thats what i found on the web, some info about tracfone:
The Tracfone Trap
Written by: The Clone
Date: March 20, 2001
*% Introduction
*% Tracfone Trap
*% Technical Notes
*% TracFone TOS
*% Tracfone Complaints
*% TrapFone Dot Com
*% Conclusion
*% Contact
-
Introduction -
What is TracFone? TracFone is a wireless phone company in partnership with
Telefonica de Mexico based out of Orlando Florida which offers 'Nation-wide
Pre-paid service' (a partnership with Verizon Wireless) which bills your analog
phone on a "pay as you go" basis, letting you control your own costs as you
need them. With TracFone there are no credit checks, no contracts, no age
limits, and no costly cellular phone bills.
What makes TracFone such a unique pre-paid wireless company is that on the
phones' themselves is a time-counter that keeps track of the minutes you
use, by sending a real-time roaming update to the closest b-side wireless
carrier and then eventually to Verizon wireless who perform the necessary
updates.
For example; if you are roaming on TracFone while in Edmonton Alberta
Canada, your ESN/NAM header information will be sent to Telus Mobility's
Home Location Register (HLR) system which recognizes the account,
processes it, and from there it immediately diverts it to Verizon.
-
TracFone Trap -
TracFone Incorporated currently offers two analog Nokia model phones
to its customers: the Nokia 252, and the Nokia 918. Both models
are sleek and fully loaded with features that make using these
products enjoyable.
-NAM PROGRAMMING-
Unfortunately, TracFone has really limited its customers freedom
by putting a limit on what other numbers - but specifically what other
carriers can be programmed into the phones NAM memory bank by locking
the first A-side SID.
The truth is customers do not have the ability to program other numbers
into the phone AT ALL, meaning you're stuck having only one account on
one phone; that being the TracFone account on the TracFone phone!
The NAM memory bank looks something like this:
(1st) phone # - 666-313-3370
(1st) SID - 0 (A-side)
(2nd) phone # - [blank]
(2nd) SID - 1 (B-side)
On the attempt to program the second memory bank you'll get the following:
"Location NAM error"
Lets say you successfully hacked the NAM programming menu code for the phone...
couldn't be too tough if you consider all the available web-sites and mailing-
lists on the Internet that focus on just that...
ie. (list)
[email protected]
(site) http://www.hackcanada.com/ice3/cellular/index.html
(site) http://www.nettwerked.net/TFA/cell.html
Now to take advantage of the hack you would be required to have firstly broken
the NAM programming menu code, followed by entering in the exact same account
information (phone # and SID) that appears in the first memory bank into the
second memory bank. By roaming on the B-side you are likely to get lots of
extra time even AFTER the TracFone's unit-counter time runs out because it
can take from several days to a few weeks for the header info (ESN/MIN/NAM)
to be sent from say Telus or Rogers/AT&T to Verizon and then finally to
TracFone's HLR provisioning system for "current account updates".
After this time, the TracFone's unit-counter will realize the customers
account is out of air-time and will finally boot them off the network
until the phone is re-filled.
What else sucks about TracFone?
- There is no way to buy phone units online with a credit card;
only through an authorized retailers.
- Finding authorized retailers in Canada is one thing, but finding a
retailer at all that will accept Canadian dollars and Canadian
addresses is another thing.
- The web-forms on tracfone.com do not accept Canadian addresses
(ie. 12274-123st Edmonton Alberta Canada, T5X-2R9)
- If you wanted to change your account information, you would be required
to mail your Nokia analog to TracFone (you pay the shipping fees) to be
reset... for a fee of $75.00/USD. Call 509-710-4619 for more information.
- TracFone will not let you receive calls when on roaming due to the
carrier and number assignment. The message the person who's calling
your roaming TracFone will hear is Verizon's "unable to reach subscriber"
message - this was verified by calling a roaming TracFone from a Telus
landline.
-
Technical Notes -
(note: The Nokia 252 is virtually the same as the Nokia 918 in respects
to programming, so don't fret my pets.)
Technical specifications on the Nokia 918 model phones offered by
TracFone Incorporated can be read at this site:
http://www.nettwerked.net/nokia_918.txt
-
Terms and Conditions of Service:
Upon activation of cellular radio service ("Service"), customer
("You") agrees to the following terms and conditions:
To maintain TRACFONE cellular service and keep the local phone number,
purchase and activate a 30, 100, or 260 unit prepaid cellular card
every 60 days or a 10 unit card every 30 days. You may purchase as
many TRACFONE Prepaid Cellular Phone Cards as you want. TRACFONE will
display the due date reminder every time you turn your phone on. If
you do not purchase, and redeem, at least one TRACFONE Prepaid
Cellular Phone Card within 30 or 60 days of initial programming and
set-up, the Service will be suspended.
