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It may be a little hard to follow all the tracks left by this company, but one thing's clear: At best, your rebate check may be a little late.
Jennifer of Grove City OH (01/08/08)
I purchased (2) cell phones from Wirefly on 9/11/2007. I am a single mother and was hesitant about the purchase to start. My deciding factor was when they said that they offered to give me (2) $150 AMEX Gift checks. That was on 9/11/2007, and I keep getting the run around. Boy are they programmed about saying that it is "in PROCESS"! That is what I keep hearing. My latest conversation was on 1/8/2008, and she said it was going to be taken care of and couldn't tell me when. I asked if it would be in 2008; she couldn't even tell me that. I am speechless/shocked at all of the people to whom they have promised various things and scammed. YET THEY ARE STILL SELLING THINGS! Simply unbelievable.
Gina of Huntington Beach CA (11/28/07)
On July 25, 2006 I ordered cell phone service and an inphonic device. One week has passed no cell phone. I called cellular services and spoke to customer service; they showed it as shipped. He was going to trace it and send another one out. Weeks went by; still no telephone. Instead I got the bill. I called both Verizon and Cellular Choice, and after checking and verifying the phone was never activated or used reversed charges--Inphonic still charged $367.34 on my credit card on 8-16-2006 and refused to refund the money.
In addition they sent my file to a collection agency, causing negative rating on my credit. I tried to get the matters resolved by calling several times with no cooperation from any one. I still have not received the phone or used it; they claim someone signed for the phone. No one in the house signed any such thing. I asked them to give me a copy so I could file a theft claim to police dept.; they refuse to send me one.
Denise of Frisco TX (10/16/07)
I ordered a cell phone through Wirefly.com in Dec 15 2006 that included a $50 mail in rebate. I waited the 150 days, mailed in a copy of my bill and paper work on June 29, 2007. Wirefly's website states it takes 4-5 weeks for processing. I checked the status of my rebate at cellphonerebate.com and it shows received and being processed. It has been 4 months since I turned in my paperwork and still no rebate.
Laurie of Port St. Lucie FL (08/09/07)
Turned in tow rebates and one was rejected. I used the due date rather than billing date. Letter stated I had 30 days to send in correct bill. I called due to the lack of clarification regarding 30 days and was told that I had 30 days from when I got the letter. I had major surgery but did manage to send it just before 30 deadline. Now it's been denied again because it was one day past the 30 days from the date on the letter. They say that the letter says it's 30 days from the date of the letter...of course since you have to return the letter I have no proof of the poor wording and they don't track phone calls. I will never buy from Cellular Choices or any company related to InPhonic.
John of Tucson AZ (05/21/07)
I had to laugh when I read your article on inPhonic, they still are not paying rebates - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/04/ftc_rebates.html
I placed an order through them on July 19/2006, promptly filed for the first rebate for $20 and never received it. I did not even bother to file for the second rebate for $30. Now when I go to their site at http://www.whereismyorder.com/wm2/login.aspx?referringdomain=cellchoices5 to check on my rebate status the process just hangs and does not return any information. I left a voice message at their 866-274-5873 number today, May 21, that I do not expect to be returned.
I contacted Cingular and let them know that I would not renew my current plan with them as long as they are doing business with inPhonic. Why any carrier would want to be associated with inPhonic I do not understand.
Martin of Coatesville PA (05/18/07)
I was promised 4 rebates of $100.00 each, total of $400.00. I sent the requested information within the time agreed upon and the rebate was denied. The representative said the rebate was not post marked within the requested time. I requested a copy of the postmarked envelope and they refused to provide proof.
I had to pay the $400.00 up front and since the rebate was denied I'm out $400.00.
Kelly of Homewood IL (04/26/07)
I ordered a phone in April of 2005 over the internet. I was told I would have the same wireless service & telephone number. Upon receiving the phone I found out that I could not keep the same phone number so I returned the phone. I spoke with several people at In-phonic regarding this. I was finally given an address to send the phone back which I did.
In Feb 2007, I received a collection notice from SKO Brenner for the amount of $250 for the above mentioned phone. After several attempts to rectify this situation on my own by calling In-phonic & SKO Brenner I was told that I had no option but to pay for the phone that I never used. I also sent letters to both companies & filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Willie of Bronx NY (03/21/07)
I purchased two Treo Palm phones last year through Wireless Marketplus and they promised me a $50.00 loyalty rebate and a $150.00 voice and data rebate, for each phone I purchased. That's a total of $400.00. I sent in all the required information in September and October which was 150 days after the activation date. It took about 5 months for my information to be received. Between the time that I sent the information and the time that they received it, contacting Inphonic was hell.
