Complaints

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:05/27/2025

  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.

  im not sure what is going on but i have created an account and so has my father and his was denied/deactivated/suspended and said that there was no picture or ID provided and there was and mine hasnt notified me that it has been approved or not but its been over a week and i have emailed support at the address that is provided on the website and i have not heard a thing back its really annoying! my inmate is housed in ******** at ******************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/27/2025

  Hello *** *******, 

  You will need to contact the facility directly.  HomeWAV is the software company that provides communications for the inmates at *******************************  However, the facility approves visitors for inmate visitations.  The notes on your account clearly state that you  need to upload a new photo of  yourself. It must be a a forward facing closeup selfie.  The picture you have submitted is not acceptable to the facility.  Below are the notes on your account. As you can see the note is from 5/27/2025 from the facility.  The photo you say is fixed is not going to work.  Please see the directions below.  You will know when you are approved due to you will receive a text notification.  

  2025-05-27 08:53:11 CDT
  Must be a selfie of face and ID is too far away from camera. Retake photos and resubmit. by: 

  As for your fathers account, I can not discuss his account with you.

  I'm sorry you're experiencing difficulties with the approval.  If you follow the instructions above you should have no issues.  

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/14/2024

  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 visit inmates in ******************** in *****, **. The last few months, many of the kiosks have been out of service. One day I was scheduled for 4 visits, and I was unable to visit with any of them due to the system being down. Some have been on the inmate side and some have been on the visitor side. This "service" has only lead to families having to spend money that many don't have to visit and stay in contact with their loved ones.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/02/2025

  Hello ******, 

  I sincerely apologize for the issues you have encountered while trying to visit on site.  I have shared your concerns with the Manager of our IT department.  The information you have provided will assist us in troubleshooting your concerns.  This will help us avoid similar issues in the future.  As you may know, the recent changes at ******, including the new facility setup, have introduced some temporary challenges.  Factors such as location changes, damaged kiosks, or internet disruptions can occasionally impact kiosk functionality.  Our customer support team has already issued a credit to help offset the cost of your remote calls.  We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to address these concerns.  Thank you for your feedback - it helps us improve.  

  Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2024

  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.

  This company is the sole provider for contacting my fiance who is incarcerated in *********************** in ******** *******. They provide visitations via video, as well as picture, voice, and video messaging capabilities. Video messaging costing .50 per minute, video calls I'm not sure, voice messaging is .40 a minute and picture messaging is .03 per message. Regular text messages ranges from .03 for a single letter going up for each word. First occurrence was May 12, 2024 where I would send voice messaging and multiple times my fiance is unable to hear anything except for static. This occurred throughout the week and has been randomly to this day.Second occurrence happened may 13, 2024 I deposited additional $28.00 . Before deposit was paid text messaging was working perfectly, once I deposited the money to the account. At that moment I was unable to send any messages of any available variety. Upon trying to message, as I would open the app it worked as normal, until I go to the messaging section. To which are that point the app would completely crash and shut down the app completely. So I contacted the company, and was told that it's most likely due to my phone not being updated, or outdated software on my phone. Which I have been using the same device for the entire time. So to try to resolve the situation, since they were no help, I purchased a new device, and the problem persisted. To further try to resolve the issue, I decided to add another known friend incarcerated at the same facility, which upon trying to message the newly added friend, the messaging section loaded and worked perfectly fine. Which gives confirmation that my fiance is being purposely blocked from my ability to communicate via messaging. So I am requesting a account credit for the lost money on messages, texting and voice. As well as a refund of $47 for the new device that I purchased. And fix the issue so I can talk to my fiance

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/04/2024

  Hello **************,
  
  HomeWAV is the software company responsible for providing services with the facility.  The facility sets the rates during contract negotiation.  The rates listed are accurate, with the exception of texting, which is charged at $0.03 for up to 10 characters, not $0.03 per character. 
  
  Regarding the messaging not being heard on your fiancs end.  This would indicate an issue with the tablet she is using at the facility.  Most likely not your phone.  I reviewed the calls and messages, no issues with static or silence was detected.  However, there was some background noise observed when you were moving around or driving.  Its advisable to report such issues directly to the jail, as the issue could lie with the tablet itself.  The facility should have spare tablets.  HomeWAV does not restrict calls or messages.  The facility reserves the right to review each message. If the content violates the User Agreement, the facility may block delivery.  Any concerns about messages not being delivered should be addressed with the facility directly. 
  
