Rebate Scam
Rebates are a scam. Everything at Best Buy has a rebate. They put the price in bold big numbers that includes your rebate, with the price you pay at the register in tiny print. I don’t know why I keep sending these things in. They never send me a check.
I bought a Maxtor hard drive with a $50 rebate. I followed the directions precisely, sending in my original UPC by cutting it off the box. Today, they send me a postcard telling me that I won’t get my rebate because I dd not include the original UPC. No problem, they say, just send in the original and they’ll complete the rebate. Ha! How convenient that they “lost” the original. I should be impressed that they even replied instead of counting on me to forget after 3 months.
I needed the drive immediately, so I went to the store, but next time I’ll use the money I save online to FedEx what I need. I like to buy “white box” stuff from mwave. Mwave, I’m sorry I betrayed you!
Slate has an article called the “Great Rebate Scam,” but apparently its author has had some better luck than me.
September 10th, 2003 at 10:20 am
I hear ya man. I never count rebates in the cost of products because I know that most of the time I will forget to send them in, and I’m sure the retailers are counting on that. It upsets me even more to find out that they can screw you even if you do remember to send it in. I may have to boycott Best Buy now…
September 11th, 2003 at 11:16 pm
I’m lucky in the fact that I really haven’t had any problems with rebates (yet). Course, I think I’ve probably missed one or two (either sending or receiving) that I’m not aware of. Microsoft, of all companies, seems to send their rebates back the fastest. Having BILLIONS is cash lying around seems to help.
My advice is to call up Maxtor and bitch up a storm. Squeaky wheels always get the oil.
January 7th, 2005 at 9:31 pm
Dynex through product I bought at Best Buy is another rebate scam. They sent me a postcard claiming I didn’t send the original UPC. Of course I did. I asked what recourse I have, & they told me to write Dynex Consumer Relations.
I asked them if this is a scam.
I wrote back and sent a copy of the UPC and the rebate receipt and form. I’ll see if they will respond. –Lydia
January 17th, 2005 at 8:46 pm
I too received a post vard saying that I did not send it in. I am 100% sure that I sent it in.
I am also sending in a photocopy of the UPC.
I have found several of other sites that speak of this rebate being a scam.
one of those was located at Fat Wallet’s website.
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/searchresults.cfm?titlekey=DYNEX+&catid=54&startdate=&enddate=&simple=yes&rand=1951148911