Free Government Cell Phones

Lifeline phone service provides free cell phones to America's financially disadvantaged

Menu
  • Home
  • Do You Qualify?
  • How to get one?
  • States
  • Providers
  • Minutes
  • FAQ
  • News
  • Cheap Plans
  • Earn Money

Safelink Wireless’ Parent Company hit with Billion Dollar Fine

April 29, 2011

You may not be aware that Safelink Wireless/Tracfone are subsidiaries of a Mexican cell phone company named America Movil. It’s the world’s fourth largest cell phone company and the largest provider of wireless service in Latin America. It’s owned by the richest man in the world, Carlos Slim, worth about $74 billion. America Movil racked up $30 billion a year for him.

Slim may lose a billion dollars if the charges filed against him stick. AP reports:

Mexico’s anti-trust commission has hit billionaire Carlos Slim’s cellphone subsidiary with a 12 billion peso ($1 billion) fine, parent company America Movil announced.

The Federal Competition Commission said the cellphone subsidiary, Telcel, engaged in monopolistic practices associated with call terminations, America Movil said in a filing with the Mexican stock exchange late Friday.

The company said it is studying the fine and all options for appeal.

His businesses have been charged with monopolistic practices in the past.

Source: EarthLink – Business News.

Tagged as: Safelink Wireless, Tracfone

Want more news from Free Government Cell Phones?

Click here and we'll drop you a line when new articles are up.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Lisa fisher says

    March 28, 2021 at 8:18 am

    Hello listen to Carlos Slim I am calling on behalf of my son Jason Greiner and this is about your wonderful company SafeLink you’re probably making money off the poor because your representative from your company or rude and disrespectful and do not know how to be professional I know all about professionalism as I used to work for a lawyer who’s also my cousin so definitely I know how to be professional my son was rudely really disrespected he had called about an issue with one of your phones that he had and actually bought from you guys and the issue was resolved and he was transferring above heads because everyone has a boss and we will go all the way to the FCC with this and when he was transferred they said because of the behavior he was giving you would get a gift card of some sort but today my son called and again was transferring 5 or 6 times I was told he was not going to get a gift card or any kind of compensation because of the behavior total disrespectful Behavior he was given yesterday now you have to be able to do something professional about this because you can’t keep making money off the poor and uneducated people this is why I help my children know that everyone had their boss yes you do to you have to answer to someone to keep your company going or tell me something down and like I said my cousin is a very top well-known lawyer who had never lost a case I would like to be able to get some sort of reply from you of what can be done about this sincerely missing Lisa Fischer

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      March 28, 2021 at 2:33 pm

      Tiger Mom.

      Reply
  2. Omar isa says

    January 26, 2021 at 4:00 am

    Safelink was the best company who provided free phone under the lifeline program now its left million of people without the service who desperately need it I would love to see it back in action specially with the pandemic hitting USA harder than any nation on earth

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      January 26, 2021 at 5:16 am

      We are unaware of any changes to the Safelink program. What do you know that we don’t, Omar?

      Reply
  3. Debra Grosse says

    August 13, 2020 at 10:34 am

    APPARENTLY THIS IS TRUE!!! I’VE CALLED SAFELINK 4X’S ABOUT A PHONE I PURCHASED IN JUNE!!! IT WAS “SUPPOSED” TO BE A “NEW” PHONE!!! RECEIVED A “USED” PHONE WHICH BEING “SO CALLED BRAND NEW” IS A USED PHONE!!! THEY “STOLE” $139.00 FROM ME!!! DO NOT “EVER” PURCHASE A PHONE FROM THE “SAFELINK” SITE!!! TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE FROM BEING “RIPPED OFF!!!”

    Reply
  4. HYMAN WIEDER says

    February 10, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    THEY HAVE YOUR MINUTES,TEXT,DATA AS 0 & THIS IS THEIR UPDATE. YOU CAN CALL 100 PEOPLE THERE BUT TO NO AVAIL. DO THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK!