  I apologize for any inconvenience youve encountered.  Your concerns have been forwarded to our IT department and customer support for further review.  I appreciate you taking the time to bring your concerns to our attention.  We take all customer concerns seriously. 
  
  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/05/2024

  Complaint: 21719213
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Homewav has given the jail these tablets as a way to gain the facilities business. Therefore the company should be consistently checking on the tablets and repairing them as needed.  Is it the facilities responsibility to do software updates, or t make said repairs?  I assume not.  To the comments that the facility should have extra, they can't give extras of something that is broken already. 
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/17/2024

  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.

  In January of 2024 my account was suspended/ deactivated due to "fraud". When speaking to the fraud manager **** about the suspension, she informed me that every payment used on my account was used fraudulently. This is a lie, as in most of the money came from my cash app account along with my mother's PayPal account. My mom has put a lot of money into me communicating on homewav with my wife. ***, the home wave fraud manager has contacted and spoke with my mom, who has also told her about the situation at hand and that she did authorize all payments made to my account. I have medical issues and am currently not employed, speaking to my wife is a must for both of us to maintain a solid marriage. I take help wherever I can from friends and family who add money to my account to make this happen. I can't speak for the fact that someone's card may or may not have been used fraudulently. I accept that. My account being disapproved and suspended was punishment for that. But *** from homewave has also decided that my wife shouldn't speak to me at all. All numbers reaching to me have been blocked, any mention of my name causes that account to be blocked, any friend or family who has tried to create an account has been blocked. My wife's account only allows her to call homewav customer support. She can't even speak to her mother, our son, her brother or sister or any other family member because she may speak to me. My name has been slandered. People's account get denied. ********************** has accused people I don't even know of being me, putting my name out there falsely and openly. Home wave openly states that it is imperative to an inmate mental health and well-being to have access to loved ones. If criminal charges need to be made then they should be made my account continue to be suspended, that's justified . Going to the extreme of not allowing my wife to dial out a number is simply a powertrip. Denying her an account when she has done nothing wrong is illegal.*** should be fired

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2024

  Dear ****,
  
  Due to the sensitive nature of your situation, I'm unable to delve into specifics regarding your account. It seems you've engaged with our fraud department on multiple occasions, becoming familiar with the conditions necessary for reinstating your HomeWAV account.Our objective at HomeWAV is not to prevent you from having an account, but rather to address the underlying issue before granting approval. Our mission revolves around facilitating connections between inmates and their loved ones.Rarely do we resort to temporarily blocking an inmate's calls and only in the most extreme circumstances.
  
  There won't be any refunds considered for this account. For resolution, I urge you to reach out directly to HomeWAV or endure the time it takes the bank to investigate the disputes.It's important to note that when charges are disputed, the bank promptly reclaims the funds from HomeWAV, even if they've already been utilized.Resolving disputes can be a protracted process, often taking months. Should HomeWAV win disputes, the funds will be promptly credited back to your original account or credit card, and your account will be reactivated.
  
  Throughout the investigative phase, setting up a new account as a visitor is prohibited unless the disputed amount is repaid. It's imperative to adhere to our policy of allowing only one account per visitor, prohibiting the sharing of accounts or the use of others'accounts, and ensuring inmates don't use accounts belonging to other inmates.
  
  I encourage you to review the End User License Agreement (****) available on our website, which you agreed to upon setting up your initial HomeWAV account. Alternatively, you can contact our **************** to address your concerns. Rest assured; we're all committed to assisting you in reclaiming your account. The duration of this process is entirely within your control.
  
