Complaint Review: Western Digital And Frys Electronics - Lake Forest California

Western Digital did finally send me a check directly (not through their ripoff rebate agency) after I threatened to file suit. My guess is that Western Digital is probably not the villian, but rather it's the rebate agency. I don't think Fry's is involved in any deliberate deception either, they just advertise whatever rebate offer the mfr says it will give to the customers. For the record I sent in the ORIGINAL receipt and did EVERYTHING right yet REBATE HQ sent back a postcard denying the rebate request saying that I had failed to meet all the conditions etc. The Western Digital hard drive works great and was a good value. If you run into rebate hassles send a letter to the General Counsel of the mfr and threaten to sue. It worked for me.

First off, let me say that everything Marian said is true, and should help alot of people. Another thing to realize though is how these rebate companies work. 90% of all rebates are neither through Fry's (or whatever store you are doing your shopping) or the manufacturer. Most of the time, the manufacturer (Western Digital in this case) sub contracts the rebate out to another company. While not entirely bad, its how these companies get paid for running the rebate that creates problems. Lets say WD plans on running a $30 rebate on a hard drive, and they expect to sell 100,000 of them. WD will give the rebate company $3 million to cover all the reabtes. The rebate company makes their profits directly on how much money is left over at the end of the promotion. What this leads to is having a company having a direct stake in not sending you your money (which is why they deny you on the simplest little things). Let me say this again, REBATE COMPANIES DO NOT WANT TO PAY YOU. Now as the consumer, you are in a bind. You are getting the run around. The rebate company doesnt want to pay you and the manufacturer doesnt want anything to do with it (the reason they sold the contract in the first place). That leaves the retailer for the consumer to go to. But that is opens another can of worms. Lets say the hard drive you bought was $100. WD may of sold the hard drive to Frys for $80. So Fry's definately doesnt want to give you the rebate because they end up losing money. So when dealing with the retailer in these situations, try to remember that in order for them to give you what you want, they have to go out of their way (no good business, and dont give me the customer is always right. Frys, or others, is stepping in where they have every reason not to. Be thankful they are, remember, this isnt their rebate). Try to ask for a store credit, as that helps soften the blow to a retailer or maybe a partial rebate. But above all remember, you are asking the retailer to do you a favor when they arent obliged too and asking them to lose money on you. Getting all upset and yelling (or demanding to see a manager) doesnt help you in the slightest. Be polite and respectful, and things will go alot smoother.

This is to Mark and many others who have written about rebate issues at Fry's Electronics. I left Fry's in late 2001, but I have some suggestions that may help. I was customer relations supervisor at the Campbell location for over a year, and rebates were my jurisdiction. There were a large number of rebate issues, and I was able to resolve the majority for people. My first priority was to solve customer "opportunities" before they got to the store manager or the Home Office. If you have spoken to this person and still gotten no relief, then call Home Office customer relations. Store managers catch serious heat for these, especially if the issue was not resolved at store level; they have a discretionary account to accomodate this type of situation, but the store manager has to OK its use, and some are stingey. Issuing a store credit for the rebate amount is easier than cash to get authorized. These rebates are offered by other companies and Fry's has little say about how they handle these, but if you have copies of what you sent, Fry's usually offers credit. If not, your job will be more difficult. If the rebate issuer acknowledges receiving part of the information, that is often helpful. When I was customer relations sup, I pressed like hell to get my customers some relief, and partially missing docs were far easier than no docs at all. Also, the companies that offer rebates through Fry's had to agree to take copies of receipts since Fry's requires the original for returns. I know you said you sent the original, but this is worth the mention if you kept a copy (emphasize this several times when talking to Fry's-- you had no option to return the hard drive if you sent the original with the rebate form!). Cash is possible, but the time it takes is often more than it is worth. Call often and get people's names. The more you call, the better your chances of getting resolution. If they haven't lost it, Fry's was affiliated with the BBB. It took a long time to get in with BBB, and Fry's actually seemed concerned about their BBB standing. I DO understand your frustration. Let Fry's know that you KNOW you can be accomodated quite easily. By the way, the Home Office customer relations supervisor had been Ginger Bautista, and I believe she is still there. Best of luck, and I hope this helps!