Safest Way to Combine Balances, Deactivate Donor Phone and Transfer Number from Donor Phone

[ultrawolf]

I know nothing is guaranteed with Tracfone, but I'm looking for advice on the way to do this that involves the least risk.

I have two active phones in my account. "New Phone" just past 60 days and my points are no longer pending. I would like to combine the service balances of my "Old Phone" (the phone I currently use) with "New Phone", putting all service on "New Phone". I'd deactivate "Old Phone" with zero balance remaining. I would also like to transfer the phone number from "Old Phone" to "New Phone".

I know I should do this with chat and I've read that "combine" is the critical word to use. Can a CSR do all of this in one session if I spell it out carefully? I would ask for balances before doing anything and save the chat session to a text document.

Would it be safer 1. Combining all service to "Old Phone" and keeping the current (desired) phone number on "Old Phone". "New Phone" would then be deactivated with no number. 2. After that works successfully, could I then reactivate "New Phone", transfer all service and phone number to "New Phone" and deactivate "Old Phone". Could step 2 perhaps be done online without using a CSR?

I have really appreciated the great advice I've read from the "pros" on these threads, and thank you in advance for any advice you have.

[Tracfancier]

The normal procedure that the TF CSRs are familiar with is to move only the buckets and days from the phone containing the phone number you plan to lose. Because when they remove the buckets/days it automatically deactivates the phone (no days remain to keep the phone active) and the phone number is lost.
Switching up what they normally do may confuse them and lead to a bad outcome. Extra procedures are involved to do everything with the least overall risk. But nothing is risk-free with TF CS. I normally use chat for everything, because of the valuable written record, that you must make a copy of, containing a TF-issued reference number so TF can even find it again. I put the chat transcript in an e-mail sent to myself (sent from and received by same e-mail)... ready to instantly forward to whoever asks for it.

[tomseys]

Would it be safer 1. Combining all service to "Old Phone" and keeping the current (desired) phone number on "Old Phone". "New Phone" would then be deactivated with no number. 2. After that works successfully, could I then reactivate "New Phone", transfer all service and phone number to "New Phone" and deactivate "Old Phone". Could step 2 perhaps be done online without using a CSR?.

Well you really have to do that because you want to keep the phone number on old phone.

So new phone -> old phone.

Now, transferring all of old phone back to new phone is great in theory and should work, but I remember once when I transferred back to the merged off phone there was some issue with the data bucket and had to reconcile everything with billing. Merged off phones are a little odd anyway. They sometimes still appear to have the balance on them for a little while. Maybe best to wait a few days before doing the transfer back.

I would do it with a chat rep and record the balances and get a reference number for any and all of this.
Maybe some screenshots of account.

Added: unless you transferred the new phone balance to another phone. Then merge it from another phone to old phone. Then tranfer old phone to new phone. Or transfer new to another, transfer old to new, merge another into new.

Maybe others can add some suggestions or better ideas.

[PaulCrawhorne]

Words matter.

Forget old vs new.

Use target vs source.

And forget phone (as in hardware), use line.

So Line A is the source you want to harvest time and units from, that number gets deactivated.

Line B is the number you want to keep.

So stage 1, ask to "Combine" time and units from Line B to Line A, never mind that is old hardware for now.

Let that settle down a day or two after success, then you can just do an automated "Transfer" of Line A to your new hardware.

[ultrawolf]

Thanks all. Sounds like combining everything to the old phone keeping old number is safest. Then, after it settles, transfer service and number to new phone. In the chat session, instead of old and new I had planned to name the phones by their IMEI numbers, i.e., "I would like to combine my service on IMEI 111 with IMEI 222, keeping IMEI 111 active with its current phone number and deactivating IMEI 222".

[hpham]

In the chat session, instead of old and new I had planned to name the phones by their IMEI numbers, i.e., "I would like to combine my service on IMEI 111 with IMEI 222, keeping IMEI 111 active with its current phone number and deactivating IMEI 222".

I always referred to the last 4 digits of the phone number. "I'd like to add the remaining balances and days of phone ending in 1234 to phone ending in 5678, keeping phone number 5678".

[Tracfancier]

Thanks all. Sounds like combining everything to the old phone keeping old number is safest. Then, after it settles, transfer service and number to new phone. In the chat session, instead of old and new I had planned to name the phones by their IMEI numbers, i.e., "I would like to combine my service on IMEI 111 with IMEI 222, keeping IMEI 111 active with its current phone number and deactivating IMEI 222".

Never had IMEI come up in a service combine, they deal in phone numbers. Never got the impression they knew anything about what type of phones the IMEI or phone numbers corresponded to.