  Best Regards

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/28/2024

  Complaint: 21444488
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This response is in regards to my personal account. I clearly state, if the issue is with me, so be it let's handle it. I've contacted your fraud department once. **** was extremely rude and even told me she " didn't care" and accused me of things I could prove then and there didn't happen. I understand why you suspended my account, I understand that only one account per person, I can even understand not wanting people to use each other's accounts, but to disable my wife's account to where she can only call Homewav is uncalled for. To block everyone from her because your company assumes it's me is prejudice, to keep her from dialing out a number regardless of who it belongs to, is criminal! Nowhere in your guidelines does it say that you cannot call an individual who does not want an account, or who does not wish to set up an account. You offer the option to dial out. So where in your guidelines does it say you can control what number is being dialed? The matter between homewave and myself will be settled, handled accordingly. There's no doubt about this there's no other choice. But in regards to my wife Homewav has overstepped their boundary, causing major trauma and emotional distress to an individual who has done nothing wrong. I understand the suspension of my account, I understand that it has to remain that way until the situation is resolved. What I do not understand is how a company can control who someone calls with their own money that your company allowed to be put into their account. Or, how a company things cutting off an inmates only way to communicate with the outside world completely is okay. You suspended everybody on her account even those who have been active on her account since day one for reasons such as a bad ID photo. Weren't you the ones who approve the account in the first place? So why go back and deny them? You're purposely going after her and her account for no reason. Causing her not to be able to talk to her mother, father, and son. These things I do have a problem with.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2024

  HomeWAV will not discuss visitor and inmate accounts with **** that do not belong to her. Her account was suspended for fraudulent transactions and attempts to use additional accounts to circumvent that suspension also result in account suspensions. The owners of the other accounts are free to reach out to HomeWAV to resolve any outstanding issues. HomeWAV customer service and fraud department is no longer going to discuss the situation with **** until restitution is made. **** may reach out to our legal department if she has further concerns at ********************************   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/02/2024

  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 a family member that is incarcerated, and this is the only form of communication, the county Jail uses. They cannot even have one phone call without it !!! I was told it would only take 24 hours for it to approve and nothing can be done until the account approves. I have waited for days and tried to contact customer service. They always send me to a voicemail which is very odd and I never get a callback. I've emailed numerous times. This is a really hard time in a family's life and this is ridiculous. I have not talk to him at all. There's no way for any other communication without this app.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/07/2024

  Hello *****,
  
  I apologize there was a delay with your account being approved.  HomeWAV is simply the software company that provides the equipment and software that allows video and voice visitations.  The facility approves visitors. It appears they approved your account  on 3/4/2024.  I hope you enjoy the service. 
  
  Best regards

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/27/2024

  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've been using homewave since November 2023 and never had a problem, until now. I have added funds like I normally do but when the inmate calls I no longer get a notification and my phone will not ring. I have tried customer support over and over and I can't seem to get anywhere with them. I need some help please .anyone??

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/29/2024

  Hello ****************,
  
  I apologize you have experienced issues with your HomeWAV app.  It appears you have two user IDs in the ********************** system.  This is confusing to the inmate when trying to contact a visitor.  I have disapproved the account you are not using.  I transferred the $20.00 to the account you are currently using.  I have also asked a supervisor to reach out to you in case you are still experiencing issues with the app not ringing.  Hopefully, this has resolved the issues you were experiencing. 
  
  Thank you! 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2024

  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.

  They disconnected me I need to know when it will be back up because the jail wont tell me when it will be back up

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2024

  On 10/27/2023 your account was suspended from visitation due to an expired government ID.  It appears since then you have uploaded a current government ID.  Your account has not been reactivated due to no active inmates on the account.  Once you choose an inmate to visit, your account will go into Pending for review.  It is up to the facility to review your information and approve you.  I would suggest prior to choosing a new person to visit, you consider uploading a new photo that can be clearly viewed.  The photo should be forward facing, filter free, shoulders and face only.    The current photo on your account *** cause delays in an approval.  Unless there is fraud on an account, approvals are handled by the facility.  HomeWAV is simply the software company.  We are not part of the facility.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2023

  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.

  While using the app it has to be daylight or my inmate cant see me..so if he calls me and im inside where there isnt daylight coming in then its really dark and like i said he cant see me. It used to not do that idk why its starded doing that. Really enjoy the app just want that fixed please. Thank you for the app!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2023

