ComplaintsforICSolutions

• Initial Complaint

  09/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 13 September 2024, I attempted to do a video visit with an incarcerated individual in ******. Ten minutes before the visit started, I rebooted my computer and phone. I ensured I had no other programs (apps) open. I went through the requisite testing (and passed). Because I was early to the video visit, I got a message that the video call would start at a set time. At the proper time, the video visit started. On my end, I only got a black screen for where the incarcerated individual was to appear. At the bottom of the screen was a message saying, "waiting for the other party to connect" (or something similar). The individual was already connected and could see and hear me - yet I could not see or listen to her. After four minutes of going through this (no audio or video from the incarcerated individual), I disconnected the call. I went to my mobile phone carrier to see if there was an issue with my phone - they assured me it wasn't. I called IC Solutions and was told it was a downloading issue on my phone (after I had passed the download test). Otherwise, they suggested I turn off the **** and see if the call would come through on my phone. If I turn off the **** during the call - it will probably disconnect, and I could not reconnect. I have experienced the same issue for the last three (3) months. I have followed every suggestion they have given me, and I cannot have a video visit with the individual. The customer service is rude, and they always seem to blame me. This whole situation is frustrating and annoying.

  Business response

  10/04/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address Mr. ******* concerns.  We have reviewed the referenced visit and there was not enough bandwidth to successfully complete the visit. The reason he could not see or hear the resident is because of the download speed, which is what pulls the video through on his side. The upload speed is the one that is sent out, which is why the resident could see and hear him.  Ultimately, Mr. ******* bandwidth at the time was just not entirely strong enough to pull the visit through. Since that visit was free to the resident, we have added another free visit to her account. In regard to our customer service agents, all agents are required to be professional and courteous in all interactions. We will review the pertinent calls and take appropriate action as needed.  Thank you for your time.   

  Customer response

  10/08/2024

  Complaint: 22353791
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The *** (Adult in Custody) has informed me that she did not receive a complimentary or "free" phone call. Also, I passed the upload and download test before the visit. 

  So, in essence, they are saying that no matter if I pass the upload/download tests before the visit that the download speed varies during the call?

  Also, it has been about two or three months since I have gotten any incoming video from the ***. Yet, she can always see me. The phone worked fine previously, what has changed in the last three months with the download speeds? 

  Finally, how do I know that the problem isn't the upload speed at the facility? Is there a test of the download and upload speed at the facility?

  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

  Business response

  10/10/2024

  We are in receipt of your additional response and would like to clarify that an additional free VISIT, not phone call, was added to Ms.Barrazas account on 10/4/24.  In regard to the video visits themselves, even if you pass the initial test, you have to maintain that level of bandwidth in order to successfully complete the visit.We process hundreds of successful visits daily with both sides clearly visible.  In addition, we would be alerted of any failures processing video on our side, and we did not experience any issues during the date and time of your visit.  As a customer service courtesy, we have added $5.88 into your prepaid account ending in 1412, in the event you would like to schedule a visit. Please note that sufficient and consistent bandwidth is needed in order to have a successful visit. Thank you.
  

  Customer response

  10/10/2024

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  09/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This is a company myself and my wife used to set up a collect account for my son who was sent to a Wyoming Prison facility, on Sept 1st 2024. We were told that he would be able to call us collect from the money we put on the account. Totals are listed below. It's been more than 3 weeks and he has not been able to call us collect. My wife called ICSolutions on September 12th, 2024 and the agent said to give it another week or so and if he still couldn't call that we would receive a full refund on our card. My wife asked the agent if it would be the entire amount we paid which was $38.23 US dollar for a $***** Dollar collect call account for us. This came out to $ ***** CA Dollar. The agent said yes, all fees would be refunded at the time if he still wasn't able to collect call us. They did not have a reason why he wasn't able to collect call ***** wife called ICSolutions again this evening Sept. 23rd 2024 at 5:55 pm PST. At that time the agent started the process to put the $ ***** back to our bank card. My wife then asked if it would be the entire amount which they said that we have forfeited all taxes and fees and it would only be for the $*****.I then called them and asked for an address for the company because I was going to file a claim with the BBB and the agent kept putting me on hold and kept asking me not to hang up. He then made me verify my name and mailing address in which I told him and he claimed that is not the name associated with the phone number that was on their caller ID. I said it is my name and phone number and told him my phone number name and address for the second time in which he then said " oh yes that is correct". He finally for the 3rd or 4th time told me not to hang up and he was going to connect me to a supervisor. He transfered the call to a recording stating their office was closed for yhe night and to call back tomorrow. My intentions were to try and straighten things out with a higher up such as Supervisor but No one there.

  Business response

  09/27/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address Mr. ********* concerns. We have reviewed his account and the refund was requested on 9/23/24. Our standard refund processing time can be anywhere between 3-5 business days, and his refund was scheduled to be processed tomorrow.  Mr. ********* refund was processed today, back to the card used for the purchase, in the amount of $38.23. It is our policy to provide a full refund, which includes the service fee and taxes, if calls were never accepted. We will reiterate that to our call center team and apologize for any confusion.  In addition, our corporate office hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm CST. We appreciate your time. Thank you.  

