Am I the only customer who thinks REBATES s/b illegal?

[joeunderdog]

How many times do we have to get screwed on technicalities, on deceptive practices or for no reason whatsoever? :mad: :mad:

I just finished my 7th phone call to Sirius Radio for a unit that I bought last July. "Check's in the mail, sir." Busllshit. In the meantime, they hang up the phone and scream "What are you gonna do about it, SUCKER!?!"

Big Biz pretends that rebates are designed to pass on savings to customers in a way that middle man retailers can't cash in. The reality is that they're just bait and switch schemes. I'm not talking $3 for light bulbs, either. The computer industry is the biggest offender nowadays with Norton, hardware items and peripherals. It's $20-50 a pop.

I know I am not alone in my outrage about how companies are able to withhold money that they are rightfully and legally obligated to pay out. The rebate system flat-out encourages the abuse of honest customers who are purchasing something for an agreed-upon price. By the time you realize that they are going to screw you for the cash they owe you, you can't return the item. Your only options are spending hours on the phone or email system trying to resolve the matter or filing a time-consuming Attorney General complaint, or just kiss your cash goodbye.

Assholes, all of em.
:banghead:
:banghead:
:banghead:

[Lars39]

1. We're spinning our wheels over a TigerDirect rebate worth $200.

They don't expect anyone to actually meet the criteria to get the dough. :grr:

[MSgt213]

2. Report it because a record is the only thing that is going to help when

and if we consumers can get anyone to listen to us about this big scam.

[Ezlivin]

3. "But sir, I solved the differential equation and gave 2 liters of blood...

Getting rebates is easy if you have infinite patience.

[Poppyseedman]

4. I understand you outrage, but your statement is incorrect.

Big Biz pretends that rebates are designed to pass on savings to customers in a way that middle man retailers can't cash in.

Rebates are not designed to bypass the retailer. In many cases, the retailer is paid by the supplier to participate in their rebate marketing program

Rebates have one function and one function only: It is an incentive to entice you the buyer to purchase their products.

I participate in many rebate program, almost with 100 % success rate. The secret is read the fine print and follow the directions to a tee. I can't think of one time I was ripped off. There are many rebates I don't do simply because the requirements are too onerous and not worth it.

As for your problem, be patient: It could be they are overwhelmed with responses and are playing catch up.

[joeunderdog]

7. "Passing the savings on to you..."

NOT!!!

I respect your personal experience, but mine has been far different.

Sirius has directly lied to me on several occasions. LIED. The check(s) were not in the mail.

I scan all of my rebate submissions and record the date. On one item, I called to ask why my rebate has not been sent, and the agent acknowledged they had received months ago. They said they would send one out right away. Why didn't they state that I should have received it already? They knew they had gotten the request and they knew they hadn't sent the check out in anywhere near the 6-8 weeks they promised. What were they waiting for?

Sorry, but I don't believe these are honest mistakes. "Overwelmed"? NINE months? Puh-lease.

[xmas74]

16. Report them to the Better Business Bureau.

Send them a certified letter w/ an outline of what outcome you desire and the time frame you desire it in. Also clearly state the consequences as to them not meeting to the desired outcome in the set time frame.

I send certified letters all the time. They usually get results and are under $5.00 to send.

[NewJeffCT]

31. BBB is often not very good...

If your state has a Dept. of Consumer Protection (or similar) try them. I've had very good success contacting the one in Connecticut, and also with the one in NY. Usually, just the threat of contact is enough to get action.

[Frank Cannon]

29. I have never had a problem receiving a rebate

But, then, I:

1) Follow the directions to the absolute letter, and I have my wife check my work.

2) Photocopy EVERYTHING.

It's a lot of work and in many cases is not worth the $$$$-per-hour in effort. So I only tend to only pursue mail-in rebate offers if they're high-ticket items.

[LostinVA]

37. Yup... a squib

[Wickerman]

5. I hate 'em

What does "you must enclose an original copy of the receipt" mean? Do they want the original? Why should I have to send my original? Why should I cut the UPC off an item I'm not sure will actually work? :argh:

[napi21]

6. I've heard this argument many times, but I've always gotten mine!

I don't use them very often, but I've gotten GREAT deals when I did! NEVER once did I lose out on getting my rebate. Some come quicker than others. I've gotten some within a week! Some others took 6-10 weeks.

I think we all have to understand, they put fairly strict guidelines on using rebates because, at least in some cases, they're giving the stuff away! If you read the instructions, and follow them, at least in my case, they've always paid!

