still hasn’t been resolved. The whole situation was in my mother’s words (and I strongly agree) “torturous” and certainly unnecessary. It’s a wonder that my parents didn’t just say to forget the whole thing and throw the damn TracFones away. Fortunately, they have me to help them with this chaos and to try to get this accomplished so they can call me or someone else in the case of an emergency.
I beg you to take this letter seriously. Like I began this letter, “Every day, some elderly person dies because he or she gave up trying to communicate with your TracFone representatives.” This is the truth. People die. It is time to change the way you do things.
Boy, oh boy! Do I feel your pain Brian. Wouldn’t be nice if tracfone had a real tech department and not folks who answer their phone and follow a script. I’ve talked to 7 folks in 4 days and can provide information before they ask for it! Seeking a # for the corporate office in Miami. May as well go right to the top!
Call the corporate office number in our listing
I have been hold for 2 weeks with a locked Sims card and puk code. I message every day and no one answer and when I call I’m on hold for an hour or better. I have paid for service months in advance and can’t even use it. I am very very disappointed in the customer service. I did get a hold of service last week and they trouble shooted my device incorrectly and never fixed it. Who does treats their customers like this and does not reply back to their issues. Weeks now I have not had service!
Tom Lamb.
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to you in hopes you can resolve this issue I am having with Straight Talk. I have been a customer almost since Straight Talk evolved. I purchased a NOTE9 512GB Blue ON 11-25-2020, paid $649.43 plus signed up for Insurance as an early Christmas gift to myselfRec’d phone around 11-28-2020 or 11-29-2020 and activated itContacted Straight Talk regarding technical issue with earpiece volume not working, they issued an Air Bill / label to return phone.Straight Talk rec’d damaged phone 12-16-202012-24-2020 Contacted Straight Talk. Rep., confirmed our previously purchased phone from Order # 33858010 was rec’d on 12-16-2020 (well within the 30 days to request a REFUND). I was told that there is apparently no replacement phone available, requested refund instead. CASE # 1226620443 was provided. I was told a refund is not possible, since the phone was returned and the initial request was for a replacement phone. I was told we had to wait for a replacement phone which should be any day now. Several failed attempts to resolve this issue and lots of wasted hours, just to be told it is being processed.Since 12-25-2020 Numerous calls to Straight Talk just to be told the same thing. I was told that a replacement phone would be sent and once we rec’d it, then and only then can we start a refund process1-18-2021 Talked to a Straight Talk Rep. AGAIN to be told that if we do not receive a replacement phone by 1-23-2021 to call back and it will be elevated/expedited. I was also told we could call back on 1-20-2021 and they would provide a tracking # for our replacement phone.1-28-2020 Called Straight Talk again to find out status. Each call requires us to start all over with entire information. Call was transferred to 3 different people, finally to a Supervisor at TracFone in MiamiAfter explaining the entire history for about the 10th time, I was told a refund is not possible and that our only choice is to wait on the replacement phone, even though Straight Talk rec’d the originally purchased phone back in less than 20 days from receipt of our original purchaseI was told that on 1-29-2021 someone would call us back around 2:30 pm and HOPEFULLY have a tracking # for our replacement phoneAs of today, 1-28-2021, I am out $649.43, without my newly purchased phone, and still paying for insurance and monthly service (as I had to re-activate my very outdated phone in Dec. in order to have a phone to use in the interim. Straight Talk has had my newly purchased returned phone since 16 Dec. 2020 plus has my $649.43 and I am just supposed to continue to wait indefinitely until they can find and issue me a replacement phone!!!I am asking for your assistance, your intervention in this situation and a refund, if you care to provide such service. $649.43 might not be much money to you or your company, but to me….it is HUGE. And I just cannot believe how UNETHICAL all this process has been and NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. This is so far beyond “CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, CUSTOMER SERVICE” that there are just not enough negative adjectives to begin to describe this situation or this company!!!! This type of service definitely does not line up with your Missions, Vision or Value Statement posted on your America Movil website.
Once I figure it out, I am also forwarding this information to: CEO: Eduardo Diaz Corona
CFO: Jay Smith
COO: Mark Mahan
Faithfully awaiting your response and a full refund for my phone, my monthly service and my warranty $’s.
