Business Profile

Communications

ViaPath Technologies

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Communications.

Important information

Customer Complaint:
Please be advised that due to the high volume of complaints received for this business, BBB publishes 1 out of every 10 complaints handled through our conciliation process.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for ViaPath Technologies's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

736 total complaints in the last 3 years.
175 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

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:01/29/2023
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.
I requested a refund on December 26th in a form of a check, because I didn't have access to the cards that I used. I have contacted Tellmate 4 times and the issues didn't get resolved. It wasn't my fault that they put it on the card. I won't my money back asap.
Business Response
Date: 03/19/2020
March 19, 2020

Better Business Bureau **************************************************************;

RE ******************************* ID ********

This letter serves as a formal response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ******************************* contacted the Better Business Bureau regarding that she requested a refund on a inmates prepaid account back in the form of a check and it was refunded back to the credit/debit cards used to add the funds that ******************** says she does not have any longer.

In reviewing **. ********* account, she has a long history of using unloadable prepaid credit cards to pay for services. When ****************** called in for a refund, she did specify the refund to be done in the form of a check. The supervisor who did the refund, did not do so according to the customers request. As a onetime courtesy, we have sent in to accounting to have a check for the refund in the amount of $103.20 to be mailed to ******************** at the address provided on this complaint. This process will take 35 weeks for the check to be processed and mailed.
Telmate anticipates that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely yours,

************************* Offline, Issue Resolution Spec. GTL | www.gtl.net office ************/ fax ***-
Customer Answer
Date: 03/20/2020
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.

Sincerely,

*******************************
Business Response
Date: 03/10/2023
**. ************************************                                                            March 10, 2023
***************************************************************
**************
Email: *************************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE:******************************* Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ******************************* contacted BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing I requested a refund on December 26th in a form of a check, because I didn't have access to the cards that I used. I have contacted Telmate 4 times, and the issues didn't get resolved. It wasn't my fault that they put it on the card. I won't my money back asap.

Upon review of the complaint addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath reviewed the refund requests for a total of #103.20 to confirm the refund was sent back to the original method of payment, despite the alleged request to be refunded via check. **** and ********** require Merchants to refund back to the original method of payment where applicable. If that refund is denied, then a check refund can be sent. In this case, the refund is settled and therefore is not reversible. Please contact the corresponding financial institution in concert with the credit/debit cards used to process the original transactions. As an additional courtesy, ViaPath included the following Acquirer Reference Number (ARN) to be provided to **. ******** financial institution to assist in retrieving both refunds.
***********************
***********************

We regret that ****************** has not had a great experience using our products and services, however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. Considering the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************************************************
***************
Customer Answer
Date: 03/10/2023
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because:
I feel that they put the money back on the card on purpose, because I stressed to them several times that I did not have access to those cards and I have try to contact them several times about this and they deliberately ignore me. I feel should have a receive the money has a check.

Regards,

*******************************
Business Response
Date: 03/17/2023
**. ************************************                                                            March 17, 2023
***************************************************************
**************
Email: *************************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania
RE:******************************* Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ******************************* contacted BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing I requested a refund on December 26th in a form of a check, because I didn't have access to the cards that I used. I have contacted Telmate 4 times, and the issues didn't get resolved. It wasn't my fault that they put it on the card. I won't my money back asap.

Upon review of the complaint addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath reviewed the refund requests for a total of #103.20 to confirm the refund was sent back to the original method of payment, despite the alleged request to be refunded via check. **** and ********** require Merchants to refund back to the original method of payment where applicable. If that refund is denied, then a check refund can be sent. In this case, the refund settled and therefore is not reversible. Please contact the corresponding financial institution in concert with the credit/debit cards used to process the original transactions. As an additional courtesy, ViaPath included the following Acquirer Reference Number (ARN) to be provided to **. ******** financial institution to assist in retrieving both refunds.
***********************
***********************

We regret that ****************** has not had a great experience using our products and services, however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. Considering the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************************************************
***************
Customer Answer
Date: 03/21/2023
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]

I understand that it goes to original method, but I informed them that did not have access to the cards and they told me that they would send me a check and now they saying that put it back on the cards that I specifically said I did not have access.

