Rebate story with happy ending
A couple of weeks back I bought a Targus Groove backpack because I was carrying too much crap around on a daily basis. For $17 after rebate it's was a steal. It's a great backpack so far.
Last week, Targus sends me a little postcard in the mail stating that my rebate submission was incomplete and that I did not include the original UPC. I did, of course, include the UPC taped to the submission form. It was obviously overlooked or lost.
I didn't make copies of the rebate submission because a copy of the UPC isn't valid for anything. If a copy is proof of UPC, why isn't it valid in the submission?
I sent an email to the rebate processing center (or rather, I filled out a form and have no proof I actually did anything) and explained that there was no way to successfully fulfill the rebate requirements since the rebate center lost my original UPC. I still have not heard a reply. I figured this was typical of most rebate processing centers. That is, they exist solely to prevent customers from getting rebates, not make sure they are properly fulfilled.
I contacted Targus nicely (it's a manufacturer's rebate) -- much more nicely in fact than their customer service website works -- and explained that I did not want to return this backpack but if the manufacturer would not honor a valid rebate, I would be forced to return it as sold with an inaccurate description. I simply asked for a duplicate UPC and could provide proof of purchase. That would make everyone happy. Targus declined in a polite and timely manner.
Now I am ready to return the item to Circuit City. However, their mail order returns require the original box and UPC. It's hardly likely I would have kept this anyway since the UPC is a big tag on the bag.
I was just about ready to give up when I decided it was worth at least one call to the rebate center. I was blown away that their phone tree was rather simple and after explaining to the CSR that I included the UPC in the rebate and did not make a copy since a copy wasn't valid for anything, she simply asked me for the number on the UPC code.
I am really not sure how I was supposed to know the UPC code, but I promised I would look and my records when I got home and call back. After hearing that, she promptly put me on hold for 30 seconds and came back saying she validated my rebate.
I used to make copies of all my rebate submissions, and stopped doing it because I never ran into problems. I still haven't had a rebate rejected, but I will now make copies. It would have been very gratifying to have a copy and offer evided the rebate processor screwed up the rebate.
So,
Last week, Targus sends me a little postcard in the mail stating that my rebate submission was incomplete and that I did not include the original UPC. I did, of course, include the UPC taped to the submission form. It was obviously overlooked or lost.
I didn't make copies of the rebate submission because a copy of the UPC isn't valid for anything. If a copy is proof of UPC, why isn't it valid in the submission?
I sent an email to the rebate processing center (or rather, I filled out a form and have no proof I actually did anything) and explained that there was no way to successfully fulfill the rebate requirements since the rebate center lost my original UPC. I still have not heard a reply. I figured this was typical of most rebate processing centers. That is, they exist solely to prevent customers from getting rebates, not make sure they are properly fulfilled.
I contacted Targus nicely (it's a manufacturer's rebate) -- much more nicely in fact than their customer service website works -- and explained that I did not want to return this backpack but if the manufacturer would not honor a valid rebate, I would be forced to return it as sold with an inaccurate description. I simply asked for a duplicate UPC and could provide proof of purchase. That would make everyone happy. Targus declined in a polite and timely manner.
Now I am ready to return the item to Circuit City. However, their mail order returns require the original box and UPC. It's hardly likely I would have kept this anyway since the UPC is a big tag on the bag.
I was just about ready to give up when I decided it was worth at least one call to the rebate center. I was blown away that their phone tree was rather simple and after explaining to the CSR that I included the UPC in the rebate and did not make a copy since a copy wasn't valid for anything, she simply asked me for the number on the UPC code.
I am really not sure how I was supposed to know the UPC code, but I promised I would look and my records when I got home and call back. After hearing that, she promptly put me on hold for 30 seconds and came back saying she validated my rebate.
I used to make copies of all my rebate submissions, and stopped doing it because I never ran into problems. I still haven't had a rebate rejected, but I will now make copies. It would have been very gratifying to have a copy and offer evided the rebate processor screwed up the rebate.
So,
- Targus makes a good backpack for the price. The Groove is great for a lifetime warrantied backpack.
- The Targus customer service website is onerous, but if you pass their multi-page registration test, they do reply quickly. I suspect this is because in my case the answer to my inquiry was "No."
- Make copies of all your rebates, not because they are valid for resubmission, but because it would be gratifying to tell the rebate processor you are correcting their mistake.
- Don't expect email to help with your rebate processing.
posted by Rob at 7:38 AM
1 Comments:
"...I included the UPC in the rebate and did not make a copy since a copy wasn't valid for anything..."
"I am really not sure how I was supposed to know the UPC code..."
You'd know the UPC code if you'd made a copy of it.
I've had much better luck with rebates (although isn't is sad that we consider luck to be a factor?). The only time I can remember having a rebate request rejected, I checked my copies (yes, I copy everything that goes into the envelope), and sure enough, I'd applied for a rebate for which I wasn't eligible.
In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by my last rebate. I'd purchased an SMC 5-port 10/100Mbps switch. The rebate form covered a lot of different products, listing each one by model number and UPC code -- but the UPC code for my switch was different. The model number was the same, so I made sure that the UPC I cut out from the box had the model number on it. I half expected to be rejected, but it wasn't.
I'm not sharing all this to gloat, but to offer the opposite viewpoint. There's no logical reason rebates need to take 8 to 12 weeks after they're received to process, but at least in my experience they show up eventually.
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