My Straight Talk # is 478-955-XXXX.
I recently purchased a new Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 4G LTE. I had it running using a TracFone SIM. Then, I decided to change my phone number. The phone support offered the “change” through its call-in options. Since I was not able to “choose” an new number, as we used to be able to select from a list, I opted to keep my original number. Later that night, I lost my service. I was told it was an AT&T problem, who was my carrier. I was then told the first SIM had to be replaced. I sent an got 5 new SIMs. Replacing the SIM, 15 people at TracFone were no where close to getting the phone working. Finally I was connected to Juan (who works for TracFone, from Columbia) and Juan was able to tell me how to flush and reset my Smartphone’s call settings. After checking all the network settings, the AT&T network connected and the phone was able to make- and get calls, and SMS. I tried to “reward” Juan. I offered him everything under the sun. He let me know he was not permitted to take my offerings. I granted best wishes.
I am writing to Eduardo Diaz Corono, CEO. Find this Juan. Call him. Make him a TracFone IT professional at a great salary. Your company will never be the same. Juan can monitor the entire workflow, accounting and technical aspects. He could turn TracFone into the Gold Standard.
Consider this my “repayment” to my friend, Juan. He is a great employee among a great company, but a company who needs my help in offering the Straight Talk.
As I read I see I am not the only person with issues with this company, what a mess and a joke. Over an hour with CSR,s 4 diff people. Why 4 people, because each time I was transferred the system would disconnect the call, so now call back start all over again let alone wading through the automated portion. 1st CSR said there were over 2,000 min, next one said 0 minutes but said he was unable to get into the system, What guess the other guy had a magic system. 3rd CSR provided a ticket # and says call back in 24 hours. Ok call back phone does not work, but the ticket is closed as resolved, NO it was not. Finally a transfer that actually went through, phone finally works, now this is after 2 weeks of back and forth calls.
To top it all off they say 200 min not 2000, ok whatever it works for now when min are done, off to a new service.
All of this started when we bought my mother a new phone as her flip phone would not work on here anymore. I went online to the account I set up for her, we bought min at the total price of $17,03, but the system came up and said the card had been denied, so we checked everything, ok looks ok, try again same error message. Cleared the card out re-entered it, tried again, same thing. Clear card, re-enter double checked all the information, it is correct Card has been Declined. Now i know she has the funds so what is going on. Check back yep plenty of funds and AMAZING 4 times TRACFHONES system said the card was declined, but yet there on the bank statement are 4 charges all for $17.03, al 4 went through even though their system said it was declined. How is that possible, I know you can not go on Amazon and have that happen, you can not go to the store and have the card declined but still walk out with what you want. Makes no sense.
When I called that day I was transferred to the refund center, before I could even get my number in there for a call back the system dropped my call, that was 2 weeks ago, We decided we would dispute all but 1 charge with the bank. Meaning that airtime for one charge of $17.03 should be active. Also my mother who is elderly called the 800 number herself and ordered min, which went through so now have 2 airtime purchases but the minutes no where reflect what she should have from 2 purchases.
Two weeks actually total 6 different people and checking the last call over 2 hours to get this fixed. And of course every 2 seconds you hear I am sorry or I understand…No people you do not understand unless you were the person having to call in over and over again. Maybe they should call each other and transfer the calls and see how happy they still are after the fact.
I realize it is not the CSR falut but at the same time if i tell someone this is the 4th call for the same thing I do not want to have to play 20 questions all over again. And the funny thing is on the last call I am sure the person works from home, as a Rooster was crowing over and over in the background, which of course with the guys accent made it harder to understand. Regardless I am done were going to a service that at least I can get something done with in one call, it may not have rollover minutes but at least it will not have the frustrations that this company provides. As a review for this company on 1-10 scale I give it a -4
I have used tracfones exclusively for about 15 years. They have always lasted two to three years before needing replacement. In June of 2019 my tracfone died so I replaced it with a tracfone from WalMart in Eagle River, AK. The box said Triple Your Minutes for Life (TML), which I loved. I purchased 1,500 minutes, received 4,500 minutes, and was all set. Unfortunately, the phone was dropped and broken so I replaced it with an identical new tracfone from the same local store and had no problem transferring my minutes and service. Within a couple of months, the phone unfortunately fell into water and stopped working despite my best tearful attempts to revive it, so back I went to the same store and purchased a new identical tracfone (which I insured!), and shortly thereafter replaced my 4,500 minutes.
