~~~~ Rebate Tracking Thread -- Updated 1-3-03 ~~~~

[Cpaladin]

Thank you for the info,

While Parago says it should be mailed out within 30 days after it's been validated, in my case, I am still under that "8-10" weeks time frame that these companies typically say is required. It hasn't been 10 weeks yet...getting close..but not 10 from date of approval of rebate. So I am likely to get a canned "please allow 8-10 weeks for your check to be mailed" type response. So I'll wait...a little.

Looking at the 'about' verbatim section however, it's slightly a relief to note that while their optical drive division is/may be under cendyne, Verbatim as a whole is under Mitsubishi Chemical, who isn't going anywhere. Thus, even if Cendyne goes bust, I still have recourse ( BBB, state's attorny general, etc ) against Verbatim itself. It's not as though they are using a separate name for retail distribution of their optical products, with which to attempt to distance themselves from any liability. They are still using THE verbatim name, giving me and others someone to file paperwork projectiles at...Verbatim main. If cendyne goes, verbatim corp may not just automatically step up to the plate and pay every rebate on verbatim optical drives promised, but if complaints start getting lodged they may pay up to those that make some noise anyway.

 

[Geotext]

Originally posted by: Cpaladin
Thus, parago isn't cutting anyone checks until they get the money from the manufacturer to cover them, so I really don't know how much a local staples rep can do about that. It's not simply a matter of just getting a few buttons pushed and a fire lit under someone's butt.

But Staples and OfficeMax are still peddling the drives. Take OfficeMax, in this week ad it's promoting exactly the same deal as the one I bought during the first week of Oct. There must be a way to put pressure on these big guys. Ideal, anyone?

 

[Cpaladin]

Well, for me, since my rebate still falls under the 8-10 weeks or in some cases they say 10-12 weeks, I am left waiting. I could start complaining but I'd run into that "please allow 10-12 weeks to receive your rebate" wall.

AFTER that, all bets are off, cause no one says "please allow 12-14 weeks to process your rebate". Or at least..they aren't supposed to. At that point, then it will have really become an absurdly long time and I start politely getting in people's faces in person at the stores. After that, I start sending letters to my state's attorney general's office and others because in my state, and nationwide, all major retailers are pushing these things for their AR prices and making these kinds of promises.

Plus like I said, Verbatim Corp is still a nice, juicy, tender target if need be for complaints when the time comes.

Just me....everyone's gotta do what's best for them eh?

 

[Cpaladin]

Also, there is the possibility that Cendyne will pay up on all or most of these, they could just be late. My sandisk rebate took 10 weeks or more after being validated, but, I got it. So I just give it the max time that could possibly be required of me to wait....then I start bitching

 

[Geotext]

Originally posted by: Cpaladin
AFTER that, all bets are off, cause no one says "please allow 12-14 weeks to process your rebate". Or at least..they aren't supposed to. At that point, then it will have really become an absurdly long time and I start politely getting in people's faces in person at the stores. q]

________

Did you make any purchase online? Will you do your thing in the store with those or are you going to phone them?


EDIT: Cpaladin, Just re-read your posts. I think you are generous with them. The form does say 'rebate checks will be mailed approximately 8-10 weeks'. But the way I read it is up to 10 weeks from the moment the form was drop in the mail. That's plenty of time if they want to pay.

I agree that they still may pay. Waited 3 months for a BF Goodrich tires rebate and eventually came. But people from the early September Cendyne rebate are still waiting. Silver lining is that OfficeMax is still selling the items. If they are aware of any serious problems they wouldn't want to compound it with even more pi**ed off customers. Just my thought.

 

[LuckyStrike]

A comment about Parago and rebate processing. I have a $30.00 maxtor rebate that was received 9-04-02 by Parago and I'm still waiting for the check "Yes it was approved". I say Parago is the one we should be worring about folding up and moving out!!


Lucky; if I ever get the check

 

[Cpaladin]

Did you make any purchase online? Will you do your thing in the store with those or are you going to phone them?


All but one was done in stores, so I will go back to THE store where I bought them.


EDIT: Cpaladin, Just re-read your posts. I think you are generous with them.

It's not that I am being generous. It's that if I start complaining to the BBB or staples in person, they still have an excuse to use. Ie, well rebates can take 8-10 weeks, or 12. If I go after that time period, I deny them of their automatic cookie cutter "please allow 8-10 weeks" response, cause I did.