I tried calling (866)800-4303 and a recorded message would say that they are experiencing high call volumes and would direct me to the website. Then it would hang up. It didn't give me the option of holding to speak customer care or leave a message, it just hung up, and this happens every time you call. I went to the website and tried to locate my rebates and they wouldn't come up. After December I was beginning to give up, and by January I gave up. Finally in February I received a letter saying that there was an error on my claim and that I needed to submit the UPC code on the product packaging. I sent the UPC info but they claim that 30 days already had passed. I didn't receive notice of the error on my claim until it was too late. I guess Inphonic tricked me into buying the phones knowing that confusion was going to cause mistakes in my claim leading to a rebate denial. I got robbed for my rebates. They don't care.
I've lost money in mailing stamps and I've lost a lot of time trying to contact Imphonic for those rebates. They make difficult for us to reach them and that adds to the confusion, and ultimately no rebate.
John Mclain of Dallas TX (03/14/07)
Bought 2 Motorola Razr V3 phones in Feb.06. Six months later, (as required by company), I sent in the required forms and ALL OTHER proofs of purchase. Nine months later, dozens of phone calls, 2 re-submissions, and much frustration, I still have not received any rebates. The company keeps stalling, asking for still more proof, etc, not returning calls or e mails.
I am out $300.00 plus postage for numerous mailings, (sent by certified mail) and charges for long-distance phone calls to Inphonic.
Beverly of Mclouth KS (12/27/06)
I ordered & received my phone. The Wirefly sales receipt shows amount billed to Discover: $167.99. My Discover bill showed InPhonic billed $177.98 (overcharged $9.99). After several e-mails, they refuse to remove the $9.99. Thank you for this opportunity to share my experience.
Rosemarie of Dighton MA (12/19/06)
I purchased two Cingular phones with service for 2 years on each in August, 2006. I was supposed to get a rebate for them after 3 months of service. I have e-mailed and called them. The first e-mail from them stated they couldn't find my rebate. I sent copies again. The last e- mail from them stated 8 to 10 weeks to process my rebates. Then on 12/18/06 I received a letter stating my rebates are invalid.
They said I didn't send the papers within the time frame and that I didn't send in a copy of the bill with my name on it. I most certainly did both these things. They won’t send me the two rebates owed to me.
Deepak of Greenwood Village CO (12/18/06)
I purchased 2 Motorola phones for $250.00 each and signed up for Cingular with a 2-year contract. I was promised 4 mail-in rebates for the two phones worth $500.00 in total. I was required to file the rebates between 180-210 days since start of service (Oct 2005). I mailed in all the forms/requisite copies on May 8th, 2006 by certified mail. I am yet to receive the checks for the promised amounts. The website originally said that the rebates would be processed in 10-12 weeks - but its been close to 7 months now and no sign of a rebate check. I would like them to send me the mail-in rebate checks as promised.
Truc of Sugar Land TX (12/15/06)
This concerns a $170.00 T-Mobile rebate. I sent in all the required items for the rebate and waited 4 months with no response, so I called them. They said they were in the process of transferring to their new processing center from Arizona to Minnesota and that they have had issues losing some rebate forms and asked that I resubmit everything.
Problem is that by this time I had a hard time finding all the necessary items such as the receipt, UPC bar code, 4th month cell phone bill, etc. I was able to find a copy of everything except the UPC barcode. I called them to explain and they said they will not honor the rebate now since the time limit has expired.
Nishit of Pleasanton CA (12/10/06)
I bought two cell phones from InPhonic, and submitted all my rebate forms on time. However, InPhonic has honored only $30.00 of the total rebate and have not provided any information as to why the rest of the amount has been rejected. I have tried calling them several times and there is no response except that they will look into it and need several more weeks.
Judith of Larchmont NY (11/29/06)
Ordered two 'free' motorazr phones with promise of total rebate after 6 months of use. Submitted all forms in timely & accurate manner. Got runaround from company. Finally I looked up their 'investor relations' phone number on their corporate website (202) 333-0001, and spoke to the secretary to the president of Inphonic and told her that if I did not get my $360 promised refund back, I would contact the Attorney General of the State of New York. Soon thereafter, we got the check in the mail (but this was fully ONE YEAR after the promised rebate was due!)
