Tracfone question/help

[granmanh603]

IMADI Ok I broke down and got the 376 because of the free accessories and shipping and figure I can give it to my grandson if I don't like it.
But now one last question(I hope) I can plug it in and charge it up but that is all....then go to the Tracfone web site and follow those directions about the CDMA to GSM and that will transfer my old phone number and the minutes? Do I have that right? Thank you again Carol

 

[Imzadi]

granmanh603, I'm happy you got a phone you like. That's most important. Since this is a budget board, I would have been remiss if I hadn't pointed out a cheaper phone. That is all. I'm glad you went with the phone deal that works best for you.

Yes, you want to plug the phone in and charge it up. You can turn it ON, play with all the buttons and features before starting. I always like to do that first, because I'm afraid of accidentally pressing a wrong button and losing all my minutes without realising it. So, before it gets activated I can play with it.


The tutorial for transferring your old phone number and the minutes from the CDMA to GSM is actually a different website from Tracfone. It was just written by a fellow Tracfone user helping to make the directions easy to follow once you are on the Tracfone site.

So you need to open TWO web pages.

First go to:
http://thejmart.com/cdmagsm.htm
That's the tutorial. Notice (s)he outlines which button to select on the Tracfone site.

ALSO open the Tracfone website where you will be activating the phone at: http://www.tracfone.com/

The only difference in the pages is the current ad on the left of the page with the hearts. Just follow the highlighted RED outline box on the tutorial and click on it on the real Tracfone page, and keep switching back and forth between the two pages to see which button to press next.

Good luck! Your new Tracfone should be up and running with your old phone number and the minutes transferred in about 5 minutes after you start!

 

[englishteacha]

DH and I both have tracfones. With ours, there are no extra roaming charges. We have the Kyocera 126. I have DMFL on mine, DH's is regular. I figured by putting 60 minute cards on each phone every 90 days, we're paying $6 a month per phone. Since we use them so rarely, it's a very good deal.

 

[granmanh603]

granmanh603, I'm happy you got a phone you like. That's most important. Since this is a budget board, I would have been remiss if I hadn't pointed out a cheaper phone. That is all. I'm glad you went with the phone deal that works best for you.

Yes, you want to plug the phone in and charge it up. You can turn it ON, play with all the buttons and features before starting. I always like to do that first, because I'm afraid of accidentally pressing a wrong button and losing all my minutes without realising it. So, before it gets activated I can play with it.


The tutorial for transferring your old phone number and the minutes from the CDMA to GSM is actually a different website from Tracfone. It was just written by a fellow Tracfone user helping to make the directions easy to follow once you are on the Tracfone site.

So you need to open TWO web pages.

First go to:
http://thejmart.com/cdmagsm.htm
That's the tutorial. Notice (s)he outlines which button to select on the Tracfone site.

ALSO open the Tracfone website where you will be activating the phone at: http://www.tracfone.com/

The only difference in the pages is the current ad on the left of the page with the hearts. Just follow the highlighted RED outline box on the tutorial and click on it on the real Tracfone page, and keep switching back and forth between the two pages to see which button to press next.

Good luck! Your new Tracfone should be up and running with your old phone number and the minutes transferred in about 5 minutes after you start!

Thanks again, as usual you explain everything so well. I have the phone charging now and will fool with it first like you suggested and when I get my nerve up will follow what you said and have both pages open and attempt to get it activated and with minutes. I will let you know how I did.
My grandson(9) is with me now....he has no school this week and we were skiing yesterday and he has already tried to steal the phone...I had gotten him the one you suggested was 176 for his birthday last Sept. Oh maybe you know the answer to this one, my daughter just today tried to use that phone and the use time had expired , do you know if can you just reacitivate the phone??? Oh I guess it really wasn't my last question

 

[Straitlover]

Yes, you cna reactivate it. They should give you your minutes back, too.

 

[coneeny4]

Another question if someone could anwser it..

