What the hell happened to ReachOut Wireless? The company, which we once ranked as the third largest free government cell phone company, has seen its Lifeline Assistance income plummet in the last three years and, according to our sources and contacts from several of our readers, it is no longer enrolling new customers in the Lifeline cell phone program.
As we’ve noted several times in the last few months, the free government cell phone sections (“Lifeline” sections) of the company’s website have been “Under construction” for months now. If you attempt to go to one of those pages, here’s what you see:
How, we wondered, could a company allow its website to be under construction for so long. Doesn’t it depend on that website for a huge percentage of its business? We decided to find out what was going on.
As we said above, a source revealed to us that ReachOut Wireless was no longer enrolling any new Lifeline Assistance customers. What is our source? None other than ReachOut Wireless itself, which would seem to be a good indication that the source is unimpeachable.
When we could get nothing but “Under construction” screens from ReachOut, we resorted to a bit of deception and clicked on the “Live Online Support” button on the company’s website. After asking a few questions, the support person revealed that ReachOut has exited the Lifeline Assistance business.
Here’s a screen capture of that online chat:
There you have it. One of the company’s representatives definitively states that ReachOut is no longer accepting new customers in the free government cell phone program. Seems conclusive, doesn’t it?
Charting ReachOut Wireless’ rise and fall
An entire industry was created in August, 2008 when Safelink Wireless gave away the first free government cell phone in Tennessee. Other entrepreneurs noted Safelink’s success and formed competitive companies as quickly as they could.
ReachOut Wireless was one of those companies. It tapped into this growing market and rapidly established itself as one of the industry’s leaders.
As you can see on the chart below, it rocketed from estimated* (as tracked by USAC.org) income of $6.6 million in 2009 to estimated* income of nearly $135 million in 2012. The company grew 526% in 2010, by another 119% 2011, and by another 49% in 2012.
* Estimates based on latest USAC breakdown of income per company. Source: USAC.org
Unfortunately, a chart of ReachOut’s free government cell phone income since 2012 looks like the downhill ski ramp at the winter Olympics.
ReachOut’s free government cell phone income in August 2015 was $1,586,276 compared to $6,587,185 in the same month a year earlier. We estimate that ReachOut had 170,000 customers last month compared to an estimate of 710,000 customers a year ago.
We wish we could say we’re surprised, but considering the remarkably poor way in which ReachOut has conducted itself with this website, we’re not surprised. Not at all.
FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net springs to life
FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net sprang to life to cover this growing industry in April, 2011.
Our goal since day one has been to promote the Lifeline Assistance program and the companies within that industry. One of the first articles we wrote was an overview and ranking of all the competitors. At that time we ranked ReachOut as the third largest competitor right behind Safelink Wireless and Assurance Wireless.
This website was an immediate success and spawned many competitors (most of whom came and went before anyone even knew they existed). Here we are more than four years later and we’re still — by far — the nation’s leading website dedicated to this industry.
We’ve established excellent working relationships with most of the large free government cell phone companies. They follow our readers’ comments and some use our comments section to respond to reader questions, comments and complaints. They realize that FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net is the best friend the Lifeline Assistance industry has ever had and treat us as a friend and ally. They respect us even when our readers register their complaints or when we editorialize against actions they may have taken.
ReachOut was among the companies that contacted us.
Our first contact with ReachOut
On September 24, 2012 we received the following email from ReachOut:
My name is Jeff ******, and I work on the customer compliance team for Nexus Communications d/b/a Reachout Wireless. We have been attempting to improve our customer service as well as our public image and have noticed that there is a sizable amount of our customers complaining on your website. We would like to address their concerns personally, would it be possible for you to provide us with the email addresses of the customers concerned?
We also have an email address you may want to add to our contact information. Our customers can send us questions and concerns directly to feedback@reachoutwireless.com, and we will address them as quickly as possible. Also, I noticed that in the FAQ section of your site you provide information on Assurance and Safelink’s plans. We would appreciate it if you were to include Reachout’s information as well, is there someone we should provide that information to directly?
Please get back with me as soon as you are able, as we would like to address these matters as quickly as possible. Thank you,
Jeff *******
Assistant Project Manager Nexus Communications, Inc.
