Need help replacing broken phone

[HardWird]

My mother broke here prepaid flip tracfone. I'll need to replace this for her. How do I go about this, and retain her Tracfone account, number, ect. It was an Alcatel Flip Pre-Paid phone, I took it apart and found a 'SIM' card inside.
I'll probably just go back to Walmart and pick up another Pre-Paid Tracfone.

I believe it is a 'Verizon' Tracfone.

What do I need to do to transfer her account, number ect to the new phone and what type of phone do I need to buy ? I'm assuming it will need to be able to use her original Sim Card ? Is it as easy as just installing the SIM Card into the new phone ?

Thanks...

[SlowLoris]

No, moving the sim card is not the way to do it. Some people have been fine when doing that, others have had their service shut down.

If you buy a new Tracfone, it will have a sim card in it. You can easily move the service from one phone to the other through her account, by clicking activate, keep my number, and following the prompts. The only issue is how broken is the phone? Will you be able to get a verification text message?

As far as which phone to buy, there are so many possibilities, you would have to give a little more criteria. I do recommend getting one that is bundled with a year's service.

[sillyette]

SlowLoris is right. Here's a bundle you could buy - https://www.hsn.com/products/tcl-alc...ntext/20492423 - you'll get a new flip phone along with one year's service.

If your mom's phone is too broken to receive a text message, you'll have to call Customer Service to transfer your mom's existing service to this new phone. They'll be able to send the verification code by email instead of by text.

[jet1000]

Here's the Walmart link to the replacement phone if you can't find it in your store:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tracfone-...one/1613901678

[AnciusD]

Same, via their ebay store:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284846014157

[HardWird]

No, moving the sim card is not the way to do it. Some people have been fine when doing that, others have had their service shut down.

If you buy a new Tracfone, it will have a sim card in it. You can easily move the service from one phone to the other through her account, by clicking activate, keep my number, and following the prompts. The only issue is how broken is the phone? Will you be able to get a verification text message?

As far as which phone to buy, there are so many possibilities, you would have to give a little more criteria. I do recommend getting one that is bundled with a year's service.

Thanks SL, I received a PM here from a TF rep who pretty much said the same. I guess it comes down to which phone to get. I'd like to pickup a smart phone style (open) as the flips are hard for her to open (arthritis).

I was looking at the 'Blue View 4' at WallyWorld for $29.00 US. Any othe suggestions would be appreciated.
It will only be used for phone calls by the way as she is not a user of internet, text, ect.

She already has the years service plan I just renewed in Oct. I purchase the cards at our supermarket and renew every year.

Thanks....

[HardWird]

SlowLoris is right. Here's a bundle you could buy - https://www.hsn.com/products/tcl-alc...ntext/20492423 - you'll get a new flip phone along with one year's service.

If your mom's phone is too broken to receive a text message, you'll have to call Customer Service to transfer your mom's existing service to this new phone. They'll be able to send the verification code by email instead of by text.

Thanks Sillyette, Yes it broke in half at the hing. So it turns on but can't read the screen. I will call CS and ask to transfer the account.


Question... Does the phone have to have a sim card ? Do they all have sims now ? Sorry not really up on all this.


I saw the 'Blue View 4' at Wally for $29.99 Tracfone has it on their website for the same price.

Here's the link....

https://www.tracfone.com/phone/blu-view-4

[HardWird]

Here's the Walmart link to the replacement phone if you can't find it in your store:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tracfone-...one/1613901678

Same, via their ebay store:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284846014157

Yes, thanks Jet and AD. I saw that as well at wally however do to her arthritis she has a hard time opening it. I think that may be the reason she eventually broke it. So I think an 'open' smart phone style would be easier for her to use. If you have ant suggestions such as the Blue View 4 please let me know. Again she will only be using it for phone calls.

[SlowLoris]

Thanks Sillyette, Yes it broke in half at the hing. So it turns on but can't read the screen. I will call CS and ask to transfer the account.


Question... Does the phone have to have a sim card ? Do they all have sims now ?

