Best/Worst Rebate experience

[firtbird]

So far ACE is the place. Fast

[rgroves]

Actually the best place is the state of Rhode Island. That have a state law that says retailers must give you the rebate on the spot. You do not have to mess with MIR, or On_line rebates. It doesnot matter what store it is, the store MUST give you the rebate about instantly and the store is responsible for submitting the rebate to recover their losses.

[bugsette]

still waiting on a rebate from Cingular.... sent it to them in May.... when I call they keep telling me aother 5-7 business days. I've called at least 8-9 times

[he8765]

Lately the worst rebate experience has been with Office Depot rebates.

[caramel]

I have yet to get my Compusa Emachines rebate!!!!!!!! So I will never be buying anything from them ever again.

[m13april]

Actually the best place is the state of Rhode Island. That have a state law that says retailers must give you the rebate on the spot. You do not have to mess with MIR, or On_line rebates. It doesnot matter what store it is, the store MUST give you the rebate about instantly and the store is responsible for submitting the rebate to recover their losses.

That sounds like the best way. More states should do that!

[Baby Cheapskate]

I've had problems with CompUSA. I love it when they tell you to send in the original UPC and then they say they never got it. Of course you cant send them another one!

 

Between that and the pushy salespeople, I'll never shop at CompUSA again.

[bassmount]

If OM follows their current advertising scheme, they won't have any rebates this year.

 

In my experience, Office Depot is the worst. I waited 5 months for my rebates on my 26" LCD TV and 3 months for the other rebated items we bought from them.

 

I agree, Staples makes it a synch! You don't even need to waste money on stamps.

 

I agree with Marcster. Office Depot was PAINFULLY slow on all of the rebates from the computer they had last BF. We did not get our final one in until March or April and that was the big one.

[funnymoney]

Office Depot rebates are a nightmare for me. My husband keeps buying the tax programs and anti-virus things there that are supposed to be FAR. I get denied at least one every year. My best experience was with Costco. I bought Money 2005 in Sept of 2005 and lost the receipt. I just found it last month and the rebate doesn't expire until Dec 2006. I filled out the form online and got my check in 10 days. I was very impressed.

[wnielsen1]

I haven't had any problems with CompUSA - as long as it is an erebate that you can submit online. The paperless rebates like those are the best!

[krstee]

Well, I am glad that I started this thread, b/c there's a TV/DVD combo on sale on BF that my MIL wants to get my dd at CC - and after reading all of these replies, I am really starting to rethink it. Bummer! I thought it was going to be a great deal - but I HATE dealing with slow rebates or rebates that don't come. The only upside to this is it's only $20 and it's my MIL's dime. (I am buying it and she's paying me back) She'd probably tell me not to worry with it - but the TV is only $5 more than a 13" TV/DVD combo at WM that she wants to get my dd. I'd pay $5 more for a 20" TV (and for ones that's a non-character one), but not $25 more.

[motoXmom]

The only rebate I ran into last year at BB was the rebate for Norton Systemworks. For that you had to mail in proof of an older copy of Norton or another anti-virus system.

You know what I totally forgot about that from last year and was checking it out for this year. Not now though! Thanks for the reminder

[Caprice64]

I always make copies of everything I send. The few times I've gotten a postcard or email saying I didn't send something, I head right out to the store with those copies. Ask at customer service "What did I do wrong?" and they have always given me the $ on the spot!!

[PhaserBait]

Well, I am glad that I started this thread, b/c there's a TV/DVD combo on sale on BF that my MIL wants to get my dd at CC - and after reading all of these replies, I am really starting to rethink it. Bummer! I thought it was going to be a great deal - but I HATE dealing with slow rebates or rebates that don't come. The only upside to this is it's only $20 and it's my MIL's dime. (I am buying it and she's paying me back) She'd probably tell me not to worry with it - but the TV is only $5 more than a 13" TV/DVD combo at WM that she wants to get my dd. I'd pay $5 more for a 20" TV (and for ones that's a non-character one), but not $25 more.

I had about 20 rebates last BF; several from CC. I kept a list, was very careful to do everything EXACTLY as it said in the instructions, and made copies of each rebate I sent in. I got every one back. Some took a long time, but none were much longer than the amount it said on the form.