  Dear Ms. *****,
  
  I am pleased to know that you are enjoying the app, except
  for the issue with the lighting.  Thank you for taking the time to bring
  this to our attention.  I have escalated the issue to our IT
  department.  They are researching the issue.  Below are a few
  suggestions on how you can trouble shoot the issue. 
  Check to see if you
  phone has an automatic sensor for lighting set on it.  Turn off the
  automatic feature that detects lighting.
  If you have a tablet,
  desktop or any other smart device, log onto it to see if the issue is the
  same with a different device.
  Check for filters,
  remove any filters that may be set to your phone.
   Try powering down
  your device for at least 5 minutes.
  Try updating your phone
  as well as the ******* ***.
  If none of these
  suggestions help, you may need to contact your provider.  There are
  things the provider might be able to address.
  There is a sensor that
  tells the phone how much light to let in.  If the sensor has gone
  bad, it might not be opening enough to allow the proper amount of light.
  It could be the age of
  the phone.
  It may be the camera
  quality of the phone you currently own. 
  Please try these steps while our IT department tests the
  quality from our end.  I will email you once our IT department has
  finished their testing.  In the meantime, hopefully one of the suggestions
  above might help.
  Sincerely,

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/08/2023

  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.

  Can not connect to my loved one ive tried for 10 days to get help from customer service. They have no problem taking deposit fees yet are slow to none help with my on going issue of not being able to speak to my loved one.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2023

  Hello Ms. ******,
  
  I apologize that you have not
  been able to connect with your loved one.  HomeWAV’s mission is to connect
  incarcerated loved ones with their family.  I have sent your concerns to a
  supervisor that is a specialist in this area.  She will be reaching out to
  you.  If she is unable to resolve the situation, the matter will be turned
  over to our IT department.  In the meantime, you may want to try updating
  the HomeWAV app or resetting your smart device.  I have credited $14.00 to
  your loved ones funds to cover the cost of the fees that spent with
  HomeWAV.  Once again, I am very sorry for the inconvenience. 
  Sincerely

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/20/2023

  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.

  This has been an ongoing issue with Homewave. I have a screenshot of text message cost for each time we texted. After each text while I have about fifty dollars in the account, the funds went down at the point of SEND with a grey block message saying this message incurred a cost it .03 cents. So, at that cost we texted back & forth over a couple of days regarding his finances that I am trying to save.
  On the 18th of September the fifty had dwindled ex down each time showing a message that it cost .03. When it got down to zero, I added $20 and within the next 2-3 text from my son it still showed the grey block message saying the text cost .03, but the remains fund had gone to $10.00.
  Immediately he saw that & said “*** ** ***** ****** **** * **** **!”.
  The next day I contacted the representative from Homewave at the ****** ** **** and she agreed something was not correct and would get it straightened out & contact me. I haven’t heard a word but today suddenly my account pooped up with totally different cost for each text.
  First of all this is unfair to the families who are paying these fees. Secondly they are saying the cost is .03 per whole text then changing the cost in the accounting. Thirdly, these rates are extreme and as our Missouri State Secretary said on the news just two days ago: No Missourian should be burdened with unfair cost of a purchase.
  There is a message after each text saying it cost three cents & I screen shot that each time. But later was charge way more. This is false communication & when downloading the app your never told up front what the cost is per text.
  These purchases to be able to have contact with your loved ones are PUNISHING the families of the inmate& they are NOT the guilty. If BBB can’t help with this, the Sec of State is where I go next. My number is **********.
  Thank you.
  *** ********

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/20/2023

  Hello Ms. ********,
  
  I apologize you have been
  experiencing issues with charges from the HomeWAV app.  When purchasing
  text messages, a confirmation box pops up with prices as well as an explanation
  of how the charges work.  First, to address your
  concern regarding the text cost, “text cost .03,” the message that you receive at confirmation reads, “Text message price
  on Facility Name Jail is : $0.03 per 10 characters.” 
  Each letter is considered a character.  Therefore, for every 10
  spaces/characters, it cost $0.03.  Also, on this screen is a box you must
  check confirming you understand that text messages are not charged in full
  until the message is approved by the facility staff.  When sending a
  message, there is no charge until the message is approved to be read by the staff. 
  Texting is the most expensive form of communication for an inmate.  It
  requires additional work on the part of the facility to review and
  approve.  I would suggest you take advantage of the voice calls and video
  calls being only $0.20 per minute.  It would be far cheaper for you to connect with your loved one
  through a video or voice call.  A
  ten-minute call will only cost $2.00.  Due to the misunderstanding
  regarding the rates and billing, I have added a small credit to your
  account.   If you need any further assistance understanding the
  HomeWAV app, please reach out to our customer support professionals. 
  
  Thank you.