Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been trying to send my husband pictures on inmate sales and I can not do it. The app just takes me back to the log in page. And I can not send him icares either there is no button for it even though Putnam County jail in Indiana offers it.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/04/2025

  We apologize for any
  frustration or confusion that you may have experienced however, we appreciate
  you reaching out so we could further look into this for you.
  After reviewing your account,
  we were able to confirm that an IT case was submitted on 4/29/2025, in regard
  to you not being able to purchase a Care Pack for your loved one via the app.
  It was noted that that we were not experiencing any issues on our end, so this
  indicates that it could be due to a compatibility issue with your device or you
  not having the most updated version of the app. To resolve this issue, please
  make sure that you have the most updated version of our Inmate Sales App
  however, if you are still running into issues, please note that you can also
  purchase the Care Pack Product on our website.
  
  In response to your issue
  with not being able to email your loved one, after reviewing your account, it
  appears that you communicate and purchase for several different inmates at
  different facilities. We can see successful emails being sent and received at
  one of the facilities however, there is another facility on your account that
  does not offer the Email product, so this could be why.
  
  In order to further research
  this issue and determine which inmate(s) and facility you are referring to, we
  would need to speak with you for additional information. We did attempt to
  contact you directly however, there was no answer so a voicemail was left
  asking you to contact our Video Visitation Department, which handles the Email
  product as well at: *************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/21/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My LO has been incarcerated for a year and a half around the middle of march 2025 the facility he is being housed at swapped from Securus to inmate sales. I have called numerous times, spoken to numerous people, had to be put on hold on multiple occasions, have tried to get this resolved and have gotten nowhere. I’m having to use a text now number for him to be able to call me bc for some reason my phone number is “blocked” it makes no sense since I can receive the chirps, with my actual phone number, how come I can’t receive the phone calls? I’ve been told the facility is the one who initiated the block, yet no one can give me a reason as to why. I’ve called the facility they did no such thing, on inmate sales website it clearly states the only person/people who can INITIATE or TAKE AWAY a block is inmate sales themselves. No one can tell me when it was initiated, why, or how to resolve the issue. I just get bounced around from person to person u til it hangs up OR I end up at someone’s voicemail. it’s not right me having to download an app to talk otp when I pay for a phone, the app sucks you can’t hear anything and the calls are always being dropped. Someone has to be able to resolve the issue or have some type of explanation. If the jail / facility initiated the block, then why wasn’t I blocked on Securus? how did my number get blocked before the even fully swapped over? It just doesn’t make any sense. I just want my number unblocked so I can get rid of this texting number. Thanks.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/04/2025

  We apologize for any
  frustration that you have experienced however, we appreciate you reaching out
  so we could further look into this for you.
  After further investigating
  this situation, it was determined that when the facility was switched to our
  company, we were provided a list of previously blocked numbers with a request
  to ensure they were blocked in our system as well. Upon further research, we
  were able to confirm that you were the one who originally initiated the
  request, and due to you no longer wanting your number to be blocked, we went
  ahead and removed the block to your phone number. Please note that this removal
  is immediate and you will now be able to fund and accept calls to this number,
  should you choose.
  
  We have attempted to reach
  out to you however, your phone number goes straight to voicemail, so a
  voicemail was left to update you on this action. Should you have any additional
  questions, please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department at *************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/07/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have put well over $100 into this company so my son can contact me from jail. I talked to him a few times and then tried to add his dad’s number to my account. I had to create another account for this, which means more money and still no calls! I called customer service for help and info. I thought it was all straightened out but he is still unable to call. The app now shows I have ZERO DOLLARS on my account(s). I also put $50 on a chirping device so he can text, only to find out there are no devices available! I am so disgusted with this company.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2025

  We apologize for any
  frustration or confusion that you have experienced however, we appreciate you
  reaching out so we could look further into your situation(s). Upon
  investigation, we were able to determine that the facility where your son is
  currently being housed allows phone time purchasing for both Direct Pay (allows
  the resident to call one specific phone number) and PIN Debit (allows the
  resident to call any number they choose).
  