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because:

Regards,

*******************************
Initial Complaint
Date:01/27/2023
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 paid $100 to Telmate for their GettingOut communications and additionally had to pay a fee to pay the $100. Their website is not user friendly and I have encountered numerous issues along the way in which I have placed several phone calls to their listed customer service number. There is no option for a live person to help a customer and their leave a message option says it is not accepting messages. That leaves a customer to having to submit an online request for help. On that request form it asks how you would prefer to be contacted, I selected phone. One of my several requests was responded to today with an email giving the same directions from their website that are not working. I have paid this company money for a service that is not working in its entirety and I would like a resolution to receiving customer service so I can appropriately use their site for services Ive paid for. Im requesting a call from the company as previously requested several times through their site to help me walk through the issues Im having. Thanks in advance for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, *************************
Business Response
Date: 02/18/2020
February 18, 2020

Better Business Bureau
**** ******** Suite ***
Oakland CA  *****

RE **************************** Compliant ID ********

This letter serves as a formal response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ************************* contacted the Better Business Bureau regarding that she could not get through to a live customer service represented to assist her with issues she was having.
We attempted to contact **************** a couple of times and was not able to connect with her. We did leave her a voice mails on those attempts.   In reviewing her account, I see that she has been able to send messages and share photos.

For photos, if she has a ****** she cannot upload photos from there to her account. You can only upload photos from a Android or a computer.

She did have a couple of messages that were delayed to the inmate due to the message being flagged for watch words.

The facility has made a list of watch words for messaging that get the message flagged for further review. By combining the systems standard terminology library with the addition of custom entries, the automated message review will flag messages for further staff investigation. When a message is flagged due to watch words the message then goes through a 2nd review process to determine the content of the message for security purposes and for possible criminal activity. This process can take anywhere from a few hours to several days to be reviewed or longer during holidays, and the message released. The message generally does get released it just is delayed while it goes through the review process. Telmate does not create a list of words, nor do we determine which messages should be flagged.  The content of the message is the goal and priority of the correctional facility and Telmate does not have any control over messages being flagged or when they are ultimately delivered due to the content of the message.

This facility does also have video visitation, but the unit that the inmate is in does not have video visitation tablets, so they are not allowed video visitations from that location.

Without being able to contact her I am not sure what issues she is having. If she calls ************ and then hit 1 for deposit, then 0 she can talk to a live representative.

Telmate anticipates that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely yours,

*************************
Offline, Issue Resolution Spec.
GTL |  ***********
office ************/ fax ************
Business Response
Date: 03/03/2023
********************************;                                                                  March 3, 2023
******************** **
Clayton, NC *********
**************
Email: *********************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE:**************************** Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer **************************** contacted The BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing I paid $100 to Telmate for their “GettingOut” communications and additionally had to pay a fee to pay the $100. Their website is not user friendly, and I have encountered numerous issues along the way in which I have placed several phone calls to their listed customer service number. There is no option for a “live” person to help a customer and their “leave a message” option says it is not accepting messages. That leaves a customer to have to submit an online request for help. On that request form it asks how you would prefer to be contacted, I selected “phone”. One of my several requests was responded to today with an email giving the same directions from their website that are not working. I have paid this company money for a service that is not working in its entirety, and I would like a resolution to receiving customer service so I can appropriately use their site for services I’ve paid for. I’m requesting a call from the company as previously requested several times through their site to help me walk through the issues I’m having. Thanks in advance for your attention to this matter.

Upon reviewing the complaint and addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath made several attempts to reach out to *** ****** as requested and was unsuccessful in our efforts to make contact with her via phone as requested. In reviewing *** ******’s online account, we noticed that there had not been an active resident/inmate added to her online account, a necessary step as only the resident/inmate can initiate visitation. ViaPath also initiated a reset of the time zone connected to *** ******’s online account as this will cause scheduling conflicts if it’s incorrect.