[tomseys]

Thanks all. Sounds like combining everything to the old phone keeping old number is safest. Then, after it settles, transfer service and number to new phone. In the chat session, instead of old and new I had planned to name the phones by their IMEI numbers, i.e., "I would like to combine my service on IMEI 111 with IMEI 222, keeping IMEI 111 active with its current phone number and deactivating IMEI 222".

Yup in the chat you use the phone numbers to describe the lines either full or last four.

I prefer using full phone number at least with the first time naming the line in the chat and what I would like done.

The old and new thing was just using your language to illustrate the situation here.

You would never use the IMEI to do this and I don't think that is described as a way to do it in any discussion about combines or merges.

Combines/merges should always be approached a certain specific way to give the best chance for success.

[tomseys]

Thanks all. Sounds like combining everything to the old phone keeping old number is safest. Then, after it settles, transfer service and number to new phone. In the chat session, instead of old and new I had planned to name the phones by their IMEI numbers, i.e., "I would like to combine my service on IMEI 111 with IMEI 222, keeping IMEI 111 active with its current phone number and deactivating IMEI 222".

Here are some example of scripts or approaches you can use to do the combine (aka merge) with chat help.


This is the classic hpham script:


Dawn: Thank you for visiting TracFone Wireless.
Dawn: How may I assist you?
You: Hi. My phone xxx-xxx-7318 will expire in a few days. Can I have its remaining units added to my phone xxx-xxx-6668?
Dawn: Yes, we can transfer the minutes to that number.
Dawn: It will leave the number ending in 7318 deactivated.
You: Yes, that's fine.
Dawn: In order for me to assist you, I need to validate your identity.
You: ok
Dawn: I will text a security code to your phone ending in 7318. Please let me know the code.
You: xxxx
Dawn: That is correct. Thank you.
Dawn: Your ticket number is 120507xxxx.
Dawn: Your service will end on 09/28/20xx.
Dawn: The minutes have been successfully transferred.
You: Thank you very much for your help, Dawn.
Dawn: You are welcome.

https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...3#post17232983

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You may want to also in the beginning of chat ask for the balances of the two lines. If rep won't provide, ask to read to rep and for rep to confirm. Ask for a reference number too. Copy/paste into text file.

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Another approach, very similiar, is this one by Boz1:


Yes, every time is via chat, the lines are in the same TF online account, and I'm in front of a computer.

No, I don't really have a consistent script, but I'm repetitive in telling what I want, to the point of annoying reps sometimes.

Before I even start, I take screenshots of both lines in my online account from my computer.

Then start a chat and ask for the balances and end dates for both phones. When I get those, I state that I want to combine the balances, KEEPING xxx-xxx-xxxx active. Usually, the agent then says the other line will be deactivated after combining, and I agree. Then the account gets validated with a security code, usually by email, since I don't always have the phones in front of me. Then I usually repeat the "KEEPING xxx-xxx-xxxx active" part. If the agent seems at all iffy, I repeat it again. Then, when the agent tells me it's done, I refresh the account on my computer. Often, the expiration date is updated first, and then I ask the agent to wait until the balances are updated in my online account. Sometimes, it takes so long for the online account to update that I ask the agent to tell me the new balances, but every time, by the time the agent verifies the balances, the balances are updated in my online account. I also texted BALANCE to 611611 to verify the balances one time I happened to have the receiving phone with me, and that updated faster than my online account. Then I take an after screenshot of the receiving line, just because.

https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...7#post17233317


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AS Boz1 mentioned, have both lines in the same account before doing the combine/merge.

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Here is one I did a few days ago (I feel like I do one a week):

