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Best Buy, Tiger Direct ripoff, arrogant, intentionally deceptive, excuses, liars, b*****d liar, criminal, criminals, *ss rapers Raleigh And Cary North Carolina
My beef is with companies that offer this thing called a "rebate". At this point in time, to me, the word rebate is synonymous with the phrase "We want to entice you into buying our product(s) so that we can intentionally take your money!". It seems the use of the term "rebate" is just a legal way for big business to take advantage of not following through with their contract with the customer. This has happened to me on more than one occasion with Best Buy and once with Tiger Direct. Best Buy, seems to be the "best" at not following through with their rebate programs. I now have two rebates totaling $50 and I am yet to be paid. I have vowed they will NEVER EVER receive my business again.
I usually frequent the local Tiger Direct outlet for the hard to find computer nerd equipment and accessories. This place has plenty of variety to chose from with usually decent prices. However, once again I have fallen prey to the lure of the rebate and found myself being super ticked off because of the obvious, intentional deception that was used to mask the ever popular "We want to entice you into buying our product(s) so that we can intentionally take your money!" scheme. I have now written them on my "Do NOT Buy From" list as well. I guess I have had to learn the hard way. NEVER EVER buy concerning a rebate.
I know that piss poor management happens now and then, but I did not realize it is happening at such an alarming rate. Also, it seems to me that business, especially BIG business would and should be concerned about their reputation and would want to maintain a good rapport with the public. However, I guess this proves otherwise.
Jon
Jon
Raleigh, North Carolina
U.S.A.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Jon
Raleigh,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
RE: ...see them in court!
#6Author of original report
Mon, December 19, 2005
I see you mean business when it comes to getting what you are owed. In your case, I would have done the same thing being that they mailed your rebate to you in the form of a post card. That alone, is just insulting. For such a belittling method of delivering what was rightfully yours, grounds for legal action would indeed be justified. I may consider doing the same thing if I don't hear from the Customer Service Manager from above soon. I sent her an email explaining my situation not long after her rebuttal.
I'm just curious about your company's dependency upon breakage. Does your company genuinely budget on the belief that over 70% of their customers will flake out on rebate return requirements? Seems like a high percentage but I don't doubt that the numbers are true. I can easily see maybe 35 to 45% not following through with the proper procedure for a rebate claim. It's also not surprising to understand that it doesn't take much to discourage someone from going through the hoops to get a rebate refund. What would your company do if those percentages suddenly dropped to 20 or even 10%? Would they too, try to weasel out or would they honor every single one like they should, no matter how many people followed through? (I'm not saying your company weasels out of honoring rebates)
There has been media coverage in the news lately on the national level concerning rebates claims. Here is just one of the many articles concerning the rebate fiasco on the scene today; http://yahoo.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/nov2005/nf20051123_4158_db016.htm
I have vowed to never patron a place of business that lies in order to keep the doors open. Big business may not consider a one man boycott to be damaging but if enough people banded together to do the same thing on the grounds of the same reasons, it would be very damaging, in more ways than one. From a personal standpoint, it's not just about keeping a few dollars from them as much as it is about me keeping my dollars from them.
Thanks for your input R.
R
Fort Collins,Colorado,
U.S.A.
If you don't like what you hear, see them in court!
#6Consumer Suggestion
Sun, December 18, 2005
If you don't like the answer you get, file suit in small claims court and let the judge decide. Read my similar story below.
I don't shop at Best Buy any longer because of a $100 rebate that was stolen in the mail. These idiots use rebate fulfillment companies that mail the rebate checks in the form of postcards. My $100 rebate had been intercepted and cashed. Best Buy (or their rebate processing contractor) would not help.
In the end, I filed a lawsuit in small claims court against Best Buy. Since BBY operates in my state, I was able to have the local BBY store manager served with the court papers. Within a few days I was contacted by a BBY attorney in Minnesota who, after more than 4 months and lots of aggrevation, arranged to send me a check to cover my rebate and the costs I incurred in filing suit.
I work for a well known consumer electronics firm that regularly uses rebates. We depend upon "breakage" of about 70% in doing the financial analysis of rebates. This means that 70% of people who buy a rebate-eligible product will not qualify for a rebate because of missed deadline, incorrect information, missing documentation or simply because they didn't send in the rebate request.
Jon
Raleigh,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
RE: Mail-In Rebate Problems
#6Author of original report
Thu, December 15, 2005
What are you, some kind of message board mediator? OK wise guy, for your information, I DID do everything correctly. The rebate in question was filled out with meticulous detail and mailed in plenty of time so as to make sure there would be NO excuse for denial. I DO double and triple check to make sure there is no excuse for rejection.
Here you go. Are you ready for the "IN YOUR FACE" proof Mr. wise guy? I have a letter of confirmation from the agency sponsoring the rebate. It states they have received and processed my rebate information and that I should be receiving my rebate check in the mail soon. Didn't expect that one did you?
So you see, you should not be so bold to jump in and act as though your opinion is the gospel. Telling others how it's of their incompetence as to the reasons for the rejection of their rebate claims. Give me a break. Do yourself a search for "rebate" on here and see for yourself how many results you get. I got 2017 @ 135 pages. You mean to tell me all the rebate posts on this board or wherever don't have merit? You must be a demoncrat if you believe that.
As far as name calling, I don't see where I called anyone any names in my initial post. I, however, used some very descriptive terms within my title simply because I'm fed up with the business trying to lie and steal in order to get ahead. I called them what they are.
My advice to you would be to stay out of others' business unless you have some form of FACTUAL information you want to contribute. Otherwise, you'll just make a jackass out of yourself.
Clint
Tallahassee,Florida,
U.S.A.
Mail-In Rebate Problems
#6Consumer Comment
Wed, December 14, 2005
Jon,
We see mail-in rebate complaints on Rip-Off Report all the time. I, personally, have responded to several of them. Let me just start by saying that I am not an employee of BestBuy or Tiger Direct, nor have I EVER worked for them. I have, however, worked in a retail store that DID offer rebates and I have had many customers come to me with rebate issues. Each and every time, without a single exception, the customer has not completed the forms correctly or has forgotten to insert something in the envelope. Either error will make you ineligible for the rebate and you will get a decline letter.
I have filled out many, many rebate forms for products I have purchased and have never once had one of my rebates declined. This is because I followed the instructions implicitly. If you do that, you will not have any trouble with a rebate. I am not there to see the rebate forms you had so I do not know all the specific requirements of that particular one, but I can ASSURE you...whether you think you did everything right or not, you didn't. SOMETHING was wrong with your submission. You mailed it too late...didn't circle the item on the original receipt...something.
Finally...please refrain from name calling. It makes you look small. Stay calm when you are talking to people and talk to them in a very businesslike manner. You will get MUCH farther that way. I saw that someone from Tiger Direct responded to your post and offered to help. I hope you take them up on that offer.
Good luck!
Elizabeth
Miami,Florida,
U.S.A.
Customer Service Manager
#6UPDATE Employee
Sat, November 19, 2005
Jon,
I want to help. Please provide me your order #, item #, and the amount of the rebate offer.
Thanks
Elizabeth.Hernandez@tigerdirect.com
Customer Service Manager