Wireless Advocates - T-Mobile Kiosk - Costco - Steven Severin Mgr. Failed to honor rebate Las Vegas Nevada
On July 17, 2008 I went to the Wireless Advocates kiosk in the Costco Warehouse in Las Vegas, NV on N. Decatur to upgrade my cell phone. I was offered a $50 rebate from Wireless Advocates manager Steve Severin. I went home and filled out all the forms and after the normal waiting time with no response, I checked T-Mobile online.
It stated that my rebate was deemed unqualified and that I would receive an unqualified letter that would explain how I could correct and resubmit my rebate request. I did not receive a letter.
I called T-Mobile and they said that there was no rebate on that phone. So I went back to the Costco Wireless Advocates Kiosk and spoke with Steven again. He stated that there was a rebate, otherwise he would not be able to offer it. He then faxed all the information (receipts, copy of rebate form I had filled out) to the district manager & told me I should hear something soon.
I waited another week and heard nothing. So, I went back to the kiosk, to Steven. I got absolutely no where. I've been back at least 3 more times and called him at least 4 times. Each time he is stating that it's the district manager that is not solving the problem and that he also faxed the information to the other district manager in Henderson with the same old story.
Now it is the middle of October and I still don't have my $50 rebate. When I was offered the rebate they assured me that if T-Mobile had a problem with the rebate that they would take care of it. But, this obviously is not the case. Nobody wants to pay for the rebate. I would not trust Wireless Advocates Kiosks in Costco or T-Mobile anywhere else again. After this contract is over I will be changing carriers.
Linda
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Customer Service
Seattle,Washington,
United States of America
Wireless Advocates Customer Service
#5UPDATE Employee
Fri, June 10, 2011
As a customer service specialist at Wireless Advocates, I'm disturbed to hear of any dissatisfaction with elements of our service.
If our customers are unable to get an appropriate resolution to ANY problem at their local Wireless Advocates kiosk or through our online ordering, I strongly urge them to immediatley contact our customer service team at (206) 428-2400 or by mail at Wireless Advocates Support Headquarters, 2101 4th Avenue, Suite 1250, Seattle, WA, 98121.
I'd like to note that at Wireless Advocates, our teammates of all levels and positions are dedicated to core values that help them to help our customers, and for our customers to view us as experts. These values include a strong service ethic and integrity.
If we come up short in these categories, please contact us directly in customer service so we can address the situation!
Anonymous
Las Vegas,Nevada,
U.S.A.
RESOLVED!!!
#5Author of original report
Sat, April 11, 2009
After 9 months of going back and forth between Wireless Advocates and T-Mobile and after writing a report on Ripoff report.com, I have finally received my $50 rebate check! I received it from Wireless Advocates, not from T-Mobile. As stated previously, IT IS NOT STEVE'S FAULT that I did not get my rebate check. It is his district manager's, whoever they might be, that did not respond to his repeated attempts at faxing and calling on my case. It is now RESOLVED.
Anonymous
Las Vegas,Nevada,
U.S.A.
Wireless Advocates T-Mobile Kiosk Costco
#5Author of original report
Wed, February 25, 2009
It is now February 25, 2009 and I still have not received my $50 rebate! In all fairness, however, Steve has been very helpful and has been trying to get my rebate for me. He has forwarded all of my information countless times to managers, district managers, etc., with no results whatsoever. The reason I mentioned his name is because he is the manager of the kiosk and should have a lot more authority than he does. A rebuttal stated not to blame the carrier. Then who's fault is it exactly?
Reji
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
Please Don't Blame The Carrier
#5UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, October 31, 2008
It is unfortunate to hear about your experience. I worked for Wireless Advocates at a location in New Jersey for a little over a year. I left the company at the beginning of July 2008. Your story is quite similar to an incident that happened in September of 2007.
I had a customer sign up for two new lines with T-Mobile. At the time we were running a promotion in which the customer would receive a $25 Costco Cash Card for every new line activated. There was no rebate form, the customer was told that a Cash Card with a value of $50 would be sent to him in the mail.
My customer sometime later, inquiring about the card. I asked to customer to be patient and wait a few more weeks. He came in again, informing me that no card was sent. I verified his activation fee rebates were processed and credit received, but T-Mobile had no knowledge of the $50 card. This was understandable as it wasn't an offer provided through them. No amount of coaxing and cajoling would get the T-Mobile rep to just apply a $50 credit to the account. I then wrote an email with the customer's information and sent it to my District Manager. I asked the customer to come back in a week's time hoping that I would have an answer. Little did I know that I would be repeating those words and sending the same emails again and again. My District Manager never responded to my emails, nor did he ever call the customer directly after receiving the customer's contact information. After further inquiry, my District Manager told me that there was never a promotion for $25 per new line activated at that time. Going back into the archived promotional material, I was unable to find any trace of the promotion. I distinctly remembered the promotion being in effect as that was one of the main draws of the sale in question. A phone call to my then Kiosk Manager confirmed the validity of the customer's claim as she was present on the day the phones were activated.
This dragged on for months and months. At one point, I purchased a gift card out of pocket to bring and end to the situation. My customer refused to accept it and was adamant about receiving what he was owed from the company.
I did not see my customer for some time after that. I figured that he had finally received his Cash Card. He stopped by the kiosk one day, many months after the beginning of the whole affair. I asked him if he received the Cash Card, and he said that he did not. By this time, I believe that it was now June. Nine months after purchasing the phones, the Cash Card had not been issued.
Finally, my customer decided to get a member of the Costco Management and I explained the situation to him. The manager asked for the District Manager's number and I provided that to him. I wasn't privy to their conversation so I do not know exactly what was said, however, the next week, my customer came in brandishing a $50 Costco Cash Card.
I apologize for the lack of brevity contained in the post, but I felt that the entire story needed to be told. I wouldn't want you to have to change carriers and go through the porting process if you weren't completely dissatisfied. If you're enjoying your T-Mobile service, then by all means, stay with them. The blame for your situation and the one I described lies with Wireless Advocates. The kiosk manager had no business sending you home with the rebated forms as it is company policy to fill out the forms for the customer. In my store, I not only filled out forms, I provided pre-printed envelopes. On occasion I even mailed the rebates out myself on behalf of the customer. Things like that made me favorite amongst Costco members. When I go to shop, even though I no longer work there, I see customers that I've sold to and help them with any questions they have.