  Customer response

  09/27/2024

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Using ICS solutions is the only way families have to communicate with their loved ones that are incarcerated. Regardless of that loved one being in there for a day or week or months. I personally tried for over 3 weeks to log on register my account and get visit set up with my husband. I would get part of the way and get thrown off. Or the app wouldn't work at all when I finally got registered then the payment part would not work as I was extremely frustrated by this I got on ****** Play store and decided to look at the app itself when I noticed hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of complaints about this company same thing same issues I'm having. And some of them date back all the way to 2018 that's 6 years of complaints for some reason nobody has done anything. Yet a lot of people that are incarcerated go through a lot of mental health issues while they're there it's a really bad time for a lot of people and not being able to communicate with their loved ones can cause that to harm them even more. A lot of people become suicidal a lot of people end up losing automobiles even their homes because nobody's able to communicate with them to let them know things that are going on in the outside world. When those kind of negative things happen the person that's incarcerated has less and less of a chance of coming out and having a positive life start for themselves they end up very frustrated and give up very quickly. There's a large number of people incarcerated that probably would not be there if some of these smaller things went and worked correctly. It might not seem like a big deal to people to be able to communicate with someone if you're in jail but it can mean the difference between your life and death or your life and committing more crimes people need positivity and stability in this company is creating the opposite I'm beyond angry about this right now and I expect better Business bureau to actually look into this and do something that's your job.

  Business response

  09/06/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address ****************** concerns. We attempted to contact ************** via her telephone number; however, the call was disconnected. The below email was sent to the email address on file as well as the email address she had on her prepaid account. 

  Good morning, **************. I attempted to call you; however, the call was disconnected. We are in receipt of the above referenced complaint and I was calling to see what assistance I can provide.  I do see that you are already registered for visitation and in order to schedule a visit, you need to have atleast $5 on your prepaid account.  You can either purchase time online, through our IVR, or by speaking with a representative at ************. The online and IVR options are more cost effective, as there is a $3.00 credit card processing fee for those transactions. If you choose to speak with an agent, the credit card processing fee is $5.95. We do understand the importance of communicating with your loved ones and apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced. My contact information is below if you would like to give me a call back. In the meantime, I have added a courtesy adjustment of $5 to your telephone number, ************ so that you can schedule a visit. We appreciate your time. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have called 6 days in a row trying to get an issue resolved. When getting a call from my loved one I am required to press or say 5 to accept the call. When I press or say 5 it does not register and the recording continues to play. Like I have said I've called everyday for 6 days and the answer I always get is "we will have to open an investigation." I spoke with a supervisor today hoping to figure out a resolution. She said there was no investigation opened for the 5 button not working, even though multiple other associates told me they were putting one in. She was no help and now I am waiting another 3-5 days for a resolution that will probably never come. Very poor customer service and no accountability.

  Business response

  08/23/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address ******************** concerns. We had our team reach out to **************** to complete some test calls, as well as submitted her number to our provider, and the calls do appear to be going through successfully now. We will continue to monitor the progress. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I put $ on an account to receive calls which was not used for 3 months I called to get a refund the representative told me it was ***** I would receive back as a refund when I called in June. I waited the necessary time for the refund didnt receive it so I called I spoke to someone who said they refunded my $ to a card which I no longer had and I spoke to a supervisor named ***** who told me he could send a check when I got the check it was for $25.38 missing $31.12 I called today to find out what happened to the rest of my $ they told me it was refunded to the card so I told the lady that they were supposed to send it all in a check I spoke to my financial institu and they said no $ was ever put on a canceled card so they still owe me and according to them they refunded $36.97 which I never got and should be sent back to me in a check.

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address **************** concerns. We have reviewed her account and the applicable refunds have been provided. (Copy of the credit card refund transaction detail is attached)  The refund was requested on 6/21/24 and processed on 6/25/24 by way of check and the remaining amount back to card used for the purchase, which was accepted by **************** financial institution n the amount of $36.97.  At the time the refund was requested, we do not have a record of ************ requesting the entire amount to be refunded via check; however, the refund was processed and received back to the card ending in 6259. We would like to recommend ************ reach out to her financial institution. Thank you for your time. 

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

  Complaint: 21970185
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Seems like Im dealing with the same issue this company is becoming known for. How many times must people contact support or file reports before something is done to properly fix the issues that are occurring. How can you be listed as a communication company when you cant even provide proper communication to the people who use your services much less communicate properly when people contact support. Having to miss out on talking time with a loved one because your system doesnt recognize the button press or voice responses is unacceptable. Especially when you charge approximately $0.30 a minute to talk to someone. Fix this issue already.

  Business response

  07/12/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address ************************ concerns. We have submitted a ticket to our provider and sent him the below response. We will follow up with him as soon as we hear back from our carrier. Thank you.

