Customer Reviews

TracFone Prepaid Airtime Card, 300 Minutes for Tracfone Phones

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Recently read with interest that U.S. domestic cellphone revenue is only going to be about 9% of the world total, but unfortunately the major providers just don't seem to be willing to wake up to real consumer's needs. People just don't like having to get hooked into expensive contracts that charge whether you use the damned thing or not. The TracFone system goes a long ways toward providing a sensible pay-as-you-go service that never requires that you pay for time that's not used, and that was a big deciding factor for me. For those who don't expect to be heavy users, and those who despise the recurrent monthly costs associated with "conventional" plans, the TracFone idea is just about perfect. The phones themselves vary in price from nearly free to about $99, and come with a very limited amount of minutes (credits). Then you are expected to purchase cards in denominations of 10, 30, 60, 120, or 300 minutes. But the best deal is to buy the "Plus-3" card that gives 100 minutes + 120 bonus minutes, since this keeps your activation going for the entire year and costs under $100 (shop around). The best thing about TracFone is that you never lose the time you pay for, just so long as you keep it activated, and that can work out to less than $8/month. And remember to take full advantage of the generous bonus minutes during the first year after initial activation. This service is cheap enough that I bought phones for both my wife and myself, I don't know of any other service that even comes close.

I have had a TracFone for 7 months. I think it is a fine product/service. I realize that I am only giving this product (TracFone 300 minute phonecard) 3 stars, that is because average cell phone users use more than 300 or even 500 minutes a month. It is ideal for a small market of low usage consumers. However, it may be even better suited for a larger market of those who travel across the country constantly. Roaming charges on a standard cell/digital phone service plan can get very expensive and may not have true nationwide service. The reason I purchased the TracFone 7 months ago was for the event of an emergency while traveling on vacation across a number of states. No contracts, and nationwide coverage. I will continue to keep my TracFone activated on a yearly basis for less than a "few bucks" month with the Plus 3 card, as vacations are an annual event. I will also purchase other 120 and 300 minute phone cards for their value. Thank you.

I purchased a Tracfone (Nokia 5100 series) two weeks ago. In the User Guide I found a card promising 30 free airtime minutes for activating the phone on the web. I would also get 10 free minutes for activation in general and 10 minutes for providing my e-mail address. That would add up to 50 free minutes, which seemed like a good deal to me.
However, after I did all of the above I only received 20 minutes. I called the costumer service and the rep told me that that particular card (30 free minutes) was no longer valid, and that I would only get 10 minutes for activating on the web. (There was no expiration date on the 30-minutes free card) Well, that was enough to set off my husband who said I should call back and DEMAND those 30 minutes. I got another rep on the line and told him the story about the 30 free minutes. He told me that I should have gotten an e-mail from Tracfone (which I didn't) confirming my e-mail address and that I could call Tracfone at that time to receive an extra 10 minutes. Of course that still didn't add up to 50 minutes. Then my husband decided to get in on the game. He called and got yet another person on the line who didn't want to deal with a 'demanding' customer and hung up on him! (My husand was polite and calm throughout the call. I heard the conversation.) He called back a second time and got yet another rep on the phone, who didn't understand the problem. So he kept asking for the supervisor, then the super-supervisor, etc. Finally he got somebody whose first language was english, and who understood what he was talking about. After a lot of back and forth he finally received the 30 minutes we should have gotten in the first place. They were probably so sick of him by then that they gave in just to be rid of him.

One more problem I came across; the voice mail system is not accessible the way it is described in the Nokia user manual. I kept getting a busy signal every time I tried to access it. When I called Costumer Service the rep told me that I have to call my own Tracfone number and interrupt the greeting with the star key and then key in my pass code. That does work but of course it costs you precious airtime minutes. (When you call your voice mail from a landline, I doesn't cost you time)
The phone works great. Good coverage and a long battery life.

In short, I really like the phone, but the initial activation and set-up is a lot more hassle than it should be. Getting what they owe you is like pulling teeth. Keep calling and keep demanding that they live up to their promises. Asking for somebody higher up in the hierarchy almost always seems to work. (By the way, my husband went through a similar hassle when he bought and activated his Tracfone last June. But he's very happy with it now.) So five stars for the phone, 1 star for Tracfone's so-called 'costumer service'. Hope this is of help.

To anyone considering Tracfone, DON'T! They must be going bankrupt. I purchased three "Plus3" Tracfone airtime cards from Amazon last August 2001, when I tried to redeem one of the cards, it had been rendered "Invalid" by Tracfone. So, I called them, Tracfone informed me that they "discontinued" this card, along with several others, without any notice to purchasers. As a result, it was not possible to add the minutes I had PURCHASED to my phone, since Tracfone deactivated these cards! Tracfone also refused to replace the cards (which they rendered worthless), nor would they refund my money; instead, they referred me to Amazon.com...so now I'm in limbo, waiting...while my "Prepaid Tracfone Airtime" cards are worthless. I won't ever do business with Tracfone again.

At first, I liked Tracfone, right up until they deactivated all of the "Plus3" prepaid airtime cards I'd purchased from Amazon by "discontinuing" this product. They purposefully made the cards unuseable, by removing the PIN numbers from their system.

