T-Mobile Free Flight Scam

[Nicholas22]

November 2007, T-Mobile launched a promo at www.t-mobile.com/freeflight (http://www.t-mobile.com/freeflight), where if you sign up for new service or renew your contract, you could get up to two free airline tickets for travel within 13 months of the vouchers being issued. T-Mobile paired up with TLC Marketing, a company that has a bad reputation for not honoring airline promotions. Last summer Dockers ran a promo with them and thousands of customers were ignored, until it hit the media. Read about it here http://promomagazine.com/contests/0901-tlc-free-flight/ (http://promomagazine.com/contests/0901-tlc-free-flight/)

Anyway TLC is not responding to the offer. I along with hundreds of others have submitted our vouchers and TLC still hasn't contacted us. They promise 14 days, it's now 72 days I am waiting and travel must be completed by 3/31/09. I have called T-Mobile, who the reps say can't do anything since it's TLC. TLC says contact T-Mobile, I have recorded calls of being told different stories. TLC/T-Mobile concierge tells you, wait for the booking agent to call you. I told them, it's been two months, was told "Sorry you must wait" and got hung up on. It's just back and fourth. .

I did a Google search and came across hundreds of complaints about this promotion, and even some complaints against the new one for the free companion ticket. BBB rates TLC an F with over 600 complaints, ConsumerAffairs, PlanetFeedback, and others show many complaints. Here are just two samples of the problem:

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/t-mobile-amp-tlc-marketing-c110940.html (http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/t-mobile-amp-tlc-marketing-c110940.html)
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/360/RipOff0360449.htm (http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/360/RipOff0360449.htm)

Bottomline, TLC is NOT honoring the promotion that T-Mobile promised. I signed a new 2 year contract for both of my lines and it took forever to get my vouchers and now TLC is not responding to my submission for my free airline tickets. Big issue, T-Mobile what is going on?
Also contacted the media about this today, and an ABC reported called me because she is very interested in doing a segment about this. I really don't want to potentially have to appear on TV about this, and would rather T-Mobile HONOR the promotion as stated. The only resolution at this point is to extend it, because there is no way I could possibly travel within the next week on such short notice. Very unhappy with T-Mobile about this.

[tzsm98]

You could call the T-Mobile corporate office with this information. Don't limit your scope of resolution to extensions. There may be other ways of resolving this that do not directly include getting on an airplane.

[Nwahs]

Ah glad this is posted. I'm hoping users that have the same problem will see and share their input.

[Nicholas22]

Situation resolved. I think ABC has been a great help, the fact they were interested in interviewing me probably helped. The good news is that T-Mobile and TLC have extended the promotion for all qualified customers from 3/31 thru 9/30/09. That's a huge five month extension, so clearly this was a much bigger problem than some expected.

Thank you Sue Nokes, T-Mobile Executive Offices, and TLC Marketing for correcting this problem. And special thanks to Nwahs and CPS for their help when another T-Mobile site declined my thread citing there wasn't proof this was a problem.

[T-Mobile]

They would hate to have more bad news get out about this. At our store we have people coming in every day bitching about the flight scam and rebates. I tell them I only work here for the pay, but even that is becoming a lie, maybe its benefits now.

[T-MoGino]

This has to go on the media. Make sure its clear that its TLC not honoring the offer, but everyone should know about this, because if you call T-Mo they might as well shut you up and still many people will be waiting for nothing...

[blackhawk6464]

This scam is far from being over in my case…
I purchased 3 lines and followed the rules to the ‘T’ for my flight vouchers. One came.. First of all in my girlfriends name (her name doesn’t even appear on the phone bill anywhere) got that figured out but they have conveniently have brushed me to the side for 1 year and 7 months. The vouchers were the deal breaker for me.. I figured two vouchers we could save some money when we go on vacation in April of 09… fat chance.
I was told at the beginning of April that the second voucher came in and the concierge had the information. (its been a fight between T-mobile pointing the finger at TLC, and TLC pointing the finger at T-mobile, and a third entity thrown in for more entertainment, Connections Travel the booking agent pointing the finger at both T-mobile and TLC) its been a nightmare.. At any rate back to the beginning of April. I was told the voucher was there. I asked, just wondering, what kind of compensation does a person get for the whole nightmare? I waited 19 months, listening to empty promises, hours on the phone at a time, sleepless mornings after working 16 hr graveyard shifts. I was asked by a supervisor, “What do you think would be fair?” I answered, well how about take care of my two boy’s airfare for our trip. This same supervisor said, “I don’t think that sounds too unreasonable.” After 2 weeks of her sending it to the ‘business support team’ (which this was sent at least 4 times I was told by other supervisors) I was told that they could not do that, however, since I had all these problems, T-mobile will allow 2 of my 5 lines out of the contract, plus a credit of 144.00 to my account (1 months bill) AND I would have my two vouchers. At this point I figured.. Wow they finally came through.
I went to the beach for the weekend came back and called the number to find that Connections Travel was replaced by another agency AND that TLC was no longer the agency handling the vouchers.
Oookayy so I figure nada prob.. wayyy wrong… HUGE problem.. because now it’s a different agency they have their own system and the two voucher numbers that I have, had nothing to do with either of these two agencies and they can only find one ticket in my name…. SQUARE ONE AGAIN…
I phone T-mobile to find out what is going on again… the supervisor was ‘researching’ again … I said know what.. just release the rest of my phones for a start .. after 20 minutes of being on hold the supervisor said that he was releasing the rest of my phones and he would research and let me know what was going on after he sends it to the ‘business support office’ (sound familiar?) I received a call from him a week later saying that there was only 1 ticket and there was not another ticket.
I called T-mobile back again as soon as I got the message and got an agent.. the agent kept saying there was only one ticket, and the compensation that I received was for the second ticket. I was furious I bout blew a gasket. I asked her to read me the notes for the second week of April.. it was quiet for a few minutes and immediately she said that there was no confirmation of this information.. I said READ IT TO ME.. she refused.. and I stated to her.. because it says right there in black and white that I was released from my 2 lines, credited 144.00 AND will be receiving my 2 vouchers… I asked for a supervisor 3 times from this agent finally got a supervisor who tried the same schpiel. I again asked her to read the same notes.. (damn good thing I kept notes too!) I was then told that she would send this to the ‘business support office’ (dunno what these people do over at the business support office, but I would think its probably pretty close to smoking crack) and that she would call me the next day.
Will let you know what happens when I answer the phone tomorrow…
Any attorneys here?? I want to start a class action law suit I just need some guidance. Please pm/im me
Rich