ya know those "mail-in rebates" that knock off 30, 40, or 50% of the retail price? makes the product look so much more affordable?
so you buy it, banking on that rebate. then you send in for the rebate, and it gets rejected because you missed the deadline or forgot the barcode, or sent in a photocopy instead of an original?
i've maintained for some time now that it's all a big test. the idea is to erect complicated and difficult hurdles to minimize complete compliance so that they can deny the rebate and laugh at your expense. since you didn't comply fully with the fine print, you really have no recourse. kinda like the parking rules in san francisco or boston, but that's another story.
well, this one takes the cake. i'm thinking about splurging on a digital piano, and came across this:
http://www.allaboutpianos.com/digitalpianoAL100R.htmlsee that $1000 rebate? nice, huh? now check out the "rebate details":
http://www.allaboutpianos.com/rebate.htmlgot it? that's right, not only do you have a mere 2 weeks to send it, by CERTIFIED mail, but then you have to WAIT for the magic month, somewhere between 11 and 35 days, to send in the "supporting documents", voucher stub registration, and prove your identity. you have only 30 days for this second step.
send that stuff in too late? NO REBATE
send that stuff in too EARLY? NO REBATE -- and no second chance, because no way will they return the documents to give you another chance.
send anything in not 100% correct? NO REBATE
what if you move in the meanwhile? NO REBATE, i'll bet, because they';; surely say they can't confirm your identity if the address has changed.
it's amazingly obvious that there's no legitimate operational reason for erecting this two-stage process other than to increase technical non-compliance.
if i buy this product:
(a) i'll probably buy elsewhere, just on principle; or
(b) if i do buy it from these people, i'll bank on NOT getting the rebate.
some consumer advocate ought to take on this crap.
better yet, some legislator ought to impose some guidelines.
it amounts to false advertising to call this a rebate.
it's not a rebate. it's an opportunity to participate in an arcane test, which pays the so-called rebate to the few lucky and painstakingly diligent people who pass the test.
CashBack Rebate Details
For the rebate offered with select Schoenhut, Suzuki, Casio and Kurzweil Pro products, we issue a rebate voucher within one week of the delivery of your product. The first step in claiming your rebate is to complete and return the voucher stub to United Stated Administrative Services, a private, third-party company that handles the rebate processing for CashBack America, the supplier of the rebate forms. This must be done within 14 days of the date on the voucher by certified mail with a return receipt.
The claim period begins 11 months after the date on the voucher for rebates up to $225, and 35 months for rebates from $226 to $3000. At that time, you have 30 days to send the required supporting documents proving your purchase, the registration of your voucher stub, and your identity to USAS. If the process is completed correctly, they will send you a check for the rebate amount.
More details are available at www.cashbackamerica.com