 

I think most people who don't get rebates back actually mess up a tiny detail. Maybe I'm wrong, but I am very detailed and have never had a rebate lost.

 

However, if you don't have the full amount, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't want the $20 sitting on a credit card for 2-3 months while you wonder if your rebate is coming back. The interest costs cut into the amount you are getting back, and the stress is not worth it.

[arrowpolisher]

We got BF stuff from Ace a few years back that had rebates and they were great. Came within a reasonable amount of time and no hassles. Then I bought some stuff at dept. store( I cannot remember their name. They are in the Robinsons-May family) and never recieved the rebate. They wanted my original reciept which I was not thrilled about. What if I needed to return those things or others that I bought on the same reciept?

[Adamtanderson]

Tigerdirect.com. I bought my son a monitor on Thanksgiving last year for Xmas. Had 2 rebates, 1 manufacturer, 1 tigerdirect. I received the manufacturer one in good time (it was the larger one) but never did receive the tigerdirect.com one:no: they say they guarantee their rebates, but you have to send it certified mail etc for it to be guaranteed!! It would've cost me the $25 to mail it to get the $25!!! Oh well, leason learned. From now on, I'll buy elsewhere!

$25????? Last I checked with the post office it was 39c for postage and 3.75 for registered mail with electronic return recept. Bringing the total to $4.14.

[dswright]

Verizon no doubt about it.

Still waiting for a rebate from May 2005 on a phone purchased. I have called 14 times totalling nearly 5 hours of phone time, 2 visits to the nearest store location totalling 96 miles. Still waiting and tired of the runaround.

 

I usually send 4-6 rebates out per month for various items, with no problems at all, until these idiots came along.

[EmConMom]

CC is definetly the WORST! I am still waiting on 1 of the 2 rebates from my computer purchase in JULY! They are HORRIBLE! The customer service is horrible as well.

[buytoday]

COMPUSA will be in the top list..no one can beat them....

[DB_Cooper]

Best Buy refused to honor a rebate after BF a year ago. I had all the documentation and sent it multiple times to BB and they still welshed.

 

Even if they don't have rebates any more, they will never see another dime of my money. Check the reviews at reseller ratings - Best Buy has the lowest rating of all the big box retailers.

 

Everywhere else has been pretty decent, although a Trend Micro rebate out of Miami is claiming there was "no UPC" (so I have to send them a xerox of it - ALWAYS copy everything)

[raymacfla]

Syntax Olevia is by FAR the WORST!!!!! No one can come close to them. I purchased a 37" LCD HDTV on 11/08/05 and the rebate came in September, after 10 MONTHS. Can anyone beat that?

 

Staples is the best, as others have mentioned, but ONLY on items in their Easy Rebate system. Most software is NOT and you have to go through the same process as every other store.

Yeah, the Hawking broadband booster had two rebates on it. the second came in late last month! This was a Compusa deal from the last black friday!

[elena_398]

I've never bought anything on BF that needed a mail-in rebate except the boardgame one last year. If its not an instant rebate I don't do it. Luckily I haven't had to deal with electronics or office supply stores on BF that usually has them

[t_mulkey]

Comp USA always sends me a card telling me they would not honor my rebate because it was not received in the timeframe. But the funny thing is that I receive this card back from them before the rebate deadline. Last year I had rebates on computers for $100. Needless to say, I never received. Just the postcard. I avoid CompUSA now. Radio Shack has a quick rebate return.

[Just_Jill]

I am not new to BF or rebates, but I haven't done many, so I was wonder who to avoid (which stores have sucky rebate practices) and who have good rebates?

 

My experience - only with Staples. I had a few rebates last BF, and got them within 2 months. It seemed kinda long time to wait - but at least I didn't have to send anything in - all done over the internet.

Not reading this whole thread so If someone else mentioned this sorry!

 

Beware of one per customer Rebates. Last year we picked up memory cards from best buy, for the digital cameras , 2 of them . They gave me the forms and receipts to send in for the

rebates, i think 35 a piece, but the second one never came!

[MisterBill]

Mine was probably when CC claimed that software was FAR and when I applied for it I could only claim one rebate rather than the two required for it to be free. Beware of CC.