Since our entire raison d’être is to help needy Americans reap the benefits of the Lifeline Assistance free government cell phone program, we were eager to do whatever we could for ReachOut. The company’s request was not unusual. We are the largest website dedicated to this subject so it’s not unusual for companies to reach out (you’ll pardon the expression) to us.
We immediately replied to ReachOut’s email and told them that while we could not give them the email addresses of our readers (and their dissatisfied customers) for privacy reasons, we gladly added the company’s feedback@reachoutwireless.com contact information to its listing on our website.
Here’s a copy of that email.
Hello Jeff,
I’d be happy to place your customer service address on the page for you. As for sending you the emails of the commenters, of course I can’t do that for privacy reasons.
If you could send me your current plan details, the same type of information we have put up for Safelink and Assurance, I’ll put a page up for your company as well.
Thank you,
Mark Henry
We fully expected that this would be the first of many friendly contacts between FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net and ReachOut Wireless.
How wrong we were. Something — certainly nothing we did — went wrong at ReachOut. And if the company conducts itself with the rest of the world in the same Jekyll and Hyde manner in which it has dealt with FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net, we can’t say we’re surprised by the downward trajectory of its business.
Our second contact with ReachOut Wireless
In late April, 2013, just seven months after receiving that positive email from one ReachOut executive, we received a threatening letter the ReachOut’s heavyweight law firm. The firm has offices in Anchorage, Bellevue, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. One of the firm’s area’s of specialization is the Lifeline Assistance free government cell phone program. It is so involved in representing free government cell phone companies that it operates a website specializing in Lifeline law. Oddly enough, it is a site we often cite in articles about the free government cell phone industry.
To be blunt, ReachOut Wireless used its heavyweight law firm in an attempt to muscle FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net into submission.
The problem was that neither ReachOut nor its law firm knew what they were talking about.
Here’s a copy of that threatening letter:
I represent Nexus Communications, Inc. (“Nexus”), which provides Lifeline wireless phone service under the brand ReachOut Wireless. My client has invested considerable time, energy, and money to establish its ReachOut Wireless brand, provide excellent service to subscribers, and maintain the official ReachOut Wireless website, where potential subscribers can receive accurate information about ReachOut Wireless and Lifeline.
We have learned that through your website, www.freegovernmentcellphones.net you are disseminating inaccurate information about both ReachOut Wireless and the Lifeline program, including but not limited to false “reviews” of ReachOut Wireless and fake responses from “ReachOut Wireless Customer Compliance,” directing customers to the email address feedback@reachoutwireless.com.
This needs to stop immediately.
By presenting a website that uses the ReachOut Wireless brand and purports to provide responses from ReachOut Wireless staff to subscriber’s questions, you are likely to cause consumer confusion regarding the source of your website, and will likely cause consumers to mistakenly think that Nexus is affiliated with your website, when it is not. Creating such potential for confusion in the marketplace is a violation of trademark law, and is grounds for a lawsuit against you.
By presenting false reviews of the ReachOut Wireless, you are also interfering with Nexus’ relationships with existing and potential subscribers, and denying Nexus economic advantages of those relationships. That injures Nexus, and is grounds for a lawsuit against you.
By maintaining and promoting your website while engaging in the above conduct, you are also in violation California Business and Professions Code § 17200, which prohibits “unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue or misleading advertising.”
Given all of the above, Nexus insists that you immediately and permanently remove all references to Nexus and ReachOut Wireless from your website by Friday, May 3, 2013. If you do that, Nexus will take no further action.
If you fail to comply, my client reserves its right to take the actions it deems necessary to protect the reputation, trademarks, and opportunities of its business including bringing a lawsuit against you requesting an immediate injunction, triple damages for your willful infringement, and recovery of Nexus’ attorneys’ fees.
This letter is sent without prejudice to any rights and remedies which Nexus Communications, Inc. may have, all of which are expressly reserved herein.
Very truly yours,
It was signed, of course, by an intimidating, high-powered attorney at the intimidating, high-powered law firm.
We felt like Faye Dunaway in China Town when Jack Nicholson started slapping her around to get information:
“ReachOut loves us. ReachOut hates us. ReachOut loves us. ReachOut hates us. Loves us. Hates us. Loves us. Hates us…”
There were only two problems with the high-powered law firm’s intimidating letter. (1) Nothing they accused us of was true, and (2) ReachOut’s right hand clearly didn’t know what its left hand was doing.
