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:07/03/2023

  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've tryed to send email s to a friend and it keeps telling me not approved witch I didn't do anything to not get approved

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2023

   

  We have investigated this customer's issue and have tried to contact her with no success.  Due to the sensitive nature of her issue, we ask that she contact our customer service at ************ so that we may discuss it with her.  Thank you for the opportunity to address this customers issue.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/05/2023

  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.

  In the last 4 weeks every call that I had I could barely hear and I was on wifi next to my modem the whole time only way I could hear . Constant crackling I've spent hundreds on calls and chrip. Your price is so hight 5.00 a phone call of 20 minutes who can afford it and a 4.00 fee to buy every time. You do not offer any phone plans and us as family members have no choice but to buy from you to speak to our family members . This is Price Gouging and should not be allowed.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/07/2023

   We have investigated this customers calls from mid-May to current and have found no issues.  We ask that she call our customer service number 877-998-5678 and provide specific dates and times of the calls where she experienced issues so that we can investigate further.  Thank you for the opportunity to help resolve her issue.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/31/2023

  Type:Billing 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.

  Another inmate who was in the same cell as my husband and he obtained my husbands pin and used his phone account. The jail has moved the inmate and charged his pin but no one will give us the money back. I was told today that unless the jail makes a report they will not give me a refund. Well the jail won’t do a report but they know he did something and won’t rectify the situation. This man used at least 100.00 you can listen to the phone calls and you can look at the numbers called and know it was not my husband. I want my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/31/2023

  We have reviewed this situation and while we deeply sympathize with this customer's situation, we are not responsible for the and cannot control the behavior of the inmates.  We are unable to provide a refund in this situation.  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/27/2023

  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.

  I have just recently made an account with inmate sales and at first had no problems with the company. But within the past week have been very DISAPPOINTED on how they operate. My loved one and myself haven’t been able to send emails back and fourth at all!! And I’ve paid for the emails. It’s hard enough having a loved on locked up and to make it so we’re unable to communicate and not be able to use it with no reasoning at all? Unacceptable! I would understand if I was going against the policy but I haven’t in the slightest and he FINALLY could send 1 email and I haven’t been able to or get in contact with any customer service representatives. It’s very irritating to not know/understand why you can’t be in contact with your loved ones especially in times they need it the most. Disappointed with how they have handled this situation. I just want a resolution so I can be in contact with them again and be able to email like I paid for. I do not want to close my account or have my money refunded. BUT if I still continue to be unable to email them I will end up wanting a refund. Like I said in the beginning I haven’t had any problems with them previously, and I would hope they would want to resolve this issue so I can continue to be a loyal paying customer. *Also in my pictures keep in mind the time on my phone to show the proof that the emails are in fact not sending because my emails available to send stay at 14even after I’ve been trying to send them through.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2023

  We have investigated this customer's issue and it was caused by a system outage in our email platform over the weekend.  This issue has been corrected and the system is up.  We are sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this caused our customer.  If there are any other questions or issues please call our Customer Service at ************ so that we can provide assistance.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/27/2023

  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.

  Their email system is down currently and they told me it would be fixed by last night now that department won't be in until tomorrow I've made multiple calls and they say they can't fix it . I put the last of my money on email and can't use them my inmate can send them to me but I can't send them back to anyone. I feel like they should of at least offered to accommodate me with either credited my video account or my phone account so that I could at least communicate with my inmate but instead I'm left with high anxiety and no solution

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2023

  We have investigated this customer's issue and determined that it was caused by a system outage in our email platform.  This has been fixed and the email system is up and running normally.  Unfortunately, we are unable to transfer email credits to phone or visit time as this customer requested due to system constraints.  For a refund or any other concerns please contact our Customer Service at 877-998-5678.  We are sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this customer experienced.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2023

  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.

  Over the last few weeks I have added chirp funds and there have been multiple times the inmate is not receiving my messages nor am I receiving theirs but it is still taking the funds. I contacted customer service and all they told me was it was my phone provider and that they were working on it. There’s no telling how many messaging weren’t received but still charged for but I was also told there is nothing they can do as far as a refund for the messages that we paid for and never got.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/30/2023

  We have investigated this customer issue and found that they were successfully using the system until Mar 12 when their messages were listed as "ignored" in the system meaning they were not viewed.  They did not communicate again until Mar 22 when the messages were successfully received and continue to communicate.  There was no charge for the "ignored" messages.  We are sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this customer may hav experienced.  For any other questions or to request a refund of unused funds please call our Customer Service at ************.  Thank you for the opportunity to assist this customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/28/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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’ve paid thousands and thousands of dollars between chirps, phone time, emails and TRYING to video visit an inmate. Over the course of the last 3 months I’ve called and called and called to have issues resolved. Currently the chirping system, e-mail system, and video visit system have been down for 5 days. After calling to try and resolve issues once again being on the phone 30-45 minutes every time for the 6th time in 3 months I was told there would be a “ticket” put in and they would look into the issue. As many “tickets” have been put in you’d think something would be done, but no. For the last 3 months I’ve tried to visit with my inmate 5 OR MORE DAYS A WEEK and they never work. I bought 80 minutes worth of visit time in December (3months ago) and have used a total of 9 minutes, 71.2 remaining from the initial purchase. I’ve had a total of 50 visits scheduled none of them have worked for longer than a few seconds. When I call I’m told they “cannot see a problem” or “the problem is with my Wi-Fi” or “the problem is with my cell phone” or “or the inmate will have to contact jail staff” jail staff is tired of the inmates complaining about the poor service you provide as well. I’ve called the cell provider and the Wi-Fi provider and there are no problems on my end. I’ve also tried to use a desktop computer… same problems. Different phone number… same problems… different account… same problems. I’m told by the inmate that this happens to most peoples visits and still here we are with nothing being done. It would be nice to be able to use the service you provide with peace of mind instead of wondering if the visits are going to go through, if the chirps were received or if the phone is going to ring through. Please resolve this. I pay entirely too much money for a service I’m not being provided! Thanks

