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Different retailers, so it's not a repost. But this thread sucks as much as the Walmart one: There are no clear instructions on how to get the phone unlocked via a Tracfone plan for those of us who aren't familiar with the process.
Bought from Walmart online yesterday and picked up today. Also bought the TracFone 10$ 30min plan from TracFone ebay store.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
You are stronger and tougher than I am.
I congratulate you on getting this done. But I couldn't do it, at this point in life don't have the patience and might not be able to find the one aware, competent person you did.
I bought it from Walmart & it says "ships December 6th", so maybe 1st batch sold out...?
YMMV Check your order status. I ordered from Walmart today and it is already processing and should be shipped today. I also was given a December 6th date.
Last edited by Dealzcat November 27, 2023 at 10:51 AM.
Straight Talk is an MVNO I think? In the past if it's one that's used on the AT&T network I've been able to pop in a Cricket sim card and use it. Would it work on this?
Hmm, they use the phrase "America's largest most dependable network" on the Walmart version. I'm guessing that's using Verizon.
So you called TracFone to rebrand to TracFone and purchased plan from TracFone ?, is it the $10 plan ?
Bought from Walmart online yesterday and picked up today. Also bought the TracFone 10$ 30min plan from TracFone ebay store.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
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DO NOT BUY the Pixel 6a. I had nothing but trouble, poor reception, GPS loss/inaccuracy. Biggest mistake buying this, I expected much more from my first Pixel phone.
Bought from Walmart online yesterday and picked up today. Also bought the TracFone 10$ 30min plan from TracFone ebay store.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
You are stronger and tougher than I am.
I congratulate you on getting this done. But I couldn't do it, at this point in life don't have the patience and might not be able to find the one aware, competent person you did.
Bought from Walmart online yesterday and picked up today. Also bought the TracFone 10$ 30min plan from TracFone ebay store.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
Have to be really desperate to go this far, kudos but this make me think it's not going to be easy as expected.
DO NOT BUY the Pixel 6a. I had nothing but trouble, poor reception, GPS loss/inaccuracy. Biggest mistake buying this, I expected much more from my first Pixel phone.
Ok. I'm curious.
I know some phones have (or had) different variants of the same phone in the past. Like an ATT version or Verizon of, say, a Moto Z2F or iPhone. Or there are versions with dual sim capability.
Is this still a thing? Is CDMA and GSM still used for new cell phones or are we past that? I just remember in the past some variants, the cheaper ones, getting poor reception because they are missing at least one band that the carrier uses and it made a huge impact, even if they had all the other bands.
Straight Talk has a $15 per month plan. Still unclear if you need to have things active for 60 days or just do one month to get a number and then wait for 60 days. Is $100+$30 for a new Pixel 6a a deal?
Bought from Walmart online yesterday and picked up today. Also bought the TracFone 10$ 30min plan from TracFone ebay store.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
Wow.
Somewhat of a tangent, but also mildly related story:
Way back in the day, 2008-2010 ish, our local Target would offload NEW items to Goodwill on a regular basis. Sometimes just the seasonal stuff that didn't sell, but occasionally it was decent stuff. HD DVD's, Video games, CD's, phones, health items, etc.
I grabbed a Virgin Mobile candybar phone for like $20, retailed for $80. Problem was, I couldn't get it to activate (because it had to be registered at POS). I did swing over to Target and asked if they could help, ultimately met with hostility. "How do you know WE (target) donated that to goodwill?!" Which my response was "There as a lot of stuff from target there and the packaging for the phone said "For Sale Exclusively at Target".
After following a MOD around for a bit, I was told "nope, can't do anything for you". I did swing by electronics to ask there, but was instantly told "no". Fairly sure the MOD sent a radio message out to not help me out.
Never got the phone unlocked, but there were some games on it which provided me with hours of entertainment.
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Nov 27, 2023 9:24 PM
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The people complaining about Straight talk I believe they are the ones who tried abusing a loophole in the ordering process with the Apple SE phone. Ignore them. I ordered the Apple SE like a civilized person (after they placed their orders... I was late to the deal) and Straight talk shipped out my order quickly.
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Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
I congratulate you on getting this done. But I couldn't do it, at this point in life don't have the patience and might not be able to find the one aware, competent person you did.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!
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I checked again, nothing is on the top or bottom 😂
Hmm, they use the phrase "America's largest most dependable network" on the Walmart version. I'm guessing that's using Verizon.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
I congratulate you on getting this done. But I couldn't do it, at this point in life don't have the patience and might not be able to find the one aware, competent person you did.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
I know some phones have (or had) different variants of the same phone in the past. Like an ATT version or Verizon of, say, a Moto Z2F or iPhone. Or there are versions with dual sim capability.
Is this still a thing? Is CDMA and GSM still used for new cell phones or are we past that? I just remember in the past some variants, the cheaper ones, getting poor reception because they are missing at least one band that the carrier uses and it made a huge impact, even if they had all the other bands.
Failed activation today after pickup and TracFone CS said take it back to Walmart and ask them to tie the purchase to the receipt. They didn't scan it correctly and hence it's not showing in their system.
So I went back to the store and the guy at CS desk had no idea. But the guy at electronic desk knew the problem. But he said he cannot fix it and CS needs to fix it.
Tried to return the phone and the CS said they don't accept phone reruns at that particular store because they had one explode and I can go to some other Walmart.
I then called the store next closest to me and the lady at the electronic desk knew exactly the problem and solution. I went to that store and she was able to do the return without receipt and rebuy and scan the codes correctly.
Then I tried online activation on TracFone website and thst still didn't work.
So I chatted with TracFone CS and they were able to confirm the phone is now good and then help me activate the plan I bought online.
The online plan gives you a PIN that I gave to CS.
They didn't mention anything about rebrand and neither did I.
Somewhat of a tangent, but also mildly related story:
Way back in the day, 2008-2010 ish, our local Target would offload NEW items to Goodwill on a regular basis. Sometimes just the seasonal stuff that didn't sell, but occasionally it was decent stuff. HD DVD's, Video games, CD's, phones, health items, etc.
I grabbed a Virgin Mobile candybar phone for like $20, retailed for $80. Problem was, I couldn't get it to activate (because it had to be registered at POS). I did swing over to Target and asked if they could help, ultimately met with hostility. "How do you know WE (target) donated that to goodwill?!" Which my response was "There as a lot of stuff from target there and the packaging for the phone said "For Sale Exclusively at Target".
After following a MOD around for a bit, I was told "nope, can't do anything for you". I did swing by electronics to ask there, but was instantly told "no". Fairly sure the MOD sent a radio message out to not help me out.
Never got the phone unlocked, but there were some games on it which provided me with hours of entertainment.
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Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!