We ignored the high-powered, intimidating law firm, but on June 24, 2013 we sent the following email to the three executives who sent or had been copied on ReachOut’s original email to us:
To: Jeff *******
cc: Bo ******, Keegan ******On September 24, 2012, you emailed FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net, and as a member of the Nexus Customer Compliance team, asked that we place the ReachOut Wireless customer service email address, feedback@reachoutwireless.com, on our Reachout Wireless reviews page. We were happy to oblige.
In October 2012, Reachout Wireless began posting comments on that page in response to negative comments from current and former ReachOut customers. Dozens of those responses were posted through April 2013. We assumed they really came from ReachOut Wireless since they were positive, generally offered to help solve customer problems, and had your correct customer service email address.
Although no website can verify each and every comment with 100% certainty, and has no obligation to do so, we did some due diligence to make sure they really came from ReachOut Wireless. Each of these comments has the same IP address (**.**.102.13), and that IP address resolves to Columbus, Ohio. We found that the Nexus Customer Compliance office is also located in Columbus. We still have all these comments and IP addresses on file. Given the IP address matched up, that you had contemporaneously requested that we place ReachOut’s customer service email address on the page, and that ReachOut’s comments consisted of polite offers to help resolve customer issues and provided the correct email address for contact, we believed (and, indeed, still believe) that they were from Nexus/ReachOut Wireless.
Now let’s get to the reason I’m contacting you today: We recently received a letter from **** ******** of the law office of *************, accusing us of creating the comments from ReachOut Wireless ourselves. We realize that it’s not uncommon in large corporations that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. So may I suggest that you send a copy of this email, and a copy of your September 24, 2013 email to FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net, to Mr. ******** so that ReachOut’s lawyers understand what ReachOut’s Customer Compliance department is doing.
In addition to making that false accusation, they also accused us of creating “false reviews” (that’s legalese for negative comments from dissatisfied ReachOut customers). I assure you that the comments are all entered by real visitors to our website. With approximately 10,000 visitors a day, FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net gets far too many comments as it is. We have neither the time, energy or such a lack of grasp on the English language to make up the comments that are left on our site. In fact, we have deleted a number of comments that we felt were too negative and used language that we found objectionable.
Fact is, we have absolutely no reason to create negative comments about companies we are promoting, and who offer a service that we fully support. If we wanted to create false reviews, it would make far more sense for us to write positive comments that encourage more people to use ReachOut Wireless. Obviously, that would generate far more traffic for our site. In other words, positive reviews would help our website, not negative ones. The entire notion is completely absurd.
As I’m sure you know, no one supports the LifeLine Assistance program nor does more to drive business to ReachOut Wireless than we do. In the spirit of cooperation, we would suggest that it would be far more beneficial to ReachOut Wireless if your advertising and public relations people contacted us rather than your attorneys.
Guess what?
Since that date, we have had zero communication with ReachOut and its intimidating attorneys. Not an email. Not a letter. Not a phone call. Not a smoke signal. Nothing.
We are tempted to say that they’ve gone mute, but that is not technically true, because the company stomped its feet like a spoiled child and placed this message on its home page:
“We are not affiliated with: www.freegovernmentcellphones.net or obamaphone.net”
We’re not sure what ReachOut thinks it’s accomplishing with that statement. Were we supposed to feel some sort of guilt for covering ReachOut and the rest of the Lifeline Assistance industry honestly? Does ReachOut really think consumers were are so dimwitted that they might think a website that runs opinions that critical of ReachOut might also be perversely affiliated somehow with ReachOut?
We shook our heads in bewilderment and laughed at the addition of that statement to ReachOut’s homepage, because we believe it actually promotes our website and accomplishes the opposite of what ReachOut intended to accomplish by posting it.
For that reason, we never complained to ReachOut nor even commented on the statement. But now that ReachOut has become such an insignificant player in the Lifeline Assistance business, we take a bit of pleasure in revealing our opinion of the company’s inane tantrum.
But that was just the beginning of the hilarity surrounding ReachOut’s “We are not affiliated…” message.
