OT: Rebates
 

For the most part I have ok luck with rebates. I have had some issues where they were never paid and such but as I am finding out most of those were do to hidden rules and such.

Most recently I purchased an Asylum FX 5700 Ultra from Best Buy and sent in for the $40.00 rebate through BFG Technologies. 1-877-776-6541

I sent in the rebate on Jan 12th of this year and 8 weeks later called them and asked for a status of my rebate. I was told then that my rebate had been declined. "Declined," I asked "for what reasons?" "You used a P.O. Box as a return address."

/me shook head

"Ok, well send it to my street address then." So they reprocess the rebate and the 8 weeks starts over.

On or about 4-20 I call and ask the status of my rebate and I was told that it was in the process center and would be mailed soon. I received it on or about 4-28 and the check was dated for 3-31-2004

View The Check

So I deposite the check and go about my business. Today I am informed that the check bounced. This cost me some $$$ and really angered me.

So I come home and call BFG and after a few minutes I get David on the line and David doesn't speak a word of understandable english so I spend the thrity minutes trying to help him understand my problem. Finally David sees the light and does some checking.

I am told that they stopped payment on the check before they mailed it because someone started the rebate process all over again.

(Can you believe this?)

He informs me that there is nothing he can do and that BFG will not issue another check under the terms of the rebate. I ask to speak to a supervisor and was asked to call back in the morning. I call the bank and explain what happend to them and they will decide wether or not to refund me the fees that were charged wihtin a 60 days.

I ask you what should I do? Play the game with BRG and try and get my $40.00 rebate and re0inbursment for my bank charges or dispute the cost of the Asylum FX 5700 entirely on my credit card on the grounds that they defrauded me out of my rebate?

Since many of you buy new hardware and stuff and have been into computers for a while I thought asking you might provide some ideas I have not considered yet.

I am not really all that mad now, the money is not that much, and I feel the bank will refund the charges, but its the principle of the thing. They sent me a bogus check and it cost me money. That just really angers me.

At any expense be aware of how BFG Technologies handles its rebates.

[ May 04, 2004, 04:28: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

Re: OT: Rebates
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">If you do dispute the charge, it would be BestBuy getting hit. You should definitely talk to them so they know what's going on and can pass the buck, so to speak, on to BFG.

Re: OT: Rebates
 

Thank you SJ, I will call them tomorrow as well. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: OT: Rebates
 

I also highly recommend looking up the name of the company president, and/or the senior managers.

Rather than asking to talk to "your manager", if you ask to talk to "Randy", they'll be a little more willing to play nice http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
And you can ask their operator to connect you to the boss directly if need be.

They don't need to know you're not actually on a first-name basis with their boss or the president. They just need to give you what they owe you.

Re: OT: Rebates
 

Send a letter explaining your story/situation to Maximum PC. They have a section called WatchDog that deals with underhanded Tech Companies that like to screw around with customers and such. Nothing like bad publicity to get someones butt in gear.

The E-Mail is "watchdogATmaximumpcDOTcom"

You can pick up a copy of Maximum PC to see the kind of stuff they go after aswell.

Re: OT: Rebates
 

After Talking with SJ I went to BFGtech.com and sent an email to their customer service. Today at around 2 pm PST they called me at home.

The lady also said she sent me an email and apologized for the problem and could not understand what had happened.

I have not yet recieved the email and doubt whether or not she sent one. I think that she wanted to talk to me and "get a feel" for who I was.

At any event she stated that they would send a new check within 72 hours and would reinburse for the bank charges.

Lets see if they do.

Re: OT: Rebates
 

Maybe log a complaint to the SBA? Write a letter to the company president?

Re: OT: Rebates
 

Ya, that stinks.

I have seen a number of sleazy mail-in rebate examples. Their art of finding excuses to not pay the rebate is getting better. Meanwhile, they will no doubt collect and sell your address and other info if they can. I had one where I mailed in the UPC symbol as requested and they rejected it saying I hadn't sent in the UPC symbol. They are not just playing the old game of "most people won't bother to actually do the rebate". Some are trying to expand into "if we drag our heels and offer B.S. reasons for rejection, many more people will not bother to dispute it".

Another borderline example: I bought a monitor from CompUSA (die, CompUSA!) which had a rebate. Wife tosses out the cardboard box the next day, and recycling carts it away http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif ... yep, the rebate requires the UPC on the box. I go back to CompUSA, and they are zero help. Although I prove to them with my receipt that I bought the monitor from them, they refuse to communicate with the company to validate the sale so I can get the rebate. The rebate company rep eventually gets me to do some nonsense where I get CompUSA to sign something saying I did buy the monitor from me, but then later the rebate company denies having said that, and that it would never be accepted.

It's basically customer abuse. Bait and switch. Promise something and then do whatever disservice it takes to minimize the number of actual payouts, while collecting as much information as possible.

I think I've just about reached my limit - no more expecting to actually receive any rebates, and chosing non-mail-in-rebate products over others, even if they're more expensive.

PvK

Re: OT: Rebates
 

Well today FedEx showed up with an envelope containing a check for $40.00.

With my luck this check will bounce too. They still have to send me a check for the bank charges. If they do not, I will keep pestering them. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

The fedEx came from scottsdale AZ, from the Continental Prom Group. I at least have a return addess to send a letter two.