We regret *** ****** has not had a great experience using our products and services, however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. Considering the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************@viapath.com
***************
Initial Complaint
Date:01/26/2023
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.
By now I know you will not answer I have called and sent multiple emails. You have steal from people under the guise of well line was inactive when all you have to do is let us change the number instead of having to add a new line on which you intend on keeping since to get anywhere we must give access to our provider and a PIN number last time I checked that is invasion of privacy You can see the accounts People have prepaid phones for children to talk to their parents some thru the government phones I have repeatedly asked for a refund on lines that no longer exist This is an inexcusable practice that must be stopped That is not true by any means you settled not admitting you are guilty of theft One day someone will put you in your place Most inmates are poor and you make it worse by stealing from those people This company has no morals whatsoever I am asking my extra lines be paid back to me immediately You may contact me at I am attaching screenshots of all my lines not to mention the 4 you stole funds from The only good number is Thank you
Business Response
Date: 01/26/2023
Dear Sir/Madam,
You have reached the wrong company. You need GTL Connect Network. We have no relation to them. Please take off your complaint from our name. Thank you!
Customer Answer
Date: 02/28/2023
My full name is *************************************;
Business Response
Date: 07/24/2023
**. *********************** ******** July 24, 2023
**** *********.
Panama City, FL********
**************
Email: *********************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE: *********************** ******** Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer *********************** ******** contacted The BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing that by now I know you will not answer I have called and sent multiple emails. You have steal from people under the guise of well line was inactive when all you have to do is let us change the number instead of having to add a new line on which you intend on keeping since to get anywhere we must give access to our provider and a PIN number last time I checked that is invasion of privacy You can see the accounts People have prepaid phones for children to talk to their parents some thru the government phones I have repeatedly asked for a refund on lines that no longer exist This is an inexcusable practice that must be stopped That is not true by any means you settled not admitting you are guilty of theft One day someone will put you in your place Most inmates are poor and you make it worse by stealing from those people This company has no morals whatsoever I am asking my extra lines be paid back to me immediately You may contact me at I am attaching screenshots of all my lines not to mention the 4 you stole funds from The only good number is Thank you.

Upon review of the specific complaint outlined, ViaPath reviewed the request to be refunded on the following prepaid Advance Pay accounts. Please see the findings outlined below.
**********-$15.00 refunded via credit/debit card ending in **** on 01/30/23
**********-$23.31 was transferred as requested to account ending in 2012 on 01/28/23.
**********-$6.27 expired 10/15/2020- with no proof that the telephone number belonged to ******************** during that time, we are unable to reinstate and refund.

The prepaid Advance Pay accounts in which the balances expired have been reinstated and approved to be refunded via check, on 07/24/23 as a one-time courtesy. Please allow up to 30 business days to receive a refund by check at the address referenced on the complaint.
**********-$13.71
**********-$4.76
**********-$7.95
**********-$0.06
**********-$3.61
**********-$6.34

Please note, effective Dec 28, 2022: Please be advised, once created, your?Advance Pay account will become inactive?and is subject to forfeiture?after 180 consecutive days of inactivity or non-use unless such time is shorter or longer based on governing law or contract. If an account is used by the account holder at any point in the inactivity period, the inactivity period will be reset.?A refund can be obtained by calling customer service at?************. If your contact information is provided to ViaPath,and you opt-in to receiving a text and/or email reminder alert, you will receive a text and/or email of the scheduled expiration of your account no later than 30 days before the account expires. For more information, please visit our website at *************************************.

We regret ******************** has not had a great experience using our services; however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************************************************
www.viapath.com
Customer Answer
Date: 07/25/2023
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because:

As I said I had asked several times with no response until they run out. Like now I have more and the only response I get is here so you have kept money and tell me you can see balances this is proof you can since you listed them
So as I stated you keep peoples money under the guise of we can't see it and you must prove it was your number always an excuse never oh were sorry lets fix this or give us the power to change a number instead of having to make account after account because a child breaks their phone
Regards,

