Tracfone question

[Texas Proud]

I need a bit of help on this... just want to get some info before deciding which way to go...

My wife has a Tracfone and it died yesterday.. it is a cheap Motorola... I will look at it a bit this weekend to see if I can figure out what might have gone wrong and get it working (it is not the battery, I have checked the charge and it is good)

My question is can I just buy any of the phones offered and move the SIM card from her old phone to her new phone and not do anything else

If I can not buy any, can I buy one just like she has and do it

If not, do you know what else I would need to do?

 

[Midpack]

I need a bit of help on this... just want to get some info before deciding which way to go...

My wife has a Tracfone and it died yesterday.. it is a cheap Motorola... I will look at it a bit this weekend to see if I can figure out what might have gone wrong and get it working (it is not the battery, I have checked the charge and it is good)

My question is can I just buy any of the phones offered and move the SIM card from her old phone to her new phone and not do anything else

If I can not buy any, can I buy one just like she has and do it

If not, do you know what else I would need to do?

Tracfones themselves are inexpensive, why wouldn't you just buy another Tracfone and go thru re-activation with them? It's a minor inconvenience...and the only way to replace that you can be assured success.

From Tracfone Terms & Conditions:

Some TRACFONE handsets have SIM cards. If your TRACFONE has a SIM card, then you agree to safeguard your SIM card and not to allow any unauthorized person to use your SIM card. You agree not to, and not to allow any other person to, directly or indirectly extract, alter, bypass, copy, deactivate, remove, reverse-engineer or otherwise circumvent, clone or reproduce the encoded information stored on, or the encryption mechanisms of, your SIM card or TRACFONE Phone via any software and/or hardware methods. Customers may not remove SIM Cards from their phones nor place them in any other phone. Doing so could subject You to immediate termination of service without any right to a refund for the phone or airtime purchased. The Carriers, TracFone Wireless, or its service providers, may, from time to time, remotely update or change the encoded information on your SIM card. Your TRACFONE is restricted from operating when you are located anywhere outside of the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, including offshore or in international waters. Any such usage is considered unauthorized usage by TracFone for which your Service will be immediately suspended. In the event of suspension for this or any other unauthorized usage, you will not be entitled to receive any refunds for your handset or unused airtime.

 

[ERD50]

Tracfones themselves are inexpensive, why wouldn't you just buy another Tracfone and go thru re-activation with them? It's a minor inconvenience...

From Tracfone Terms & Conditions:

Wow! Based on that, unless there are some other super-compelling reasons to use tracfone, I would switch carriers.


The ability to switch SIM cards is one of the great things about these types of phones. I've swapped cards to an older phone we had lying around when one of our others broke (kept the old phone when one of the kids just 'had' to upgrade). I've swapped SIMS to just try out another phone in our family.

That's with T-Mobile. No unlocking required if the other phone was T-Mobile (contract or pre-paid). Or, I could buy any unlocked GSM phone from anyone, and swap SIM cards - no restrictions whatsoever.

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

Wow! Based on that, unless there are some other super-compelling reasons to use tracfone, I would switch carriers.

Tracfone's can cost as little as $7/month, I'd call that compelling, but they're not for everyone (only for very low minute/month users). I don't know of another provider, T-Mobile or other, who can match that.

 

[Texas Proud]

Wow! Based on that, unless there are some other super-compelling reasons to use tracfone, I would switch carriers.


The ability to switch SIM cards is one of the great things about these types of phones. I've swapped cards to an older phone we had lying around when one of our others broke (kept the old phone when one of the kids just 'had' to upgrade). I've swapped SIMS to just try out another phone in our family.

That's with T-Mobile. No unlocking required if the other phone was T-Mobile (contract or pre-paid). Or, I could buy any unlocked GSM phone from anyone, and swap SIM cards - no restrictions whatsoever.

-ERD50

Tracfone has better coverage.... my wife need it when going on camping trips with the kids etc., T-Mobile and Virgin just do not have the coverage...


Midpack, thanks for the info.. it is probably what we will do... I just want to transfer the money and number over as I just bought another 1,000 minutes and a year... I was hoping all I needed to do was buy a phone and move the SIM... guess not...

 

[ERD50]

Tracfone's can cost as little as $7/month, I'd call that compelling, but they're not for everyone (only for very low minute/month users). I don't know of another provider, T-Mobile or other, who can match that.

T-Mobile costs as little as 83 cents per month (after ~ $8.33/month the first year), so $7 is not very compelling at all.

