I think some of the concern is with identity theft, people are hesitant to give out personal information of any sort.

Well if ID theft is a concern, I would use other sources of checking the information, other than to trust an anonymous forum poster, regardless of how many posts he/she has.

I suggested he post information about the owners, etc., so others could call to verify, etc. I personally am not participating in this, as my telecomm bills are really small, so...

www.telecomrewards.com
 

Update: I spoke to the founders of www.telecomrewards.com today to explain that I submitted a post which seemed to cause quit a stir regarding their credibility. While they understand that people may have some apprehension b/c their current site is nothing more than a 'place holder'- they're willing to hold a web conference w/ Q & A session for 'qualified' participants. Once I've been given the details (Date & Time) - I'll post them here. In the meantime, please feel free to submit a request for information via their site. Please ask for an invitation to the web conference in the comments section of the form. Thanks!

Many people find credibility lacking when someone posts how they "found" a site, when they are actually affiliated with it. This is reason enough for me to not ever patronize the business.

Thanks for the positive contribution. I'm sure it's in everyone's best interests that you remain on the sidelines & sit this one out. I've been nothing short of honest, straight-forward & open to people's comments (positive or negative). This is simply an opportunity to earn miles for doing something that you're already doing today... utilizing telecom services. To each his own, I guess. Isn't it easier to be positive and open minded? I don't know about you but rarely have I had an opportunity to get involved at the beginning of something which totally interests me.

Its all good though.. no worries!

Nothing personal, jswitch, but I can see people having concerns. After reviewing the website, I have them. The .info domain is registered to "Alabama", but with bogus/incomplete data. The .com domain, with DomainsByProxy, so no information is available. There's no evidence of permission to use corporate logos of the various firms, especially logos of such horrible quality. I can't imagine the Qwest, Verizon, or AT&T approving that. There's no evidence that this 'entity' even exists, apart from these untracable domain names.

I'm not saying that they're not legit, only that they don't act as I'd like to expect a legitimate entity to act. And this isn't negativity, it's just reality. Things that anyone should at least consider before entering into any cooperational arrangement and handing over personal data.

If you're really close to them, I'd suggest you pass on that they put an ounce more work into the image side of things, and I don't mean making the Flash intro better.

I completely agree with you... on every single point you made. Great minds think alike, I guess. I happen to see the same thing when checking the domain as well. I told them that you can't blame people for questioning things... I think that I need to accept the blame here. Chad and Jeff , Telecom Rewards owners, never once asked me to submit a post to FT or anywhere else. So, I apologize for possibly jumping the gun. The site was meant to be a place holder at the domain. From what I was told they'll have everything up and ready to go within a week or so. I have no problem accepting responsibility for taking upon myself to help get the word out. All I can say is that the proof is in the pudding... so, we can sit back and wait for a few days while they get everything in order. I was also informed that the reason for the domain info is in its current state was that one of the owners registered it (personally) and they're transfering it to their parent company.

Thanks for the input!

the funniest thing about this thread is that it is more or less the same as a recent offer for a free starbucks card from a site supposedly affiliated with dell. amidst the multitude of "thanks!" replies, one could see a fervent desire to believe, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that the offer was legit.

Doubt all you want... it's legit. I just had lunch w/ Jeff from TR - wait and see.

Sounds like an interesting concept.

However, it appears limited to companies with high telecom expenditures, and not at all for individuals such as myself (and many other FTers) who take pride in having negotiated very low rates with our cell and home (if any) telecom cos. Am I missing something?

Hopefully this helps shed some light on some of the goals...


"Desired" Target Market:

Business customer interested in (Local, Long Distance, Data, Cell)

telecom services which are currently NOT under a contract (or the contract is going to expire soon)

average monthly usage (per service type) greater than $100

Telecom Rewards offers residential programs as well. Its safe to say if you're looking to spend very little but reap tons of miles... it's probably not a good fit for you. Miles will be rewarded based on the amount "actually" spent per month (per service type) There will be several methods of earning miles. For example, someone who signs a 2 year contract will definitely earn more miles per dollar spent than someone on a 1 yr contract.

Keep in mind... the goal is to reward customer loyalty.

Please, let me stress, don't disqualify yourself prior to investigating this opportunity. The official site will clearly define the program and product portfolio.

There are plans for a referral program, affiliate program, etc.

Who knows? Maybe your neighbor owns a business which spends a couple grand per month on Long Distance.... there's no reason why you shouldn't be rewarded for referring business. TR mission is to create a 'win win' for everyone that has a positive vibe & good intentions. The telecom industry has been plaqued with scammers from every angle. Consumers looking for the next 'loophole' in order to cheat/trick a carrier into rewarding them miles b/c they 'worked' the system. We all know how carriers rarely lived up to their end of the deal as well. Why do you think so few carriers award miles today?

I spoke at length today with Jeff, one of the founders of the project. I am convinced it is legit.

• The announcement that started this discussion is probably premature. The website was quite experimental, via a large search engine company. It was put up to see what it looks like, and to see if this underground miles network of ours would generate customers. The actually final website will have a different name and will be professionally put together to avoid all of the warning signs you folks have spotted. The current website was never intended to be openly advertised. The final website will provide the full name of the company and all contact information. I will be told when the final website is ready for prime time, and will post this info here if no one else does. Of course, it will also be on my website below at that time.
• The business is already a going concern with many big name accounts. If you were to contact Jeff with a potentially large enough account, he says he can provide you with 300 references of companies doing business with him. All of the names he mentioned were familiar to me. This miles venture is simply another experimental method of acquiring customers.
• The company does indeed seek miles savvy people who can deliver large accounts.
• Definitions of large: They will not consider dealing with accounts under $100/month. President's Club status would depend on the value of the relationship with the company. That value could be based on actually revenue billed, or on something like successfully referring one or more very large accounts controlled by or influenced by, say a neighbor or business colleague or employer of yours. The definition for qualifications for the President's Club is deliberately fuzzy, but substantial rewards are promised, but not defined up front. The rewards are apparently negotiable and will determined on an individual customer basis.
• Accounts that meet their minimums and reply now and answer the resulting questionnaire that will be provided will receive better miles awards than those who wait until the company goes prime time with this offer.
• Miles awarded will be based on actually billing. If signup bonus miles are offered, they will be awarded only after actual business justifies the award. The formulas for miles awards have not yet been determined.
• For customers who meet their minimums, the company can provide substantial savings over the prices offered by the large telecom companies. Yet the service would be actually provided by and billed to you directly from those large companies.
• Customer service will be provided by the company behind Telcom Rewards in addition to the customer service provided by telecom companies providing the service. Jeff says this means that you will have a big fish in a small pond on your side.
• Available services include traditional local and long distance land line service, cell phone service, internet access via DSL or T1 line, ad WAN/Frame Relay/LPLS.
• Business can be split between carriers.
• The company cannot help customers currently under long term contracts, except for services not covered by those contracts.

We don't all have doubts. Your absolutely right to take offense with some of these people who basically act as if you personally hacked into their computers and uploaded a virus when you even have the nerve to suggest something that might be helpful to them. Rest assured, we're not all like that - and I, for one, appreciate you passing along all the info. I think its a great concept and after seeing it out of its embryonic stage, I might jump in. And let me provide the response that so many ridiculously jaded FTers can't seem to crawl out from under their malaise to express - THANK YOU, jswitch!

Your first response said you "found" this site, making it seem that you had nothing to do with them.
It really sound like you are getting compensated, but that is just an opinion.