Reliance Telephone Inmate Communications

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 11, 2016/01/05) */ My response: First off she looks like a really good customerAppreciate her businessI apologize that I missed the first email noticeI was on the road delivering Christmas presents to our customersNot sure what happened to that email I was working out of a motel room on a laptopWhere the problem started was that [redacted] hit our upper limit of credit card purchases that occur in one monthThat is what would not allow her to purchase more prepaid collect callsOnce she signed the form we were able to increase this limitAt first she did not want to sign itOnce she returned the form we immediately increased the upper credit limitThe reason we limit hold times to minutes is that some of our calls are long and some days we have a smaller staff on duty and it would be a long delay to get to the callerThere is no reason to hold and get more frustratedWe guarantee that we will call the customer back as soon as we canAnd we do! [redacted] currently has a credit balance of $If she wants it refunded please call or send email to [email protected] The reason the purchase of the phone card was a complete waste of money was because the inmate did not try to call herOur records shows all call attempts and successful callsThere were no call attempts to her telephone numberHe used up the phone cards to call other people but not ***The block on [redacted] line only affects collect prepaid calls not phone cardsI don't know what day that she tried for hours and I wish she would of left a message we would of called her back With regard to ratesOur rates are exactly as required by the FCCThe FCC adds 18% surcharge to each call plus applicable sales tax by the state Hope this helpsLooks like calls kept going once the increased credit form was signed

I am rejecting this response because: This is absolutely not how the calls went down, aside from me saying F [redacted] off because she continued arguing with meThey're simply covering their tracks with lies to protect themselves.To begin with, Kira implied a threat of no further contact with the inmate unless I paid the centsThis is extortionWhen I complained, finally to Anna, at absolutely NO TIME WAS THERE ANY MENTION OF ANY SIGNATURE FORM WHATSOEVER DURING ANY PHONE CALLSThe recordings will show this fact, as do mine.In fact Anna raised my limit over the phoneI was then able to click into the payment area, first WITHOUT the "signature form required" message that I LATER received when clicking into the same areaFunny timing considering it happened only after filing complaints.In my opinion, they did this on purpose out of spite and due to the fact that they monopolize the telephone serviceI have discontinued all services with them and will require a full refundThe attorney generals have already been apprised and are throughly investigating the issues.I also will be filing an ADA grievance because I'm the inmates trustee and communication is vital for his mental and physical healthClearly things that Reliance Telephone do not consider when making their exploitative/extortionate collection attempts.id urge an outside party to review the callsOf course I was upset - their behavior was inexcusable first, not mineTheir response to this complaint only further bolsters my case and will be forwarded accordingly to law enforcement and the AGs in the state areaThey've already received transcripts of the conversations anyway

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/02/17) */ I called [redacted] and explained why her calls are getting droppedIt is software in our inmate phone system that does not let the caller dial any additional digits after the call is accepted by [redacted] Our system is indicating that a digit is dialed and cuts the call off to stop fraud [redacted] and the inmate are not dialin additional digits and we can't determine where the problem isIt is somewhere outside the jail phone systemIt is not her phone and she has kindly tried a two different phonesShe did pick up a phone with a Grand Forks telephone number and it will definitely eliminate alot of additional networks that the call was traveling on the old phone callsI have noted the account that [redacted] will be credited for those dropped calls as fast as we can if they happen againI think [redacted] has fixed the problem getting a local phone number and we will bill her at local call rates tooThis is only happening to her phone which is totally unfortunate for herWe will help her all we can

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 8, 2015/09/11) */ There is some confusionI don't think she bought any phone cardsI think she set up to collect call accountsAll she has to do is call [redacted] and ask for a refund on those two accountsIf she did not use the call time she gets her money back, full remaining balanceShe is going to have to provide her telephone numbers, we have several [redacted] customersShould be no problem to return her balance not usedLast week was my week off and did not respond Dave

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 11, 2016/01/05) */
My response:
First off she looks like a really good customer. Appreciate her business. I apologize that I missed the first email notice. I was on the road delivering Christmas presents to our customers. Not sure what happened to that email I...

was working out of a motel room on a laptop. Where the problem started was that [redacted] hit our upper limit of credit card purchases that occur in one month. That is what would not allow her to purchase more prepaid collect calls. Once she signed the form we were able to increase this limit. At first she did not want to sign it. Once she returned the form we immediately increased the upper credit limit. The reason we limit hold times to 2 minutes is that some of our calls are long and some days we have a smaller staff on duty and it would be a long delay to get to the caller. There is no reason to hold and get more frustrated. We guarantee that we will call the customer back as soon as we can. And we do!
[redacted] currently has a credit balance of $35.00. If she wants it refunded please call or send email to [email protected].
The reason the purchase of the phone card was a complete waste of money was because the inmate did not try to call her. Our records shows all call attempts and successful calls. There were no call attempts to her telephone number. He used up the phone cards to call other people but not [redacted]. The block on [redacted] line only affects collect prepaid calls not phone cards. I don't know what day that she tried for 7 hours and I wish she would of left a message we would of called her back.
With regard to rates. Our rates are exactly as required by the FCC. The FCC adds 18% surcharge to each call plus applicable sales tax by the state.
Hope this helps. Looks like calls kept going once the increased credit form was signed.