  Good afternoon, ********************.  We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. Your account has been reviewed, and there does seem to be intermittent issues with call acceptance; therefore, we have submitted your telephone number to our provider for review. We do understand the importance of communicating with your loved ones and apologize for any inconvenience. In the event you have any additional questions or concerns, my email and direct line are noted below.Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  06/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a customer of ********************** since approximately November of 2023. Every now and then (about once every three months), there have been times that calls haven't been able to come through-- but never enough to cause concern. However, as of June 5th 2024, there have been difficulties with calls being able to get accepted through my side. Each call I receive, I will be prompted to press '5' to accept. I will press '5' and the recording will continue instead of the usual "Thank you for using ICSolutions..." (Also to note-- the recording when the calls HAVE connected-- will be very loud and 'echo-y', where since June 5th, the recording is much quieter-- with the rare times that the calls have come through and pushing '5' resulted in an actual connection with the caller.) I have been told by ICSolutions to calll my cell phone provider about this-- which I did (********) and make sure there are no spamblockers or blocked numbers on my account. ******** ALWAYS says there are no issues. There is also a #***# that can be called, that says "Success! Spam blocker is now turned off. To turn on dial #***#." On my phone, there is also a block option that says 'Silence Junk Callers'. This is off as well. The Oregon Correctional Ombudsman said this is a well-known and ongoing issue with ICSolutions who will be bringing it up with the governor again. Hopefully ICSolutions will see this as an opportunity to look into and resolve this matter. (Included is an example of the calls that have made it through. '1' minute-- for the 5-6 second calls that come in where pressing '5' does nothing to connect with the caller and I must hang up.)

  Business response

  06/24/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address ****************** concerns. We have provided her with the below response via email and will continue to monitor her ability to accept phone calls. 

  Good morning, **************. We are in receipt of the above referenced inquiry filed with the Better Business Bureau.  We submitted a ticket with our provider on the 19th, and it does appear to have made a difference in your ability to accept calls.  We are now seeing a number of calls being accepted without multiple attempts. Please let me know if you have any additional issues. We do apologize for any inconvenience.  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been receiving calls and everytime I click 5, it does not go through. I have cleared by phone's history and cache, waited for it to ring twice, hit mute and then clicked 5, held down the number 5, I've done everything that I found on reddit. This is ridiculous and highly upset I cant speak to my loved one. I've called technical support and they have no suggestions! This is an issue well documented on reddit and other forums. How are you a commuications company but your customer cannot communicate?! I wish the facility never stopped using Securus. I never had issues with securus.

  Business response

  06/13/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address Ms. ***** concerns. We have provided her with the below response via email, and will follow up as soon as we hear back from our provider. Thank you.

  Good afternoon, Ms. **** We are in receipt of the above referenced inquiry to the BBB and appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.  We have reviewed your account and do show you are only able to intermittently accept the calls.  Your telephone number has been submitted to our provider and we hope to have resolution soon. We understand the importance of maintaining communication with your loved ones and will do our best to get this resolved.  If you have any questions,please dont hesitate to contact me at my direct line below.  I will follow up as soon as I hear back.  Thank you, again. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  i created an account on the ic solution website and afterwards i found out that i couldn't delete the account i called them asking them to delete the account and they kept telling me that they could not do that so i asked to speak to the supervisor to find a resolution to the problem. they passed me over to somone i couldnt understand at all was like they were far away from the phone or something. so i am getting a whole big run around i want this account i created on there website deleted.

  Business response

  06/06/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address ************************** concerns. While we can make an account inactive, our standard practice, unless otherwise prohibited by state law, is to maintain records of all calls received from correctional institutions.  In his case, there has been no activity on the account; therefore, we did remove his information and set the account to inactive. We apologize for any confusion regarding this policy and will reiterate it to our call center team.  We have also notified ********************** via email. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a phone call Account for my son, *********************. Gave ************. My credit card, all in my name *************************** . Then realized they would not let him make any other calls, so I had to put an account in his name ********************* to the tune of $53..They said **** had to write a letter that he wanted his money return since he never made any phone calls on that account, he did and they did nothing. Then they said **** should send an email, so an email was sent saying that he wanted a refund, since it was never used, they never did anything. Then when **** was in the car with me, I told him to call them and talk personally to them saying he wants his $53 refunded (and was released April 3 )and they said he needed to have the police send a post card. **** asked for supervisor. I got on the phone . I said they were being criminal stealing his money and no police would not do that. I asked for a supervisor once before too! I spoke to the supervisor( I had once before) they hung up on me. I called the police to complain about this and the police (she agreed )that was in no way what they would do, send a post card. ? The officer said it made no sense!

  Business response

  05/29/2024

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address ******************** concerns.  We would like to explain the difference between purchasing prepaid phone time for a specific number and purchasing time for a resident's debit calling account. Prepaid phone time purchased for a specific number only allows the resident to call that one specific number, while a debit calling account allows the resident to call anyone on his approved calling list.  Once a debit calling account purchase is made, it becomes the property of the resident and refunds are processed by sending in a postcard we provide to the facility upon their release.  The original purchase of $50 included a credit card processing fee of $3.00, and three calls were made through 3/30/24, leaving a balance of $42.71.  As a one time exception, we have processed that balance of $42.71 back to the card used for purchase, ending in 2453; however, we would like to reiterate that once purchased, that time belongs to the resident, and they would need to request a refund in the future. Thank you. 

*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. ↩