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2023

  We are in the process of a thorough investigation into this customer's issue and will reply when the investigation is complete.  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/16/2023

  
  
  Complaint: 19508710
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was told that the visits that didn’t work will be refunded, and that IT would look into the issue and I would get a call back to set up a visit to see if the issue can be resolved. The money isn’t a problem. The visits not working ever is the problem. Once the issue is resolved I will be more than happy to close the case. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  James *****

  Business Response

  Date: 04/05/2023

  We have performed extensive testing and moniitoring of our systems and can find no issues on our end. The systems have performed above standards since we began monitoring after receiving this complaint.  We see multiple successful visits on the same equipment daily for other customers with no issues.  We did notice that this customer's visits tend to drop when they walk around the home so have coached them to stay in place when visiting to see if that helps them.  We have also encouraged them to investigate the issue with their service provider as it may be a router issue.  We are sorry that thiis customer is experiencing these issue as our goal is for all of our customer to be able to visit their loved ones without problems but we can only control our own network.  thank you for the opportunity to address this customer's issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/05/2023

  I’ve tried an iPhone, an android, a tablet, a laptop, and a desktop computer. Clearly it’s not a service provider issue but thanks for all the help I appreciate it. Your service is junk. 
  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 19508710, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  James *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2023

  Type:Billing 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 was told by my aunt to use her card to purchase chirps which I did. My aunt in a manic state filled fraud on every purchase on her card. The chirps I put on and any other money put on by family members continues to be taken off this account, it was only suppose to be 47. 50 they took twenty dollars off his account last night again how much longer is this going to go on??

  Business Response

  Date: 02/28/2023

  We have investigated this customers complaint and found that this account is part of an ongoing fraud/chargeback investigation.  Due to privacy issues, we are unable to give any further details but invite this customer to contact our customer service at ************ to discuss how she can get it resolved.  She will continue to have issues until she resloves the situation.  Thank you for the opportunity to help and clarify her issue.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2023

  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.

  At the correctional facility inmates are only allowed 1 visit per week. I was scheduled a visit with an inmate on 01/16/2023 when the system was down on the website and the app. The system should be up and running 24/7!! It’s not fair to me or to others when today was my only free day. Why make us schedule an appointment for a visit when we’re not able to go through with it ???

  Business Response

  Date: 01/25/2023

  We have investigated this issue and the system was temporarily down at the time of this customers visit.  We have tried to contact her to no avail.  If she would contact our Video Visit Customer Service we are happy to schedule another visit for her.  While it is our goal for our systems to be available 100% of the time, unfortunately all systems can experience temporary issues.  We are sorry it affected her visit and look forward to helping her schedule another session.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/09/2023

  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.

  Abhorrant and Total SCAM!
  
  Inmate Sales
  PO Box *****
  Highland Heights, KY 41076
  1-877-998-5678
  
  "All of our representatives are currently busy please stay on the line and your call will be answered by the next available representative."
  
  Let me warn you after three hours of hearing this over and over and over - you'll want to throw your phone across the room. Never have I had a more aggravating "hold experience" and have no doubt that was their intention all along - to drive any sane person to the verge.
  
  I have not been able to even speak to anyone - including the person I signed up for this service to speak with in the first place. Registration took a mere four hours on Sunday, Jan. 1 and here it is Jan. 6 and I have spent the last four days on hold with cusotmer service and will most likely fail miserably at getting through.
  
  Today my estimated hold time is currently 48 minutes and I am caller number 31 - so my fingers are crossed an actual human being can refund the money this company has literally taken off my card for services that are not even operational.
  
  Inmate Sales is obviously a necessary evil - and whoever owns and operates this abhorrant service knows that. I have been unable to make contact with customer service to inquire about all of the unauthorized charges and defintiely haven't been able to talk to the inmate I have registered an account for in the first place.
  
  It has now been 3 hours and 18 minutes and I am still in line - customer number 11 with an estimated 22 minute wait. I have never been so frustrated. When someone goes to jail - it puts a lot of stress on the family and this company advertises itself as your saving grace in regard to conveniently contacting your loved ones.
  
  If at all possible, my advice is to send a cashier check to the facility itself.
  
  Inmate Sales - you should be the ones in jail.
  
  I am beyond ANGRY WITH COMPANIES LIKE THIS CONTINUING TO DO BUSINESS!

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2023

  We are sincerely sorry for this customers experience.  Upon investigation and checking her account, it appears that she was able to reach us and request her refunds which have been processed.  We have attempted to contact her via phone and email with no response.  If she has not received her refunds or has further questions we request she contact our Customer Service number so that we can further assist her.  Thank you for the opportunity to address and resolve her issue.