Tracfone activation problems compounded by horrible customer service!

I have been a Tracfone customer for about 7 years. I have never
experienced a real problem or lack of service, until this last year,
when I was informed I had to switch phones for their new service
(digital?)
Since then I have had nothing but problems. Now, when I need to use
my phone, there is a very long wait time from the time I power up to
the time I FINALLY have a signal to make my call. It was NEVER like
this in the past. I have been on the phone with customer service, but
they are no help whatsoever, telling me it is the line provider
problem. They need to contract with a different line provider if that
is the case, because the service I am receiving from TRACFONE is no
longer acceptable.

I too have been having terrible problems with Tracfone. I have been a
customer -- and happy -- for over 5 years. Then I made the mistake
recently of upgrading my phone and asking them to transfer over my
stuff which they said in advance they could do (phone number which was
already tracfone and my annual card and units). Well they couldn't do
it. They told me the only way to transfer the current phone number
was to wait a week until they sent me a new SIM card. They had
already wiped out my current phone and minutes trying to transfer it
so the answer was to leave me with no cell service for at least a
week. I said ok I'd take the new phone number since I can't go a week
with no phone (mostly due to my kids' school needing a cell #). Then
after 5 HOURS -- yes you read that right -- 5 hours on the phone with
them they determined the phone did not work because they were unable
to transfer anything over. Now they have wiped out my phone that I
had and I am left with a phone that doesn't work and I have to wait
until they send me a new SIM card and start all over again -- and they
offered me NOTHING for all this inconvenience. I'm moving to Net 10
now and hoping for better CS.

So if I read it correctly, you want a special customer service hotline
set up because the one they have are "customer service reps are
alternatly condescending and impossible to understand."

I've used their service for at least five years and never once had a
"condescending" or "impossible" to understand csr. Yes, it's a hassle
to imput the numbers, yes it's a pain having to follow instructions,
but all it takes is a little patience and understanding.

Do let us know what the BBB has to say.


here's a short bio of their poor track record as a company:

With more than 6 million active subscribers, TracFone Wireless is the
leading independent provider of nationwide prepaid wireless
telecommunications services. The TracFone Wireless product is a
pay-as-you-go, off-the-shelf mobile phone and prepaid airtime that
features no annual contracts or activation fees. It is offered
nationally through about 70,000 retail outlets, including Wal-Mart and
Lowe's, as well as in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. TracFone
Wireless is a 98%-owned subsidiary of Amrica Mvil, Latin America's
largest provider of wireless telecommunications.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2005:
Sales: $1,020.2M
One year growth: 18.5%


Officers:
President and CEO: F. J. Pollak
CIO: Paul Kozma
EVP, Sales and Marketing: Robert Dandrea