At the time, obamaphone.net, while cleverly designed to look like an official, unaffiliated “Obama phone” website, was actually directing interested parties over to a company named qLink, which is one of ReachOut’s direct competitors. And today, even worse, keying in Obamaphone.net in your browser will immediately redirect you right to qLink. Oddly enough, no one at ReachOut seems to be aware of this error.
In other words, ReachOut screwed up twice by posting that disclaimer. First, it gave our website promotional “ink” we otherwise wouldn’t have received. Second, and even worse, it inadvertently (and stupidly, some might say) promoted a direct competitor.
Genius. Pure, unadulterated genius.
Where are the people now who sent us the email then?
Remember our initial premise. We launched this website to help promote the Lifeline Assistance free government cell phone program and the companies that compete in that industry.
When we received the initial contact email from Jeff *******, we were happy to be able to help and to establish a closer relationship with one of the industry’s leading companies. We assumed that the letter had been sent by a bright, aggressive, young executive who was going places in the world.
So we wondered what happened to Jeff, who sent the initial email, and Bo and Keegan, the two co-workers who had been copied on the initial email from ReachOut. Have they been promoted? Have they prospered? Has senior management recognized their creative potential and rewarded them with greater responsibilities within the ReachOut empire?
It doesn’t look like it. As far as we can tell from LinkedIn listings and newspaper articles, we believe that this is the fate of the three young men who tried to do the right thing for their employer:
- Jeff appears to now be an aspiring stand-up comic.
- Bo appears to be an aspiring actor/model and lead singer/guitarist in a rock band
- Keegan appears to be attending law school.
We know nothing about Jeff, Bo, and Keegan (last names withheld to protect the innocent) except that they attempted to strike up a relationship with a website that could have been of great benefit to their employer.
We don’t know why they left ReachOut. But we do know that, in our humble opinion, these three are probably better off attempting to do something new and creative with their lives than they would have been had they attempted to build a career with a shortsighted company like ReachOut.
Let us know if you need any help, guys. FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net will give you whatever help we can.
ReachOut’s record with customers
ReachOut is owned by a Columbus, Ohio-based company named Nexus Communications. It looks as if the geniuses running ReachOut/Nexus have problems far larger than the comments left by their unhappy customers at FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net. Problems, that is, with a major consumer affairs watchdog.
We looked up Nexus’ rating at the Better Business Bureau and it is not good. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine a company being rated any worse than Nexus.
Nexus has had 430 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years and 98 of those occurred in last 12 months.
| Complaint Type | Total Closed Complaints |
|---|---|
| Advertising/Sales Issues | 9 |
| Billing/Collection Issues | 26 |
| Delivery Issues | 53 |
| Guarantee/Warranty Issues | 0 |
| Problems with Product/Service | 342 |
| Total Closed Complaints | 430 |
Yes, you’re reading that chart correctly? ReachOut/Nexus has had 430 complaints closed in the last three years. FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net, in contrast, has had one complaint in the last three years. It came from the company that had provided such horrible service that 430 customers felt compelled to report it to the Better Business Bureau.
You can go to the BBB website and read the complaints for yourself. Then, just for fun, you might want to visit ReachOut’s page here at FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net. Perhaps it mere coincidence, but the complaints you’ll find on both websites sound remarkably similar. They paint a picture of a company that provides faulty products, inferior service, and doesn’t seem to care what its customers have to say.
Perhaps that explains why ReachOut’s Lifeline Assistance business has fallen off a cliff.
In the words of Jim Morrison, “This is the end”
We’re not fortune tellers. No one knows what the future holds. Will ReachOut Wireless turn its fortunes around and prosper once again? Will they segue into a completely different business and rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of the free government cell phone program?
Perhaps Jim Morrison and the Doors expressed it best in their 1967 hit titled “This is the End”.
This the end, beautiful friend
This is the end, my only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I’ll never look into your eyes, again
Only time will tell. But there is one thing we know. ReachOut Wireless would be in far better shape today if they had worked with us instead of against us.
Note: If representatives of ReachOut Wireless, its parent, Nexus, its high-powered intimidating law firm, or any other interested parties feel we have made any errors in this article, they are invited to respond with their versions of the facts.
