How to Get Help For Tracfone Problems

If you Have Questions or Problems with your Tracfone Cell Phone, Here is How to Get Help

While being a Tracfone customer, I have had various problems over the years. Sometimes the problems I need help with are very simple and easy to answer, other times they can be very technical or challenging problems.

I had a Motorola W376G that I dropped once too many times, and had to get replaced. I was overcharged for a purchase i made, and needed to get refunded (which I was). Another time, when setting up a Family Value Plan, I had some questions about how it would work.

It is likely that at some point, you might need some questions answered or need some help with your Tracfone prepaid cell phone. Which is one of the reasons de9w2dsl exists, to help get questions answered, and get you the best deals for your money.

But, because we are in no way affiliated with Tracfone, we can't offer help on specific problems, such as transferring a phone number, or getting a new sim card.

What Can You Do If You Need Help with Your Tracfone?

Well, there are some good resources available to you, in fact, you could check out our previous post on Resources for Technical Questions About Tracfone to get started.

In that post, we highlighted several methods of getting help with questions or problems. Two good ways to get help were simply calling the Tracfone customer help line, and contacting them through an online form on their website, under 'contact us'.

Besides emailing Tracfone your problem, or calling them via their customer service number (which can sometimes take a while and be slightly frustrating) there is another option for getting questions answered and finding help that may be useful  for you.

Get questions answered and help with problems at the official Tracfone forums, where you can register, and post questions or comments on various topics. They have dedicated forum moderators who try to answer, or offer assistance to problems and questions posted there.

This is more useful if you have a problem that can only be fixed by a Tracfone customer service rep. And they don't always make thing simple or easy, but it is another way to get help if you have a problem with your phone.

Of course, you can always post a comment here with any questions you might have!

Tracfone Review - Samsung S425G

A 3G Slider Phone from Tracfone with Triple Minutes

The Samsung S425G has a sliding full QWERTY keyboard making texting and typing fast and easy.

Samsung S425G

This phone is also 3G capable, meaning that surfing the web is faster, as well as better coverage compared to older, 2G mobile phones.

As a GSM phone, the Samsung S425G primarily uses AT&T's 3G network, sometimes falling back on the 2G if coverage is unavailable. Be sure to check that you have good service for GSM in your area before purchasing this phone.

While this cell phone is also available through Net10 and StraightTalk, this review will be based on Tracfone's version of this handheld device

Now, lets look at the full list of features for this impressive mobile phone.

Samsung S425G Features and Specs

This phone comes with a lot of convenient features while maintaining good durability and battery life. The Features include:

• Triple Minutes for Life
• Full QWERTY Sliding Keyboard
• 2 Megapixel Camera and Video Recorder
• Mobile Web
• 3G Capable
• Bluetooth Wireless Technology
• MP3 Player (MicroSD card not included)
• Hands Free Speaker
• Voice Command and Voice/Sound Recorder
• Alarm Clock
• 1000 Entry Phonebook
• Voicemail, Call Waiting and Caller ID
• Battery Standby time of 12.5 days, Talk Time 6 hours
• Hearing Aid Compatible

Likes and Dislikes for the Samsung S425G

Beginning with the Likes:

The Samsung S425G comes with some really nice features that make it a very good prepaid mobile phone.

The QWERTY keyboard, MP3 Player and Triple Minutes for Life are just three of the many features that stand out on this phone.

The Sliding full QWERTY makes for fast texting, even faster than those experienced with T9. And when you complete your text, simply slide it closed and the phone becomes nice and compact, covering the keyboard. Texting with a full keyboard is very easy to get used to, and also convenient for anyone with little or no texting experience.

Another big Like about the Samsung S425G is the MP3 Player. It is sleek and improved from older Samsung phones, and allows users to load, and play music on the phone. To load the music, you will need to buy a MicroSD card(up to 32GB) separably, but they are pretty inexpensive. Read our guide on How to Play MP3's On Tracfone cell phones to learn more about that.

As with most newer phones from Tracfone, the Samsung S425G comes with Triple Minutes for Life. This means that for every minute you buy, you get 2 extra for free. This, by itself, is a big reason why many people are upgrading their older phones to this and other newer phones from Tracfone like the LG 840G and Samsung S390G.

Finally, several other features that are worth mentioning include the 2MP camera which is nothing fancy, but very adequate, the 3G capability, and the very long battery life.

Just how long is the battery life? Well lets compare it to the LG 500G which advertises 9 days on standby, 3.5 less than the Samsung S425G, and from our testing the LG 500G easily goes a week with minimal use, and 4-5 days with normal daily texting, calling, and music listening. Based on this, the Samsung S425G could easily go a week or more with one charge and normal use. Very handy to have a phone with long battery life!

Now, let's look at a few Dislikes: 

While this is a very good Tracfone, don't try to compare it with smartphones from other carriers. It is a simple phone for basic uses such as calling, texting, and minor web browsing. The extra features it comes with(mentioned above) are very nice, but can't really compare with modern smartphones. If you are looking for a smartphone, you will have to spend (much) more money, and look somewhere other than Tracfone.

With that said, the only other dislike have to do with how the phone charges your minutes.

When surfing the web on the mobile browser, you are charged based on the number of kilobytes/megabytes downloaded. So as long as you visit webpages that are relatively light graphics-wise, it won't cost very much. But visit a graphics-heavy site, and you might burn through 10 unites of airtime in a minute or two.

