Tracfone users

[dancin Disney style]

I've got a Tracfone that I use a few times per year. I haven't used it in about 9 months and now want to set it up for my next trip. I have tried a couple of times to reactivate it and can't. Right now the phone is showing 'unregistered SIM' on the screen. Anyone know if the SIM is useless after a certain period of time? I'm not against buying a new phone or SIM card once I get to the US but would prefer to set this one up from home before I travel.

 

[tgropp]

I've got a Tracfone that I use a few times per year. I haven't used it in about 9 months and now want to set it up for my next trip. I have tried a couple of times to reactivate it and can't. Right now the phone is showing 'unregistered SIM' on the screen. Anyone know if the SIM is useless after a certain period of time? I'm not against buying a new phone or SIM card once I get to the US but would prefer to set this one up from home before I travel.

We had a Net 10 phone that expired after 3 months and we got a new SIM card (mailed to an american address) but it would not work. They then said that the phone was no good. They claimed that they mailed a new phone twice to that address (cousin) but one never came. We purchased a new tracphone last month but we are not activating it until we are in Michigan in November. That way we will have it for Florida in December and again in Febuary.

I have a friend who has a tracphone and he claims that they last 1 year before they expire. I am sure that you will need a new SIM card and will have to activate it in the states.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've had this phone for about 3 years and this is the first time I've had a problem with it. Oh well...not a big deal it was only $10 and I've had plenty of use out of it. Actually, my only gripe is that I can't send a text (can receive only) so I'll get a better one next week.

Can you get data with a TRacfone? I looked at Virgin and it also looks like it's pretty good but like the free long distance on the Tracfone.

 

[bankr63]

I've got a Tracfone that I use a few times per year. I haven't used it in about 9 months and now want to set it up for my next trip. I have tried a couple of times to reactivate it and can't. Right now the phone is showing 'unregistered SIM' on the screen. Anyone know if the SIM is useless after a certain period of time? I'm not against buying a new phone or SIM card once I get to the US but would prefer to set this one up from home before I travel.

To be clear, are you trying to re-activate this while you are in the US? You can only reactivate while the phone is physically within the Tracphone coverage area. These kinds of registration messages won't travel across another carrier's network.

 

[dancin Disney style]

To be clear, are you trying to re-activate this while you are in the US? You can only reactivate while the phone is physically within the Tracphone coverage area. These kinds of registration messages won't travel across another carrier's network.

I re-activate my phone from here in Canada all the time. This is the first time I've had a problem. I get it set up online and then it's working when I get to the US.

 

[wdwmike59]

How do you manage to do that from Canada? I can't even add airtime from here because my credit card billing address is Canadian. The website wouldn't even let me choose a Canadian address when I set up the phone for the first time.

 

[dancin Disney style]

How do you manage to do that from Canada? I can't even add airtime from here because my credit card billing address is Canadian. The website wouldn't even let me choose a Canadian address when I set up the phone for the first time.

I add the airtime with my Amex. I tried once with my Visa and it wouldn't go through.


As to the address .....when I set it up I used my street address and then put in Niagara Falls, NY and a NF zipcode. I've done this twice with different phones.

 

[Stan Solo]

I bought two new Tracfone's charged them and turned them on for the first time in Canada and never did get them to work in Canada or the US. All I ever got was the 'unregistered SIM' message. I tried in the States in Aug then again in Dec.