~~~~ Rebate Tracking Thread ~~~~

[techfuzz]

I'm currently in the "hounding" stage trying to get an EVGA $30 rebate processed and fulfilled. Rebate processor is Parago.

History:
1. Sent in rebate first week of August
2. I checked their website (www.evgarebates.com) once a week, every week until ~ Sept (6+ weeks after submission) == no indication they had received it
3. Sent first email ~ Sept 15, no response (site indicates all emails are responded to within 2 days)
4. Sent second email ~ Sept 19
5. Called Parago (888-295-7778) on Sept 20, spoke to some call-center person who told me my rebate must have been "lost in the mail" --- YEAH RIGHT!
- Told to fax copy of my original rebate form and UPC to 800-886-8370 which is their dedicated number for faxed resubmissions - did that within 10 minutes of hanging up
- Asked about status and was told status on website would be updated within 48 hours
6. Sept 21, checked website, rebate marked as Invalid becaue:
Missing UPC
Missing receipt
Missing Serial Number
Invalid postmark date

UPC and serial number certainly were faxed, in fact the serial number is on the UPC. It was page 3 of 3 (incl cover sheet) of my fax. I have the transmission receipt as additional proof.
There was no receipt because the CSR requested only the UPC and rebate form. Receipt was NOT requested to be faxed.
Invalid postmark date? Please people... I faxed it to your dedicated resubmission number who should know better! Why would I be faxing you all my materials AGAIN?!
7. Called back Sept 21, spoke to Johnathon who "fixed" the problem with my rebate record and says it will be processed and mailed on Nov 6
(8. I rechecked their website after getting off the phone and my rebate is now marked as valid)

So now the waiting game begins again. I'll try to remember to update this thread after Nov 6.

techfuzz

 

[DJMiX]

Still waiting on rebate from Trendware NIC Card From Pcconnection since 5-24-06 !!
Called CSR Said no record of rebate...

I email trendware let's see what happens...

Rebate center rebatestatus.com

Got a Reply back from trendware to contact pcconnection,
Got a response from pcconnection and they credit my card the $10

Anyone having problems with this rebate just email pcconnection telling them that trendware said to call them.

 

[Seekermeister]

As a related item. Logitech "conveniently" lost my rebate application. When I checked with them, they asked for not only copies of the sales receipt and rebate form, but also the UPC code from the box...that is the one thing that I didn't copy, so I'm out of luck.

 

[allisolm]

Anyone who purchased the Harmony 659 remote from CompUSA on Sep 1 at this sale might want to check their rebate status. Mine says invalid for not being purchased during the correct time period (even though it was.) In talking to CSRs it appears that many were denied for this reason. Apparently their software is having a problem with 24hr time. It isn't accepting 19:21 as being 7:21 PM. At least that's the story they're putting out. So far I've called 3 times and been told each time that it has been taken care of - but it never gets validated. Today they said they were processing a check from some special customer service fund and I should have it in 10-14 business days. We'll see. Just a heads up in case you bought one, too.

 

[techfuzz]

Originally posted by: techfuzz
I'm currently in the "hounding" stage trying to get an EVGA $30 rebate processed and fulfilled. Rebate processor is Parago.

Got my $30 rebate check in the mail yesterday ahead of when it was promised. Based on the timeframe, I think right around now would be when everyone's rebate checks would start to be cut for this rebate anyways. Glad to finally have it in hand.

techfuzz

 

[jimmybgood]

I thought it was about time to get my rebate for the Ultra Xfinity power supply I bought from outpost so I check onrebate.com for my rebate status. Guess what? onrebate.com doesn't exist any more.

 

[1Cheap2Crazy]

Originally posted by: jimmybgood
I thought it was about time to get my rebate for the Ultra Xfinity power supply I bought from outpost so I check onrebate.com for my rebate status. Guess what? onrebate.com doesn't exist any more.

Are you sure? Did you type something wrong? Works for me.

 

[jimmybgood]

It's back. I imagine their name server was down or in the process of being updated. I checked several times before posting. Oh well! Maybe they were covering their tracks.

My favorite excuse was a rebate processor in Texas who who responded to their attorney general, "We're just the contractor hired to process the rebate. We have no obligation to the consumer." The obligation is from whoever sponsors the rebate.

 

[esquared]

I am a little concerned about Parago rebates (rebateshq.com). My last three rebates to them have been conveniently "not received". The first of these three were two Hitachi rebates for 40.00 each. I resubmitted them to their resubmission deptpartment FAX number and they showed up in their system with 48 hours and payment was made to me within 4-5 weeks. This last one has been 8 weeks since mailing, for 100.00 for the Hann 19" LCD from Office Depot. Again, I was told to resubmit by fax, which I just did. This is becoming a disconcerting habit from these people.

Funny thing about those two Hitachi rebates is after the resubmission was received and approved, both of the original rebates showed up in thier system as duplicate requests that were denied. Seems like once I call to complain and resubmit my copies, that the originals mysteriously show up. It will be interesting to see if the "original rebate" from this Hann LCD rebate also shows up after-the-fact.

 

[LurkingInNC]

Ditto Parago rebates (rebateshq.com). Filed a claim online and mailed the documentation for the $100 Hanns-G Monitor (Office Depot) on 9/27. When I checked online 10/31 it said no record of it being received. After I emailed them, it showed up today online but listed as "denied" because it wasn't purchased within the valid purchase period. Rebate form said it must be purchased bertween 8/7/06 and 8/31/06. I included both a printout of the online order summary and the OD order acknowledgment which both show date ordered as 8/31/06. OD online web page had AR price still listed on 8/31, so I hope they don't try to argue that 8/30 was last valid date.