Deborah Maynard says
I have had one of your dumb phones for about 2 years and it dosnt work right I wish I could buy another phone from meijers please let me know if I can buy a phone that you will pay for the minutes a flip phone is what I want
do you guys have them if so please send me I will be disabled for the rest of my life .
Free Government Cell Phones says
First, you haven’t had one of “our” phones because this website is not operated by your service provider (nor any other service provider, for that matter). You need to contact that company to solve your problem.
Mary Peterson says
It’s been my experience in dealing with at least four-five of the top lifeline free government phone/plans companies that none of them have any customer service, and none of them act like they know what they are doing. I think what has happened is that those persons/companies that ended up in the lifeline business were awarded those contracts by crooked politicians as rewards for campaign contributions at some time. And these degenerate businessmen had no idea how to run a cellular company, etc. But they tried to do so anyway, as they were probably getting taxpayer money to do so. So for their customer service department they all hired the same nimrod from India whose office is in a closet in his mother’s bedroom. And their lifeline business was off and running. I believe this to be true, and it’s logical with the way anythjng connected to the U.S. and Business is done. Lifeline–The American Way!
Free Government Cell Phones says
Safelink, the largest Lifeline company, is owned by American Mobil, Mexico’s largest cell phone company, and Assurance is owned by Sprint. So your theory doesn’t work for those two companies, but we’ll leave it to our readers to make their own judgments of the other free government cell phone companies.
Mary Peterson says
But, my theory definitely works for the zero customer service that they all share in common, and it works for the inept way in which yhey attempt to operate their comlanies. And, I bet I’m not far off in the political-corrupt getting lifeline contracts and paid with taxpayer money scenario.
Robert says
Interesting article. My first government phone was with ROW, ages ago, and I loved them. They offered extra minutes for great prices and they rolled over (the extra minutes, not the original 250). The had a lot of phones to choose from for purchase, and affordable. Then, a few years later, I saw that safelink was offering 500 minutes for the first 3 or 4 months and 350 monthly after that. How could I turn it down. I missed ROW, though, and when I was ready to go back, it was in the condition you described…..only worse.
For months all I saw was “Under Construction” but I also saw it under construction while my cousin and her husband really did have the house they were building under construction. Guess which was completed first.
Alas, I was leaving the DHS office and there he was. Not only was he able to get his circulars passed out during my wait there, but as I left the office there was the notorious guy in the booth. Well, I had nothing to do while a friend of mine and without being pushy he asked me if I wanted a phone. It was the nicest phone I have ever received free. And with 500 free minutes monthly, every month, not just a promo. I was happy as a clam.
Now, the only bad news about americanassistance.com. It has been virtually impossible to reach the proper person when calling customer service. My phone broke, just completely fell apart. You can plug it in…nothing…it was as dead as a door nail. My options? Wait for the landowner, almost a friend, come by and offer me another treat of reduced rent for a problem and just use the money to get a monthly plan from T Mobil (I shudder). Oops, I digress. My only problem with americanassurance.com is the only problem I have experienced with them. Nonetheless, they are sending me a replacement phone free, just pay for the shipping, so what am I complaining about? It’s been 3 weeks. That’s it. My suggestion to anyone looking for a free cell service? Stop looking. americanassistance.com is where you should be going to.
Erin says
Wow! I had Reachout as my first Lifeline service and I thought they were pretty good. I don’t even really recall why I changed now; except maybe to get another service that offered unlimited texting.I do think I had an issue with their customer service initially- trying to find out if my phone had been sent out which was really annoying (turns out it had but they told me I had to do another application. I really don’t understand how disorganized businesses can be) but otherwise it was alright. Their phone was the best I’ve had, solid flip phone with flat keys, so no squeaking when typing like on my current one.
I’m just shocked you went through all this with them, though I must admit the whole thing is a bit funny! I am so sorry you guys got harassing buy some clueless law firm but you handled the situation gracefully and they are the ones that have egg on their face! Which is probably why Reachout chose to give you the cold shoulder instead of apologizing on behalf of their law firm, but their loss.
Thanks for sharing this. I hope you guys don’t have any more problems with any other Lifeline company, or anyone else for that manner.
Erin says
Actually I was considering going back to them if they had updated their service at all (like smartphones)- guess that’s not happening!