I match you, with $6.17 to spare!

Tracfone has better coverage.... my wife need it when going on camping trips with the kids etc., T-Mobile and Virgin just do not have the coverage...

Well, that's a compelling reason.

Midpack, thanks for the info.. it is probably what we will do... I just want to transfer the money and number over as I just bought another 1,000 minutes and a year... I was hoping all I needed to do was buy a phone and move the SIM... guess not...

I'd still try contacting TracFone - I wonder if swapping from a non-working phone is OK for them? They might offer a suggestion or some sort of deal on a replacement. Might be worth an email/call.

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

Tracfone has better coverage.... my wife need it when going on camping trips with the kids etc., T-Mobile and Virgin just do not have the coverage...


Midpack, thanks for the info.. it is probably what we will do... I just want to transfer the money and number over as I just bought another 1,000 minutes and a year... I was hoping all I needed to do was buy a phone and move the SIM... guess not...

Call them and ask what your options are...best of luck.

 

[Texas Proud]

I'd still try contacting TracFone - I wonder if swapping from a non-working phone is OK for them? They might offer a suggestion or some sort of deal on a replacement. Might be worth an email/call.

-ERD50

Call them and ask what your options are...best of luck.

Yes... it was my plan after seeing if there was something out there that might help in my decision making... I do not like calling with little to no knowledge...

 

[FIRE'd@51]

My question is can I just buy any of the phones offered and move the SIM card from her old phone to her new phone and not do anything else

This what I have done with my T-Mobile phones.

 

[ERD50]

Also a ton of info here:

Tracfone/Net10

This what I have done with my T-Mobile phones.

As do I - but check the info Midpack provided in post #2. Apparently a no-no for Tracfone.

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

This what I have done with my T-Mobile phones.

Tracfone has 9 models for less than $20 Tracfone Site Phone List page. They're not like the big name contract providers, or even the big name no-contract phones - they are all more than Tracfone, Net10 or StraightTalk. Some of us don't need anything more...

 

[easysurfer]

If you call tracfone and tell them the situation, they should be able to help you get to old minutes transfered over from the non-working phone to the new one. I had that done before for a friend. It did require talking to their customer support, entering keycodes etc, but they were helpful and friendly.

Reminds me, gotta do the yearly reload of to my $10 tracfone (that suits my needs), as it expires in about 50 days.

 

[ERD50]

Tracfone has 9 models for less than $20 Tracfone Site Phone List page. They're not like the big name contract providers, or even the big name no-contract phones - they are all more than Tracfone, Net10 or StraightTalk. Some of us don't need anything more...

But if he just buys a new one will be a new activation, and Texas Proud will lose his number and 1,000 minutes. I think he needs to do something like easysurfer was able to do to keep all that.


-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

But if he just buys a new one will be a new activation, and Texas Proud will lose his number and 1,000 minutes. I think he needs to do something like easysurfer was able to do to keep all that.

-ERD50

Not true, where are you getting your info? Just let him call Tracfone, I think they will know what his options are. From tracfone site...

If I buy a new TracFone, can I transfer my remaining minutes and phone number to the new phone?

Yes, you can transfer the minutes and phone number into your new TracFone by going to the "Activate/Reactivate Phone" page and select "Existing TracFone Customer". You can also contact our Customer Care Center at 1-800-867-7183 so that a representative can transfer that information.

 

[ERD50]

Not true, where are you getting your info? Just let him call Tracfone, I think they will know what his options are. From tracfone site...

Sounds good then - usually, with the new activations and those cheap prices, everything gets reset (at least w/o calling cust service).

-ERD50

 

[TromboneAl]

Here's the deal with tracfone. If everything works right, transferring the number and minutes is a snap. When things don't work right, you have to call them and tediously enter many digits on the phone as the rep reads them to you. The reps are good but is still annoying. For me things go right about 75% of the time.

 

[Midpack]

Here's the deal with tracfone. If everything works right, transferring the number and minutes is a snap. When things don't work right, you have to call them and tediously enter many digits on the phone as the rep reads them to you. The reps are good but is still annoying. For me things go right about 75% of the time.

Agreed. That's why I mentioned inconvenience in an earlier post. They are not consistent when it comes to customer service. Sometimes they're really good, and other times it can take a few calls or several days to get something done with them. I have voice, text and (slow) data for $15/month though only 200 minutes/month - that's all I need. I require almost no cust service. So the spotty cust service is acceptable for the low cost in my case. Definitely YMMV.

