Pray that you will never need TracFone customer service. It is pathetic by any standard.
Written: Aug 25 '06 (Updated Jan 06 '07)
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A good service as long as you NEVER have to use TracFone customer service.
I have been a TracFone customer for several years. It is intended primarily as an emergency phone for family members.
I've used thousands of minutes, reloading the phone by credit card using the online "Purchase Airtime" part of their website. The phone is a Motorola V170 which has functioned adequately. I have been able to connect in areas around the country where my Verizon and Cingular phones were unable to receive a signal. I was satisfied with TracFone's network and service UNTIL TODAY.
Last week I added more minutes to the phone using their website. As usual, I followed their directions and prompts precisely as directed to buy the airtime and update the information in the phone by inputting long strings of numbers. When the phone accepts the string of numbers, it displays, "CODE ACCEPTED", at which point you usually add more numbers. Last week, something went wrong. The code was not accepted and the website prompted me to call TracFone by telephone to complete the transaction.
I called the automated number listed, gave them my identifying information, and they gave me yet more strings of numbers to input, but finally, I had the airtime and was done.
Today, I discovered that my credit card was charged TWICE. Once on the online website and once on the telephone system. It seemed like a simple error, so I called TracFone to get a credit for one of the charges. As good as I thought the TracFone system was before I contacted customer service, that's how BAD I think it is now. I went through 4 (yes FOUR) customer service reps, each telling me that I would be moving up the line to their "Supervisor". The first 2 each apologized profusely for the problem, but said that TracFone's policy was never to give refunds for purchased airtime. Perhaps the English words in Argentina have different meanings, but they didn't seem to comprehend that it was TracFone's directions that caused the problem. Why would I purchase 2 basic airtime plans, when the combined cost of the two plans would have allowed me to purchase a single plan with almost double the airtime minutes? DUH?? It wasn't until I made the restaurant analogy that something clicked. I asked the rep, "What if you went to a fancy restaurant and ordered one meal and the waiter brought you 2 meals and charged you for 2 meals? Would you pay for 2 meals?" Then I got moved to supervisor #2 who eventually had to go to supervisor #3 who had to go to "technical service" to get the credit and reprogram the phone. It took one hour and 13 minutes to successfully battle the customer service department to do the right thing. I was not impressed.
Imagine someone who could not speak good English or could not clearly express themselves. They would be endlessly put on hold, endlessly apologized to and patronized until they gave up. It wasn't until just now that I looked at the Epinions.com TracFone evaluations and my experience seems to be the same as everyone elses. Pitiful.
The conclusion is that TracFone customer service stinks. I hope the double billing was indeed an isolated technical problem because if it is being repeated thousands of times a day or week, TracFone is perpetuating fraud on its customers. If customers call in to complain about the double billing (if and when they discover it) and TracFone tries to drag out the call for more than an hour, through endless "just a minute" holds, and referrals to superiors, who then refer to more superiors, who will put up with that? Remember the kid game, "Duck, Duck, Goose"? This could be "Rep, Rep, Supervisor!" Everyone in the call center gets to play supervisor and tries to talk the customer out of their refund.
I am disappointed in TracFone. They seemed to be an honest, ethical company. Now I'm not so sure.
I am still recommending TracFone service because it does fill a need in the marketplace for prepaid mobile phone service. Just hope that you never have to deal with customer service and make sure to check your credit card statements for double billing by TracFone.
December 2006 Update-
Since we've stopped using the Tracfone service, I thought you might find this story amusing.
I received a call from someone doing "a survey" about Tracfone, obviously from the Tracfone company. Did I give them a scolding!! The poor questioner had to put up with my disparaging comments along with my dismal review of Tracfone service.
Obviously, they must know there is a problem, but it seems that little has been done to correct it.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Jeff
Location: East Hampton, CT USA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me: Eye doctor in CT. Interests include healthy homebuilding, energy efficiency and technology.
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