[lindisfarne]

9. I've always gotten mine, too, although I rarely buy from electronics

stores (use the internet instead). I do know someone who got the Norton rebate just fine (they even had an internet site where you could check the status). Follow instructions carefully, keep copies of everything.

The deal with the original receipt is sometimes a bit of a problem: often, the vendor will provide a duplicate receipt, or at times, I've explained I need to send in the original receipt for the rebate and want them to create an official receipt by photocopying it and somehow making it official (using the stamp that they put on the back of checks and including a manager's signature). I've never been refused, but if I was, I wouldn't buy.

[barb162]

28. Yeah, I know people who go in stores and get electronic

products for next to nothing after they get their rebate check. some of the deals are amazing.

[Left Is Write]

36. I have never not gotten a rebate either.

A couple of times I've forgotten to send in for it on time, but whenever I've sent for a rebate, I've gotten it.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. We stopped shopping at Best Buy

because NONE of their so called "rebates" worked, even though they said they would. I'd rather pay a price at the store that is an honest price than be ripped off.

On another note, about customer service: my husband's TracPhone died, and they were to send him a replacement. DHL couldn't find the place to deliver it, even though it was a business in the downtown section of a small city. So he gave up on getting another phone, and asked to have minutes switched to an older TracPhone he'd stopped using. They gave him the runaround for two weeks until he said, "You say that the phone conversations may be monitored. That gives me the right to record the conversations. If you don't have the minutes switched over in 15 minutes, the tapes go to my attorney." They had them switched over in 10.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. I always got mine, however, I don't buy anything with a rebate anymore

because the fine print has become so absurd and the length of time to get the rebate just grows longer and longer.
The main reason for rebates these days is to get permission to market other products to you, and to sell your name to "affiliated merchants" so that they can market products to you, and so on, and so on, and so on. Because you are considered an existing customer they can market to you by telephone even if your number is on the Do Not Call list.

Don't buy items with rebates attached. Negotiate the post-rebate price with the sales rep or walk away.

[jaysunb]

11. Rebates serve as sophisticated tracking tools

the latest being a Visa gift card instead of cash.
Every time you use it, some marketing research company is selling that info to the interested party's....

[BlooInBloo]

12. What other contracts do you not want adults to be able to enter into?

Just curious.

[joeunderdog]

20. Any and all others not fulfilled by both parties. nt

[mondo joe]

13. I hate rebates. They are designed to be as difficult to

successfully complete as possible.

[Cronus Protagonist]

14. Xerox sent me the $150 rebate and a years supply of black ink

No problem at all. And I got them within three weeks too. YMMV.

[Catfight]

15. If people would boycott products with rebates, they'd stop using them. nt

[pitohui]

17. don't know why computer rebates cheat so much

everybody else is really great w. their rebates, i used to rebate all the time, i wish there were more non-electronics opportunities as there used to be


however i have now rec'd all of my backlogged rebates and to be honest, the one i gave up on from circuit city, it did finally wander in and i suspect because of the other mail it came with, that it was caught up in the katrina mail sorting chaos and the delay not the fault of circuit city

[LeftyMom]

18. I've only got stiffed on one

that was from Costco, oddly enough. I've had no problems from any of the big electronics chains.

[OhioBlue]

19. I think the rebates are bs

I'm still waiting for my "voucher" for 6 free cds after purchasing my stereo 6 years ago - by b/f has never received a rebate that he sent in. My cousin also thinks they are bs - although he did receive his first one ever - ironically from Sirius

(we never got ours from Sirius - sent it in a year ago - but I never did follow up)

[LSdemocrat]

21. Heck, I've received rebates where we thought we flunked a condition

Usually one saying "Only one rebate available within a 1 year period" type deal, where we sent in a second one anyway and got it for a $50 rebate. Depends on the company I guess.

[politicat]

22. I've had two fail in the last two weeks...

Brother stole the UPC label off the fax machine and said I didn't send it, while the rebate for a med I'm on didn't like the receipt I sent them - it didn't have the drug name printed on the receipt (that was NOT in the small print.)

I HATE rebates, but I get suckered every bloody time.

[hfojvt]

23. I have yet to have a problem with rebates

I got about $600 back on computers purchased and coupons for free pop and CDs and sweatshirts, etc.
I will gladly take rebates for $600 please, Alex.

[hfojvt]

24. What I really hate are contests

couldn't I just eat my candy bar or drink my pop without being informed, that, once again, I am not a winner, please try again?

[joeunderdog]

34. I guess my suggestion would be that they should be INSTANT only.

All of the documentation/dog-and-pony crap that you have to go thru should be able to be handled on-site. That leaves nothing to the imagination and nothing to be decided by the lowest common denominator--greed. I'm not against getting the discount at all. there's just a better, more honest way to do it.