My DD got a Tracfone in October she has the year plan with about 1100 minutes left. My DN is giving her a old Virgin Mobile with no minutes left.

Can I transfer everything to the Virgin Mobile phone and use it with Tracfone ?

Thanks.

 

[Imzadi]

Whoops, I missed seeing this thread yesterday. Yes, you can just reactivate. DD will need to buy a minutes card to reactivate.

Depending on how long ago the expiration date was, your DD may get a new phone number. Also, you only get back the old minutes if the de-activation was within four months (last I read.) After four months, the old minutes are wiped off the Tracfone system, even though the phone display may still list the minutes - until it is reactivated and the minutes reset.

 

[granmanh603]

Thanks again, IMZADI, I am going to take DGS home tomorrow so we will try to reactivate....I only bought the phone for him in Sept so if 3 months usage it probably just expired recently so we will see....give it a try this weekend. I think she needs to sign up for some automatic plan, too much on her plate to remember to buy time/minutes I think when I get back home I will try to activate mine...will let you know how it goes. and thank you again sooooo much. You have been so patient and explained so well for me.... Carol

 

[Imzadi]

Another question if someone could anwser it..

My DD got a Tracfone in October she has the year plan with about 1100 minutes left. My DN is giving her a old Virgin Mobile with no minutes left.

Can I transfer everything to the Virgin Mobile phone and use it with Tracfone ?

Thanks.

Wow, I must have been really out of it. I missed reading this post too. Sorry.

Unfortunately Virgin Mobile and Tracfone are different companies, so no, you can't transfer your Tracfone minutes to Virgin. Tracfone has their own dedicated phones. You can't even take out the SIM cards and use it in a different phone.

Thanks again, IMZADI, I am going to take DGS home tomorrow so we will try to reactivate....I only bought the phone for him in Sept so if 3 months usage it probably just expired recently so we will see....give it a try this weekend. I think she needs to sign up for some automatic plan, too much on her plate to remember to buy time/minutes I think when I get back home I will try to activate mine...will let you know how it goes. and thank you again sooooo much. You have been so patient and explained so well for me.... Carol

Your very welcome, granmanh!

 

[granmanh603]

OK as usual...it didn't work...I looked at tutorial and followed added both phones Nokia 2285 old, Mot 376g new,until got to add serial number but there was no place to add sims number??? just serial number....then clicked submit and said I had to call to get a new sims card???? the new phone is not active and the old phone still is? I knew it I ALWAYS have a problem....
There was a sims card in the phone I can see it....do I have to take it out and reinstall???Oh maybe I should just add time?minutes to the old phone...I leave next Tuesday for WDW.

 

[Imzadi]

Send an email to: jmart. This is the guy that made the tutorial. (S)He usually answers quickly. (S)he will be able to help you and talk you through what you did and need to do. Tell him/her Imzadi from the FatWallet Tracfone thread told you to email him.

 

[zoemurr]

OK as usual...it didn't work...I looked at tutorial and followed added both phones Nokia 2285 old, Mot 376g new,until got to add serial number but there was no place to add sims number??? just serial number....then clicked submit and said I had to call to get a new sims card???? the new phone is not active and the old phone still is? I knew it I ALWAYS have a problem....
There was a sims card in the phone I can see it....do I have to take it out and reinstall???Oh maybe I should just add time?minutes to the old phone...I leave next Tuesday for WDW.

My DH and I just changed over from C129s. He went to a M376 and I went to the 376g. He did his online, no problem. I tried and it didn't seem to work. The next day both phones were dead, so I called. The CS is a bit hard to understand, but they fixed the problem very quickly. (I did have to punch in probably 50 #s.) When I called they said that the transfer was made, but that the new phone was not activated? Who knows.. but like I said, it was fixed in under 5 minutes. You do not need the SIM #s. With Tracfone the SIMS have to stay with the original phone.

