Tracfone is fine, as long as you don't expect any help, and make sure not to let your phone go inactive. If you try to reactivate a phone that's been sitting in the cabinet for a few months, though, may the gods have mercy on you.
The Boy has an overnight field trip this week, and was desperate for a cell phone to keep in touch. So, we went to reactivate the phone we got him for last year's field trip. Easy peasy, right?
NOT
At 2:00 on Sunday, I tried to add the airtime to the phone. Yes, I should have started a few days earlier. Anyway. Error message - invalid SIM card. Called the number in the error message. After going in a few circles because the phone number wasn't in their system (more on that later), I was routed to an actual person (who I will bet is not
actually named Francis, but whatever). All I have to do is go to a retailer (Walmart, Walgreens, etc) and get a Bring Your Own Phone SIM kit, for a mere 99 cents.
Off I go at 3:30 to Walgreens. Find one BYOP kit, with a $1 sticker on it. Which rings up at $9.99. Um, excuse me, the price sticker says $1. Manager is not inclined to sell it for the sticker price, so off I go to Walmart #1. Kits there are $9.88, but sold out. %^&$%^& !!! Off across town to Walmart #2. Kits are $9.99, in stock, but locked on the peg. And no one around to unlock it. Husband texts me and finds 99 cent kits on Walmart.com, but store pickup isn't an option, and we don't have time for shipping. I check Target.com (using Walmart's wi-fi) and they have 99 cent kits with in-store pickup. Order one, go home to wait for confirmation.
Oops. Target email says they're out of stock. *&^(*&^*&% Find the SIM card from the LAST time we went through this, but it's a full-size SIM, not a micro SIM. Ugh. Stop at Walmart on the way to the in-law's, and buy the stupid $10 kit. Come home, go through the online process, and again no luck. Back to phone support. FINALLY get things possibly lined out, but the phone still isn't showing the airtime. Phone support says AT&T is having delays, should be okay by morning. Call back if not.
LUCKILY, by midnight the phone time showed up, and The Boy went off on his field trip with 120 minutes of air time (120 talk or 60 texts).
So Tracfone shenanigans ate up a full 3 hours of my day. I had other stuff I wanted to do, but NOPE.