I reviewed the notes and the recordings of these conversations. Our customer service staff did a good job of handling this call. [redacted] displayed that he was upset that his line had been automatically put on hold until we could verify that he was indeed the owner of the credit card. He had signed up...

online and and made 4 payments with this credit card. Once it hit $150.00 we made a courtesy call to him to explain we would need a authorization form filled out so we could increase his basic limit of $150.00. The reason we call people when they hit the $150.00 is to make sure that someone is not using a credit card without permission and that is why we called him. He sent in a form with his finger signature on his phone and we tried to explain to him that we need his real signature. As Kira was trying to explain to him he kept talking over her and threatened her and said he was taking this to the attorney general. He wasn't listening to Kira and would not allow her to explain more options he just declared that she was condescending and she definitely was not. When I listen to the calls he appears to be all fired up for no reason and jumping to assumptions. We treated this guy with respect and courtesy. This guy had and attitude from the start of the first phone call. It is evident by his" [redacted]!!! Off" comment. Actually that comment exemplifies his attitude through the all calls that I listened to.

I am rejecting this response because:
This is absolutely not how the calls went down, aside from me saying F[redacted] off because she continued arguing with me. They're simply covering their tracks with lies to protect themselves.To begin with, Kira implied a threat of no further contact with the inmate unless I paid the 76 cents. This is extortion. When I complained, finally to Anna, at absolutely NO TIME WAS THERE ANY MENTION OF ANY SIGNATURE FORM WHATSOEVER DURING ANY PHONE CALLS. The recordings will show this fact, as do mine.In fact Anna raised my limit over the phone. I was then able to click into the payment area, first WITHOUT the "signature form required" message that I LATER received when clicking into the same area. Funny timing considering it happened only after filing complaints.In my opinion, they did this on purpose out of spite and due to the fact that they monopolize the telephone service. I have discontinued all services with them and will require a full refund. The attorney generals have already been apprised and are throughly investigating the issues.I also will be filing an ADA grievance because I'm the inmates trustee and communication is vital for his mental and physical health. Clearly things that Reliance Telephone do not consider when making their exploitative/extortionate collection attempts.id urge an outside party to review the calls. Of course I was upset - their behavior was inexcusable first, not mine. Their response to this complaint only further bolsters my case and will be forwarded accordingly to law enforcement and the AGs in the 5 state area. They've already received transcripts of the conversations anyway.

This person provide no specifics, so we do all the work and listen to every recording and we shared that information with her and she can just claim we are wrong even if we provided all the information she requested. She just did not want to here it. Below is the research that we did and wasted our...

time on her false accusations. Just look at these calls. What a waste of money on her part. She must of thought she could just contact you and make it go away. What a waste of time. This is ridiculous. You say  you called, who did you talk to. When I have responded to Revdex.com in the past they usually contact me. I have not had any communications since February.   Very Frustrated!!!   Dave [redacted]   Reviewed calls accepted from Burleigh County: 04/23/16 @ 10:03 pm -- Inmate says he is going to go lay down. Both say bye. NO REFUND. 04/29/16 @ 4:59 pm -- Inmate says he will give her a call back before he goes to bed. Both say bye. NO REFUND. 05/17/16 @ 2:40 pm -- Both say bye. No Refund. 05/25/16 @ 8:49 am -- He says he is going to talk to a CO and then he will call her back. Both say bye. NO REFUND. 05/25/16 @ 9:02 am -- Both say bye. NO REFUND. 05/26/16 @ 10:40 pm -- She says she didn't know it was so late. He said he didn't know if she'd be up. He said he will talk to her tomorrow instead. Both say bye. NO REFUND. 05/28/16 @ 2:10 pm -- Call dropped from cell phone side. Inmate still on recording after disconnect tones. NO REFUND. 06/06/16 @ 10:31 pm -- Jail went in to lockdown. He had to get off phone. Both said bye. NO REFUND. 06/09/16 @ 12:16 pm -- Accepted by voicemail. Credited $3.22   -- Dave [redacted] P.E.MBA, President & CEO [redacted] Tel:###-###-#### Fax:###-###-#### Reliance Telephone Inc. [redacted] Grand Forks, ND 58201

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/02/17) */
I called [redacted] and explained why her calls are getting dropped. It is software in our inmate phone system that does not let the caller dial any additional digits after the call is accepted by [redacted]. Our system is indicating that a digit is...

dialed and cuts the call off to stop fraud. [redacted] and the inmate are not dialin additional digits and we can't determine where the problem is. It is somewhere outside the jail phone system. It is not her phone and she has kindly tried a two different phones. She did pick up a phone with a Grand Forks telephone number and it will definitely eliminate alot of additional networks that the call was traveling on the old phone calls. I have noted the account that [redacted] will be credited for those dropped calls as fast as we can if they happen again. I think [redacted] has fixed the problem getting a local phone number and we will bill her at local call rates too. This is only happening to her phone which is totally unfortunate for her. We will help her all we can.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2015/09/11) */
There is some confusion. I don't think she bought any phone cards. I think she set up to collect call accounts. All she has to do is call [redacted] and ask for a refund on those two accounts. If she did not use the call time she gets her...

money back, full remaining balance. She is going to have to provide her telephone numbers, we have several [redacted] customers. Should be no problem to return her balance not used. Last week was my week off and did not respond.
Dave