I have since notified, in writing, any company that I find out doing business with inphonic. For example, today, I got an email from united airlines with a link to an inphonic promotionl. I promptly wrote a letter to the Board of Directors of United Airlines advising them that they are doing business with scam artists, and that now that they are aware of that, perhaps they will prefer to change that relationship. I plan to write to Staples about the same issue, since they are now using Inphonic to do their phone sales.
Marie of Mission Viejo CA (11/28/06)
Today out of nowhere I got a collection notice from SKO Brenner American Collections. It stated Inphonic was demanding that I pay $250 immediately for a phone that I bought in 12/2005, and that I had deactivated the phone during the 181 days service requirement and therefore, I was to pay extra for the phone. I called SKO from this same phone! It had never been deactivated during the entire 11 months I have had it!
My credit will damaged by this bogus attempt to collect an invalid debt! Credit dings equal higher interest rates and denials for credit!
James of Miamisburg OH (10/15/06)
Same old chit from infonic ..I have been waiting over 1 year from my rebate. Now they tell me check has been cut but will not tell me when it will be mailed. i urge everyone to file a complaint with your US attorneys office...
John of Lexington MA (10/06/06)
I purchased my phone on Nov 24, 2005. The rebate was submitted to Continental Promotions Group on Feb 9, registered mail; return receipt stamped on Feb 23. Rebate due by April. After a month of email and phone complaints, I complained to the Arizona Better Business Bureau. The response was to "transfer" my rebate to Inphonic. More email and phone complaints followed.
I have filed suit against Inphonic and Continental in Small Claims here in Massachusetts, to be heard Oct 31, 2006. No response at all to the filing so far. What‘s at stake? $200.00, $30.00 court costs plus endless hours on the phone.
Michael of Monson MA (10/06/06)
A phone was sent to my daughter a year ago. She called to say she did not order a phone. They said they would send her a SASE package to send the phone back, which we never received. The seal was never broken, so the phone could not be activated. However, she receives a bill in the mail saying the phone was activated on Oct 8, 2005.
I find this hard to believe since the seal was never opened, thus the phone could not be activated on Oct 8, 2005 or any other date thereafter. She received this bill for $250.00 which she and I feel should not have to be paid since we are still waiting for the SASE package.
Lisa of Drums PA (09/21/06)
I bought 2 phones in July, 2005. I followed all the rebate info and sent it all in at a timely manner. They kept telling me they didn't get one page, then it was unreadable, then I was out of the time period. Well now 9 months later I am out 160.00 and I am not giving up.
I have had about 5 different numbers and the last one will not get me to a human, just a recording that hangs up on you. I called that number every hour and it says the same thing...even at 3 am in the morning!
Denise of Colorado Springs CO (09/09/06)
Sent everything require on the rebate; have emails from this lady saying that they've been approved and will be processed 6-8 weeks and nothing ever comes. Now they claim that one of the rebates was mailed and cashed and I never got it. My latest email was to get a copy of the front and back of this check they say was cashed. I bet they say they can't obtain a copy, what do you bet? I have been dealing with this since Oct. of 2005 and it's just one excuse after another.
The two rebates add up to $150 and are the only reason I bought the phone. I fulfilled all of my requirements and I think Verizon should be doing more to make sure I get my rebate but they say they have nothing to do with it. I would not have changed my service if I'd had to pay full price for the phone--I could not afford it then and that's why I'm fighting so hard to get my rebates.
Brenda of Middletown OH (08/06/06)
I completed the forms and filled out all the necessary paperwork for my $50 rebate on my cell phone. I missed one Item and was notified by email, I called and asked if I could Fax the information, and I did within the timeframe and whenever I would go look at the web page to check on my rebate I would get a notification that it was processing. It has been 10 weeks and I have heard nothing, I go to the web page today and it says there is no claim. I read on the internet that Imphonic has a class action Lawsuit for not paying the rebates as promised.
I followed all the necessary procedures and was ensured by an employee that she had received the fax and I was all set. But now its gone, they say that all recent rebates are being re-processed due to a problem. Mine was completed in May... I want my $50.
Ali of San Ramon CA (07/21/06)
I purchased 3 Razr phones through this company with a rebate of $140 for each. I have submitted all the forms and paper work and the company refuses to honor it. I am a T-Mobile customer and of course they don't want have anything to do with it.