    Reply
  5. Kriss Caro says

    January 19, 2020 at 8:16 am

    they have stolen money from me twice now within just a few days span of time…. this new year 2020 January…..and they are shameless about it….while pretending politeness…..i am so angry..and i did NOT use good manners about it…they’re like f….ing robots….robbing the poor…

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      January 19, 2020 at 1:18 pm

      How did they do that, Kriss? Here’s an article that tells you how to file official complaints about your service:

      https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/faq/file-official-complaint-about-your-lifeline-service

      Reply
  6. Jessie Lewis says

    November 25, 2019 at 3:46 pm

    I would like to read the actual contract that allows Safelink to defraud the American People like they do. I believe it is fraudulent to stop giving phones to lifeline recipients without offering rebates for phone cost. The U.S. Government should withdraw any contract with safelink and sue for damages and repayment.

    Reply
  7. lynn says

    November 12, 2019 at 3:01 pm

    write the better business buearu.
    bbb
    get them shut down

    Reply
  8. Grandma S says

    March 27, 2019 at 8:31 am

    Safelink Wireless, a.k.a Tracfone Wireless, a.k.a AMERICA MOVIL is a giant corporation that is out to screw Americans using the government phone plan while it screws the American government who contracts and pays them for a phone service they barely provide.

    Safelink/Tracfone/America Movil’s “Customer Service” is NON-EXISTENT. It is staffed by a bunch of Pacific Asians with one day of training and ZERO English speaking ability! Their tech support is NON-EXISTENT. They are NOT providing what the US Gov’t pays them to provide. They cut off my phone service after TWO DAYS NOTICE- through a text! When, by contract THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO NOTIFY their SAFELINK CUSTOMERS AT LEAST 60 DAYS PRIOR THAT IT’S TIME TO RENEW/REACTIVATE THEIR ACCOUNT AND PHONE SERVICE!

    It took two days and six (6) different pass-offs to different employees just to get a Safelink employee who was actually intelligent enough to understand my problem – Regardless of her basic command of the English language, ‘Vanessa’ (fake name, I am sure) still refused to properly or honorably solve my phone re-activation issue. She instead extorted some money for minutes. Fake ‘Vanessa’ also tried to get me to give her my FULL social security number – this was AFTER I made it clear that I was going to fill out the account activation application by MAIL. [A good employee from a good company NEVER asks for a customer’s full SS number]

    Never, NEVER give ANY company or corporation your full Social Security number. Ever !
    Said with utter contempt and sarcasm: NICE EMPLOYEES YOU HAVE THERE, TRACFONE, I mean, SAFELINK, oops, I mean America Movil Corporation!
    What this company needs in a bad way is a class-action law suit. They need to learn that they CANNOT continue with their sleazy, shoddy, incompetent, and I strongly suspect ILLEGAL actions. The bigger they are, the harder they fall…………

    Reply
    • carol says

      April 8, 2019 at 2:02 pm

      Please call the FCC number for complaints..also your local state may have an agency for telecommunication complaints , in FL. it is the ” public service commission” also BBB

      Reply
  9. emily says

    January 29, 2019 at 5:46 pm

    SafeLink sucks. The people are stupid and are not trained AT ALL! They know nothing about the phones or the plans, the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. They are all a bunch of fucking idiots. Don’t waste your time. You will go berserk. Trust me. A BUNCH OF F**KING IDIOTS!

    Reply
    • carol says

      April 8, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      The “workers” are from the Philippines a country that has allowed the muslim terrorist training camps to proliferate , so what do you expect ! What is the term President Trump uses for these places ? Asshole countries ? Pretty damn accurate if you ask me. This is one of a dozen reasons Trump wants to fine the hell out of American companies who send work to other countries, not only do we lose jobs but the service is TERRIBLE to NONEXISTENT and when you threaten to call the FCC or any other govt. office to lodge a complaint.. they don’t care…they have no clue how America works.