*********************** ********
Initial Complaint
Date:01/25/2023
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.
GTL has not responded to repair ticket requests for the video visitation equipment at ****************** Prison in *** ***** ***, Virginia. They are reasonably fair at issuing refunds but we are constantly receiving the message, "Your visit is experiencing network connectivity issues," or "The visit quality has been reduced to account for network connectivity issues." Sometimes we are forced to call customer service for help when the visit drops entirely. All we can see on our end for the majority or entirety of visits is severe pixelation and occasionally entirely black screens. The sound quality varies but frequent drops are normal so our loved ones cannot hear us. My partner notes I am often blurry and spends a majority of the visit saying he can't hear me, just wait... try again. Some of us with loved ones there have taken to using whiteboards to try and communicate. This has been an ongoing issue since December 17, 2022. Prior to this the visits were of excellent quality. We were assured this issue would be taken care of last month but to our knowledge there was one repair assessment but no repair person ever came back. All we want is our visits to be returned to the good quality they were and not have to sit on the phone for hours to receive refunds or email in screenshots of the constant error messages. The video visits are the highlight of my loved one's day and keeping our communication tight is vital to both of our mental wellbeing. Given ******************** is a super max prison and they are typically on 23/1 lockdown these visits are absolutely vital to their morale.
Business Response
Date: 02/20/2023
**. ************************ February 20, 2023
** ************* #****
Hamilton, ON ***** Canada
**************
Email: ***********************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE:***************************** Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ***************************** contacted The BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing GTL has not responded to repair ticket requests for the video visitation equipment at ********************* Prison in *************, Virginia. They are reasonably fair at issuing refunds, but we are constantly receiving the message, "Your visit is experiencing network connectivity issues," or "The visit quality has been reduced to account for network connectivity issues." Sometimes we are forced to call customer service for help when the visit drops entirely. All we can see on our end for the majority or entirety of visits is severe pixelation and occasionally entirely black screens. The sound quality varies but frequent drops are normal so our loved ones cannot hear us. My partner notes I am often blurry and spends a majority of the visit saying he can't hear me, just wait... try again. Some of us with loved ones there have taken to using whiteboards to try and communicate. This has been an ongoing issue since December 17, 2022. Prior to this the visits were of excellent quality. We were assured this issue would be taken care of last month but to our knowledge there was one repair assessment,but no repair person ever came back. All we want is our visits to be returned to the good quality they were and not have to sit on the phone for hours to receive refunds or email in screenshots of the constant error messages. The video visits are the highlight of my loved one's day and keeping our communication tight is vital to both of our mental wellbeing. Given ******************** is a super max prison and they are typically on 23/1 lockdown these visits are absolutely vital to their morale.

Upon reviewing the complaint and addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath acknowledges the process of converting the site from one network to another for at home visitation is in currently in transition and is tentatively scheduled for the first week of March 2023, which should improve the at home visitation experience for the resident and Friends and Family.

Regarding the pixelation issues, and black screens, please note that these issues are directly attributed to network/bandwidth issues at the site. In the meantime, ViaPath advises of minimal movement to combat the pixilation issues. ViaPath is working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible and we appreciate your patience in allowing us to do so.

We regret ****************** has not had a great experience using our products and services, however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. Considering the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************************************************
***************
Initial Complaint
Date:01/24/2023
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 have put money on every spot I can. Your video has been down tablets don't work my son cannot get his pin reset. Supposedly Viapath was coming to their facility and has not shown up to fix the issues Yet my money is easily taken
Business Response
Date: 02/20/2023
****************************; February 20, 2023
***** *************
Westminster, OH *****
**************
Email: ***********************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE: *************************** Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer *************************** contacted The BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing I have put money on every spot I can. Your video has been down tablets don’t work my son cannot get his pin reset. Supposedly ViaPath was coming to their facility and has not shown up to fix the issues. Yet my money is easily taken.

Upon reviewing the complaint and addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath validated the Friends and Family account belonging to *** ******** and updated *** ****** ****’s account to help ensure successful video visit attempts. *** **** is successful in logging in for video visits but has yet to try to initiate one with *** ********.

We regret *** ******** has not had a great experience using our products and services, however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. Considering the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

Jamila W*******
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
***************@viapath.com
***************
Initial Complaint
Date:01/20/2023
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.
Calls have been disconnected numerous times in the last few weeks with a recording that comes on stating "no third party calls allowed" and disconnects the line. There are no 3rd party calls taking place. This is happening to a large number of people using this company. If I am paying for a call I expect it to work, and not give inaccurate claims and disconnect my call. The people we are speaking to have to wait hours to make a call, to only have it disconnected unexpectedly. They can also not call right back like a normal phone, as they have to wait a certain amount of time to make another call, as well as get back in line to use the phone again. This needs to be resolved by GTL/Viapath immediately.
Business Response
Date: 02/06/2023
*** ******* ********** February 6, 2023
**** ******** **
Holiday, FL *****
*************
Email: *********************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE:*********************************** Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer *********************************** contacted The BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing Calls have been disconnected numerous times in the last few weeks with a recording that comes on stating "no third-party calls allowed" and disconnects the line. There are no 3rd party calls taking place. This is happening to a large number of people using this company. If I am paying for a call, I expect it to work, and not give inaccurate claims and disconnect my call. The people we are speaking to have to wait hours to make a call, to only have it disconnected unexpectedly. They can also not call right back like a normal phone, as they have to wait a certain amount of time to make another call, as well as get back in line to use the phone again. This needs to be resolved by GTL/ViaPath immediately.

