tracfone wireless, safelink wireless, net 10 wireless, budget wireless all under CALIFORNIA LIFELINEpaid for by US taxpayers! Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire is how the costomer DIS service agents are trained!!!!! Medley Florida

Number one: all these companies are being paid by our Taxes to supply and service the "Obama phones" which are a real benefit to those who really need them.

Two: my friend, a disabled vet from Korean war time, had his phone for several years until Dec. 2015, when due to circumstances beyond his control, lost his job, and his home as he was manager in a mobile home park which was sold to build million dollar townhouses in Newport Beach, CA.

Three: when he got back on his feet, in an apt with his three teens, with his health back, his government phone was lost or broken, so he used borrowed phones, but that was too expensive because now he was unemployed and also disabled.

Four: in July of 2016 he got word that he needed to recertify for continued go phone qualification, which he asked me to help him do it. It was done but then I needed to find out how he could get a replacement phone.

Five: To make a long story short- it took from July 2016 until Nov. to get him another phone and get that phone activated!

The people I had to deal with included:

Budget mobile who demanded a $20 money order, and then sent it back because now SafeLink was his provider (4weeks) Throw away M.O. because it costs $15 to get a refund.

SafeLink who said it's too early to get a "ticket" we are not set up for these people yet. Call back in 2 weeks.

Net 10, Safelink, and the Tracfone "the parent compancy" jerked me around with promises, asking for more money to purchase a refurnished Allcatel that "couldn't be activated because of an error- doesn't work in that zipcode" 

Yadda, Yadda, Yadda! I have all the people i spoke to logged in and the Lies they told me quoted. As a retired teacher I could not believe the degree of INCOMPETENCE and ignorance that I listened to for hours on end. Listening to them following their "script" promising to write a "ticket" and call me back, over and over and over again.

Finally, I got a woman who said she was at "corporate office" and was able to speak english without using the script but she also couldn't activated the Second phone I had purchased from them. I exploded- said I was complaining to my Visa ay my bank, the BBB, and th CA Public Utilities for Tax Fraud! Suddenly she was able to do the trick!

I complained to my bank that only on that day was I informed I could have gotten a refund for first phone but now it was too late- over 30 days.  Then I looked carefully at the box the second phone came in. In tiny letters it said peel off this label. On the back, in even tinier font it said, refund within 30 days only. I blame that on myself, in a way. I am 73, but I have 2 college degrees, so I am not so stupid. But, this whole ordeal wore me down - which is just what they wanted!!!!!

PS My friend, the vet, is so happy to be able to keep track of his teens and his appointments with the VA hospital, so it is worth it all. Just should not have happened!  My band refunded me the $22 for the first phone within 3 days. The BBB is working on the case, the CA public utilities has not responded.