never never do this
a.) Stupid name. This should have tipped me off instantly. Do they not have the time to put the k in track or spell phone the normal way?
2. Your phone number MUST be fixed to your actual location (they use your zip code to accomplish this) yet it’s frikin long distance no matter where you call from. Even your land line. Which you must have. We’ll get into that later.
iii)YOU LOSE YOUR PHONE NUMBER if you ever run out of minutes, or if the period expires. On your phone, you don’t get to see the actual date. No, you have to stare — for three months or more — at the date they expect your phone number to get the axe.
Fourthly, To renew your minutes you have to either go online or use a phone (not on your trackphone mind you– I mean tracfone –) and receive long codes. No, not like credit card numbers. Longer than that. No, not the longest number the screen on your tr*kF*ker can hold, longer than that. Really long frikin codes. Three of them. And then it gives you codes to write down and enter laboriously into that candybar-sized source of all evil. And guess what? Sometimes they’re on the card you purchased, and, just to keep it really fun, sometimes they’re on the receipt instead. Wooo! But that’s not all. They require you to identify your phone to them with the SIM code every frikin time. So it’s either write it down on something you will never lose, or take the battery out of the thing midway through the process and then start all over. But this is the worst part of part Fourth. Despite the fact that your whole damn phone number expires at midnight, their call center is only open until 8 or something. If you didn’t get to it until 9, you might think, well I’ll just use the website. 2 nightmarish interface hours later, you (I mean I) still can’t get the codes I’ve got to work, and I’ve only got 1 hour to doomsday for the phone number I’ve preciously kept hidden from the whole world since it costs me units every time I pick it up or even imagine glancing at it briefly. I’ve got the cold sweats, I’m jamming in these codes as fast as I can, I feel like Indiana Jones trying to get out of the Temple of Doom.
Finally, and this is what would feel like a kick in the nuts if I had them, they are constantly text messaging my phone with advertisements for their services. I hate the damn thing, so I both already have it and already know I don’t want it. And frankly my friend, neither do you.
July 25th, 2006 at 10:04 am
V). I hear that Count Baculas shoot out of it if you aren’t very, very careful. And by being very careful I mean by not buying one.
July 25th, 2006 at 10:05 am
if anyone needs a 120 minute refferal ;) I hand em out like candy (I only put in the website because I figured this might drum up a load of business) :D (they give me minutes) - supposedly refer a friend / but I’d prefer to maintain friendships ;)
but yeah … I’d never actually give tracfone money
you can pickup voice mail by using a landline phone (dial yourself push some number / I think setting it up had to be done from the ttrakfone
there is some series of numbers you can push on the phone to . get the SIM to display … then you need to email it to yourself and use googledesktop to always know what it was.
lastly - I think a dead tracfone can still dial 911 (at Least I’ve heard that) so I keep a dead one in my bike pack
have a great day :)
July 25th, 2006 at 10:14 am
Ah yes… that reminds me. I tried to get extra free minutes for my phone (I mean, fone) that way when I was first getting it and I could not for the life of me get the special code for it to work. Man that phone sucks.
July 25th, 2006 at 10:19 am
try net10 ;) tracfone owns them too (some different price structure) / the coupons generally (but not always) only seem to work (most of some of the time) when buying time online. or mabye its when redeeming? and to get to the right instructions at tracfone (you usually) have to enter that sim code
July 25th, 2006 at 1:33 pm
Never before has Sprint seemed so attractive. MoreFiles, are you recommending the use of a service you know to suck, or the service that you speculate doesn’t suck as much as the one you know, but is owned by the same company?
Cuz that’s transparently dumb.
July 25th, 2006 at 1:39 pm
Sounds like he’s getting something for nothing, which depending on the amount of work you’re willing to put into it, can be as dumb or as non-dumb as one wants it to be — either way, calling someone dumb kinda sucks.
July 25th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
Hey, I didn’t say he was dumb, just the scheme of using something shitty for free on the backs of other people, then recommending the same.
You’re right. He’s not dumb. He’s brilliant.
July 25th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Why did you conisder the tracfone as an option in the first place? Why didn’t you go with a large carrier?
July 25th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Personally, I avoid the entire mess by not having a cell phone — all of which suck to varying degrees — and additionally, by avoiding talking to people on the phone with a fervent zealotry bordering on religious mania. Problem solved!
July 25th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
my wife uses it … I don’t like talking out loud (esp on phone)
on the net10 / tracfone (they are two pricing models) I’m sure the interface is all the same … I’m not recomending anything - just saying everyone likes options but that other than money these two are the same thing. (ie Carrie probably should avoid Net10)
For some people its a decent option - my elderly parents use tracfone for their amount of usage - its better than monthly service and they seem to know how to renew / add minutes ;)
I had to comment since I’ve been apparently feasting on others misfortune and the topic came up … my feasting has not been that prolific, ok?
no offense taken on the dumb comment - I am not known for proofreading much.
