I filed a complaint with the BBB on this company and received the following: Thank you for contacting the BBB regarding your complaint.
We have been advised by the Illinois Attorney General's Office not to process any complaints against the above company and to refer consumers directly to their office for possible assistance. Out of Business - My Free Travel has informed the BBB that as of December 17 it has laid off its entire staff and has ceased operations.
Consumers with complaints against this company should contact the IL Attorney General's office by calling the Chicago Consumer Fraud hotline.
At this time, your complaint has been closed at the BBB/Chicago, however we thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
My story is below if you have an interest in reading further.
I received a $300 food rebate coupon issued from My Free Travel after making a purchase from a local business. I registered in July and my registration was approved. I sent in five months of food receipts with the necessary coupons as instructed. Three of these were processed and showed on their website (www.groceryrebate.net - now "under construction") as being in the process of having a Visa card issued. At first they responded to telephone calls and emails. They explained that they were experiencing delays. Since that time they have removed the email option from the above website and now the website is defunct. They do not respond to emails nor do they answer telephone calls (current message indicates that they are on holiday).
I received the email below from them. I responded with a couple of questions, but received no reply. I fulfilled my end of the conditions and small print faithfully and would have liked for them to please fulfill theirs.
Dear My Free Travel Customer: My Free Travel has operated a successful travel business for the past twenty-two years. We have successfully helped millions of consumers reach their travel destinations in an efficient and cost effective manner, and while doing so, we have brought a tremendous amount of happiness to all of our customers during these past twenty-two years. During the last five years, we also implemented a rebate program that has enabled consumers to submit receipts in exchange for Visa Gift Cards that could be used at their discretion. Unfortunately, a rebate company that also managed rebate programs went out of business, and as a result of them leaving customers stranded, My Free Travel "stepped up to the plate" and offered to replace those "broken" rebate certificates at no cost to the end consumer. While our intentions were good, we could not have anticipated the unprecedented volume, and as a result, there were many, many more redemptions than we had planned for. This caused infrastructure stresses resulting in our inability to process the receipts as timely as we had promised. Customers had extraordinary wait times and we were delayed on following through on many of the promises we had made. This letter shall provide some solutions to resolve the problems that we feel terrible about, but for which we want to make right for our customers. Listed here are three options which you may chose from by emailing us at [email protected] or by mailing this letter to our Marketing Center at PO Box 1494, Plainfield, IL 60544. Option One: Due to the delays noted above, we cannot accurately predict when your next rebate card will be sent to you, but we hope to send all rebate cards within the next twelve to sixteen weeks. Please note that it may take longer, but if you agree to wait by selecting this option, please do so knowing that you will eventually receive your promised Visa cards, although their delivery will be significantly delayed. Option Two: Log onto http://www.customerloyaltyinternational.com/filesproducts/travel/Lifetime_Travel_Book. Pdf to see a copy of our Life Time Travel Book. This book regularly has a savings of over $15,000 in travel offers, and is being offered to you at no cost in exchange for forfeiting the balance due on your rebate program.By selecting this option, you understand that your rebate certificate will be voided, and a Life Time Travel Book, with over $15,000 in value, will be mailed to you within ten days. Option Three: Log onto http://www.customerloyaltyinternational.com/files/savingsbucks/SavingsBucks_500w499. Pdf to see a copy of a Savings Bucks Book. This book grants you access to over 120,000 local & national coupons, plus includes $500 in Savings Bucks that may be used to get steep discounts at 10,000 restaurants, over 12,000 name brand products, plus savings on hotel stays, gift cards, and more. This book is being offered to you at no cost in exchange for forfeiting the balance due on your rebate program.By selecting this option, you understand that your rebate certificate will be voided, and a Savings Bucks Book will be mailed to you within ten days. My Free Travel is committed to giving you a product that provides you with the kind of value that you expect. Please provide the serial number on your rebate certificate, and tell us which option you select in the section below. Then, email or mail us with that information, so that we can fulfill on the option you have selected. Kind regards, My Free Travel
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