      Reply
      • Free Government Cell Phones says

        April 9, 2019 at 12:09 pm

        If we’re not mistaken, Trump’s terminology was “shithole” countries, not “asshole” countries.

        Reply
  10. Tami Corona says

    September 26, 2018 at 11:51 am

    What can I do if my Safelink wireless account, an ‘Obama’ phone, gets shut off?

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      September 26, 2018 at 2:41 pm

      Renew it.

      Reply
  11. Shawn says

    July 27, 2018 at 6:15 pm

    Why is a us gov program not an American company?????. Let’s just call ourselves the United States of Mexico.mr president let change this I mean come on !!!!

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      July 28, 2018 at 7:14 am

      Absolutely! Right on! We’re behind you all the way, Shawn! (Actually, we don’t have the slightest clue what you’re talking about, but your enthusiasm is infectious.)

      Reply
      • Grandma S says

        March 27, 2019 at 8:48 am

        What Shawn is trying to say, in his awkward way, is that it ISN’T RIGHT that Americans getting the benefit of an ‘Obama’/ Gov’t phone are actually enriching a shoddy, scandalous company like the MEXICAN corporation, AMERICA MOVIL. The US government should contract with a US company – and enrich them! With that change, it would provide us poor folks with a better phone service. ANYTHING would be a better phone service than Safelink, Tracfone. Alvin and the Chipmunks could provide a better service than SL/TF! Dumb and Dumber could provide a better service….

        AND I AGREE WITH SHAWN 1000% !!!!!!!!!!!

        To hell w/ American Movil and their crappy quasi-criminal employees mining you for ID info, crappy tech support, sporadic service, and bad overall attitude towards customers.

        Reply
  12. jan says

    April 12, 2012 at 8:56 am

    i am a safelink customer and the service here where i live at is Horrible, you can’t use your phone if your in your house cause it does not pick up service, and if you leave out of the town limits you have no service at all. and the customer service is so bad you can’t understand anything they say, i always ask them can i talk to someone that know ‘s english please and i still get a non-English speaking person.

    Reply
  13. Claudia says

    April 30, 2011 at 12:32 am

    As I’m Living in Florida, I have not been aware of any shinanigans or monopolies that Tracfone has been related to and I have always found Tracfone to offer the lowest out of pocket cost for service compared to any other cell phone plan in the US and I’ve always experienced great coverage on my travels using myTracfone phone.
    It’s not just seniors who are getting government aid that need cell phones for emergency use but also seniors who are living on a small pension that also need a low cost phone for emergencies.
    This is why it was a no brainer for me to get my mom a special Tracfone for seniors which is hearing aid compatible with larger keys and letters which made dialing allot easier. This cell phone for seniors Tracfone Samsung T155G cost us $15 and the service only costs my mom $7/month.
    I think every senior should keep a Tracfone on them at all times.

    Reply
    • Tracie says

      June 6, 2011 at 7:37 pm

      Geez Claudi? Are you a tracfone stock holder??? An employee? tracfone retailer?
      All I can say is both Virgin and Att are cheaper prepaid options here in WA. and my exerience with Safelink, a governent supported tracphone program has been nightmarish.
      They stink!!! Horrible customer service if you speak english. Cheap, unusable phones!
      I’d say go ANY WHERE else.

      Reply
      • antag says

        November 7, 2011 at 7:07 am

        Claudia —– does that Safelink emergency service ithat you need include calls to international locations — or long distance for that matter and do you foresee the need toi send 911 a text message? Do you think they’ll call you back and leave a message on your voice mail. And do you think you’ll have 250 free minutes of emergencies every month (which you can carry over from month to month)? Bull.

