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.
Jessie Lewis says
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.
lynn says
write the better business buearu.
bbb
get them shut down
Grandma S says
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…………
carol says
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
emily says
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!
carol says
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.
Free Government Cell Phones says
If we’re not mistaken, Trump’s terminology was “shithole” countries, not “asshole” countries.
Tami Corona says
What can I do if my Safelink wireless account, an ‘Obama’ phone, gets shut off?
Free Government Cell Phones says
Renew it.
Shawn says
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 !!!!
Free Government Cell Phones says
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.)
Grandma S says
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.
jan says
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.
Claudia says
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.
Tracie says
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.
antag says
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.
Lora says
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!