If it's advertised as FAR and the rebates look like you can only submit one, then you should call the number on the rebate forms to see what's up because there is likely a typo. When there are multiple rebates, one takes the original UPC and the other(s) take a copy or something else. I've done lots of CC rebates and I know that for the software stuff both rebates are ALWAYS possible (and if for some reason it really is not, complain to the manager and ask them to pay you for the bogus rebate).

 

Many inexperienced rebaters will misread the forms and THINK that the other forms are asking for the original UPC or not notice that they are looking for something different like the proof of purchase tab or box top (and yes, I have seen many posts like this on a different deal site, especially for Norton rebates). I read a complaint at Ripoffreport.com where some guy said that he had bought stuff at Circuit City (twice!) with 2 rebates and both times decided to send both rebates in the same envelope. Needless to say, he did not get the second rebate (either time) Well, the odds of both rebates going to the same place are very slim so clearly he did not read the forms. And you almost NEVER are instructed to send different rebate forms in the same envelope.

 

That said, my current "worst" rebate experience is with Toys R Us, where their corporate customer "service" person is arguing with me over a $10 rebate I am owed. They are lying about what is on the form and saying there is nothing they can (read: will) do. I just filed a complaint with the BBB after my local store manager told me I'd have to call corporate customer service.

[MisterBill]

Even if they don't have rebates any more, they will never see another dime of my money. Check the reviews at reseller ratings - Best Buy has the lowest rating of all the big box retailers.

 

Everywhere else has been pretty decent, although a Trend Micro rebate out of Miami is claiming there was "no UPC" (so I have to send them a xerox of it - ALWAYS copy everything)

Best Buy stores are always busy so there must be plenty of satisfied customers. I don't believe the online ratings for big chains. The only people who go there are people who are unhappy so they are not real numbers. They're certainly not perfect but they are far from the worst. I was actually pretty happy with their own rebates (mailed to Calais, ME).

 

And Trend Micro "out of Miami" is actually Parago and if you call the number on the rebate form they will generally validate it over the phone.

[MisterBill]

Beware of one per customer Rebates. Last year we picked up memory cards from best buy, for the digital cameras , 2 of them . They gave me the forms and receipts to send in for the rebates, i think 35 a piece, but the second one never came!

Very few rebates are NOT limited to one per customer. Read the form before mailing to make sure you can file more than one. If you feel you want to submit both, send it to a friend or relative and by all means do NOT buy them both on the same receipt.

 

By the way, what did the rebate house say when you called to ask about the second one?? You did call, right? I find that most customers I read about in these "I hate rebates" articles say "it never showed up". But no one ever bothers to follow up. Make copies of everything, track your rebates online, and call if there is a problem.

[MisterBill]

Comp USA always sends me a card telling me they would not honor my rebate because it was not received in the timeframe. But the funny thing is that I receive this card back from them before the rebate deadline. Last year I had rebates on computers for $100. Needless to say, I never received. Just the postcard. I avoid CompUSA now. Radio Shack has a quick rebate return.

CompUSA's own rebates are now submitted online (like Staples) so they are among the best. And the odds are that the rebate(s) you had problems with were from manufacturers, NOT CompUSA. So you're only hurting yourself avoiding CompUSA.

 

And of course here we have another story of someone who got a rejection and apparently did nothing about it.

[MisterBill]

$25????? Last I checked with the post office it was 39c for postage and 3.75 for registered mail with electronic return recept. Bringing the total to $4.14.

Certified mail for rebates (unless they are really large) is a terrible waste of money. The allegedl expert who suggested that in a column should be fired. The vast majority of rebates that don't show up are rejected because of an error (real or imagined) on the form, and certified mail is useless for that. And for the small number that the claim never showed up, I've only had one situation where they refused to take a photocopy.

 

And yes registered mail is very expensive but it is never needed for stuff like rebates.

[DB_Cooper]

Best Buy stores are always busy so there must be plenty of satisfied customers. I don't believe the online ratings for big chains. The only people who go there are people who are unhappy so they are not real numbers. They're certainly not perfect but they are far from the worst. I was actually pretty happy with their own rebates (mailed to Calais, ME).

 

 

Your analysis about only disgruntled customers posting ratings on that site (reseller ratings) dooesn't explain why other stores have higher ratings (some MUCH higher). With 300 million people in the country you can treat a bunch like dirt and there will still be others who have not yet (with yet being the operative word) been subjected to rude and/or incompetent BB employees. Like PT Barnum said...