  In your statement, you
  mentioned that you had made a purchase but did not receive any calls. After
  reviewing your account, we can confirm that although you made your first phone
  purchase to Direct Pay (to your number only) on March 13th, 2025,
  your son did not make any call attempts (to any number) until April 24th,
  2025, which is why there weren’t any calls until that date. We do not have any
  control over when or who he calls however, the funds were immediately available
  on your Direct Pay phone number had he made an attempt. You also indicated that
  you had to create another account, ultimately spending more money, so he could
  call his dad however, if you were to put the funds on his PIN Debit account,
  that would allow him to call anyone he wanted with his funds, not just one
  specific number, which would prevent you, or others, from having to make
  several separate purchases for each individual number.
  
  We did notice that your son
  made a call through your phone carrier on 4/24/2025 at 8:30pm, which worked
  perfectly and you were able to speak to your son for the full 15-minutes
  however, later that evening, you then registered your number and another number
  (his father’s we presume) to ring through our App Calling feature. When you
  registered the numbers for App Calling, it looks as if you may  have
  registered them through an iPad. The next couple of phone attempts that rang
  through your iPad came back with a “busy signal”. On April 4/29/2025, we can
  see that you switched the calls to both numbers to ring through an iPhone,
  instead of your iPad, which allowed the calls to come through successfully.
  Based on this information, there may be an issue with compatibility on the iPad
  or it may have not been turned on or connected to Wi-Fi at that time, but it
  does appear that your iPhone has been accepting calls without any further
  issues.  
  
  In response to the app
  showing a zero dollar balance on your phone number, that is because on May 5th,
  2025, you had called into customer service and asked for us to transfer your
  phone time balance from your Direct Pay account to your son’s PIN Debit
  account, which we did per your request. The funds were successfully transferred
  and your son now has a balance on his PIN Debit account, which will not show on
  the app. We can confirm that your son has been actively using his PIN Debit
  account to make successful phone calls to your phone number as well as other
  phone numbers.  
  
  In response to adding $50.00
  to your son’s Chirping account and the facility not having any available
  devices, we apologize for the frustration that this may have caused however,
  the jails request a certain number of devices and then we will fulfil their
  request. Due to not every inmate using the Chirping service, it is very
  unlikely that they would order a Chirp device for each inmate. At the time of
  responding to this complaint, we can confirm that your son does in fact have a
  Chirping device assigned to him and he has been actively using this account.
  
  Should you have any other
  questions, please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department at
  *************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/03/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Paid money to talk to my loved one. He was transferred to another facility and did not use any of the money. Just want my money back

  Business Response

  Date: 03/08/2025

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist this customer with her issue.  After investigation, she originally called us on March 3 requesting a refund.  We submitted her request at that time.  It was successfully processed into the national credit card system on March 4.  We advise all of our customers that refunds can take up to 7 to 10 business days to process through the credit card systems and actually post to their bank account and we have no control over that process.  Hopefully, her refund has processed and posted by now.  We tried unsuccessfully to contact her on March 7 to review the process with her again and see if she had received her funds yet.  If there is still an issue or a concern we ask that she contact our customer service department so that we can assist her.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/16/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I received an email from this company saying that I deposited money into an inmate account. Also I received a password reset button. I did not make an account and I’m not sure why I am receiving these emails. I am worried that I am being scammed or hacked. I am concerned that my personal information is being used as an inmate scam or to send money to an inmate I do not know.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/26/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist this customer.  We have investigated the issue and have contacted the customer.  For privacy reasons, no information is being shared however the issue has been resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/08/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Chirps don't work . contacted them twice .inmate can't reply to my chirp.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/22/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist this customer with his issue.  We have investigated the issue and have been in contact with the customer.  This is an ongoing issue that is caused by traffic on the telecom networks.  It comes and goes depending upon the volume at any given time. Due to the recent damages caused by the hurricanes, there are many severe network outages that are contributing to the issue and there is no eta at this time.  We will continue to monitor on our end and work with the various carriers towards a resolution.  This customer has been advised that we will contact him as the status of the issue changes. 