Upon review of the complaint addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath reviewed call attempts dating back to December 1,2022, and was able to find and confirm several calls were coded as a Three-Way call and were disconnected. In light of these findings, ViaPath applied a courtesy credit of $25.00 to the AdvancePay account ending in **** for the inconvenience. These findings have also been escalated to our Technical Support for further review to ensure the issue has been corrected going forward.

We regret the inconvenience this may have caused; however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. In light of the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************************************************
***************
Initial Complaint
Date:01/19/2023
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.
On January 4, 2023 I received what I thought was a video phone call from the inmate but instead, the message "Waiting for participant to join", and despite waiting several minutes nothing ever happened. I disconnected from the call. I immediately checked the balance on the account it was "0". Ironically two weeks before this call I checked the account and at the time it still had the original $50 deposit. But suddenly the evening I received this notification (and I have a screenshot) the funds were gone. This has also happened in July 2022. I was later told this was a practice (deceptive) to "force" customers to make deposits. Why do I have to make deposits when funds already exist on the account? This makes no sense and what is happening is wrong. I deposited $50 on an account on July 28, 2022. January 28, 2023 marks 180 days yet the funds have been taken. I cannot find out information about the account because I am unable to speak to anyone. Furthermore, the information regarding the terms for deposits is NOT provided up front when depositing funds on an inmate's account. This information should be VISIBLE and clearly stated UPFRONT. I have placed funds on account and the money disappeared despite the fact the inmate was not using the account. I don't understand why this company garnished funds on unused accounts rather than refund the funds back to the depositors. They are already receiving a processing fee for every transaction. I am requesting all funds that have been confiscated involuntarily because I did not received any prior notification the funds would be forfeited if the inmate failed to access the account in 180 days. Which I only found out two weeks ago because I called the customer service to request a refund but instead could not speak to anyone because it said I do not have a balance on my account. This makes no sense. I want to know why this business gets to exploit a vulnerable community of people.
Business Response
Date: 02/06/2023
*** ****** ******** February 6, 2023
**** * ***** **
Philadelphia, PA *****
*************
Email: **********************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE:***************************** Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ***************************** contacted The BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing On January 4, 2023, I received what I thought was a video phone call from the inmate but instead, the message "Waiting for participant to join", and despite waiting several minutes nothing ever happened. I disconnected from the call. I immediately checked the balance on the account it was "0". Ironically two weeks before this call I checked the account and at the time it still had the original $50 deposit. But suddenly the evening I received this notification (and I have a screenshot) the funds were gone. This has also happened in July 2022. I was later told this was a practice (deceptive) to "force"customers to make deposits. Why do I have to make deposits when funds already exist on the account? This makes no sense and what is happening is wrong. I deposited $50 on an account on July 28, 2022. January 28, 2023, marks 180 days yet the funds have been taken. I cannot find out information about the account because I am unable to speak to anyone. Furthermore, the information regarding the terms for deposits is NOT provided up front when depositing funds on an inmate's account. This information should be VISIBLE and clearly stated UPFRONT. I have placed funds on account and the money disappeared despite the fact the inmate was not using the account. I don't understand why this company garnished funds on unused accounts rather than refund the funds back to the depositors. They are already receiving a processing fee for every transaction.I am requesting all funds that have been confiscated involuntarily because I did not receive any prior notification the funds would be forfeited if the inmate failed to access the account in 180 days. Which I only found out two weeks ago because I called the customer service to request a refund but instead could not speak to anyone because it said I do not have a balance on my account. This makes no sense. I want to know why this business gets to exploit a vulnerable community of people..

