Ripoff Report Needs Your Help!
X  |  CLOSE
Report: #190416

Complaint Review: Inphonic - Continental Promotion Group - Tempe Arizona

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: Columbus Georgia
  • Author Confirmed What's this?
  • Why?
  • Inphonic - Continental Promotion Group 1120 West Warner Road Tempe, Arizona U.S.A.

Inphonic - Continental Promotion Group ripoff refuse to process rebates in timely manner Tempe Arizona

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Continental Promotional Group

*UPDATE Employee: Out of Curiousity

Show customers why they should trust your business over your competitors...

Is this
Report about YOU
listed on other sites?
Those sites steal
Ripoff Report's
content.
We can get those
removed for you!
Find out more here.
How to fix
Ripoff Report
If your business is
willing to make a
commitment to
customer satisfaction
Click here now..

This company, A1 Wireless, aka Inphonic, Inc., aka Continental Promotion Group, plus other names has devised a way to hook people into buying cell phones and service through them by offering good rebates. Regretfully, after you have purchased the phones and service you learn in order to receive the rebate you have a battery of things to do within certain time limits or lose your promised rebate.

If by chance you succeed in following to the detail their requirements and get it mailed to them in the required time, you still have to wait 10 to 12 weeks AFTER they have verified that you qualify. This could take up to a month for them to do that BEFORE the 10-12 weeks processing period begins. I have learned from the web site www.ripoffreport.com there are many folks who have been refused their rebates and some have waited up to 10 months and longer.

Many have given up through frustration which is what A1 Wireless is trying to do with everyone. Their stipulations are so great that it is almost impossible to meet. It is evident their main reason for all this is to refrain from making the promised rebates.

I am an honest man. I do not want anything that is not rightfully mine. I have jumped through all their hoops to meet their requirements, as many others have, and they sit and stall us in making the promised rebates.

I have maintained all the records of my transaction, all the emails, and recorded every problem I have encountered with them from day one. I am giving you a synopsis below of everything that has happened:

Please note that in their contract it states that should I change my phone number, change my service, or fail to pay T-Mobile the monthly charges they have the right to bill my credit card a $250.00 Equipment Fee.

On December 31, 2005 I purchased T-Mobile Service and cell phone through A-1 Wireless located at 39-40 30th Street, Long Island City, New York 11101 phone 718-764-8220.

Their offer included a Motorola RAZR V3 Phone, free after rebate ($100 customer appreciation rebate and $50 Motorola RAZR V3 Phone rebate); a free XM Satellite Radio, with subscription, and 1500 anytime minutes with T-Mobile for 39.99 per month (12 month contract)..

1) Initial Problem
On Saturday, January 7, 2006, I rec'd the phone. It came activated and ready for use. After I had begun using it we realized no one locally could call me without going through long distance.
I called T-Mobile and talked with Customer Service Rep. Joe who checked the service and said everything seemed to be working properly.
I continued to have problems with family and work calling me they still had to use long distance to reach me.

After much frustration I went online and used Whitepages.com to do a reverse number lookup and learned the phone had been setup for local use in the Athens, Georgia area. Athens is 175 miles from Columbus, Georgia (where I live). Apparently a mistake had been made with either A-1 Wireless or T-Mobile with the original setup in service for me.

I called T-mobile again and explained the situation. I talked with Customer Service Rep. Blake who confirmed the prefix (461) was not for Columbus but for Athens, Georgia. He was very helpful in correcting the service for my area and the transfer was done without haste. Regretfully, they had to change my number to a prefix for Columbus. He noted that A-1 Wireless had apparently sent them the wrong setup information. Service has been excellent now. A1 Wireless had stated in their contract that should I change my number I would forfeit the rebates and my credit card would be charged $250. It seemed that A1 had with purpose set the phone up for another city so I would have to change the number.

2) Problem

I began looking through the rebate forms and requirements A-1 Wireless had sent me with the phone. It was quickly determined that A-1 Wireless did not want to follow through with their offer to rebate the phone or send the XM Satellite Radio (I really did not care for the satellite radio, so it is not an issue here). The instructions and requirements listed for the consumer made for almost impossible tasks and time limits to meet in order to get the rebates.

I began to look further into A-1 Wireless and went online to Ripoffreport.com and the Better Business Bureau. I learned they had many complaints against them from consumers who had taken them up on their offer but failed to make the rebates. The BBB had removed their membership because of so many complaints. Many had to go to the Attorney General's Office of New York, the Better Business Bureau, and other agencies to make them fulfill their obligation. Many have given up in frustration and lost their money which is what A1 Wireless really wants.

After learning of all this, I began to document all aspects of this sale and communication with A-1 Wireless. I have made copies of all forms and receipts in preparation of forwarding these to New York' Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau.

Too, in their instructions it listed that should I change my number originally setup I would forfeit the rebate and my credit card would be charged a $250.00 Equipment Discount Charge. This is another reason for my compiling all this documentation so as to expose the tactics A-1 Wireless is afflicting on their customers and their means to default on their promise to rebate the money people are rightfully due. It is nothing more than a blatant act of bait and switch!

In having my number changed not of my own choosing but because they had setup service for another area I became worried that A-1 would default on their rebate promise. I contacted them by email which required approximately five responses and instructions (again jumping through many hoops) to get their mistake corrected. They finally corrected the problem after many emails and phone calls and stated my rebates would not be in jeopardy.
Considering all the complaints filed against A-1 Wireless I believe this was an intended act to assure they would not have to make the promised rebate!!!