Another dislike for the Samsung S425G is the MMS picture messaging. It appears to cost 5 to 10 unites for one MMS message when it used to cost about 1 unit. This may be a bug, and Tracfone may have fixed it, so post feedback on this in the comments if it still exists.

Overall Opinion of the Samsung S425G from Tracfone

This phone has great call quality, very good durability, extremely long battery life and triple minutes, making it a really good buy for anyone interested in a sliding, full QWERTY phone.

de9w2dsl gives the Samsung S425G a high rating because of its overall solid performance and features. And while some might not be interested in buying this phone because, let's face it, a sliding keyboard isn't for everyone, it is a fine option when looking to buy a Tracfone.

The Samsung S425G typically sells for $59.99 in stores/online. Sometimes, the Samsung S425G can be found on Amazon at a reduced price, but this doesn't always last for long.

Interested in more Tracfone cell phone reviews? Visit our Cell Phone Reviews Page and see some of the other great options available. You might also find our recent post covering the Difference between GSM and CDMA Tracfone cell phones interesting.

How to Put Free Games on Your LG 500G

Get Free Java Games for Your LG 500G

LG 500G Games

Looking for some entertainment while waiting in line, sitting at a bus stop or any other place when you have nothing to do? Why not play a game on your LG 500G?

The LG 500G from Tracfone comes with two mediocre games pre-installed, but how can you add more games to your phone for free? It's very easy to do, just follow the steps below!

Note: This is for the LG 500G, and while these steps may work for other phones, the games themselves will probably not function properly. So try searching for games for your specific phone on Google, or check back in the future.

How to Add Games to Your LG 500G

Adding java based games to your LG500G is easy to do. Before you begin, you will need a MicroSD card that you can connect to your phone. Check out our previous post, How to Put MP3's on Your Tracfone, to learn more about what MicroSD card to use, and where it is located on the LG 500G.

Now we are ready to get some games:

Step 1 - Go to http://www.mobilerated.com/lg-lg500g-games.html and browse the games available there.

Step 2 - Download any and all games that look interesting. They have quite a range of games from puzzle games, to Tetris like games. Racing games and even hunting games. So find the ones that look fun to you.

Step 3 - Find the games you just downloaded, probably in your Downloads Folder, and move them to the "Games" folder on your MicroSD card. (which you should connect to your computer, if you haven't already). If your card doesn't already have a games folder, you can create one.

Step 4 - Put the MicroSD card back in your phone, If you don't know where it goes, refer to the picture.


Step 5 - On your phone, go to "Menu" then "My Folder" and then "Memory Card" and finally "Games".

Step 6 - Select which ever game you want to play, and allow it to install. It only needs to install once, after that you can find it in your "Games and Apps" location in the Menu. It may ask if you trust the game, or if you really want to install the game, and just hit 'yes'.

Step 7 - Once the game is installed, start it, play, and enjoy!

In our experience, not every game downloaded from Mobile Rated works. A few had errors for various reasons. So if this happens, don'r worry about it, just try another game.

Also, there are lots of other websites that provide free java games, but just be careful and make sure you trust the website before downloading things.

Got more questions? Ask 'em below in the comments are see our post about More Resources for Questions

What Makes Tracfone One of the Best Prepaid Cell Phone Companies?

What Makes Tracfone a Good Prepaid Mobile Phone Company?

There are plenty of prepaid cell phone service providers in the US to choose from. Companies like MetroPCS and Straight Talk. But what is it that sets Tracfone apart, and makes them the most popular?

1. Tracfone Was One of the First

Tracfone has been around since 1996, although under a different name, and since 2000 under their current name. While this might not seem like much time, only 13 years, it is longer than most other prepaid mobile phone companies. 

In fact, Tracfone has been around long enough to create its own spin off companies, such as Net10 and Straight Talk. 

In the end, Tracfone's relatively long life gives it an edge on the competition both in the way that consumers are more aware of the brand, and in experience gained over the last decade.

2. Tracfone Offers Flexibility

When buying airtime for a Tracfone cell phone, there are plenty of options to suit the majority of consumers. Need only a small number of minutes and 90 days of service? They've got that covered for $20. Want a lot more airtime? Options are available. 

Don't want to be worried about buying airtime for your phone each time you run low? Sign up for their monthly value plan. 

As you can see, there are more than enough options for customers to choose from. This has made Tracfone stand out to a very wide variety of people, from the average cell phone user, to those who just need a backup phone.

With this flexibility, Tracfone still manages to keep costs low.

3. Tracfone Keeps Their Prices Very Low

One of the biggest reasons, if not the biggest reason, why Tracfone is one of the best prepaid cell phone companies, is its very low costs.

If you were to buy a cell phone and service contract from a major cell phone provider  it would not only cost you hundreds initially, it would cost you close to a hundred dollars every month! 

Not so with Tracfone. A cell phone and airtime card can be purchased for around $30 total, and better phones only cost as much as $50. 

Airtime prices tend to give you more for your money the higher value you buy. For example, Buying a 450 minute card is cheaper per minute compared to a 60 minute card,

And the Family Value Plan is one of the cheapest options by far! 

So, what can be learned from Tracfone's success in this? They are a company that understand what customers want, and they try to give it to them.

Go check out our reviews of Tracfone cell phones to learn more about the options available.