Silver lining is that OfficeMax is still selling the items. If they are aware of any serious problems they wouldn't want to compound it with even more pi**ed off customers. Just my thought.[/quote]

Somehow I don't OM would really care, they still shift the merchandise, shedloads of it, and if they have to pay out a few odd rebates to those customers who pursue the matter, who are vocal enough, it's still a truckload of money in their bank book all the same.

 

[Cpaladin]

9/4/2002

40 GB maxtor, (2) $30 rebates by any chance?

Yeah, took 3 months to get them, but, just last week I DID finally get the 2nd one. That's why I'm not gonna start huffing and puffing too loudly just yet over cendyne....at least not to the official channels.

 

[Mizer]

Update on Cendyne rebate mess,
I call Staples rebate center (not rebatesHQ) at 1-888-856-9210 and asked for a manager. I politely explained to him, that for the most part I was very pleased with staples rebates. But this Cendyne rebate is processing for 10 weeks. He said he would bypass the system and cut me a check!!!

As for OfficeMax (another Cendyne bone), I am still working on it. I'll keep you up to date.

 

[Cpaladin]

...well then there's some hope. Like I said, I haven't gotten to 8 weeks yet, SO, calling up wanting a check now would be premature. Well, beginning of october, so yeah, 8 weeks, but not 10. But it's good to know there's some hope..

 

[Geotext]

Originally posted by: Cpaladin
...well then there's some hope. Like I said, I haven't gotten to 8 weeks yet, SO, calling up wanting a check now would be premature. Well, beginning of october, so yeah, 8 weeks, but not 10. But it's good to know there's some hope..

Calmer heads and more common sense prevailed

Guess I will sit tight and watch this thread closely for any updates.

One thing I've learned is never again will I buy from a second tier company like Cendyne and others...

 

[lungster]

I got an "invalid upc" email for a Labtec cordless desktop combo I bought from CompUSA on 11/25/02 ($15). The interesting thing is that the email is titled "Logitech rebate..." but the link to the RebatesHQ shows the correct Labtec offer. So I called them up to see if someone goofed and got Logitech and Labtec mixed up. The guy who answered the phone was very courteous and changed the status of my rebate from "invalid" to "processing rebate" on the spot (I verified it on their web site). He offered to fix the problem even before I could explain what the issue was. It's almost as if the act of calling is enough for them to just go ahead and fix whatever problem the client has. I'm not complaining since it saves me aggregration, but it just seemed a bit strange. I guess I'll wait now and see if my $15 ever shows up !

So two thumbs up to RebatesHQ C.S. for being very pleasant on the phone. If you get the same deny-email, give 'em a call !

 

[montag]

Originally posted by: lungster

So two thumbs up to RebatesHQ C.S. for being very pleasant on the phone. If you get the same deny-email, give 'em a call !

Do you happen to have their phone number?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[montag]

Originally posted by: montag
Do you happen to have their phone number?

Thanks,
Jim

Got it: 888-221-4692

 

[duuuma]

rebateshq number is 1-888-221-4692. you must hit '#' to speak with someone or else it's pretty useless to call.

Check this thread for more info on calling: Link

It's been so long now for me that I've almost given up hope.....

I bought my cendyne 32x ($50 rebate) in late July/August along with a maxtor 40g drive ($30 rebate)....for $130 + tax total. The deal was $50 for the combo.

Well, the Maxtor rebate came after I submitted my UPC's twice (first time the real thing, second time the copies) AND emailed rebateshq about 3 times complaining about why my rebates were invalid. They approved my Maxtor rebate as some sort of one-time courtesy.

Then, my Cendyne one shows up as invalid, so I emailed rebatesHQ another 2-3 times. I first sent in the original UPC's, and after my rejection emails, I sent in copies of the UPC's. Status check showed that it was STILL invalid, so I called rebatesHQ, which was pretty tricky b/c their number is very well hidden and then the phone prompts make it difficult as hell to reach a live person.

It was after I talked to the operator that she told me I could just read the serial number off of the ACTUAL cd-burner and she'd be able to approve it. Well, I didn't have the burner with me then, so I ended up pulling out the burner, making a copy of the serial # on the burner and mailing it in. Finally, my rebate has been approved but that was in late October and I haven't received my check!!

It stills shows that my payment is pending, so I hope it comes some day soon....good luck.

 

[lungster]

Originally posted by: duuuma
rebateshq number is 1-888-221-4692. you must hit '#' to speak with someone or else it's pretty useless to call.

