Pep Boys Rebates - watch out for the Fine Print! Plano, Texas
Pep Boys uses a promotional method to save you money - Not!
The one they got me with was a buy three tires get one free promo. This is of course one tire value before taxes and fees.
I usually buy Michelins, but with this promotion, it made their tires a little cheaper.
You have to pay for all four tires up front, then you receive a rebate. The rebate is not a check though like most rebates, it's a "Promotional" Visa card with a short valid date (three months?)
I don't open my junk mail every day and wasn't looking for the rebate in particular. When I opened the generic mailing from PepBoys, there was a Visa card in there. I had to call to find out the amount and write it on the back of the card. The expiration clock was running during this time. The fine print was it was only valid for a few months, unlike gift cards that don't expire for 12 months or more.
Long story short, I didn't use it quick enough and now I'm out $145.00 and Manny, Moe and Joe are smiling all the way to the bank because I got the "BUY FOUR GET FOUR FULL COST SPECIAL".
What a RIP!!
2 Updates & Rebuttals
voiceofreason
North Carolina,United States of America
Ripoff? No. Annoying, unecessary practice? Yes.
#3General Comment
Fri, June 24, 2011
Ken, you're right. No ripoff here. But this recent practice of making mail in rebates in the form of prepaid, short expiration gift cards, is annoying and regrettable from a customer relations point of view. Right up there with all the other fine print terms outlined in all rebate coupons. If Pep Boys cared about making a potential repeat customer happy (in a business whose stock and trade are consumable merchandise often purchased repeatedly over the years) then they'd bend a little and request their rebate management partner issue the customer a new card. Call it 1 time courtesy, whatever, just like Amazon is famous for doing. What would it cost them in the grand scheme of things? And they'd probably cement a life long customer relationship. Piss poor customer relations. I'm assuming of course the customer already tried getting them to do something. If not, then the customer needs to make that effort and I'd call the corporate offices, not regular customer service. Hey, if O'Reilly's will eat a $2k plus truck repair for selling the wrong fluid, Pep Boys ought to be able to do this.
Ken
Greeley,Colorado,
USA
And YOU'RE blaming THEM???
#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, June 23, 2011
You made some (wrong) assumptions and you blame everyone but YOU for the "Ripoff".
No ripoff here, unless you count yourself. Man up.