Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Virtual Incentives LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Virtual Incentives LLC

  6 Depot Sq Cold Spring, NY 10516-3001

  
• 

  Virtual Incentives LLC

  PO Box 35 Cold Spring, NY 10516-0035

  

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:08/24/2023

  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 received a **** Virtual Reward for $10 as a result of completing a survey conducted by *********** I used part of the reward earlier this year and realized the balance was about to expire so I attempted to use the the rest before the expiration date. On 7/31 the card would not work all day. I tried using it for multiple items and it kept indicating there was a problem with the card or it is invalid. I looked up support information for the Virtual ************* and only an email address was supplied so I finally just emailed them. They did not reply for two days and their resolution is that the card is now expired so there is nothing they can do.According to them the card is not even active the entire day which I had no knowledge of (and why?) That was not disclosed. Even so the card did not work even in the morning which I explained to them. They indicate that card was already expired by 6 pm when I contacted them so there is nothing they can do.I called the bank that issued the card (****** Bank) and they mentioned they do not activate or deactivate the card, only the Virtual ************* does that and gave me a different phone number to call. They would not do anything either using the same explantion that the card is expired. I also contacted the manager email for the rewards center and they refuse to do anything. There was less than $5 left on the card but I think that this is a scam that is impacting thousands of people that they are benefitting from.This is a company that seems to deactivate the card early and make it difficult to use it so they can keep the remaining balance. It seems to be a fraud and they would not answer what happens to the money left on the card which I see was removed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/21/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Virtual Incentives LLC regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/29/2023

  Dear BBB:

   

  I am pleased to inform you that we have authorized reissuing a reward Card to ******************************* for the $4.93 that was left on her Card at the time it expired.

   

  Virtual Incentives is in the business of fulfilling rewards and promotions on behalf of its business clients--In this case ************--and subject to the rules set by the client and the issuing bank, in this case, ****** Bank. 

   

  ********************** received a Virtual **** reward as part of a program with ************ Under the issuing bank requirements and as disclosed in the terms and conditions, the cards expired at UTC on the expiration date. Unfortunately, we do not have any control over the terms and conditions set by the bank.

   

  However, in reviewing the reward history in this case, we can see that ********************** made several attempts to use her card prior to Card expiration and the Card was declined due to merchant restrictions. As such, we are reissuing the balance in the interest of fairness.

   

  So that there are not further issues with the new card, ********************** should note that certain merchants set restrictions around the use of prepaid cards. Specifically, some merchants will take a small verification fee off the Reward to verify the authenticity of the Reward. This fee is usually placed back on the Reward after the completion of the purchase or after the verification process (the Verification process and time frame may vary from Merchant to Merchant). If the amount of the Reward after the verification is not enough to cover the cost of the purchase, this will cause the transaction to be declined. 
  
  Restaurants and other services ***************** shops, bakeries, nail & hair salons, etc), as well as any merchants that accept gratuity, will take a 20% pre-authorization fee. This fee is placed back on the Reward after the completion of the purchase or after the pre- authorization process has finished (However, this can take up to 7 business days).

   

  Again, I apologize that this case was overlooked and to ********************** for the delay in response. If she has any issues with her new Card, ********************** is welcome to call our support center. We encourage her to do so well in advance of expiration to avoid any further issues.

   

  Thank you,

  *************************, Esq.

  
  

  
  

  ?

  ************************* General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer M*************** E********************************** www.virtualincentives.com

  ?

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/04/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  The information provided as explanation of why the card was not working is inaccurate.  The conditions explained in which the card would not be accepted does not apply to how I was using the card.   I attempted to use merchants that I have used in the past and never had the issues described in which addititional charges are applied or a 20% fee is added.   I even attempted to use the card with a merchant that accepted the same card on a past date and the card would not work.    I believe the card was deliberately deactivated before the expiration date and time which may be the regular practice for this company.

  The remaining funds were quickly removed from the card after expiration date and **************** would not answer my question as to where the funds go.

  When requesting assistance I was told repeatedly that I was using the card after expiration, and there was refusal to assist despite talking to multiple associates.  Now it has been indicated that the card was attempted to be used prior to the expiration date/time.  

  Also, the response implies the Bank controls the card validation/activation.  I called ****** Bank and they indicated that the bank only provides the card and does not activate or deactivate the card as that is the responsibility of Virtual Incentives only.

  I will accept the card as I am *********** use my remaining balance.  However I will have to attempt to use the card to assure it actually works.

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/01/2023

  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.

