Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (
More info?)
Dan Wojciechowski wrote:
> "Thomas T. Veldhouse" <veldy71@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:428a33fd$0$1956$8046368a@newsreader.iphouse.net...
> ...
>> I have had several small rebates seemingly just "disappear". You
>> send them in and never get anything back. Not much you can do once
>> you have sent in the UPC. However, I have not had this happen on
>> any large
> ...
>
> Sure there is.
>
> 1. Make a complete copy of everything you send.
> 2. Record when you sent the materials.
> 3. When the time period has elapsed, contact the rebate handler,
> preferably by telephone and ask, "Where is my rebate?"
>
> I've done probably 50 rebates over the years, and I've received
> every
> one. I'd guess that some 80% did *not* arrive within the stated
> time. Of those 80%, 90% of the time, when I called, be it on the
> last day or sometimes months later, I was told "Your rebate is in
> the
> works." Then I received the check the next week. My guess is that
> the rebate handler actually is sitting on the rebates until the
> consumer calls and complains. (I'm sure this varies by company.)
>
> Anyway, a statistic I recently saw said that of the total products
> bought during a rebate offering, less than 10% actually attempt to
> claim the rebate. And a significant number of claimants don't follow
> the directions: don't include the UPC, wait too long, etc.
>
> I've also heard that the way the rebate game works, the Selling
> Company actually pays the Handling Company the amount of expected
> rebates in
> advance (plus some premium). Clearly there is a large temptation on
> the
> part of the Handling company to pay as few rebates as legally
> possible,
> and to take as long as possible to do so.
That last point - rebate company benefitting from unfulfilled
rebates - is what I suspected (well, alleged, anyway) on a Costco
rebate. Yes, one of the ever-so-simple online rebates.
Ordered from Costco.com, waited for a shipping date message, made the
application online, and two days later, " ... we can't locate your
order in our information ... download a rebate form and send the stuff
.... or call us at our Scottsdale number ... " Uh huh. I could find the
order and the delivery message online. Why couldn't they? There is no
way to re-submit on line if you did it correctly the first time.
Today I mailed copies of the order - complete with rebate offer - the
Thanks-For-Your-Order message, the Your-Order-Has-Shipped message, the
Packing Slip (they delivered FAST), the rebate form, and my note with
words to the effect that they should revamp their computer and
procedures, as this was apparently a fraud and a scam. And I indicated
cc: CEO, Costco, and District Attorney, Scottsdale AZ.
First such glitch in a dozen or more Costco rebates.
--
Frank ess