And with no contract obligation, I can drop them for another service any time! If I decide I have to have an iPhone tomorrow, I don't have a 1 or 2 year contract hanging around my neck.

Since the OP is with Tracfone already, I assume he only wants limited service at a low price. A viable option among many...

 

[Lancelot]

Here's the deal with tracfone. If everything works right, transferring the number and minutes is a snap. When things don't work right, you have to call them and tediously enter many digits on the phone as the rep reads them to you. The reps are good but is still annoying. For me things go right about 75% of the time.

Sounds similar to mobile phone providers in Thailand and the Philippines. The system is different there- you buy a phone, then buy a SIM(s) card based on coverage and call/text rates. That was with the prepaid plans; I never used the contract method.

The past five months I've been "cell free" and use Skype when I need to make a call, which isn't often

 

[bhoferp]

I found this phone number for Tracfone in Miami on the net a while back. I always call it and talk to people I can understand (and who can understand me). The number is 800/876-5753.

 

[Texas Proud]

Thanks all for the info...

We are at an impasse as my wife wants one of the expensive phones and I just want to get a cheap $20 phone to replace the one she has...

bhoferp, thanks for the number... I might try it if we have problems... I think it will be an easy fix once we get the phone...


As to others who have posted here.... yes, it is much simplier overseas... my BIL has a phone and when he visits a country he goes and buys a SIM for the local country and uses that... he can switch out which SIM he needs based on rates etc... we just do not have that kind of system...

 

[Midpack]

Thanks all for the info...

We are at an impasse as my wife wants one of the expensive phones and I just want to get a cheap $20 phone to replace the one she has...

Net10 & Straight Talk (same company as Tracfone) have LG Optimus 3G Android phones now, though they are $150-180 I think LG Optimus Net(TM). A way to have an actual "smartphone," still no contract and relatively inexpensive. However, I have not actually used one so I don't know how they perform. And I'm sure they won't match the performance of an iPhone 4S or a 4G Android though but those require contracts and significantly higher minimum costs/month - as usual, you get what you pay for more often than not. Good luck.

I'd like to have the latest iPhone myself, I'm just way too cheap.

 

[ERD50]

As to others who have posted here.... yes, it is much simplier overseas... my BIL has a phone and when he visits a country he goes and buys a SIM for the local country and uses that... he can switch out which SIM he needs based on rates etc... we just do not have that kind of system...

Actually, we do - it's just that some carriers place artificial restrictions on it.


I've swapped SIM cards across & between my T-Mobile and ATT/Cingular phones just as your BIL has done.

A couple caveats - the SIM will only swap between GSM based phones, that is the standard in most Europe/UK countries, but in the US, some carriers use CDMA instead of GSM. The phones probably need to be unlocked (you can buy unlocked phones, or call the carrier for an unlock code - you generally need to own the phone and have service for some period of time before they will unlock them).

But once you have unlocked GSM phones, you can swap as many and as often as you like. To your carrier, your SIM identifies you, the phone is just the hardware you are using to access them.

-ERD50

 

[rescueme]

Just a note on SIM swapping on newer phones.

I just received an upgraded phone from T-Mobile (had them for many, many years and VoiceStream before they came on).

With my last upgrade (over six years ago ), all I had to do was transfer the exising SIM card from the old to the new handset.

Can't do that with this model, since it uses a new micro SIM card (it's a Windows phone - Lumia 710).

Just an FYI, depending on model you are working with...

 

[flotsamandjetsam]

We have had several Tracfones over the years. One hitch we have encountered is that they cannot transfer minutes from the old phone to the new one if the old phone is dead. The minutes are stored in the phone. You may be able to find someone in the organization who can/will give you a break on this.

 

[jclarksnakes]

I have had a Tracfone for years. I buy a new one year card every year and always have minutes left over at the end of the year. Good service for around $9 a month seems about right to me. I could do a commercial for Tracfone.

"Hi, are you a cheap grouchy old bastard like me? Do you hate people? Do you hate phones? Do you especially hate talking to people on the phone? Well alrighty, TRACFONE IS FOR YOU!"

My old, make that ancient Tracfone was getting kind of ratty looking (well actually VERY ratty looking) so I just got a new one. The new phone is a Samsung 404 includes webbrowsing but is too small for casual surfing. Kind of a good thing so that I do not use many minutes. The switch moving minutes and old number from the old phone to new phone using the Tracfone website was dirt simple. The new phone cost $50 but includes triple minutes whenever I buy them for life. I will never use all these minutes.