        Reply
        • Lora says

          January 1, 2012 at 9:51 pm

          Your comment makes no sense to Me?
          I have no Idea who Claudia is but I 100% agree with her.
          I live in Florida and have never heard of any problems or had any with the Safelink phone I signed my mother up for.
          She is on a fixed income and instead of the lifeline discount on her home phone she now has a “free” Safelink phone which is a tracfone which i call her on long distance all the time. The coverage is GREAT!
          They have went out of there way to work with my mom in walking her through and setting up her phone because i could not be there to do it for her. Yes, just like any other company it is hard to get someone on the phone. But when we did they spoke plain and were very helpful.
          And no I do not work for them in any way and I am not a stock holder. Just believe it is a great product and recommend it to all the seniors i work with!
          My opinion and it is a great one! Happy New Year to all!

          Reply
Previous Post: Assurance Wireless Expands Lifeline Cell Phones Program to Arkansas
Next Post: Do taxpayers pay for free government cell phones?

Just tell me how to get a Phone!

Confused? Getting a phone is actually very simple. Click here to begin, read every word, and then simply follow the instructions.

Sign up for our Free Newsletter

Click to learn more...

Search this site

More Information

  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Readers' Questions
  • Help
  • Contact
  • About Us

Recent Articles

Q Link F ups continue: Company makes it easy to access private customer info

Were our readers right? Are free government cell phones hacked before they’re activated?

Crisis in free government cell phone program: Will new demands kill off service providers?

WTF? Assist Wireless screws up, exposes tens of thousands of customer IDs

Number of free government cell phone customers drops by two million in last three years

Leading industry analyst calls for universal broadband and free government cell phones for everyone who needs them

Sprint busted for Lifeline fraud, forced to pay $200 million penalty

92-year old vet battles Assurance Wireless for one year to get his free government cell phone turned on again

Man sues Safelink Wireless for cancelling his free government cell phone

Millionaires can get free government cell phones. Why can’t you?

Latest Reader Comments

  • Free Government Cell Phones on Q Link Wireless — Free Government Subsidized Cell Phones: “As you can see on our Safelink Page, the company clearly offers unlimited plans, but there’s a catch. If you…” Apr 15, 20:12
  • Michelle purvis miller on Q Link Wireless — Free Government Subsidized Cell Phones: “My husband had a lifeline phone we think it was through safelink. He had to pay $20 for it when…” Apr 15, 20:05
  • Free Government Cell Phones on Washington State Cell Phones for the Poor: “Yeah, if we had to guess, Kathi, I’d say we’re kind and helpful to 99% of all commenters. But every…” Apr 15, 19:44
  • Kathi Mattson on Washington State Cell Phones for the Poor: “Personally, I have an old Rugby flip phone made by Samsung that i have had for over 10 years with…” Apr 15, 19:42
  • Monica L Morehead on Q Link F ups continue: Company makes it easy to access private customer info: “Thank you for pointing out just a tiny bit of how messed up this company is. There is so much…” Apr 15, 19:39
  • Kathi Mattson on Washington State Cell Phones for the Poor: “omg I’m laughing my head off! the crazies are everywhere! It’s really easy to see there’s a point when enough…” Apr 15, 19:32
  • Free Government Cell Phones on How to file a Lifeline Service Complaint: “Time to switch service providers, Wendy. Here’s an article that tells you how to do it: https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/faq/how-do-i-switch-lifeline-providers” Apr 15, 07:53
  • Wendy Zahnd on How to file a Lifeline Service Complaint: “Me too. First Qlink sent an upgraded sim or supposedly and it wouldn’t work and then I had no phone…” Apr 15, 06:48
  • Free Government Cell Phones on Is any phone compatible with my free phone network?: “You need to contact your service provider’s customer service or tech support team.” Apr 15, 05:20
  • Karen Lasich on Is any phone compatible with my free phone network?: “I can’t get my government SIM card to work in a Samsung jv3 phone all it says is dialing” Apr 14, 21:21
Copyright 2019 FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net. | Privacy Policy | Contact