 

[mudman]

yes it can be done, but dont call the number on the box it is somewhere in the philipenes and they are no help
call 800-626-4883 instead, fl #

THANK U! THANK YOU! THANK U!

I've put this # in my Tracfone file. My biggest complaint about Tracfone is calling the customer service rep and having them not understand me.

 

[granmanh603]

I emailed jmart like you said . He said they sent the wrong SIMS a T Mobil one instead of a ATT one....he said I should call a number and get a whole new phone.. that the new sims might work but that they had a big screw up with that and it might work for calls but not work with MMS messages???? or the web(LOL me on the web with a cell phone). Does that make sense to you. I will probably just have to add more minutes on the old phone. and worry when I get back....some how I just knew this would not work...Oh and he is a he...JIM Carol

 

[zoemurr]

THANK U! THANK YOU! THANK U!

I've put this # in my Tracfone file. My biggest complaint about Tracfone is calling the customer service rep and having them not understand me.

and when I told them what I wanted they transferred me directly to India.

Yes, they were hard to understand, but quick and helpful.

 

[mudman]

and when I told them what I wanted they transferred me directly to India.

Yes, they were hard to understand, but quick and helpful.

Oh no, the US # doesn't work?

 

[zoemurr]

Oh no, the US # doesn't work?

You will get a nice lady in Florida that will ask you what you need. When you tell her she'll say, "Hold on, I'll transfer you".. BAM.. India.

I was nervous too, but it was fine.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

You will get a nice lady in Florida that will ask you what you need. When you tell her she'll say, "Hold on, I'll transfer you".. BAM.. India.

I was nervous too, but it was fine.

Oh bummer. I was getting excited about having that number to use next time! LOL

to the OP- yes I've done that several times transferring numbers and minutes from old phone to new one. BUT BE CAREFUL- we didn't find out until after we'd bought new phones, transferred numbers and minutes- that the new phones charge for incoming texts also. We were used to the phones that only charged when you sent a text- but didn't charge to READ/accept texts. It really eats up the minutes (twice as fast ofcourse LOL) now that we're charged minutes for reading texts too. I keep telling DH and DD15 to stop texting long things back- if the answer is "ok" just put "ok" so I can see that without "viewing" the text and getting charged just to read them say "well... okay" LOL

 

[Imzadi]

I emailed jmart like you said . He said they sent the wrong SIMS a T Mobil one instead of a ATT one....he said I should call a number and get a whole new phone.. that the new sims might work but that they had a big screw up with that and it might work for calls but not work with MMS messages???? or the web(LOL me on the web with a cell phone). Does that make sense to you. I will probably just have to add more minutes on the old phone. and worry when I get back....some how I just knew this would not work...Oh and he is a he...JIM Carol

Aw! Can you run to Walmart and get a new, cheap Tracfone quickly? They might have the $10 or $15 phones in. You can take the SIM card out of that phone and put it in your Mot 376g and continue with the activation, using the tutorial. ALL Walmart phones have AT&T for their carrier.


Don't activate the Walmart phone.

Then, later, after you come back, Tracfone will have sent the right SIM card to you (for free.) At the end of 90days, you can then put that in the Walmart phone, activate it and transfer the 20 minutes and the 90 days onto your Mot 376g.

Ugh! It's a lot of work, but at least you will get the phone you WANT activated correctly.

And I'm glad Jim was helpful and got back to you in a timely fashion to let you know it was NOT you.

 

[granmanh603]

Hi Imzadi, I finally gave up last night, I was on information overload. Jim was very helpful and answered many questions. But have to admit it is all alot and many choices....he said about the sims card...the one in the phone is a TMobil one and I need ATT but he said when I get the ATT one it might not work some of the advanced functions of my phone. That I needed a new phone from them??? does that matter? I like your idea but wonder if that would be the same? Would you consider PMing me with you email address so I could forward his email and you could see what he said.... maybe you could understand. Thanks Carol