Each of these problems had been generated or caused by A-1 Wireless. Each of these problems are also listed in their agreements that should I create any of these problems no rebates will be issued and I will be liable for $250.00 Equipment Discount charged against my credit card. There was a good possibility that I could lose the rebates and have to pay them an additional $250. Everything was working in their favor for them to achieve this.

(3) Problem
Now, having had service for two months, I have received a bill from T-Mobile for monthly service at the rate of $49.99 though my agreement with them through A-1 Wireless (and documented) was for $39.99 per month. After approximately many emails and several phone calls to T-Mobile and finally having to fax copies of the agreement to them, they are indicating that A-1 Wireless apparently has misrepresented this transaction to me and defaulted again to fulfill their commitment.

Each of these problems had been generated or caused by A-1 Wireless. Each of these problems are also listed in their agreements that should I create any of these problems no rebates will be issued and I will be liable for $250.00 Equipment Discount charged against my credit card. There was a good possibility that I could lose the rebates and have to pay them an additional $250. Everything was working in their favor for them to achieve this.

(4) Rebate Forms:
$50 T-Mobile Motorola RAZR V3 requirements:
(a) Completed rebate form
(b) a photocopy of proof of purchase
(c) original white sticker panel cut from the side of the handset box
(d) must be postmarked within 30 days of purchase (note- you really only have about 20 days when deducting the week it took for them to get the phone and forms to me).
(e) once received by them and verified (can take several weeks) then you have to wait 6-8 weeks to receive your check.

I completed all their requirements and mailed them to: T-Mobile Motorola RAZR V3 Rebate Program, P.O. Box 72999, Dept. 4694, Detroit, MI 48272-4694.

I received my rebate check from T-Mobile on March 22, 2006 within a reasonable amount of time.

$100 A1 Wireless Customer Appreciation Rebate (to cover cost of phone) requirements:
(a) copy of dated sales receipt included with shipment
(b) copy of 12 digit UPC barcode from the product packaging (this is the same bar code I had to send with the $50 Rebate had I not made a copy I would not be able to submit this rebate form for the $100 rebate)
(c) top page copy of SECOND wireless bill dated within 120 days after activation date.
(d) Rebate forms must be postmarked NO EARLIER than 60 days after activation date shown on your sales receipt and NO LATER than 120 days after activation date. Submissions not correctly postmarked within this time frame will not qualify. Early submissions will not be accepted and the processing center is not responsible for late, lost, mutilated, misdirected, or postage due requests.

To assure they had no excuse in refusing to make their promised rebate to me,
I completed all their stringent requirements and mailed the forms via certified mail with return receipt on March 13, 2006 to Department 63784, Customer Appreciation Rebate, PO Box 52900, Phoenix, Arizona 85072.

It took four weeks for them to acknowledge receipt. Then there was a verification process which had to take place before the rebate refund check could begin processing. The whole process from purchase to hopefully receiving your check is five months.

On May 5, 2006 I called the Continental Promotion Group, 1120 West Warner Road, Tempe, Arizona 85284; phone 800-554-9838, who does the processing of these rebates. I talked with Customer Service Rep. Jackie Martinez employee number 7069 who could not give me an answer as to why it takes do long for them to process these rebates. She refused to check further or with anyone higher above her for answers to my questions. She finally hung up on me.

This ordeal has cost me a lot of time to try and get what A-1 Wireless had promised me. I am an honest man and have tried all my life to live with integrity and honesty. I don't want anything that is not rightfully mine. Regretfully, I have done business with a company (A-1 Wireless) who lacks these qualities of integrity and honesty who uses unscrupulous tactics to keep monies they rightfully owe their customers.

I have forwarded all this to Mr. Eliot Spitzer, the Attorney General for the State of New York and other agencies.

I SURE WISH A LAWYER WOULD TAKE US ALL ON FOR A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THESE HORRIBLE PEOPLE.

Daniel
Columbus, Georgia
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

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 05/08/2006 05:20 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/inphonic-continental-promotion-group/tempe-arizona-85284/inphonic-continental-promotion-group-ripoff-refuse-to-process-rebates-in-timely-manner-t-190416. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

Search for additional reports

If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:

Report & Rebuttal
Respond to this report!
What's this?
Also a victim?
What's this?
Repair Your Reputation!
What's this?

Updates & Rebuttals

REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
2Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#2 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Continental Promotional Group

AUTHOR: Lisa - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, December 26, 2008

I worked for CPG for close to 10 years before they let me go a couple of months ago because of the bankruptcy. Many people thought it was a scam and that the company took too long to process the rebates. There were many requirements that had to be followed which were printed on the rebate forms which people did not bother to read and which caused their rebates to reject. It takes so long to process because (and most of the people at the company did not know this) the checks were mailed to the customers via standard mail with the post office (worked for them from 03-95 to 06-05). Post office process their first class mail with priority and standard mail just sits until whenever they have time to process it. We would receive letters coming first class to the company right away and type it that day and bring it back so it is not the companys fault. I just get tired of complaining babies.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#1 UPDATE Employee

Out of Curiousity

AUTHOR: Rebate Specialist - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, July 27, 2008

Have you received your rebate yet?

Respond to this report!
What's this?
Featured Reports

Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.

X
What do hackers,
questionable attorneys and
fake court orders have in common?
...Dishonest Reputation Management Investigates Reputation Repair
Free speech rights compromised

WATCH News
Segment Now