Posted:
December 16, 2003
I'll continue to keep you in the loop about my ongoing
battle in the rebate war, but need your help to level the
playing field. If you have your own rebate-originated
brain-damage you'd like to share with me, e-mail me at rebatescams@bendover.com,
but only e-mail me if you're interested in pursuing possible
litigation against the retailer (and their fulfillment house) making
the rebate offer. I'm ticked off and I smell a pattern of
deceptive trade practices against us that needs to be rectified.
My mission against
rebate fraud started as a result of the lack of performance by
TCA, the fulfillment house hired by CompUSA;
they sold me the Samsung/flat-screen computer monitor on April
16, 2003 with the inducement of the $100 rebate. I filled
out the paperwork properly and because it was a sizeable rebate
offer, sent it in via Certified Mail. Countless
excuses later, I still haven't gotten my money and I guarantee
you that for every one consumer like me that knows what they're
doing and is willing to hold them accountable, there's a hundred
that don't--and that's what CompUSA or Samsung is counting on.
Also worth noting:
The cyber-arm and supposedly consumer-friendly web presence of
TCA Fulfillment is www.wheresmyrebate.com,
a website that's supposed to allow you to check up on your
rebate, on-line. And while it might make them sound warm
and fuzzy and pro-consumer, my personal experience is that the
site's worthless if they've mysteriously "lost" your
rebate paperwork, or if there's a problem.
Ben's Bottom line? There are
several "Dover's Rebate Rules" to follow:
Don't waste your time
shopping from retailers
who hire companies that intentionally set consumers up to fail.
Don't buy something
based on post-rebate price. It's a sucker's game.
If you do bite on a
rebate offer that's large enough, make sure you mail it in
via Certified Mail/Return Receipt.
Be relentless in your
pursuit of what you're owed by the retailer and their
fulfillment house. If you give up/they win, and they'll
perpetuate these blatant and deceptive practices against
consumers.
If you've been jacked around on
rebates and have your own horror story, e-mail
me.
I hate rebate offers.
I hate them because they set
consumers up for unnecessary brain-damage. How? It's the
deceptive nature of the beast; many retailers that will make
cashing rebates even more onerous by loading them with incredibly short
windows of opportunity...in addition to sending
rebate checks that are frequently past their expiration date the
day you receive them!
Ben's Bottom Line? It's
important that you understand how difficult cashing in
those rebate offers really is...and you might wanna re-think your
motivation for buying a particular product if your price/benefit
decision is dependent on a rebate offer.
Are you motivated by the dangling of
rebate dollars to buy certain items? You'd better do your homework
first; how to hold retailer's feet to the fire and get your rebate
check before you die: If
you're trying to stretch your gift budget a little further over
the next few weeks, here are some warnings and tips that'll insure
you get paid with a higher-degree of success than Michael
Jackson did with his
latest plastic surgery on his nose:
1. Read rebate
requirements before you buy the product or as soon as you buy the
product to be sure you meet the eligibility requirements and you
know the mail-in dates.
2. If you're buying a
product and the rebate is online, download and/or print the rebate
immediately. Many online sites will remove rebates as soon as the
sale/promotion is over.
3. Always make good
copies of everything you send in for a rebate.
4. Always complete
all information requested on the rebate form in legible hand
writing. (If you're a doctor, get one of your kids to fill in the
blanks for you.) Consider using "all caps" to lower the
potential for errors on the rebate fulfillment center side of the
transaction.
5. Make sure you
provide all documents requested on the rebate form. If they
specifically request original receipts and UPC bar codes, then
give them what they're asking for...or prepare to be rejected and
lose out on the cash promised. If the amount of the rebate owed is
big enough, consider mailing your paperwork via Certified
Mail/Return Receipt Requested. You'll have to be the judge of
what's worth the extra hassle and expense since these additional
mailing fees and services can add an additional $5 to your postage
costs.
6. Keep all rebate
documentation and copies in a safe place and follow up on the
dates they are due. Put it on your calendar and be prepared to
call their toll-free number once the number of days allowed has
passed without a check. Consumers do not have to tolerate rebates
that never arrive or arrive far later than promised. By law,
companies are required to send rebates within the time frame
promised, or if no time is specified, within 30 days.
7. Scrutinize your
mail! Many consumers have mistakenly thrown rebate checks
away...why? Because "in the name of containing costs and
saving money for the retailer" some rebate checks are in
the form of postcard/checks. Oops! Looks like junk mail...gets
thrown away...net cost to retailer? Less
than if you'd cashed their "check."
8. Use my sample
Rebate Cover Letter shown below, paper your trail and make these
clowns pay!
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