Upon review of the complaint addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath confirmed receipt of the two deposits applied to your Friends and Family account totaling $50.00. This balance has been reactivated to the account for use as our failed attempt to contact you to determine if you prefer the funds be reinstated and that the account be reactivated or to verify details of said account for a refund request to be credited back to the original method of payment.

In reference to the Expired Funds policy, upon logging into your online account, please note the Important Notice at the top of the page citing effective Dec 28, 2022: Please be advised, once created, your Friends and Family account will become inactive after 180 consecutive days non-use unless such time is shorter or longer based on governing law or contract. If the account holder uses an account at any point in the inactivity period, the inactivity period will be reset. Information regarding refunds is detailed in the terms of use at ****************** and can be discussed with customer service. If your contact information is provided to ViaPath, and you opt-in to receive a text reminder alert, you will receive a text of the scheduled expiration of your account no later than 30 days before the account expires. Refund requests must be made with a live representative over the phone upon verifying detailed account information. We can be reached at ************.

We regret the inconvenience this may have caused; however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. In light of the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************************************************
***************
Initial Complaint
Date:01/19/2023
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.
I sent this company that I use to deposit funds into my son's account for phone calls that is in the prison system in Florida. I sent a money order in the amount of $100 (#**********) on November 19, 2022 via mail to address as follows: AdvancePay Service Department P.O. Box ****** Denver, CO ********** After waiting a couple of weeks, the money had not been deposited to my son's account. I called the company only to be told that the funds were not there. I contacted my bank, and they confirmed that the money order was cashed on November 23, 2022. I have made at minimum 20 phone calls into the company only to be told to call back and a ticket has been opened to review the account. However, there has not been any resolution to date. It has now been approximately 2 months, an no response or resolution. I have continued to contact the company and they continue to give me the same response, call back. This is a formal complaint and anything you can do to assist would be greatly appreciated. This is a formal complaint
Business Response
Date: 02/06/2023
****************************; February 6, 2023
3606 ******************
Sun City Center, FL *****
*************
Email: *********************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE:************************* Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ************************* contacted The BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing I sent this company that I use to deposit funds into my son's account for phone calls that is in the prison system in Florida. I sent a money order in the amount of $100 (#**********) on November 19, 2022, via mail to address as follows: AdvancePay Service Department P.O. Box ****** Denver, CO **********. After waiting a couple of weeks, the money had not been deposited to my son's account. I called the company only to be told that the funds were not there. I contacted my bank, and they confirmed that the money order was cashed on November 23, 2022. I have made at minimum 20 phone calls into the company only to be told to call back and a ticket has been opened to review the account. However, there has not been any resolution to date. It has now been approximately 2 months, an no response or resolution. I have continued to contact the company and they continue to give me the same response, call back. This is a formal complaint and anything you can do to assist would be greatly appreciated. This is a formal complaint.

Upon review of the complaint addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath confirmed receipt of Money Order #********** for $100.00 sent to the AdvancePay Service Department at the address referenced. AdvancePay deposits remitted to the address referenced are added to the Friends and Family telephone number to accept calls. ViaPath provides phone services to residents located within the **_DOC-*******************************. In acknowledging the money order was received, we also confirmed that the deposit was not added to the telephone number added to the money order ending in ****.ViaPath tried but was unable to contact **************** to see if she would prefer a refund or if we should add the funds to the AdvancePay account. Considering such, ViaPath initiated an expedited check refund of $100.00 to be sent via *** *********************** to the address on file, per tracking number ******************.

We regret the delay in locating the money order to address your concerns in a timelier manner, however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that *** arise in a timely manner. In light of the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************************************************
***************
Initial Complaint
Date:01/18/2023
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 could not have video visitation for 3 weeks. Bad technical support, and more. I filled out at least 2 complains on website since beginning of the year at ***************************************************** phone is useless : *********** No tech support only money collection My son is at **** **** ***** prison CA, they there had trouble all Christmas holidays to contact loves one, call, or video visit There are problems to send messages, The app is hanging when 100 signs is typed on * ******* phone, *******) . But worse, my son can not do video visit anymore as his tablet is not working. I trying to contact Via Path and they do not have any technical support. The people who answering phones have no idea what they doing except collecting money, and if you ask they to transfer you to the technical support, like last time, last week, I was 2 hours on hold, and hand up as no one answer Ombudsman for that prison, ironwood is no help, as his advise was useless, no tech support on site, aka *********prison. He could not get it.
Business Response
Date: 02/09/2023
*************************February 9, 2023
*** ***********
Belleville, IL 62221
*************
Email: ******************