  Hello, I am writing to express my extreme frustration regarding the lack of progress on my case. It has been over 120 days since the case was opened in December/July, and I have not received any updates regarding the unauthorized charges to my account.As you may be aware, according to the law, you are required to provide a refund for unauthorized charges within 10 days. Despite this, I have been waiting for months and have not received any information regarding my refund.I have repeatedly contacted your company, and I have records of these attempts. However, I have not received a response in months regarding the funds that were used without my consent, which is considered fraud. The charges made by Apple are unauthorized, and it is your responsibility to investigate the matter and refund my money immediately.If I do not receive a response and a refund for the unauthorized charges soon, I will seek legal advice and action. I trust that you will take immediate action to resolve this matter and provide me with the refund that is rightfully mine.Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/03/2023

  Dear Better Business Bureau:

  A replacement reward has already been issued to and registered by the complainant. 

  I am uncertain where the complainant got the information that unauthorized charged must be refunded within 10 days. Virtual Incentives is neither the Card Issuer nor the merchant. Virtual Incentives fulfills rewards on behalf of its clients, in this case, The ********************************* in accordance with it's rules. This is a reward card for participation in a program and not a gift card and is therefore subject to different rules and restrictions. 

  Included in the Card Terms and Conditions, which are available when the Card is claimed, is a disclosure that fraud investigaitons can take up to 120 days. This is a bank rule and is outside of the control of Virtual Incentives as are any delays in the process. We are sorry if there were further delays and can understand ****************** frustration at the long process.

  Again, the replacement reward has now been authorized, issued and claimed by **************. Hopefully this matter can now be closed.

  Thank you,

  *************************, Esq.

  General Counsel and Chief of Compliance

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/01/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  On 2/28/23 I ordered a 100 dollar ********* Airlines egift card through my employers rewards site which is handled by The Virtual ************* (Virtual Incentives LLC). I attempted to use this gift card and received an error message. I immediately reached out to the support email address and they stated they would escalate the issue. I have reached out for an estimated time for resolution as I need to book a flight ASAP and am needing to use my incentive. I have not received any response.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/02/2023

  We are sorry for the inconvenience caused with respect to this reward card. Our Card provider has a system error that occurred as the result of an upgrade. This lead to the Card failure. An appeasement has now been applied to this account and the complainant should already have received a call letting them know that their employer (our client) will be setting up a new order.

  We hope this satisfactorily resolves this matter and again, we apologize for any inconvenience.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/06/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/19/2022

  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 2 gift cards as payment for services rendered to *********************. The 2 cards expired and had approx 350 on it. ***** says there's Nothing they can do I and others need to be paid by cash or check if and when these gift cards expire. As an independent contractor I am appalled at their tactics.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/17/2023

  
  

  Dear BBB:

   

  *************** to the complaint brought by ************************* regarding two expired rewards from *********************. 

   

  Virtual Incentives is a business-to-business provider of physical and virtual reward card fulfillment on behalf of its clients, in this case *********************, and based on program rules set by the client and as limited by terms and conditions set by the card Issuers, here, the bank. 

   

  Under the rules set by ********************* for the program that **************** participated in, once cards expire, Virtual Incentives is not authorized to reissue.

   

  Card terms, including link and card expiration, are prominently disclosed at the time that the rewards are sent.

   

  **************** has received several rewards for market research surveys for ********************* including the following:

   

  -08/02/2021 12:52 PM: Reward Claimed - ************* Reward (*************) - 6-Month, originally $300=used in-full

  -01/24/2022 05:12 PM: Reward Claimed - ************* Reward (*************) - 6-Month, originally $200= $2.35 remained upon expiration

  -06/06/2022 12:46 PM: Reward Claimed - ************* Reward (*************) - 6-Month, originally $200= used in-full

  -06/21/2022 05:44 PM: Reward Claimed - ************* Reward (*************) - 6-Month, originally $200=used in-full

  
  Her successful expenditure of almost all the funds on several other cards would indicate that she understands the program rules. Furthermore, in her complaint she acknowledges that she mistakenly believed both cards expired december 31, 2023. 

  In the case of this complaint, it appears that **************** called the support center on 12/19/******* days after the two rewards in question had expired. She was specifically inquiring about:

   

  Customer: Probe MKT Research, LLC
  

  Recipient ID: ********

  12/9/2022 8:03 PM SUP-*****: Unload funds for expired cards $197.15

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/01/2022

  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.

  I had a credit card that I was not able to use. I then tried using this card and now they say the card expired. I had 350 dollars on the card. They have my money but won't let me use the card.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/06/2022

  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to look into this matter and to respond.