William of Round Lake Beach IL (05/16/06)
Purchased Motorola RAZR V3 PHONE WITH with WIREFLY on 10/08/2006. Sent in paperwork three time, still no check They keep telling me thy have no received my paperwork. Faxed again on 4/8/06. I am out $180.00.
Maggie of St Petersburg, FL (05/13/06)
I submitted 2 rebates for a Razor cell phone that I purchased January 17, 2006 (almost 4 mos ago). I have not received my rebate but it is logged. I can check it on their webiste and the status just shows that they are processing the rebate.
Suzanne of Boston MA (05/12/06)
I purchased a motorola cell phone on 6/21/06, which came with the promise of receiving a rebate for $200 provided I follow their stringent instructions and guidelines. I submitted all the necessary paper within the alloted timeframe. On 4/13/06, I received an e-mail, telling me that my rebate was approved and processed and that my check would be mailed with the next three weeks. I never received the check, so I contacted the company and notify them. Basically, they said they woulf have to reprocess my rebate, which would take at least 10-12 weeks. They have given me contractory reasons for why they need to reprocess the rebate. There is noo ne to talk to personally; communication is through automated phone messages or canned e-mail messages.
Jackson of Eagan MN (05/03/06)
I bought 2 cellphones through Foncentral.com in June'2005 and I have sent the rebates to Inphonic Rebates in January'2006 as instructed with all the necessary wireless bills for 6months, rebate forms and the cellphone purchase receipts. I'm supposed to receive 4 rebates for $125 each. I received a mail from the inphonic rebates stating that some information is missing even though I have sent all the necessary documents.
I called them and I talked to Grace from the customer service department and she told me to just fax the 1 month wireless bill so that she could validate some information and send me the rebates and I have faxed the documents twice to her the very next day. Now I haven't received my rebate and I called them and I was told that they haven't received some information or the information is invalid. Sometimes they tell that they have received the information after the post marked date. They are doing everything not to honor the rebates.
Harish of Rolla MO (03/29/06)
I had two rebates to send as part of a cellular phone order, each of $200. I sent both on December 21st, days before the postmark deadline. One of the rebates showed up right on their system and is being processed but the other one showed up as postmarked late. This was strange as both rebates had the same deadline so I initiated enquiry. I was told that the rebate was postmarked January 21st and not December.
I called up the center and asked for redress and was asked to fax all information over again, which I did. Now, two weeks later, I am being tod that as long as I do not have proof of postmark date, they refuse to pay me the money. On asking them to check the date on the envelope I sent in the first place, I was told that envelope sorting and data entry happens at a different location in a different state and they cannot initiate an enquiry. I asked the representative to prove to me that it was postmarked January 21st, I was told that it works the other way around.
Shaun of New Haven CT (03/28/06)
This company keeps making up all kinds of excuses for not honoring these rebates. After calling everyone I could think of and emailing everyone except the PRESIDENT OF THE USA, I’m right back where I started from, NO REBATE. I resent everything numerous times and still inphonic.rebatestatus.com came up with a different excuse every time. I already filed a complaint with the BBB and my next step is with the Attorney General and Consumer affairs. Cognigen sent me the phones with all these labels on it that covered this so-called UPC code that is supposed to be on the box.
I sent Inphonic everything from the Verizon 1st bill to the sales receipt that gave every number you could think of to identify theses phones as the phone I purchased during this so-called promotion. I've been getting the run around from Cognigen and Inphonics over this and every time they send me an email it says the same thing and a few of them have a different excuse. If these boxes do have a UPC code on them how am I supposed to get them if they made sure they loaded the box up with labels on top of any other writing? That's not my fault, and I feel they do this on purpose and give me the run around so time will expire on the rebate.
Kathy of Birmingham, Al 35242 AL (03/17/06)
Very complicated rebate process. I fulfilled that. Waited the required 10 weeks from date they received request (12/5/05 on the return receipt card). Inquired March 8. Still have not received rebates. (I went through the process last year with another phone purchase and finally got my rebates after numerous emails, phone calls, letters. It was received 21 weeks and 5 days from 2 weeks after I mailed the rebate forms!) I imagine their fulfillment rate is almost nil. Most people would not have the wherewithall to stick with this process. It has taken hours of my time! Even if they paid on time, the complicated process should not be legal!