[Broken_Hero]

25. I never do rebates...

Not anymore at least...I had a cell phone, through at and t, with a 80 dollar rebate, it never came...called, complained, nothing happened. I read the fine print, and whenever i see REBATE, i avoid that store, or whatever product they are selling like its the plague...

[genieroze]

26. I have literally lost $$$$ in rebates. The checks in the mail my butt.

I only look for instant rebates now.

[barb162]

27. Welllll, I just got a 5 buck rebate in the mail today so I am not

really down on them except when I forget to mail the damned things in on time. Which is fairly often.

If you deal with "good" companies they usually always send the checks. I've never had a situation where if I mailed the thing in a timely manner I didn't get a check.
I do wish they would just take the price down and not make you go through the rebate game

[REP]

30. I Have Good Luck with Them

Usually they're only for $5-$10, sometimes less, sometimes through the 'single check rebate' thing a local drugstore does, but I've never had a problem. I even received a rebate even though I mailed it a day after the deadline (I mailed it just in case since the receipt was absolutely before the deadline).

I know it's a marketing tool, but for some products that I buy often (like cat food) I *want* all the coupons and freebies they want to send, and I don't mind providing information that might help make the food better or available in bigger bags (I buy cat food from a specialty company, not Purina or P&G).

[ScreamingMeemie]

32. Ooooooh, don't get me started. Sony has been screwing us on this

very laptop I am using since October. Before that, it took us 24 months to get a rebate on a Compaq that we purchased for my father. It has gotten to where I thing rebate-schmebate when I see the ad papers. :hi: I'm sorry you are a having a tough time with it.

[Clintmax]

33. Rebates aren't really that bad...

I used to work for OfficeMax where we offered mail in rebates and I had customers all the time calling the store because they got denied on their rebate. I would tell them to bring in the paperwork so I could see it. There was never a time that they didn't do something wrong. And it all stems from not reading the rebate form. Some rebate houses want the original receipt, some will accept a copy. Some want you to circle the item on the receipt, some don't. Once I had a chance to see the paperwork, I fixed what they did wrong and had them re-submit it...and THEN they got their rebate. It's all a matter of following directions. I'd have people come in and want me to give them the rebate out of my register. Sorry folks, it doesn't quite work that way.

I have never once had a rebate denied. Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.

[ForrestGump]

35. I used to (mostly) have good luck with rebates and sent a lot in for

all sorts of things.

But then the last two items I bought were just plain rip-offs. Bait-and-switch and worse. The most recent was hair dye at Rite Aid, a rebate for which I had to sign up via e-mail through a rather tortuous process only to find, in their user-unfriendly Internet rebate center, that the product was listed nowhere. Beofre that I bought a wireless router (I think the rebate was for $25 or $50 -- substantial amount, anyway) and, much later, received a letter fromthem stating that I did not include proof of purchase...I did but, unlike in days of yore, I didn't photocopy the proof before I sent it out because it wasn't convenient to do so at the time. This was a year ago and I still resent that.

So I don't bother with rebates now unless they're the in-store kind, that really make no particular sense to me, anyway. For sure, I wouldn't be in a hurry to buy something that has a rebate of more than a few dollars, for fear of getting ripped off that amount and being stuck with a non-returnable (no UPC code, even) item. If I did want something that had a significant mail-in rebate, and the price made sense, you can bet I'd make a copy of everything like I used to -- I'd get it notarized if I had to.

Can't help but wonder if my experience of late -- losing money on two of the last two rebates I submitted -- is in some way a reflection of a broader "the consumer loses" attitude in business that in turn reflects the anti-consumer stance of the Bush junta...

[Ron Mexico]

38. Fuck rebates and everyone who offers them.

Every time I see something along the lines of "Only $499 after mail-in rebate," I do a little bit of looking and invariably find the product for the post-rebate price somewhere else. I only had to be fucked out of a rebate once to develop seething hate for the whole practice.

If it's your intent to sell me something for $499, and I want to buy it, don't make me shell out $699. If you do, I'll buy it from someone else. I have better things to do with my time than fill out some form, making sure everything's perfectly done, and waiting while you collect interest on that money for two months.

If you have enough contempt towards me to think I'm going to go through that bullshit, I have enough contempt for you not to buy anything you sell and hope that you go out of business ASAP. Fuck you AND your fucking rebate. Even if the price for a Mercedes is $0 after mail-in rebate, I'd rather fucking walk.