TracFone Wireless Registration/Activation

This customer service line is a general number for Verizon-affiliated phone providers. The initial automated menu offers eight different provider options to choose from, including Straight Talk, SafeLink, and Simple Mobile. TracFone is the second option on the menu.

I placed a call to this number to attempt to find out whether my current phone would be eligible to be switched over to a TracFone mobile plan. After selecting TracFone on the initial menu, I accessed a second automated menu that provided additional options, including the ability to activate service, purchase phones or accessories, and get technical support.

I chose the technical support option, at which point I was informed that the system was experiencing high call volume and to expect longer than normal waiting times. There was no callback option, and the system didn't provide an estimate of how long it might take to speak with a representative.

At this point in the call, the system played a recorded message that provided a number of helpful suggestions, giving instructions for obtaining help via text message, the TracFone website, or the company’s My Account app. However, the text message feature apparently doesn't work if you aren't an existing TracFone customer. When I sent a text to the number to determine whether my mobile device was eligible for service, I received a message indicating that my text had not gone through.

Following a short wait (around three minutes), I was connected to a customer service representative. After listening to my question and gathering some identifying information about my phone, she quickly provided a definitive answer to my question.

It's worth noting that I placed multiple calls to this number and noticed that the system frequently had difficulty registering my choices on the automated menus. For example, after pressing the number “2” on my phone’s keypad to choose the TracFone option on the initial menu, I got the message that my “response was not recognized.” Had this only happened once, I would have written it off as a random quirk. However, it happened multiple times on different menus, so it seems to be an issue with the automation software itself.

While I didn’t love the functionality of the automated menu, I did appreciate the level of detail provided by TracFone’s recorded messages. The instructions on how to get help via text message or the company’s website were detailed and useful. If I was an existing TracFone customer, I would have had access to multiple avenues to deal with a wide variety of common customer service issues.

Based on my call to TracFone, I was impressed with the variety of ways a customer could potentially get assistance. And despite being warned about high call volume, I was connected to a rep after a very short wait.