Maggie of Westfiled NJ (03/17/06)
InPhonic/Wirefly has repeatedly refused to honor my rebate request (sent via certified mail on 1/26/06) for $200 on a Motorola RAZR V3. The emails are obtuse / unclear and request a further fax or resubmission, which I did via fax (got confirmation of) and again via certified mail. There is no phone number for the rebate center, no reachable phone number for Wirefly and seemingly no way to get clear information as why the rebate is being rejected. I have multiple copies and receipts of all sends, but am beginning to think my time would be better spent filing a small claims court suit and contacting the Better Business Bureau. This also seems prime for a class action lawsuit.
Thomas of Seaville NJ (03/17/06)
Orderd 2 Motorola Cell phone based on ad on the internet they offered $150 rebate for each phone purchased They have made it impossible for anyone to receive the rebate i did everything they tolld me to do but they found a way out . Is there anything that can be done to stop this Co. from ripping people off.
John of Manalapan NJ (02/17/06)
I went to a Cingular wireless website in June '05 to see what calling plans and promotions they might have going on. The site clearly stated Cingular Wireless Online Offer for Englishtown, NJ. which offered a Motorola Rzar V3 camera phone Free with a new service plan. (I printed a copy of this ad). I liked what i saw and signed up for the 2yr plan requirement & purchased 2 of the phones. You had to buy them first with a credit card and then they will send rebate form for mailing.
I received the phones on 6/20/05 (oh they also offered a free Bonus Bluetooth Headset with each phone purchased which i didn't receive them until end of Sept. after several phone calls to them abt that matter. Anyway back to the rebate. I received the rebate papers 2 days after i received my phones and to my surprise after completing all the documents i read that i COULD NOT mail rebate forms in until after 180 days after activation and no longer than 210 days.
So I put everything away and remembered after the holidays to mail these documents. I mailed them on 1/14/06. I had until 1/20/06 actually.I just received an email form them stating that my rebate was not going to be issued and that they would mail me info within 12 days as to why or i could call. I decided to call and the first question asked of me was did i register my mail when i replied no, i was then told by a customer rep. that they received my documents ONE DAY late and that i would not be receiving my rebates which total $340.
I can not believe that this company can get away with holding your money for 6 - 7 months probably with the hopes you forget to mail your rebate and then have the nerve to say they received the documents 1 day late. I am not only upset abt this type of practice and that a large co. might get away with this. But i am on a low income and i really can't afford to lose $340. I hope and pray there is something you can do to make these dishonest people give me my rebates as expected. I have no proof of my mailing date, nor do they have proof of date they received. I do have copies of all rebate info and online advertisement. I also contacted Cingular Wireless and they claim that rebate was not theirs and that it's from a company called Inphonic.
Joseph of Canton GA (01/31/06)
I purchased 2 Motorola v600 phones from A1-Wireless for about $300.00 The deal was, sign up for a year contract with T-Mobile and get the phones for free when you get a $75.00 Customer Appreciation Rebate and a $75.00 Customer Loyalty Rebate for each phone which would equal $300.00. The rebate forms of course do not have a telephone number, only a PO BOX where you send your information.
Of course you have to jump through hoops (fill out form, copy dated sales receipt, copy UPS barcode and a copy of guide to wireless service, a wireless bill showing a bill invoice dated between 150 and 210 days after activation, however,the overall info should be sent no earlier than 180 to 210 days after activation. And each must be sent sent separately containing all the above information.)-Could they make it any harder for you to get or loose your rebate?
I did everything just as it said. Many weeks passed then I was sent a letter saying my info was postmarked too early and that I needed to resubmit if I wanted my rebate. I imediately copied everything again and sent each one back. There is a web site where you can check the status of your rebate.I checked frequently but nothing was there except the notice that the first ones were void because of being too early.
Weeks later the web site posted a notice that my rebate claims were rejected because they were postmarked too late. How could that be when from the time they said it was too early I immediately sent back that they could then be too late? In any case this can't be right. Even the company A-1 wireless should have said that it would be this difficult to get the rebate. They should also take some responsibility.
Hokyung of Pennington NJ (01/24/06)
I purchased the cell phone from buy.com signing two year contract with $300 mail-in rebate from Inphonic. I submitted my rebate and constantly checked my rebate status. Today, I am being told that my rebate was post-marked too late. I mailed it in late-August and Inphonic rep tells me that it was post-marked Sept 27. In addition, she refused to provide me the proof.