You can reactivate your Service by purchasing and redeeming a TRACFONE
Prepaid Cellular Card; however, a different phone number will likely
be assigned. You (the customer) have no property interest or other
proprietary interest in any telephone access number assigned. Each
card redeemed will extend service by 30 or 60 days from the date of
redemption, depending on the card value.
Any and all tampering or falsification or entering of codes not
properly authorized by TRACFONE may result in immediate discontinuance
of Service and prosecution to the full extend of the law. TRACFONE
reserves the right to cancel any Service without notice.
-
TracFone complaints:
The following are a few examples of horror stories that current and former
TracFone customers have written about over the last four months:
(taken from http://www.bitchaboutit.com/ReadPages/telephone_complaints.htm)
Date: 04 Jan 2001
Tracfone, the biggest joke I have ever heard of! I have been trying
for four unsuccessful weeks to contact them to activate this phone
that they screwed up. After being disconnected over 100 times I got
mad enough to just let it alone. They told me the hold time was 94
minutes! I work customer service too and that is unacceptable! This
company is going to get a piece of my mind if I ever get a person on
the phone. They sure do have excuses though! Heard em all so far!
- Christina Hull, MD
Date: 04 Jan 2001
I purchased a Tracfone on December 12th, for my boyfriend for his
birthday. I had it "activated" on December 21st. After 3 days the
phone still did not work, so I called back. After 5 or 6 calls and 2
hours on hold, I reached a "technician" who "reprogrammed" the phone.
He then performed a "test call" and the phone didn't work. So he asked
me a couple of questions and I am mid-sentence and next thing I know I
am back at square one, waiting on hold again for "an estimated wait
time of 45 minutes." 3 days later I waited another 45 minutes, this
time late at night, and reached someone who again "reprogrammed" the
phone and assured me that whomever I spoke with previously did not
program it right. It has now been a week since that call and still the
phone does not work. I've been trying to call for about 4 days now,
and you can't even wait on hold anymore, they tell you to wait 60
minutes and call back. Please do not purchase this phone, it is a real
hassle. There are many other pre-paid cellulars out there - buy one
from a company with a local office where you can go and get decent
service. I will be returning my Tracfone this weekend - thank God I
saved the receipt.
- Jodi Rapes, MI
Date: 02 Jan 2001
Tracfone has the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my
life. I will take every chance to steer possible customers away from
buying into this piece of doodoo service. If you call the 1-800 # then
you better bring the book War and Peace while you wait for service.
You will make it cover to cover and then some.
- Mark Vatcher, NH
Date: 26 Dec 2000
I bought a tracfone (prepaid cellular service) from Wal mart after I
had visited Tracfone's web site. On the site They say: Instant
activation or in 24 hours in some areas.
It is now 4 days and in a few hours 5 days after over 100 phone call
attempts, busy signals, excuses etc. claiming the christmas rush, then
blaming southwest bell and one excuse after another
my #$%$*&@#% phone is still not activated!!! I see you have another
complaint on this site for TracFone. Their # is 800-867-7183
- Brent Gould, MO
-
TrapFone Dot Com -
'TRAPFONE'
Still undergoing major construction, TRAPFONE is a site for the wireless phreak
to spread knowledge about the technical infrastructure of TRACFONE's analog
cross-country cellular network, but mainly as a place for irate (former)
customers to rant about why they think the service TRACFONE offers just plain
sucks.
http://www.trapfone.com
-
Conclusion -
There you have it folks; TRACFONE Wireless Incorporated is a trap
sucking unsuspecting customers into its us-only plan through carefully
crafted advertising / hardware programming techniques, and have THE worst
pre-paid cellular customer service in the world.
I advise that you let all your friends and family know about this deceitful
company so they won't be lured into the tracfone trap either. Too many
people have been hurt already by this company... it's time we all take a
stand and run these guys out of business once and for all.
-
Credits -
I'd like to give credit to Alan (780) for his story and support
while working on the development of this article.
Contact -
You can contact me by;
e-mail:
[email protected]
irc: irc.h410g3n.com (#hackcanada)
url: www.nettwerked.net