Free Government Cell Phones says
We have had nothing but good experiences with most of the Lifeline Assistance companies, Erin. They realize that we have a huge audience here at FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net. You may have noticed that many of them take the time to respond to our readers questions. Most of them realize that this website is the best friend their industry has ever had.
JC Keller says
Good riddance! ReachOut Wireless had among the worst “customer service” of any company I’ve ever experienced. Upon initial sign-up, they sent me a defective phone. The foreigner who was on the phone said, “we sent you a free telephone.” Uh, yeah, one that does not work! They finally sent me a replacement. Never had a positive or successful interaction with them afterwards, either.
Charles Nies says
I received a text on March 21, 2016 saying Reachout Wireless would not be providing service after April 21, 2016. I called them and I was told they were going out of business.
I’m in California, so now SafeLink is here with unlimited talk and text free, so their TV ad says.
Free Government Cell Phones says
You can find a complete list of California companies offering free government cell phones by clicking on the “States” link at the top of this page. Then click on “California.” Check out all the companies to make sure you’re getting the plan that’s best for you.
Robert says
I don’t know if it’s become a way of business now but Safelink was the first I noticed that didn’t charge you against your minutes for a text, or it could have been tracfone. I know, same company but different business. While waiting for my replacement from americanassistance.com I am using my once safelink, now tracfone pay as you go and texts are free and unlimited. That really comes in handy when you run out of minutes and have no money to buy any. Yep, that’s how poor I am, so have no doubt as to my rightful place in the free cell phone customer database.
W.J. Spies says
I was with Reachout until being notified earlier this month by Android auto text message that my service would cease to exist on April 21, 2016. I signed up with them on 02/18/2013 at 2:11 pm, by telephone. The rest is a nightmare. I got a piece o’ crap phone from them on 02/27/2013, It was ugly and unsightly, but it was free and I figured oh well! Sometime, shortly thereafter I got a much nicer phone purchased on Amazon. But when I called their technical services dept to switch phones, what a freakin’ nightmare it was. They don’t speak “no good English” over there in India or Pakistan or Afghanistan, or wherever maybe Burma! I figured I had a better phone working okay, after arduous linguistic wrangling, and the service cost me nothing; so that was fine. It was sometime in 2014 or so when I learned I could get a low end smartphone hooked up with Reachout per California Lifeline’s legal stipulations; which no one made me aware of directly. I learned of it by osmosis.
After trying and returning several cellphone units from Amazon I finally got one that could work on that network kinda-sorta (it is really Verizon which Reachout buys 3rd party network time from). That phone switch before hitting the jackpot was also an exercise in futility. Finally I got a tech service guy with an Irish/North English/Scottish accent who spoke real English and I could communicate my needs. He was at first surly, but after I explained I was trying my best to accommodate him, because my eyesight isn’t like it once was, he settled down. I guess if you call at the right time, on a tel. certain number, the call goes through, but not to the Indian subcontinent via satellite phone connection, for so-called “customer service.” I may have gotten someone in Ohio (their main base) for all I know. Anyway, I have this half-smartphone working okay for a couple of years with little complaint. But the service from Reachout is a dreaded ordeal, where you are 99% of the time routed to Timbuktu, or Kathmandu, were they speak a very odd form of pidgin English, that I find almost impossible to decipher. The thought of getting another better phone to swap out, just gave me chills, and the hair on the back of my neck would stand up on end, as I leeteraly shuddered at the thought of calling the techy people in Katmandu.
Once in a while a tech guy would call and say something I couldn’t understand, until the third or forth attempt; I would get off the phone just happy the call was over. Reachout uses Verizon’s technical services which are all offshore. Anyway they canceled my service without any kind of explanation.
I sent an e-mail request to Assurance Wireless (they use Virgin Wireless communication infrastructure). I think they are owned by Virgin and the network is very similar to Verizon’s CMDA, but it’s really Sprint’s network, which Virgin bought out. So, two days later it was approved; four days later I had an account up and running. I’m waiting for the phone to arrive in order to activate it with my old Reachout number. Reachout Wireless never came close to even approximating this kind of speedy and accurate response or service. Assurance Wireless has sent me five e-mails at various stages of completion, and subsequent verification; one snail-mail letter arrived today, authorizing and confirming Virgin account service and set-up to come (just five short days after my first inquiry in an initial e-mail).
