I was very unhappy with the Cingular Wireless service we had (we kept getting billed for things we hadn't asked for), so when my phone died in July it seemed the perfect time to go with Tracfone. August 1 I ordered the Nokia 1100 phone online from Tracfone after comparing all the phones they offer, and on Aug 6 I started trying to activate it while retaining my same number.
The 1100 seemed ideal for my needs-one price for both regular service and roaming, service in places we are planning to visit next summer, plus it's small and lightweight, unlike the Nokia 5125 which I hate.
First I tried activating service online so I'd get the 10 extra minutes they promised and that worked the second day I attempted it, except I got a new number instead of keeping my old one, so I had to call Customer Service. And the odyssey began...
Now it's 2 1/2 months later and I still don't have a working Nokia 1100 cell phone with my phone number. As other people here have said, I've spoken to countless "Customer Service Reps" who barely speak English, disconnect me, refuse to let me speak to a supervisor, lie to me, and I've had to explain to at least 3 of them that yes, you can transfer your number from one phone to another, it's been a law since November.
Apparently they don't actually look at their own website, which has a whole page devoted to doing just that, but it doesn't matter because it doesn't work anyway. I've also received about 6 SIM cards, mostly with 19 numbers on them even though my phone requires one with 20 numbers.
Miraculously, my case finally got transferred to a woman named Yvette who not only speaks English, she actually knows what she's doing and when she says she'll do something she actually does it. She finally admitted there is a problem transferring numbers from Cingular (it seems Tracfone is somehow conneceted to Cingular), AND the Nokia 1100 doesn't port in numbers easily. I frankly don't care. Despite her claim that she has other cases just like mine sitting on her desk and she can't tell me when, if ever, my number will go through, I've told her that Tracfone offers the 1100 and nowhere do they tell you it won't accept existing phone numbers-which it legally has to do-so I want the company to do what they are supposed to and put my number into that phone. I'm not going away, I'm not giving up, they were happy to take my $49.99 plus money for minutes and service, so they can work on this problem until it's fixed. Luckily she does call me periodically to update me because the phone number and extension she gave me to reach her work, but it's difficult to convince the people who answer the call that you should be transferred when you ask.
Oddly, a reconditioned Nokia 5125 was delivered to me (sold on their website for $29.99, not the $49.99 I paid) from Tracfone, but no one seems to know why. I activated it so I'd at least have a cell phone now that I've gone through 2 hurricanes without one, but since it has the number Tracfone gave me and not my actual cell phone number, I won't be receiving many calls.
Bottom line seems to be if you just want a prepaid cell phone and don't care what the number is, Tracfone is probably okay; if you want to change your number over from another service, save yourself a lot of aggravation and stay far away from Tracfone. And if you're already mired in the same problems I am, hope your case gets assigned to Yvette.
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