Yes, any Tracfone you purchase will come with a sim card. I believe it will already be inside the Blu View, but the packaging will include a red insert that will have the IMEI and sim card numbers.

When you contact customer service, they will still want to verify the account. Have you set up an online account with an email address that Tracfone can use? If you don't have an account, it will be much harder to verify. They will want the last 4 digits of a card associated with the number -- if you bought time cards in person, there won't be one, but the agent's system doesn't have an option for none. Plus they will want the three most frequently called numbers, but they don't say over what time frame. I have never been able to verify with those two questions.

If you don't have an email address already on the account, I think I would make an exception to my "never move a sim" rule. Do you have an old unlocked phone that you could use just for verification? If yes, I think I would move her current sim card into an unused old phone when you are starting the transfer process, just to get that text message from Tracfone.

[HardWird]

Yes, any Tracfone you purchase will come with a sim card. I believe it will already be inside the Blu View, but the packaging will include a red insert that will have the IMEI and sim card numbers.

When you contact customer service, they will still want to verify the account. Have you set up an online account with an email address that Tracfone can use? If you don't have an account, it will be much harder to verify. They will want the last 4 digits of a card associated with the number -- if you bought time cards in person, there won't be one, but the agent's system doesn't have an option for none. Plus they will want the three most frequently called numbers, but they don't say over what time frame. I have never been able to verify with those two questions.

If you don't have an email address already on the account, I think I would make an exception to my "never move a sim" rule. Do you have an old unlocked phone that you could use just for verification? If yes, I think I would move her current sim card into an unused old phone when you are starting the transfer process, just to get that text message from Tracfone.

Yes I do have an online account with an email address that Tracfone can use. However I do not have a Credit Card on file with them as I always bought my time cards from local stores and made no online purchases from Tracfone. Will this stop me from moving my mother's account over to the new phone ?

No I do not have an old phone to use. I do though have my phone which is on the same account/email at Tracfone. Will that work ?

I would hate to lose all mother's phone time and have to start over. I just renewed here one year term this Oct.

Any comments or opinions on this phone would be great. The reviews seem pretty good.


Tracfone BLU View 2, 32GB, Black- Prepaid Smartphone [Locked to Carrier-Tracfone]
(3.5)3.5 stars out of 319 reviews


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tracfone-...fone/105215108


Thank you

[kaZZoo]

If you’re not in a hurry, and can wait for delivery.


https://www.tracfone.com/phone/blu-view-2-reconditioned

[SlowLoris]

Yes I do have an online account with an email address that Tracfone can use. However I do not have a Credit Card on file with them as I always bought my time cards from local stores and made no online purchases from Tracfone. Will this stop me from moving my mother's account over to the new phone ?

No I do not have an old phone to use. I do though have my phone which is on the same account/email at Tracfone. Will that work ?

I would hate to lose all mother's phone time and have to start over. I just renewed here one year term this Oct.

Any comments or opinions on this phone would be great. The reviews seem pretty good.


Tracfone BLU View 2, 32GB, Black- Prepaid Smartphone [Locked to Carrier-Tracfone]
(3.5)3.5 stars out of 319 reviews


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tracfone-...fone/105215108


Thank you

As long as you have the email and another phone on the account, I don't think the agent will turn to the alternate methods of verification. One thing you might want to do is go into the account and add a security question. If you don't remember the PIN you set up, you can update that as well. They might ask those two things when verifying her line. And of course, you tell them that her screen is broken so you cannot receive a text on her device.

You won't lose her existing service and activating a new phone with a transfer is one thing that Tracfone does relatively smoothly.

Sorry, I can't help with advice on the phone. We are an iPhone family.

[PaulCrawhorne]

HSN deal on TCL My Flip 2 (Alcatel T408DL) best TF flip phone out there.

$40, less 15% coupon for first time customers

includes another full year of service added to her line

plus 1200 Min/Text plus $12 worth of Data

Unlocks after 60 days, works on all three networks

https://www.hsn.com/products/tcl-alc...ntext/20492423