Assurance is going to send a low end smartphone, but it is one with an IQ infinitely higher than any I could get to work on Reachout/Verizon’s hodgepodge, stick and bubble gum, cellphone network. The activation is supposed to be a hands-free; just turn on the phone, press a sequences of three or four icons, and viola the rest the phone does all by itself (as if by magic) ..as the Virgin/Sprint based network rolls-over your new account into active, porting your old number for the new phone. What I love about Assurance is I have an online account that will work on Virgin’s web-sites.
If the phone they send is a real total clunker I can get another better phone from Ebay or Amazon or wherever, sign-on, plug in a few numbers and the new phone is working in place of the old one. My phone needs aren’t much so I think whatever they send will be fine. But if I want, I have that very easy-peasy self-initiated option; with no middleman tech-dudes from Bombay mucking up the works with thick hard to decipher pseudo-English.
One last thing: I did some digging into Nexus/Reachout Wireless. That company started as a fly-by-night and is apparently ending the same way. The principle owner has a mottled past and was in league with some seedy lawyers from here California. The company itself is, or was run from a very small storefront operation. Google Earth showed the original address at a seedy old rundown strip mall storefront thing under a freeway overpass in Columbus, OH. I never expected much from them, hoping for only a decent working cellphone connection to Verizon’s tower network; which is barely what I got. Everything about them smelled of bad management, and being run by incompetent or intoxicated people. You know like people who wind up doing stand-up comedy acts, or working as wanna-be actors, or law students need to pay the rent.
Nothing I read in your article surprised me one bit. They had long and bad history with everyone they ran into over a period of years, since their inception, from the State of California, to some small tel-comm company in Texas. When they told me they’d no longer service my Lifeline account, and advised me to contact Assurance Wireless they did me one hell of the great favor; one of the biggest they could possibly do for me. I’m so happy to be almost out from under their dirty heel. Let’s see what their intimidating lawyers say about this review.
Free Government Cell Phones says
Hard to believe that ReachOut once accused us of making up phony negative reader comments. As you can see from the comment above, there was never a shortage of authentic negative reader comments. Of course, we are unable to verify any of the details of W.J. Spies’ comment, but he’s a pretty damn good writer and his anger and frustration is clear.
Charles A Mink says
TReach out wireless has changed my services several times in the past from 125min/125text to 250 min with no rollover mins., I lost over 1300 min. of rollover min. the first time , then had to add min because they said i ran out . added 10.00$ , then they said 3 days later i ran out again , added more minutes , ran out again, I was only gone from home for 3 days , couldn`t understand this. After I got home I discovered that the same person handled all of my transactions , ( I FIND THAT VERY HARD TO BELIEAVE) all 3 transactions in the four days it took me to get home . Three months later , I found my service changed again from my rollover min,. to the 250 no rollover min again .. It took $30.00 dollars to call home 6 times with calls lasting between 3-5 min. each. Has anyone else had these problems ? Please write about them. MAYBE THERE IS A LONG HISTORY OF THIS happening to other people
Free Government Cell Phones says
As you may have read in the article above, ReachOut once accused this website of faking comments from unhappy customers. As your comment demonstrates, there is no need to create any fake comments from unhappy customers because we receive plenty of authentic ones.
Good luck finding a new service provider.
Renee Davidson says
Yes I had the same kind of problem you’re not alone one minute my phone last the whole month and then all the sudden I kept having to add more minutes
herbert larange says
I been reachout coustermer 4 5,6,7years up graded my phone 5 different times orderd chargers batt.ext. if a lawsuite comes of company (reachout) I want to be psrt of it I bought the unlimted plain 27.50 ea month for as long as been with that company ty Herbert larange 1197 ***** dr lapeer Michigan 48446
Free Government Cell Phones says
If we hear about a class action suit, we will report the news here, Ty.
Rosie says
Please we would like to start a class action suit also against another government company offering phones.
Thank you.
Free Government Cell Phones says
Class action lawsuits are very expensive and most of the settlement money goes to the attorneys, Rosie. But if you have some information, we’d love to read it. Please leave us the basics in another comment.