  Virtual Incentives provides reward card fulfillment on behalf of our clients, in this case, *********************. We fulfill such rewards in compliance with our clients program terms and do not have the authority to deviate from those terms without client authorization.
  
  ************ did not receive a credit card. Rather this was an incentive offered to encourage participation in a program offered by *****. Prepaid products are subject to different rules than credit cards or gift cards and can have limitations, such as expiration dates, attached to them.

  In the case of this program, the Card acquired by the complainant, ************, had a 90-day link expiration and a six month card expiration, which was clearly stated in the email that ************ received when he received his reward. A sample of the email language is attached for reference.

  **************** card expired on 10/31/22 and he did not reach out to Virtual Incentives until 11/30/22, a month after the card expired.

  In order to make an exception and reissue a card, ********************* would need to authorize a reissuance. It is my understanding that ************ was already informed by Probe that they would not reissue the Card because it expired. 

  We are sorry if ************ is unhappy with his experience. Unfortunately, we are unable to reissue based on the terms set by *********************.
  
  Thank you,

  *************************, Esq.

  General Counsel

  Virtual Incentives

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/18/2022

  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 April 2022, I registered for an account on Virtual ************* to redeem the $25 electronic gift card I was given for taking a survey with the ** ***** of ******* I activated my account and used my card once or twice. I had funds left over and when I checked in November 2022, I noticed that VRC closed my account and confiscated my funds. The code used was "SUP-*****: Unload funds for expired cards". I was not informed about any expiration date upon registration nor was I contacted/warned about the funds expiring before this action was taken. When I reached out to VRC customer service and explained the issue, ****** responded and claimed that once a reward expires, they cannot reactivate or reissue the award. I now see from past BBB complaints that this is their modus operandi. I don't understand how this company can remain in business when they steal people's funds without remorse.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/16/2022

  Dear Sir/Madam:

  
  Virtual Incentives provides reward and incentive card fulfillment on behalf of our clients, in this case, the ******* of ******* We fulfill such rewards in compliance with our clients program terms and do not have the authority to deviate from those terms without client authorization.
  
  In the case of this program, the Virtual **** Incentive acquired by the complainant, *******************************, was provided through a program offered by the ** DOH and was an incentive to fill out a survey for a "CHS Study." The Incentive had a 180-day link expiration within which time, the card had to be claimed. Once claimed, the Incentive expired in 6 months. ********************** was notified of the Incentive terms twice-- in the registration email, and in the terms and conditions associated with and issued with the Incentive. A copy of the reward email is attached hereto. You can see at the bottom that the 180 day link expiration and 6 month card expiration are clearly disclosed.

  Please note that this was not a gift card, but rather an incentive to participate in a survey. In contrast to gift cards, Incentives can have terms associated with them them, such as expiration dates.
  
  We apologize if ********************** feels that her concerns are not being addressed, however, we are required to adhere to the terms of the program as set by our client. In this case, the program terms do not allow us to reissue expired Incentives.

  
  Thank you and again,

  *************************

  General Counsel

  Virtual Incentives

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/20/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I'm unable to view the attachment this person is referencing in their response. 

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/14/2022

  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.

  I used my virtual gift card to pay for a dog bed from pawandpet.co and it turned out to be a scam. He took more money without my permission a month later. I just want my refunds back from an item I never got in a month and a half that cost $22.95 and the one where the guy stole money from my account for $29.95. I contacted him MANY times and he says the item will be shipped soon (over and over), gave me a fake ***** tracking # and everything. (There are now many scamalert sites saying he's done this to everyone who tried to purchase something from him). He sends the same form letters over and over. I demanded a refund, he ignored and said the item is processing. Nothing about the non-existing item he charged me for, either. ***** Shopify and ********** told me only the bank can do a chargeback. I was told ****** Bank is the bank. They ignored all contact.I finally contacted a financial institution (Kasasa) who is partners with ****** Bank and said they'd reach out to them. I eventually got an eMail from ****** saying THEY can't do anything as they don't have access to the cards and told me to contact Virtual Incentives. I did that. I sent messages via ******* (the person said they'd reach out to them and gave me the email) and I had sent eMails to them at 2 different addresses prior. I sent another eMail and still nothing.Please contact via email as I can't do phones. I moved the remaining $17.10 of my card elsewhere so he stops stealing funds (though for the last several days his site has been gone so hopefully it was finally taken down). He took all but that from $70! I've attached a bunch of screencaps showing the situation. I don't understand why all these companies keep saying they can't do anything and to contact the bank associated with the card and the bank won't do anything and now V.I. won't get back to me.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/22/2022

  Dear ***/*****:

  We are sorry to hear that **************** experienced fraud at the hands of a this online merchant. Unfortunately, our ******* account is not connected with our customer support team, so this report did not reach the right internal stakeholders.