Marlu of Covina CA (01/11/06)
InPhonic USA Inc also doing business using the following address: PO Box 100517-BAX White Bear Lake, MN 55110-0517
On 19 January 2005, I purchased 2 Nokia 6600 phones from A1 Wireless USA Inc. for $200 per phone with the agreement that I would receive rebates in the amount of $200 per phone provided I submitted all the required data in the time requested. I received the rebate as promised from T-Mobile. I received 2 out of 4 rebates submitted to A1 Wireless USA Inc.
Although each of the rebates requested the exact same paperwork for each phone number, 2 were processed and the other 2 were not. My rebates were received returned via Certified Mail on 01 August 2005. As of 11 January 2006, I am still fighting for my last 2 rebates. The dispute, although accepted for 2 rebates, is because in the middle of my billing cycle, I opted for WIRELESS BILLING with T-Mobile.
I submitted my wireless bill indicating the dates requested for active service to InPhonic. I also submitted a previous bill, not with the dates accepted, along with a letter stating that I had converted to a wireless bill and that the attached was with the requested & required information. Because of this, they are disputing my rebate claim. I have all paperwork, certified mailing, & contact information regarding this complaint.
InPhonic has continually pushed off my claim requesting that I wait 3-4, 6-8 wks to contact them again. It's been over 6 months since I filed my claim and it has still not been resolved.
H. W. of Richardson TX (11/24/05)
Failed to rebate $150.00 for 2 year cell phone contract. Claimed application attachments were incomplete/ invalid. No response to letter and resubmittal
Frank of W. Melbourne FL (11/21/05)
I bought my Cell phone from Inphonic because they promised to rebate back to me the $300 that I paid them for it, as long as I kept my service for at least six months. That is what they told me; just keep the phone and number with Verizon for at least six months, and I get the $300 rebate. Their customer service is horrible. It took me a total of about five hours on the phone with them just to get the phone, and then to get the number ported; since no-one I spoke to had the slightest idea of what they were doing.
I ended up with two phone numbers and two bills from Verizon, and had to spend more hours on the phone to fix that. I put up with all of this incompetence because I knew I was going to have the phone for more than six months, since Verizon's coverage is excellent. After the six months was up, and I pulled out the rebate forms they sent me, I discovered the small print which said I had a 180 to 210 day window to send in my rebate request. It was now the 213th day.
I called Inphonic to request some help, but since the talking cabbage of a supervisor whom I spoke with had obviously gotten many of these calls, she said she couldn't help me, and I should go to their website to request help. She was, apparently, a living, breathing, human being; and a supervisor, no less, but she still said their useless website would be of more help than she would. This was obviously a waste of more time. After my experience, and after reading all the other derogatory internet postings I have found about Inphonic (343 of them), I would highly advise against anyone giving them any of their money, for anything.
David of Tehachapi CA (11/18/05)
I purchased 2 Motorola V710 phones from Wirefly/Inphonc on Jan 31, 2005. They were offering rebates on the phones in conjunction with Verizon Wireless plan. I sent in my four (4) separate rebate forms with all required copies of the listed items on the rebate form, and I sent them in the required time frame. I have checked their rebate website for their status daily since August 22, 2005 when they signed for them. And on Sunday October 16, 2005, it said I was ineligible for my rebates because " The claim form submitted was incomplete and/or illegible. All fields are required. "
All fields were filled in, and were printed clearly. I emailed them about this, and they replied that they were having technical difficulties and they would have to reprocess them and it would take a few weeks. That was on Oct,26 2005. I emailed them back on Nov 16, 2005, asking why they have not come, and they informed me that the estimated time of processing and fulfillment is 6-8 weeks. It should have been 6-8 weeks from the time I sent them in. I think they are just stringing me along.
Bill of Woodstock GA (10/19/05)
In January of 2005 I purchased a cell phone and service with Cingular through a company called wirefly.com. They advertised relentlessly everywhere in on the internet. I later found that they had probably a dozen aliases but their parent company was Inphonic, Inc. The phone purchased came with 2 - $150 rebates. The requirements of the rebates were probably the most stringent I’ve ever seen.
