StraightTalk Wireless Service

[adglife]

Friends: We purchased StraightTalk service online.

The phones were shipped to us with SIM cards installed. Our port request failed because US Cellular - our current provider - issued a separate ID number to our accounts with a billing upgrade. I updated the information after speaking to US Cellular and port request was successful. Was assured by StraightTalk that our phones would work.

Woke up, both phones didn't work (US Cellular and StraightTalk.) After 3.5 hours of phone time, find out that SIM cards we were issued were for a GSM network not covered in Omaha, that they need to ship new SIM cards, 3-5 days. Called and explained that this time without service represents a risk to our family and demanded overnight shipping or near to it. Escalated twice. Was informed process was automatic. Asked what they recommended we do about the risk this situation presented.

They could not give me any recommendations because it wasn't part of their procedure.

Explained my voice, although just one man, would be used to voice to all friends and family possible about this experience, and that if there was a manager available that could speak to me and try to work something out, it wouldn't have to be that way.

The manager I spoke with said, "There's nothing I can do. Have a nice day."

Obviously, this product is about price, not customer experience. Mine may have been a one-off. Make your own decision, but I do not recommend StraightTalk.

[Uncle Jesse]

I believe the old customer service formula says a happy customer will one average tell 7 other people; an unhappy customer tell everybody. There is a brand of fishing rods with very good reputations I will never buy because the final answer I got from the president of the company was "the warranty was for the lifetime of the rod." I don't know of my of my friends who fish those rods either.

[Jack Hise]

I have a "Trac Phone"! You can call me and I can call you! That's all I need (although my friends tell me I need more!!). Very little advertisement for Trac Phone, no hype or wild a.. promises. I like it! Owned by one of the richest men in the world, go figure??!!

[ELKHUNTER]

I have a Trac Phone also. Has served me just fine for three years.

[Bob9]

I've had a Trac Fone for years. It's all I need.

Bob9

[dave potts]

Ditto the Tracfone. Can't beat it for less than $7 a month and no contract. I've been thinking of upgrading to one of the Tracfones that you can surf the web with. Have any of you had any experiences with these? They apparently have Wi-Fi and 3G both available on them.

Dave

[Bob9]

All I've had is the basic phone, not even a camera.

Bob9

[dave potts]

All I've had is the basic phone, not even a camera.

Bob9

Bob,
That's what mine is as it is an old phone. However, there are several newer Tracfones out that include cameras and web access. I was just curious if anyone has had any experiences with these newer ones especially as to accessing the internet with them.

Dave

[cheffy]

we got a Trac phone for my parents about 5 years ago. they only needed it when they went out of the house. now that they are in asst. living they have no need for it so we went to cancel it. I didn't realize that they still had money on their account and actually the people at TracFone told me not to cancel it and said "why don't you just use it up. sent me a new phone and all. I use it when I go out to the river etc since I'm hard on phones.
a few months ago I forgot my regular phone and was on my way to Chicago for a week. Stopped by Best Buy and picked up another Tracfone that was like a BlackBerry. TraccFone swapped out the service and I was go to go in 10 min. For a cell phone company probably the best service I've ever had.
Dave i really haven't had time to play with accessing the internet with the new phone but it looked fairly easy.

[WarrenP]

I have been using a TracPhone for many years and I have had no problems with them. I did upgrade last year but only because I found a TracPhone that would double all the minutes I put into it. Meaning that I could purchase a 120 minute card and once loaded into the phone it gave me 240 minutes. This phone also has a camera that I never use since I have an Optio 30 for my fishing. This double minute phone cost $19.95 and works great.