  Someone from our customer support team has already reached out to **************** directly via email and phone to determine the exact amount of her claim and will issue an appeasement in the form of a new card once **************** is in touch.

  **************** should respond to that communication ASAP so we can get this matter resolved right away.

  Thank you,

  *************************, Esq.

  General Counsel, Virtual Incentives

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/22/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   

   I got a voice message and emailed them the email they gave. I have not yet heard back. I was only sent a voicemail, no email. Their ******* account is for show then? As I was told they had sent it to someone and apparently that was a lie so why have the ******* account for the company? I sent the email hours ago.

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2022

  After communicating with the Complainant and upon further investigation, we have determined that we were not the company that fulfilled this reward. The Complainant is raising concerns about a $70 Card. We did issue the Complainant a Card, but it was only for $10, therefore, this was not the product that we fulfilled.

   

  Based on the Complainants complaint and documentation, we believe that the company that issued her $70 Card is called Tremendous. She should contact them for resolution. We are in no way affiliated with Tremendous.

   

  Sorry we could not be of further assistance. Contact information for Tremendous should be in the program materials and/or on the Card provided by Tremendous to the complainant.The website is Tremendous.com

   

  Thank you.

  *************************, Esq.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/28/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   So Tremendous said they can't give refunds and I had to talk to the bank on the card and ****** bank said THEY can't and VI has to but VI is now saying they can't. All bad businesses so close this since nobody takes responsibility. 

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/26/2022

  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 bought **** worth of gift cards and received 3 links for giftcards worth $500 each. Under the links said that the link will expire 1/28/2024. I used only gift card and was waiting to use the others. I tried to use the gift card and the link said expired. I am missing 1 000 in **** *** gift cards and I want my money back

  Business Response

  Date: 06/21/2022

  Dear Sir/Madam:

  Virtual Incentives provides reward card fulfillment on behalf of our clients, in this case, *******. We fulfill such rewards in compliance with our clients program terms and do not have the authority to deviate from those terms without client authorization. We are also not the Card Issuer. All Cards fulfilled by us are purchased on behalf of our clients from third party Issuers (here **** ***). 
  
  In the case of this program, the Card acquired by the complainant, **************, was provided through a program offered by ******* on behalf of Coinsbee. The Card had a 90-day link expiration within which time, the card had to be claimed. In order to make an exception and extend the link, ******* would need to authorize a reissuance of the Cards. 
  
  We apologize if ************** feels that her concerns are not being addressed. I see that her previous attempts to contact ******* resulted in her being sent back to Virtual Incentives. That should not have happened, and we have informed them as such. In order to have her Cards reissued, ************** needs to contact ******* at **************. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend the link or reissue based on the terms set by *******.
  
  Thank you and again, we are sorry that we are not able to resolve this matter on behalf of **************.
  
  *************************, ***. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/24/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your nswer Here]

  All the information provided to me stated that the link would not expire until 1-28-2024. No where was it stated that I had 90 days to use the link. It feels like the company acted in bad faith and caused me distress by denying me access to my funds with their actions. there are laws that protect consumers in ************** and laws about gift cards which have been enacted from 2019 on.
  
  
  ********* ****** *rohibits fees and expiration dates on gift cards and gift certificates. Your company issued the link to access the giftcards and by having this so called ***************************************************************************************************** access to the product that I paid for. 

   Your company caused me a lot of distress and should have fair business practices to not take advantage of consumers 

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/05/2022

  Dear Sir/Madam:
  
  We are very sorry that ************** is not satisfied with her experience or with our response. We understand her frustration. 
  
  However, to reiterate, Virtual Incentives sole responsibility with respect to this program is card fulfillment and technical support. Our client, *******, and/or its client, Coinsbee, set these terms. We have no authority to ***** extensions or reissue new cards.
  
  Our only role is to send the cards out in compliance with the terms set by our client and to troubleshoot technical issues. 
  
  We suggest again that ************** reach out to Coinsbee, the program sponsor, or to *******, the program manager, to explain the problem and request that they issue her a new card.
  
  We are sorry that we are not able to resolve this matter to *** ****** satisfaction.
  
  Thank you,
  *************************