Tracfone Issue - Could be REALLY BAD!

[jeffweico]

I was creating accounts today and I was activating a Tracfone. All of a sudden, when I got to the screen that wants you to enter a PIN number or buy airtime, but also gives you the option to SKIP, the SKIP button was gone.

I tried another browser, same thing. I called to activate by phone and it asked if I had a pin or wanted to buy airtime and I replied NO. An automated message came on and said that you MUST add minutes to the phone in order to activate it.

So, I called customer service and got a rep on the phone. I explained to her what happened and she told me they are no longer allowing activations without an airtime purchase.

I am HOPING she just didn't know what she was talking about and this is just a glitch, but I don't think so.

Has anyone else had the same experience. I am REALLY hoping that I am wrong here, because it would suck if we now had to spend $25+ to create an account when using a Tracfone. Of course, it would not be the end of the world, alternate methods would be found and all that, but this was cheap and easy - and I LIKE cheap and easy!

[khanxyz0z]

Same thing happened to me as well,

I hope this isnt the end.

[glacier922]

When did this happen? I opened an account yesterday and I got the 20 mins

[jeffweico]

Today, around 3pm

[glacier922]

Well, I tested it out, and I can confirm, this is true. They want you to buy airtime card now. Bummer.

[jeffweico]

I tried it again and it is still doing the same thing. Given that and what the rep at Tracfone told me, I am thinking it is NOT a glitch and that from now on, buying the phone will not be enough - it will also require a $20 airtime purchase.

The price of tea in China has just gone up...

[jeffweico]

If anyone knows of any alternatives, now would be a good time to chime in...

[BigCJ]

trying it right now and running into the same issue.

[yankee]

some of the phone apps still work for ebay but not paypal, also it is more and more challenging to get a local number for most areas.

[GhostOfAmazon]

Confirmed. Tracfone is dead.

[jakobrockz]

Aspkin should update the book with this info asap

[RustyShackelford]

It was only a matter of time. I used to have a cell phone store, knowing the cost of each unit, they were taking a loss on each on for sure. They were probably banking on people adding minutes and eventually profiting on their initial investment. Too many people abusing it, they caught on and shut it down.

[joew8989]

I have been using an app on my I phone called burner. Its been working well, and only costs about $1 a number

[aking]

Originally Posted by joew8989

I have been using an app on my I phone called burner. Its been working well, and only costs about $1 a number

Hmm, I'll try this out.

[muzzie]

You can arrange a paid phone number, get these tracphones for acc, and then spend the remaining balance calling this paid number.

[GhostOfAmazon]

Originally Posted by muzzie

You can arrange a paid phone number, get these tracphones for acc, and then spend the remaining balance calling this paid number.

Huh?

[123]

Ouch... guess its time to figure out what to do with these boxes of tracfones i have now : O

[yotano211]

YUP, Confirmed dead by my too. Time to return the phones I have to Amazon.

[khanxyz0z]

At this point, Best bang for the buck seems those preloaded sim cards for $6 for a number, the good thing is it includes unlimited call, text, and some data)

[aking]

Anyone tried Burner yet?

[miketyson]

I know of a website that will refill trac fones with paypal once they are activated. That's what I was doing and combo of changing phone numbers. Not a total dead ways around it.

[BigCJ]

Been doing the same as well.
I have a couple hundred phones around but only like %10 of them are trac.
I use varying types thankfully.