Sandra Green says
I just found out Reachout Wireless is dropping everyone they will no longer be our service provider
I should have stayed with Safelink the drop date is May 22nd and I was wondering why I didn’t get a
notice to renew what’s the problem Reachout No Money all you need to do is give me Safelink’s number
so I can call them now to many web sites saying they are the real Safelink number when I call
don’t trust the Web so send me the right number and I’ll move on have a nice Trip lol
Free Government Cell Phones says
ReachOut has really caused problems for its customers. You can find Safelink’s phone number and website (you can apply either way) by clicking on the “Providers” link at the top of this page, then scrolling down and clicking on Safelink. Good luck. So sorry this has happened to you.
Matt Johnson says
Reachout Wireless/Nexus was expected to shut down, as their team was not providing a satisfactory customer support service. I learn that their customer support service is being provided from a petty inexperienced entrepreneur in India, who deploys uncertified agents on the job.
Susan says
LOL!!! PRICELESS!!! I wish I could say this is rare but it seems to be the modus operandi and logic of companies these days… not to mention Tower of Babble communication issues which is the new frontier of customer service to make it even more exciting! Thank God I got away from Reachout and switched companies when I did… I felt it coming! Your article and sense of humor has made my day! Kudos to you!
Erin says
Exactly! So many companies it seems (from my own experiences and those of others) just do NOT have a handle on their customer service! You have to repeat your problem to like 5 different people because you aren’t assigned a dedicated agent nor do they talk to each other to avoid repetition. And I have no problem with other cultures or people wanting to come here for a better life, but outsourcing is a real problem for several reasons, including poor customer service due to the language barrier.
Kimberly says
So that explains why the sign up page etc. are under construction, but it’s odd that you can still download a form and mail the application. I’m glad I didn’t. And I thought it was super weird that ReachOut/Nexus had that disclaimer at the bottom of their page — it somehow struck me as unprofessional. I’ve been researching the options all evening, and I’m glad I found your website because there are so many companies out there. And it’s too bad about Nexus — I remember them as an early mobile provider. Was it Dennis Franz who did that commercial with their walkie-talkie phones? I knew a “hip” old couple that had those. It seems to me that was my first mobile phone provider, but it was so long ago. Wasn’t Nexus part of Sprint at one time?
Kelly says
I think you are thinking of nextel. That is the company that seperated from sprint. I am not sure if nextel is still in business.
Free Government Cell Phones says
Nextel is a wireless service operator that merged with Sprint. It is still a wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint.
Lisa says
Great article! I am a ReachOut Mobile customer. Last year I had moved, so I emailed them all my info and new address. I specifically asked customer service on two separate occasions if there was anything else I needed to do. Being I was on CA. Lifeline I asked do I need to contact them to give them my new address? There reply by chat, and email to me was “no, everything is taken care of for you”. I thought great! That was easy! Well, 30 days later my phone was shut off. When I called to refill my minutes for $2.99, I was not given the option. The cheapest was $10, and no rollover minutes. Well, long story short…..they never notified CA Lifeline, so I received no renewal form, and was cancelled from CA Lifeline. I have tried 6 times now to get something done through customer service, chat, all the above and just get the run around by someone who sounds like they are from India. I was on there chat about ten min ago, I thought I would try one more time, to no avail. They just keep saying I was denied CA. Lifeline. When I ask why, the answer is not because of income, as I am low income, and on CalFresh, but I was denied because I did not renew!!!! I try and explain the reason I did not renew is because ReachOut Wireless failed to forward my new address, and they are at fault and need to correct it.There reply ” you have been switched to our traditional plan and can continue using that”. Just today, I said I want to get back on the CA. Lifeline, what do I do? Reply, “you are on the traditional plan and can…..”. I give up. I am switching. Thank you for your article, I wish they would have just told me they were not going to add anyone else through the CA. lifeline program.
patrice moynihan says
thanks for the update, eagerly await any news re: free internet for low income
Wayne Hinklin says
I have reachout and want to change services. They cut my service two months ago and said I needed to pay three dollars to turn it back on. I paid the three dollars but wondered why I had to pay. Can I change phone services under the lifeline free cell phone program? Please inform me as soon as possible. Thanks.
Wayne Hinklin says
Still waiting for a response