I’m also not knocking the service - its always worked decent for us / the interface on typing in the phone, yeah - YUCK.
I think your longdistance issue is maybe more due to cell numbers available in your area
sorry to be so longwinded I’m just aspiring to post stuff:
I enjoy everything you guys post on ldopa
July 25th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
I agree with MoreFiles. He seems to know what he wants and is using their product how it best suits him. If it doesn’t fit your needs fine, but don’t get mad at him. That and MoreFiles is a real dream boat.
p.s. I really need to go potty.
July 25th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Good question, Evan, about why did I wander into Tracfone Alley in the first place. I’ll admit it. I am cheap. Another question one might ask is, why am I still wandering around in Tracfone Alley. I’ll admit it. I am lost.
July 25th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Carrie, I think you were better off with that candy cell phone that I used to call Paris Hilton.
July 25th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
They keep offering me ponies and millions of dollars on that line. Too bad I took out all the M&Ms and ate them. Paris keeps calling but it’s just not the same.
July 25th, 2006 at 6:20 pm
You took M&M’s out of Paris and ate them? Carrie.. you’re dirty.
July 25th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
So’s Paris.
Eugh.
What a thoroughly unpleasant husk of a latex mask of a human.
July 26th, 2006 at 7:31 am
She’s like the monsters of Springfield. just don’t look. just don’t look.
August 4th, 2006 at 8:25 am
Help I hate this tracfone. The only reason that I have it is cuz the parents gave it to me to make sure that I have a contact telephone nbr for job interviews… I can’t find my damned charger and now I can’t check voice mail. I keep calling it and pressing various buttons and it still doesn’t let me check the msgs now what? How do I check my vm from a landline?
August 22nd, 2006 at 11:48 am
first … you have to set up voice mail … if you haven’t it can’t be done without the phone having minutes
so to set up - Items in RED should be entered on your TracFone.
Voice Mail Setup
On your TracFone dial your 10 Digit Wireless Number then press CALL or SND depending on phone model.
Follow the instructions for setting up your voice mailbox.
Voice Mail Retrieval
On your TracFone dial your 10 Digit Wireless Number then press CALL or SND depending on phone model.
Enter your pass code and follow the instructions
for a land line (if you have set up voice mail previously)
Just call your cell phone and let it go to voicemail. When the voicemessage comes up click the pound sign. It will ask you to enter your password. - then navigate the normal voice mail menu (I don’t know how to skip ahead in a long message)
December 27th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
I just tried checking the voice mail from a landline. Doesn’t seem to work when you press the # sign. Any other ideas?
October 27th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
TRACFONE IS NOT BAD AT ALL, DID YOU KNOW THAT THEY GOT NEW PHONES? IF PEOPLE ARE CALLING YOU WHO YOU DONOT WANT YOU TO CALL YOU, GET A grandcentral ACCOUNT!
October 27th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
TRACFONE IS NOT BAD AT ALL, DID YOU KNOW THAT THEY GOT NEW PHONES? IF PEOPLE ARE CALLING YOU WHO YOU DONOT WANT YOU TO CALL YOU, GET A grandcentral ACCOUNT! HOPE THIS HELPS
October 27th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Well I’m convinced! Tracfones for everyone!
December 13th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
i have a tracfone and i hate it! it doesnt work since the day i got it
December 14th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
re voice mail try the * key .. that worked on the new phone they sent me (somthing about the gms stuff)
I can state that I enjoy grandcentral also ~ you can put a button on the web and use that to make people call you at home (and not pay long distance) ~ for land lines.
December 24th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
December 29th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
tracfone are soo stupid. i hate them. i should have the frredom of unlimited texting. and wtf is up with units? UNITS!?!? wtf. i hate tracfones. and by the way WHAT A STUPID NAME. TRACFONE
April 19th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Omg I just got a tracfone yesterday!!!! lol
May 30th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Only problem I’ve had is when I try to add airtime, it never takes it online and I always have to call their customer service #.
June 6th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
S.A. - u poor thing. my tracfone was great at first, tho sometimes i had trouble getting my minutes loaded - God help u if u make a mistake online and push the wrong button!! reception was great but….if u hav e a problem it takes hours and i really mean hours to fix it if u r lucky enough to get it fixed…they made a mistake and i used 5hours getting it straight. i have thrown my tracfone into the big tracfone hell and got verizon (great service free phone and guess what free min!!!!) NO MORE F**** UNItS!!!!!