What this means is that purchasers of ANY prepaid Tracfone Airtime card product that Tracfone decides to "discontinue" will have bought worthless cards!...

This is what happened to me, and to a friend who also purchased these "prepaid" airtime Tracfone cards.

I will never do business with a company like Tracfone again!...I hope this does not happen to you.

TracFones certainly have their place. I bought one for my husband, to keep in touch with the children when he's away (he's in the Navy and works on a ship so phones aren't always handy, yet he doesn't "need" a cell phone for constant, continual use). I also bought one for our babysitter. She's in her early 20's and (I'm a cautious mommy), want her to be able to have access to a telephone full time, especially when she takes my children on walks or to the park, so that I can reach her and so that she can reach me at any time.

For uses like this, it doesn't make sense to purchase into a standard cell phone contract.

I was stuck for a high school graduation gift for my nephew and the TracFone made perfect sense as well. If his car were to break, or if he were at a party and needed a ride home, not to mention for the sake of having a phone in case of any emergency or just to "keep in touch" as he leaves for college, the TracFone fit the bill.

His birthday was just a month later and everyone tucked TracFone cards into his birthday cards. They are easily purchased and easy to mail. Too, you'll never have problems finding the "perfect gift" for someone who has a TracFone as the TracFone cards are necessary for TracFone use.

Do check the TracFone website as they are always running TracFone promotions, 10 units (each unit equals a minute of phone time), for registering. Often offering minutes or money back on rebates, etc.

The mathematics (units per dollar) add up to savings on minutes when you purchase units in higher denominations. Right now, 300 minutes for $100 is the best that TracFone offers. I imagine though, that as TracFones increase in popularity they may become competitive with standard cell phone services.

Great gift idea! You give someone a TracFone, which is a real cell phone (and a nice cell phone at that!), you register it and are provided with a local phone number (or whichever area code you need or choose, but if it is a long distance phone number you will be subject to roaming fees [time or units rather, deducted as it connects to a local cell]), and that's that! You need not provide any credit information nor are you locked into ANY contracts, but you do have piece of mind.

Where do I start? Tracfone minutes are very expensive! For 3 (maybe 4) years we've owned two Tracfones and only use in emergencies. You say Trcfone has no contract, well how wrong you are. You may not have a signed contract but you have an implied contract.

We've gathered 360 minutes of airtime on my wife's phone and 163 minutes on my phone. I forgot to buy airtime on my phone and it languished in my portfolio. I wanted to redeem time in December but I got very sick with the flu and also the Holiday's took center stage. Today, on 1/4/2004 I just now bought 30 minutes of airtime for my phone. I had to reactivate (you do that if you don't buy each month) and after reactivating I noticed that instead of the 193 minutes of airtime I expected to see, I only had 30 minutes. Customer service advised me that I went too long without purchasing new airtime. The Rep. so proudly said, it says so on the box. I had to remind this person, do you remember I've had the phone for years and my BOX is long gone!

That my friends is your implied contract, you must always be purchasing airtime and if you fall short of their purchase arrangement you lose your minutes. In my case it cost $163 (163 minutes of airtime). If my wife lost hers it would be almost $400. THe Service Rep. went to her floor manager (so she said) and the Tracfone Corporation didn't recognize that I was a long term customer and I will not give an inch. So I'll GIVE THEM THEIR WALKING PAPERS. I'll sell my wife's phone (minutes included), throw my little 30 minutes in the trash and go with a carrier that has cheaper minutes. It may cost more a month but I will be paying for value. I'll also use this wonderful Internet to pass along my story. ALl they had to do was a small offer, a recognition of a long time customer and I would have stayed with them. Instead they take a hard line and offered no customer service. I've been in business for twenty years and there are days I feel I am the only one that still says, "the customer is right".

I've had my tracfone for a few months. I was refered by a friend and was suppose to get the one year service, 10 additional minutes for on-line sign up, and 60 minutes for the refer a friend program.
I like the phone but getting the 10 minutes and then the 60 minutes has been a nightmare.
I believe that tracfone makes it difficult so people give up on getting what is promised. In the end I received everything but was on the verge of writing my Attorney General's Office to do it.
Phone itself is excellent, clear reception, and good coverage.

I bought a TracFone just for "emergencies" as I am not a hard core cell phone user; I use it mainly while traveling. In that respect it is a great phone. I have not found a spot (outside) where I could not get a signal. I have purchased "time" only on the TracFone web site, which is very convenient and painless. You do need to buy the "1 year" card to keep your same phone number, or never let your time run out or "expire". I now have two phones (give one to the kids to carry--if it is lost, no one is going to run up a big phone tab). You can get a reconditioned digital phone and free minutes.

All-in-all a very practical phone (customer service--when needed--is good).

If you never have a problem then life is good. Problem is that cell phones in general always have problems crop up- roaming being the biggest issue.

Another problem is that the advertising for minute plans are often misleading to inaccurate. I imagine this helps them turn a profit because people get sick of trying to call them to get problems rectified.

Do a Google search and you will see sites collecting customer complaints. I still recommend it, I still use it. But there are great big caveats.