Now, about 4-5 months later, I was running low on minutes so last week tried to renew my minutes on the same type of order. I was stunned to pay $125 and receive only 1,250 or so minutes! I SHOULD HAVE received 4,500; the box plainly says “Triple Your Minutes for Life”!!! This is untruthful advertising! It is ILLEGAL to sell an item under a printed promise and then not do what the promise states!!!
I wrote on the chat line and was served by a very courteous employee named Walter. He read my complaint, researched the issue on his office computer, then apologetically replied that it appears that tracfone is no longer honoring this service. I wrote back that the box plainly says Triple Your Minutes for Life. He apologized again. Well, guess what? I AM STILL ALIVE! So should the tracfone be!
I will write to the tracfone CEO, Mr. Eduardo Diaz Corona, at Tracfone Wireless, Inc.; 9700 NW 112th Avenue, Miami, FL 33178.
I don’t know if he is aware of this issue or if he will be willing to fix it. Those of us with tracfones just half a year old, who bought them for the advertised feature, should be grandfathered into the promised service! If not, I will use up the minutes and texts remaining, NEVER buy another tracfone, and warn everyone within my wide network that tracfone does NOT live up to its advertising and that they cannot count on receiving what they have in good faith purchased!
To: Eduardo Diaz Corono CEO
Subject: Tracfone Warranty Service Is Less Than Satisfactory Ticket # 1214218202
Samsung Tracfone purchased 8/15/ 2019 which is under one year contract
Rose gold color back of phone is cracked and needs replacement in same color rose gold.
Phone was not dropped or abused-manufactures defect. I have called the service group many
times with no follow through from the service group to correct this problem – 10 or more times.
Each call was 1 hour or more in duration.
Finally a replacement phone was sent, but it has a black back and not rose gold.
During my phone call today I learned that I can’t be helped further and I should return the refurbishment replacement phone. I am frustrated. All I want is a rose gold back.
Mr. Corona can you please help.
Ticket # 1214218202
Model#SM-8767VL (GP) Rose gold Back
IMEI 357092102858939
Crawford Watson
XXX Hollice Place
Matthews, NC 28104
phone: 704-684-XXXX
email: budmerlin@ aol.com
TracFone may unwittingly be enabling fraudulent activity involving an abuse of the Toll Free Directory Listing. 1=800=555=1212. When using this number to request a listing for an airline such as Frontier or Delta; the number will not be given/stated. Instead of stating the number which is the common practice. the statement PREFFERED SPONSOR and a number with a Toll Free Prefix is very rapidly stated and the call is then forwarded to a group which will book flights charged to a credit card. This group are not agents/employees of the subject airlines. The Federal Trade Commission provided the number 1=800=373=3411 as a TracFone information number. This number when dialed by cell phone with TracFone as the Carrier gives the same results as the more common 1=800=555=1212 when also dialed by cell phone requesting an Airline number to inquire, cancel or book a flight. Thi5 experience has been observed when requesting the listings for Delta Airlines and Frontier Airlines, respectively. This situation involving credit card charges in the name of Frontier Airlines and Delta Airlines, respectively has been reported to Card Member Services for investigation/resolution and also reported to both Delta and Frontier Airlines.
After spending 71 minutes on the phone and talking to 5 different people, I have been told heavily that I was lying or that I did not know what I was talking about. I’ve had it with this company. What I have discovered is that I am to be cheated out of roughly $63. Sad that Tracfone would lose a long-standing customer such a small amount. Well, enjoy it because you won’t get another penny from this lier!
Bought a new 4G Lg phone to replace my older 3G Alcatel one touch. I can not get a 4G signal on the new phone and your tech dept. disabled my old phone. I started this on Friday waited 24 hours and on late Saturday I am whiteout phone service. Please reactivate my old 3G Alcatel and tell me where to send my 4G Lg new phone.