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/11/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  There were several occasions where I add money into my account, the transaction is processed and accepted but when I open the app to do my video visit with husband our call can never go through even when funds are available, even though the call never connects the funds are somehow taken off and the little times the call indeed does connect it’s always cuts off 10-15 early instead of getting the the full 25 min.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2024

  We have researched your
  account and did not find any indication of funds being deducted for visitations
  that did not occur. Our system is set up to only charge you for the time that
  you are successfully connected to your visit, so although there were a few
  visitations that did not connect, we can confirm that you were not charged for
  this time. There could be multiple reasons preventing a visitation from
  connecting, which include poor internet connection, technical issues, and/or
  the called party not being available to answer the call however, if this
  happens again, please contact our Customer Service Department at the time of
  your visit and we would be happy to help troubleshoot the visitation.
  
  In regard to not receiving
  your full visitation, this facility does allow 25-minute visitations to be
  scheduled however, the visits have a set start time and end time. If either
  party is late to the visit (which is what happened on several of your visits),
  this will cause the visitation to end at the scheduled time and will now allow
  for the full visit to occur. If you have any additional issues or questions,
  please contact our Video Visitation Customer Service Department at
  *************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/22/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  07/19/2024 I put money on my phone and chirps. And for some reason he can't call me or chirp me now. When he calls it says restricted. Please fix this. I do not want to be restricted from his contact pin 9897. I've called 7 times and the call won't go thru. So how can I contact customer support.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/25/2024

  Thank you for reaching out
  about this issue. We have not received any additional reports of our phone
  lines not working on, 7/19/24 however, we apologize for any inconvenience you
  have experienced.
  
  During our investigation, we
  were able to confirm that the funds you purchased for phone time and chirping
  have posted successfully and are currently being used by the Inmate.
  
  We were also able to confirm
  that since being notified of this issue, that you have successfully received
  and accepted calls from this Inmate.
  
  In regard to not being able
  to receive Chirps from this Inmate, it does appear that the messages are being
  rejected on the customer’s end. In order to resolve this, please chirp the
  word, “ACCEPT”, to the Inmate and this should allow the messages to come
  through again.
  
  If you have any additional
  issues or questions please contact our Customer Service Department at
  702-829-3001 or you can try our toll-free line at 877-998-5678, should this
  number continue to give you issues. ...

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/17/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Today I received 3 texts thanking me for using Inmate Sales. I received 3 different validation codes. I have never heard of this company before, let alone used it. Spam or something to be worried about?

  Business Response

  Date: 06/18/2024

  We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience
  this may have caused. It appears that someone with a phone number very similar
  to your phone number was trying to set up an account with our company and
  presumably typed in your phone number instead of their own in error. In an
  effort to confirm that this was a legitimate phone number, our company, Inmate
  Sales, had attempted to send a validation code to the number that was entered,
  which is why you received the text messages. Since you were not attempting to
  set up an account with our company, you can disregard those text messages.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/18/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Over the past two weeks, I have received multiple calls from supposed inmates within prisons. Inmates from prisons in Kentucky, SC, GA, Kansas and other states. I do not have anyone that I know that is an inmate in any prison. I let the calls go to voicemail- within the recorded message it states that an inmate is trying to contact me and to press 1 to accept the call and/or the charges. Also within the voicemail, it states to contact Inmate Sales or *************** if I was attorney and did not want the call recorded. Every call is by a different number and the area code of the number does not match the location of the prison. I had three calls today, two yesterday and more last week. I would like Inmate Sales and/or prisons to stop contacting me. Attached is one of the numbers that called along with the voicemail.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/02/2024

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we
  apologize for any confusion or frustration that you may have experienced. We
  were able to search the calls and confirm that an Inmate being housed in one of
  our facilities was trying to call your phone number. Due to the number of jails
  that we service, we do have several routing numbers that will show up on your
  caller ID, which is why you were seeing calls from several different numbers
  and states however, we were able to confirm that the calls were only coming
  from one facility located in Chesterfield, South Carolina. As requested, we
  have blocked your phone number from receiving any future phone calls, from any
  of our facilities however, if you ever needed to remove these blocks, or if you
  wanted to find out which Inmate was trying to reach you, please contact our
  Customer Service Department at, ***** ********, and we would be more than happy
  to assist you further.