Complaint Review: Inphonic.com Wirefly.com

I purchased 3 phones from Wirefly.com on October 24th. At the same time I picked the Family plan from T-Mobile. 2 of the phones had a $130 rebate.

I submitted all proper UPC's, receipts, rebate forms etc upon receipt of my 2nd bill. Waiting until after my 1st paid bill before submitting all information was a condition of the rebate.

Since then I have had numerous email correspondants all of which have a different time frame as to when my rebates were submitted for approval or when I will get them and/or reason for denying my rebate.

On Feb 24th 2006 I sent an email inquiring status of my rebates and the following was the response I got....

Dear Consumer:

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the status of your rebate. Our records indicate a valid rebate is currently being processed. A rebate check will be issued and mailed to you upon completion of processing.

REBATE AMOUNT: $260.00 Each rebate has a check made to the amount of $130.00.

Your rebate was entered successfully on 02/08/2006. Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for processing from this date.

If you have any more questions or concerns, please contact us via e-mail at your convenience and we will be happy to assist you.
To respond, please select "Reply" in your e-mail software, and be sure that the past e-mail is included in this reply. If your e-mail client automatically deletes prior e-mail thread information, it will cause a delay while we look up your support history.

Please feel free to view the status of your rebate on our website.

Thank you for contacting us.

Customer Contact Center
inphonic.rebatestatus.com


On April 30th I sent another email inquiring where my rebates were. This is their response...

Dear Consumer:

Your rebate was submitted into our system on 2/27/06. Once submitted, these rebates go through an extensive verification process between your wireless provider and the retailer from which you bought your phone. Once this verification process is complete, the 10-12 week processing time will begin. We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may have caused.

Thank you for contacting us.

Customer Contact Center
inphonic.rebatestatus.com

On May 31st I sent yet another inquiry... Again, This is their response...

Dear Consumer:

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding your rebates. Currently three of your rebates are in process, as they were in review till 05/23/06. Please allow 10 weeks to process from this date. As for one of your rebate submissions an error has occurred * DO - Carrier has reported customer's rate plan has changed to either a lower monthly rate plan or a shorter contract term than originally purchased; rebate is null and void.; *

Thank you for contacting us.

Customer Contact Center
inphonic.rebatestatus.com

Once I sent any email response back to them stating I did not at any time change my Family plan nor did I change my contract I got another response from them...

Dear Consumer:

Thank you for your recent inquiry. Unfortunately the error on your rebate is not one that we are able to clear. Your wireless carrier reported that your rate plan was changed, we suggest you contact them to inquire as to why your rebate was denied.

Thank you for contacting us.

Customer Contact Center
inphonic.rebatestatus.com

I called my wireless carrier and they were clueless to what Inphonic was trying to say and also added there was NO reason why I shouldn't get my rebates.

From that last email response on June 1st till August 15th I have had numerous phone calls with anyone who would listen to me in their rebate dept.

I called at least 20 times. My last phone conversation other then leaving messages was with a manager (wasn't sure if I could post her name) and she promised to help me by speaking with her supervisor.

She said rules were changed after I made my purchase regarding second line rebates therefore my rebate was denied. I told I purchased a FAMILY PLAN and 2 phones which means one phone would be used as a second line.

I had ported the numbers at the time of purchase so saying I added a second line later is just ridiculous.

Needless to say after she promised she would help me she never called back and has not returned any of my calls or messages left (about 10)

In the mean time I did finally get someone to send me one rebate in August (a few weeks ago) which was as they claim not null and void but the second was.

On August 15th I got an email from them...


This email is a follow up the 8/7/06 conversation regarding your wireless rebates.

As advised, your account was escalated to Management for further review. Please be advised our investigation has been completed.

After researching your account, two of the three lines were "downgraded" from the primary account to secondary. Rebates are not processed on secondary lines accounts, unfortunately. Regrettably, for this reason, the rebate denial stands.

Sincerely,

JK
Rebate Operations Department

What they mean by downgraded is beyond me. Its is now August 20th and I am not about to give up. I was just about to make a report to the BBB when I came across this site.

I am hoping and praying for help, justice, you name it for the time, energy, and frustration for what I have gone through. I am out $130 and to em that is a LOT of money.

I wish I would have found this company before I ordered my phones through Wirefly.com. Trying to get through to them for help is just as bad.

Sharyn
Evergreen Park, Illinois
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on InPhonic

Click here to read The *EDitorial: The Marketing Rebate Rip Off ...Manufactures invent reasons why not to pay the consumer