We were to send it after 180 days but before 210 days of purchase plus several strange things were to be sent with it including a phone bill with the amount of the previous bill shown paid in full. It was clearly designed to cause people to make mistakes. I am a veteran of the rebate wars, though, and after gathering all of the data required and making multiple copies of absolutely everything I sent it certified mail with signature required. After a couple of weeks I received an e-mail indicating that they had received both e-mails but were denying both because they were illegible or incomplete.
Once again I reviewed the paperwork and became even more convinced that the documentation was complete. I was able to get in touch with the rebate company (Continental Promotions group in Scottsdale, AZ). I talked to a customer service rep that told me that I failed to provide my cellular provider. I responded that the provider was listed on the cell bill that they required. He told me that I needed to re-file the paperwork. I told him that it would do no good to simply re-file without knowing exactly what I did wrong. I then asked to talk to his supervisor. His supervisor (name available) said that they had no idea why the rebate was rejected. He said Inphonic reviewed all rebates and simply approved or rejected them while providing them with no details.
We talked over an hour (he kept putting me on hold to “get more information”). It finally came out that Inphonic, Inc. originally used a rebate handler in Bear Lake MN but they couldn’t handle all of the complaints they were getting and Inphonic, Inc. had to switch to Continental Promotions Group. I told the supervisor the whole thing sounded like a scam and he responded that the word scam was one of the better terms he has been hearing lately.
Finally he told me I needed to re-submit the paperwork and that there was nothing else he could do for me. I re-submitted both rebates one more time. After considerable time and numerous e-mails to Inphonic, Inc. I received no further information. Then came the fun part. I tried to contact Inphonic, Inc. by phone. The only source I could find on contacting them (they would answer no questions at the number I ordered the phone from) was the Better Business Bureau of Greater Washington DC. They listed several numbers but the only one you could reach a real person at was the Corporate Number in Washington DC.
I called the number and was told that their customer service department was located overseas and that I could call there if I wanted to. I asked if there was someone in the US that I could call. She responded that she would put me through to the Office of the President of the company. I had no choice and the voice at the end of the line was voice mail telling me that they would call back in the order received. Again no return calls. I did some further research and found that there are thousands of people having similar issues with this series of companies (Wirefly, Inphonic, LibertyWireless, etc.).
Shatrice of Richmond VA (10/13/05)
I am entitled to a $100 rebate. I submitted all the necessary paperwork to get my rebate. However, 8 weeks later, I recieved a postcard stating that all forms weren't completed or that a form was missing. I was never informed of what I needed to submit or is there a telephone number to contact anyone in the office, if in fact there is an office. The only way to communicate with these people is to fill out a submission form. I am going to copy and paste the information provided to me:
"We are currently unable to approve your rebate for the reason listed below. The claim form submitted was incomplete and/or illegible. All fields are required. You will receive a letter or postcard describing this problem. The letter or postcard may have instructions on how to correct this error."
May being the key word. The postcard didn't give any special instructions, it stated the same thing the submission says. If I knew what was missing I could provide them with the information. Now 10 weeks later since mailing off rebate form, still no rebate. I am sick of dealing with these people through their "submissions".
Doug of Folsom CA (08/06/05)
I was to receive an e-mail within 45 days with a certificate to redeem for a free DVD player with purchase of cell phone and service. Received cell phone on May 25th. Have called twice after the 45 day period to complain and each time was told e-mail will come within another 7 - 8 days. I still haven't received the e-mail, certificate, or DVD player.
Rodrigo of Jersey City NJ (03/15/05)
The facts:
1. Bought 2 phones and a year contract on 08/18/04 from inphonic.com
2. Have two rebates on these phones one for $150 and the other for $200
3. Rebates expire 120 days from date of purchase (around 12/18/04)
4. Mailed all paper works roughly around 12/06/04 via drop box
5. Online rebate status says it will take 14-16 days for processing so I wait.
Called customer service (CS), told me it takes 4-6 wks to process, so I wait another few weeks. All the while I was getting concerned about the forms being lost in the mail or possibly the company just didnt want to honor them. So I mentioned it to the CS and all they could say is that 'they are not responsible for lost mail'. It doesnt say anywhere in the rebate form anything about sending it cerified mail or not responsible for lost mail. I've sent several rebate forms as regular mail with no problems. 6. So I sent another copy of the rebate forms and a letter explaining the situation on Jan 19, hoping that they might reconsider.
I received a reply saying that they will not honor the rebates due to 'Postmark date does not fall within required timeframe included on form'. No other actions were offered.
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