Rebates ...

[Digital Prophet]

So how many people out there are still waiting for Christmas rebates?

This is exactly why a "rebate" is just a fancy schmancy way of saying "empty promise". I never get my rebates. Ever. I am waiting on $230 worth of rebates from CompUSA. Sent them in December. It 's now March, almost April. Do I have them? No.

Maybe thier evil plan is to wait until October and then just issue me store credit.

Bastages.

Prophet out.

[JamesB]

I have strayed away from buying products with rebates because the problems in the past in not getting them.

the rebates are writen in such a mannor that if you make 1 little tiny mistake on the rabate forum the will deny it.

also many companies deny them right off the bat hoping you dont call and complain about not getting the rebate.


however when I bought a new TV back in early February, the sales man at Sears said there was a $300 rebate with the TV. It was going to be a $300 Sears gift card. We jumped on the deal because we saved a lot of money on the cost of the TV over the Best Buy deal.

I filled out the rebate forms, sent them in with the UPC lable and all required documents.

Last week I get a "Rebate Denied" letter stating I did not meet the requirements for the rebate. WFT????

The denial letter stated i needed to purchase a quallifying TV (which I did) plus I needed to buy a Home Theater System in a Box to qualify for the rebate (I did not know this). Ok we were not told this by the sales guy. But on the rebate receipt it did say you must buy a qualifying TV + an HTIB

so the wife and I gather up all the receipts, copies of what I sent in for the rebate, we went up to Sears and talked to a Manager, we explained that the reason we chose to buy at Sears was because of the rebate the Sales Man told us about and explained to us. Stating he never mentioned we needed to purchase an HTIB with the TV to qualify for the rebate.
We would not be too terribly up set if they told us to get lost, but what did Sears do?????

The Manager Gave us the $300 Sears Gift Card, so we were extreamly happy.

James

[srwatters]

Rebates. Just say no!

I'll pay more now thank you.

[Cope]

I waited nearly 3 months for a $110 Lexar rebate, but I got it within their estimated time frame. I have received HP rebates within 3 weeks on 2 occasions. I do keep a copy of everything. I have never lost a rebate, but I did have to keep on one rebate handler to get my money. The worst case was a Microsoft rebate for software purchased from Sam's. MS handled the rebate and it took 4-5 months, but Sam's had assured me that I would get the check, and I eventually did.

[Hogleg 44]

Corel Just Denied me a rebate on the new PSP xi. Said I submitted the wrong UPC! How could it be WRONG...It was the only one on the box!!!
The new PSP ain't that great anyway. It is slow as molasses.

[adirty1]

my wife handles the rebates and has yet been rejected. she takes it as a personal challenge to get the money back. good thing i am to lazy to do it.

[darktiger]

Man I do not know about CompUSA rebates now. Especially them closing half of their stores, and their money troubles right now...

[Gordon]

Kingston just recently denied me on two rebates for CF cards bought at imaging USA. They had asked for photocopies of the purchase receipt and I had sent them the originals.

The denial form said that if I could send them the photocopies (of the receipt that they had) within 2 weeks I would still qualify for the rebate.

Luckily enough, I'd scanned both sides of the receipt prior to sending them...

[Cope]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Kingston just recently denied me on two rebates for CF cards bought at imaging USA. They had asked for photocopies of the purchase receipt and I had sent them the originals.

The denial form said that if I could send them the photocopies (of the receipt that they had) within 2 weeks I would still qualify for the rebate.

Luckily enough, I'd scanned both sides of the receipt prior to sending them...

Now that's nit picking!

[Moses on the Street]

It's just really bad business practice to piss your customers off like that.

I bought two Maxtor Hard Drives from Frys, did everything that was required (I'm an old pro at this rebate thing), and was denied. I sent documentation of everything that I had done and everything I bought and never received any more communication.

I will never, ever buy another Maxtor hard drive, which sucks for them because in the past I have bought tens of millions of dollars worth of computer equipment and, if I unretire, will very likely end up in a similar gig once again.

[Gordon]

The companies don't handle rebate requests.
Stay at home mom's in some town near the distribution center handle rebate requests, lose them under chairs, down the back of the sofa etc.

It isn't done in some clean room processing plant ;)

The companies have your money - at that point they cease to care I think.

[Wes]

As some of you know, I purchased a ton of new Nikon stuff from B&H in January. Rebates were available on my D200, 70-200VR, 28-70, and SB-800. Total rebates = $375. Mailed them the day I got all of my stuff and had the check from Nikon 2 weeks later.

The only time I haven't received a rebate is when I waited too long, or didn't send specifically what they asked for.

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by Gordon

The companies don't handle rebate requests.
Stay at home mom's in some town near the distribution center handle rebate requests, lose them under chairs, down the back of the sofa etc.

It isn't done in some clean room processing plant ;)

The companies have your money - at that point they cease to care I think.

Canon has a Rebate Officer within the company that oversees the rebate processors that they hire. I suspect the other companies do too. If you could find out who that person is and contact that person directly.....?
I got a denied Canon Rebate that way once, and got it very quickly.