Tracfone: Thank you for visiting Tracfone today. How may I help you?
Neil: Thank you for visiting TracFone Wireless.
Neil: Hi Tom.
Me: Hi Neil. I would like to add the units and time remaining on my 347 123 1234 line to my 347 456 XXXX line. Is it possible to do this? I believe afterwards the 1234 line will deactivate.
Neil: I understand your request.
Neil: Yes. We can process it for you.
Me: ok thank you
Neil: The first number will be deactivated after the transfer is complete.
Me: Yes
Neil: You are welcome.
Neil: Please allow me a moment to look into this.
Neil: Thank you for continuing to use TracFone Wireless as your service provider.
Neil: Before we proceed to your request, I will send a six-digit code to your first device. Once you receive it, please confirm it to me.
Me: 123456
Neil: Thank you for that.
Neil: Please provide the IMEI number and the SIM card number of the second device.
Me: IMEI: 1234 5678 9101 112 Sim: 1234 800 000 4567 891 011
Neil: Thank you for the information. I will now complete the service transfer.
Neil: I just successfully processed your request.
Me: Thank you very much
Neil: Your reference number for the transfer process is 1234567890.
Neil: You are welcome.
Me: It's perfect.
Neil: Your service end date is on July XX, 2024.
Neil: You can check the balance on the second device after few minutes.
Neil: To check your current balance, text the word BALANCE to 611611.
Me: I can see it in the account already.. appreciate your help.
Neil: That is good to hear.
Neil: You are welcome.
Neil: Is there anything else that I can assist you with?
Me: No that's it. Thanks again and bye for now.
Neil: Okay. You are welcome and goodbye for now.
Neil: Thank you for chatting with TracFone Wireless. If you have any further questions or concerns, please Chat with us or contact one of our customer care representatives at 1-800-867-7183. For your convenience, our representatives are available Monday-Sunday from 8:00 A.M. to 11:45 P.M. EST. You may also text the key word HELP to 611611 to view our self-service menu with a list of help key words with valuable information.
Neil: Have a wonderful evening.

https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...1#post17235741


Note: You can and should get the balances of both lines in the beginning and also ask for a reference number. Also, I usually ask if it is possible to do this because some reps will tell you it is not possible and I also want to get a feel for if they know what they are doing.

The term transfer here usually means something else but in this case I felt the rep understood and I didn't need to clarify further.

But, you always want to make sure they understand that a combine/merge is desired and not an actual transfer since that is a different thing.

[eohippus]

I've done several combines and have a few to do coming up.
I do pretty much the same as people have described here.
I do some preparation beforehand, checking the balances of both phones.
I also do the arithmetic myself to know what to final balance on the kept line will be.
I also tell the agent what the expected final balance of the kept line should be.

[tftess]

Hypothetically…

If someone added 2 (or 4) lines to a single line account, activated the phones, waited the 61 days (making sure to use those phones at least once a month)… is it safer to add one donor phone time/minutes to prime line, then the other in a different chat (day?), or combine the two donor phones into one, then add that to prime phone?

Does any of this change if the point is getting a new (none of the donors) TF phone? (Need the points to do that.)

Thank you!

[ultrawolf]

Never had IMEI come up in a service combine, they deal in phone numbers. Never got the impression they knew anything about what type of phones the IMEI or phone numbers corresponded to.

Thanks, will do...

[ultrawolf]

OK, step 1, the simple combining of service with no change of phone number went smoothly. I had pre-typed some of my portion of the chat session in a text file so that I could just copy and paste into the Chat box. I'm a poor typist, so that saved some time and avoided possible errors. Here are pre-typed lines I had ready to go.

Hi, I would like to make some changes among two of my phones, phone number xxx-xxx-xxxx and yyy-yyy-yyyy.

Could I please ask you to confirm the service balances on those to lines first just to be sure I have them right?

Great, that's what I expected.

All good. Thank you. I would like to combine the service balances for those two phones, putting the combined service on xxx-xxx-xxxx. This will leave phone number yyy-yyy-yyyy with zero balance. I would like to de-activate the phone that currently has yyy-yyy-yyyy and I understand that I will lose phone number yyy-yyy-yyyy.

And could I please ask you to confirm the new service balance on xxx-xxx-xxxx?

Great! This went perfectly. Thank you.

OK, sounds good. This went perfectly and I thank you.

[hpham]

OK, step 1, the simple combining of service with no change of phone number went smoothly.

I would like to combine the service balances for those two phones, putting the combined service on xxx-xxx-xxxx. This will leave phone number yyy-yyy-yyyy with zero balance. I would like to de-activate the phone that currently has yyy-yyy-yyyy and I understand that I will lose phone number yyy-yyy-yyyy.

Glad to hear it went well. Although I think some of the verbiage is superfluous. I'd have just said "I would like to combine the service balances for those two phones, putting the combined service on xxx-xxx-xxxx. Keeping phone number xxx-xxx-xxx". It's a given that when phone yyy-yyy-yyyy had its balances taken out, it will be deactivated.

[ultrawolf]

Glad to hear it went well. Although I think some of the verbiage is superfluous. I'd have just said "I would like to combine the service balances for those two phones, putting the combined service on xxx-xxx-xxxx. Keeping phone number xxx-xxx-xxx". It's a given that when phone yyy-yyy-yyyy had its balances taken out, it will be deactivated.

Thanks! I figured it wouldn't hurt to really spell out which phone loses its balance just in case the CSR is a bit frazzled.