Complaint Review: Offerwire / Bridgevine - Internet

I ordered Time Warner Cable through www.Offerwire.com (aka Bridgevine). Because I ordered service during June 2012, I was eligible for two Offerwire rebates. The first was a $150 Visa GC, and the second was a $59.95 rebate if I ordered a Linksys e900 wireless router. Offerwire has approved the $150 rebate, but has wrongly denied the $59.95 rebate.

The online tracking status of my rebate request states that it was denied because "We did not receive a copy of your first two (2) months' providers service bills will your request." This is false, because I submitted the exact same copies of the prior two bills with both rebate requests, and the other was approved.

When I called the OfferWire customer service (a call center in St. Lucia), I was informed that I was not eligible because I did not purchase the router through Offerwire.com. The rebate form does not require this. "To be eligible for this rebate, you must do the following:
1. Order High Speed Internet service, either alone or in conjuction with Digital Phone or TV service through www.offerwire.com.
2. Purchase Linksys E900 wireless router either with or without the trial subscription to a Real Networks program
3. Order service(s) and make equipment purchase between June 1, 2012 and July 2, 2012 and activate service(s) within 3 days of order date
4. Include a copy of your dated OfferWire order confirmation showing services ordered (emailed at the time of order placement).
..."

Nowhere in the written instructions does it say that the router must be ordered through OfferWire.com. Furthermore, after ordering my service, OfferWire sent me an e-mail with a link to the rebate center website. At this website, I selected Time Warner Cable and was presented with both rebate forms; one for the $150 rebate, and another for the $59.95 router rebate.

My Caribbean call center friends (the original rep and supervisor) both admitted that the written form does not require purchase of the router through OfferWire.com. They also admitted that the website provides the rebate form I downloaded without any restriction on where I purchased the router.

However, they still refuse to honor the rebate because, regardless of what the form says, OfferWire does not honor this rebate if the router is not purchased through OfferWire.

If this sounds completely ridiculous, well, that's because it is! I have discovered that there is a cultural difference between America and other parts of the world - particularly 3rd world countries. In America, we rely upon written promises. We expect that they be honored and, if they are not, we can enforce those written promises through legal action. In the 3rd world, a written promise doesn't mean anything if the person contends it was a mistake. I had the exact same problem dealing with a call center in India.

The St. Lucia call center has now "escalated" this issue to OfferWire's "executive office" - meaning stateside. I am told I will receive a call in 24 to 48 hours. I'm not holding out much hope. OfferWire maintains corporate offices in Florida and Georgia, but the phone numbers provided always go straight to voicemail. Next stop will be the Florida and Georgia Attorneys General Consumer Fraud Divisions.