FWIW, I called 1-877-755-3837 - that's the number on the Labtec rebate coupon; maybe it's not toll-free but I'm at the office I kept pressing '0' to get out of their automated menues and that led me to a live person.

 

[Lanyap]

Originally posted by: duuuma

It stills shows that my payment is pending, so I hope it comes some day soon....good luck.

Rebate Center CSR: We are sorry we screwed up royally but you will still have to wait 10-12 weeks to go through the normal rebate delay. You see, we run our rebate data base on a IBM 8088 PC with a 40MB hard drive so it takes several weeks for us to enter your data. Then we have to transmit your rebate information to China on a 300 baud modem so that they can make sure they find a mistake in your rebate. Then we have to correct the mistake and put your rebate back in the computer. Once validated for the second time we send the rebate data to Iceland where we have a group of Eskimos print your check on an Epson MX80 printer. They must print one thousand checks before they can send them back to the US for mail distribution by USPS. So you see, that's why it takes 10-12 weeks, if you're lucky.

 

[HuzorDaddy]

Has anyone had any luck with the $30 upgrader rebate for the McAfee VirusScan 7.0/Quickclean that is supposed to be free after rebate when purchased with TurboTax or Taxcut?

The box I got from staples.com only had a $20 upgrader rebate on it instead of the $30 that was advertised...
I tried calling staples, staplesrebates, and McAfee (No one home at this late hour)...

 

[Jmman]

I don't know what is happening down at Rebateshq, but I just had 7 rebates move from processing to fulfilling today.....

 

[Mizer]

Originally posted by: Jmman
I don't know what is happening down at Rebateshq, but I just had 7 rebates move from processing to fulfilling just today.....

Both of my Cendyne 48X12X48 rebates (OfficeMax and Staples) are scheduled for fulfillment in 10 to 15 days after about 10 weeks of processing!!!

 

[K-squared]

They probably received funding from one/several retailers for the Thanksgiving sales period....

Originally posted by: Jmman
I don't know what is happening down at Rebateshq, but I just had 7 rebates move from processing to fulfilling just today.....

 

[mkothe]

I Need a Copy Of Inspiron 4150 Bundle Rebate Form (09/02)!!

My letter seems to have gotten lost in the mail and I can't find my copies for resubmission.

This was a $379 rebate on the Dell Inspiron 4150 bundle purchased from their education subdivision. I tried to find the form on their website, but they only have forms from October or later.

Any help in locating one of these forms would be greatly appreciated!

If you have a copy, please let me know!

Thanks
Michael

 

[Bill00]

Originally posted by: Mizer
Update on Cendyne rebate mess,
I call Staples rebate center (not rebatesHQ) at 1-888-856-9210 and asked for a manager. I politely explained to him, that for the most part I was very pleased with staples rebates. But this Cendyne rebate is processing for 10 weeks. He said he would bypass the system and cut me a check!!!

Thanks for the info Mizer.

I have four of the $50 rebates for Cendyne 32X CD-RWs outstanding, all bought from Staples, and all from different family members (on my recommendation). RebatesHQ shows receipt of 2 of them on 8/12, one on 9/1 and another on 9/6. All were mailed in at least 3 weeks before that.

I just get ignored on email queries to RebatesHQ or slow-rolled into oblivion. Just sent in another round of "Where's my rebate?" forms from the various family members, and if I don't get anything definitive by early next week will call Staples at the number above.

Thanks again. I had planned on doing it anyway, but your post saved me having to find the phone nr.

 

[cyberwizard]

Does anyone happen to have a copy of the $20 Staples rebate for the Symantec Systemworks Pro 2003 Rebate from Black Friday? I can't seem to locate it anywhere online at Staples or at Parago.com. I've emailed them and David states that he doesn't have copies of rebate forms. THis sucks that Staples took down the rebate form - I just received the product on 12/10 and ordered on 11/29- I don't believe they took down the rebate form so quick. Thanks.

 

[Mizer]

Originally posted by: cyberwizard
Does anyone happen to have a copy of the $20 Staples rebate for the Symantec Systemworks Pro 2003 Rebate from Black Friday? I can't seem to locate it anywhere online at Staples or at Parago.com. I've emailed them and David states that he doesn't have copies of rebate forms. THis sucks that Staples took down the rebate form - I just received the product on 12/10 and ordered on 11/29- I don't believe they took down the rebate form so quick. Thanks.

I do PM me.