c/o BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE: ********************* Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ********************* contacted The BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing I could not have video visitation for 3 weeks. Bad technical support, and more. I filled out at least 2 complains on website since beginning of the year at ************************************************** The phone is useless : *********** No tech support only money collection My son is at **** **** ***** prison CA, they there had trouble all Christmas holidays to contact loves one, call, or video visit There are problems to send messages, The app is hanging when 100 signs is typed on * ******* phone, *******) . But worse, my son cannot do video visit anymore as his tablet is not working. I trying to contact Via Path and they do not have any technical support. The people who answering phones have no idea what they doing except collecting money, and if you ask they to transfer you to the technical support, like last time, last week, I was 2 hours on hold, and hand up as no one answer Ombudsman for that prison, ******** is no help, as his advice was useless, no tech support on site, aka ********* prison. He could not get it.

Upon review of the complaint addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath immediately investigated the concerns that ************************ ******, housed at CA_****: ************ Prison, tablet was not functioning properly as reported and a ViaPath Tablet Administrator successfully contacted ************** to address and resolve concerns with the device. ************** reported that his tablet was in good working order.

Regarding being unable to send messages, please note that there is a 2,000-character count for messages, please note that a character can be any letter, number, punctuation, special character, or space. 2,000 characters is between 285 words and 500 words with spaces included in the character count. If spaces are not included in the character count, then 2,000 characters are between 333 words and 667 words. Considering this, punctuation marks may or may not be removed to fit the text.

We regret the inconvenience this may have caused; however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. In light of the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

*****************************
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
********************************************************
***************
Initial Complaint
Date:01/13/2023
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.
10/15/2022 I deposited $50 into my account to be able to video call my husband while he was incarcerated. I was able to send a few messages and pictures but the video feature only worked once and then never worked again. He was also unable to open the recieved pictures and the messages were so delayed it was better to just wait for a phone call. The issue is they say you can request a refund and cancel your account within 30 days. I made my first attempt to contact them by their customer support option on their website between October 19th - 25th for a refund and to close my account. I never received a reply or refund. I had made a few more attempts to contact someone for further instruction my latest attempt being today and still no reply. I have $47.50 sitting in the account that I can not use and my account is about to be considered inactive at no fault of my own since I have been attempting to reach out since October. I would have loved the service and used it if it actually worked but it didn't.
Business Response
Date: 01/31/2023
**. *************January 31, 2023
**** *******************
Burbank, IL *****
**************
Email: ?************************

c/o BBB Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania

RE: ************************* Complaint ID# ********

This letter serves as a response to the complaint listed above.

Consumer ************************* contacted The BBB Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania citing 10/15/2022 I deposited $50 into my account to be able to video call my husband while he was incarcerated. I was able to send a few messages and pictures, but the video feature only worked once and then never worked again. He was also unable to open the received pictures and the messages were so delayed it was better to just wait for a phone call. The issue is they say you can request a refund and cancel your account within 30 days. I made my first attempt to contact them by their customer support option on their website between October 19th - 25th for a refund and to close my account. I never received a reply or refund. I had made a few more attempts to contact someone for further instruction my latest attempt being today and still no reply. I have $47.50 sitting in the account that I cannot use, and my account is about to be considered inactive at no fault of my own since I have been attempting to reach out since October. I would have loved the service and used it if it actually worked but it didn't.

Upon review of the complaint addressing the concerns outlined, ViaPath acknowledged and approved a refund for the remaining balance of $34.75 to credit/debit card ending in ****, attached to the Friends and Family account ending in ****. Please allow up to 10 business days to receive refund/credit.

We regret that ************** has not had a great experience using our products and services, however, we remain willing to continue to improve our services and address issues that may arise in a timely manner. In light of the explanation outlined, we anticipate that this will close this complaint, and should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

Jamila W*******
ViaPath Technologies | Manager, Consumer Complaints
***************@viapath.com
www.viapath.com

BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.

Cookies on BBB.org

Important information

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

If you've experienced an issue

Filter and sort by

Sort by

Complaint status

Complaint type

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

This business is not BBB accredited.