In addition, the online tracking site lists "Date Received" as 11/1/06 when I mailed it on 9/27/06. I'll call tomorrow to straighten out, but given what I'm hearing, Parago is sounding fishy to me.

In contrast, no problems with several OnRebate submissions.

edit: p.s. Mods, thanks for all of the info at the top, should make straightening this out alot easier.

 

[esquared]

My parago, 100.00 rebate for the 19" Hann LCD monitor from OD showed up on the website. They sent me an email saying it has been entered. I'll give credit to those people for getting it entered less than 24 hours after I faxed it to them.

 

[Athena]

Recently I've had as many or more rejections than in the past 5 years combined. In just the last three months, I've had 6 rebates denied and only one was a legitimate rejection (I forgot to include something and it was paid after resubmission). The other five were all the fault of the rebate processor. Parago actually proved to be the easiest to deal with; both cases there were corrected over the phone. With those people in Mesa, I had to call 3 times before things got straightened out. Twice now, I've had to resend the very same documentation that was rejected the first time -- once to OnRebate and once to Express Group.

I've never lost a rebate but it's definitely taking more of my time to get these people to honor their promotions.

 

[LurkingInNC]

Parago also 'fixed' me $100 Hanns-g rebate after I called. Rep said someone had mistakenly entered the date received instead of the date purchased. Still, I'm a bit suspicious that my submission wasn't listed as 'received' on thier online tracking system till the day after I emailed questioning if they had it (they say give 'em 21 days after you mail the submission to show up online as received, I emailed after it still wasn't showing up over a month later).

The rep corrected the date purchased, but told me that it would take 10-15 days for the rebate to show up as approved (said Hanns-G had to authorize the approval since the record had been changed from 'disapproved' to 'approved').

Maybe just poor performance at Parago, but it does make one wonder if there might be something more behind the quality of their service. At the very least, stresses the importance of documentation AND follow-up. I've always recognized the documentation as part of the price of doing a rebate deal, but hadn't had a problem that required follow-up till now. Hopefully the examples listed here are anomolies, not a trend....

 

[jimmybgood]

Onrebate.com has failed to send me a $50 rebate for power supply purchased from outpost.com. Their website clearly states that I have a valid rebate due and that the payment is pending, but the time period has long since expired.

WARNING !!!!! AVOID Outpost.com and onrebate.com. They are cheating fraudulent scam artists.

 

[esquared]

Originally posted by: jimmybgood
Onrebate.com has failed to send me a $50 rebate for power supply purchased from outpost.com. Their website clearly states that I have a valid rebate due and that the payment is pending, but the time period has long since expired.

WARNING !!!!! AVOID Outpost.com and onrebate.com. They are cheating fraudulent scam artists.

Did you try calling them first? I hardly think Fry's and Frys.com are scam artists. I have done dozens of Fry's (Outpost), rebates and all have come through, and some required a little effort on my part. Rebates in general require a little time and effort and unfortunately, you have to keep on top of it.

Call Onrebate first and if you don't get results, then call Fry's.

From the rebate tracking thread I found the following:
Onrebate contact numbers
support@help.onrebate.com or call our customer service number 1-888-222-9300.

Fry's
408-487-4500 (Fry's corporate #, ask for 'Leoni')

 

[PHiuR]

Becareful of Onrebate, I had to call them to get them moving on my rebate....They said that I should receive payment in 7-10 days...I hope I get my $40-50.

 

[jimmybgood]

Originally posted by: esquared

Did you try calling them first? I hardly think Fry's and Frys.com are scam artists. I have done dozens of Fry's (Outpost), rebates and all have come through, and some required a little effort on my part. Rebates in general require a little time and effort and unfortunately, you have to keep on top of it.

Call Onrebate first and if you don't get results, then call Fry's.

Call them first? Why would I call them first? I called them after they failed to live up to their end of the deal.

What did they tell me? They claimed that my rebate check had been mailed. They suggested that it had been lost or stolen and they would commence an investigation to determine if the check had been cashed and that if it hadn't, they might send me a replacement.

I thought about their answer, called them back and asked for the check number and other information so I could make a claim on my homeowners insurance to cover the stolen check. Ha! Dead silence followed, then, "Could you hold please?" Later the representative told me that, contrary to what I had been told earlier, no check had been mailed. So did the first rep lie to me, the second or both? Either way, I've established that onrebate.com lies to the people it owes money to.

Will they eventually pay me? Maybe, but it really makes no difference as to whether they are indeed liars and scam artists. If someone tells you that they will have an agent "gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today", then concocts an elaborate scheme involving registering at web sites and filling out forms, but Tuesday comes around and you still haven't been repayed for that burger, that person is a scam artist. That pretty much defines what a scam is. The deal was not that I would get the money eventually if I filed enough complaints with consumer affairs departments. The deal was that I would get my money within a fixed time period.

So is Frys the injured party for having their reputation sullied by those rascals at onrebate.com? I don't think so. Frys contracted onrebate.com to do their dirty work for them. A couple years ago, I bought a monitor with a rebate deal (not handled by onrebate.com) from a Frys b&m. The monitor turned out to be a piece of junk that I sent back to the manufacturer twice for repair. The second time they sent me back an inferior replacement. I got the same song & dance about a rebate check having been sent. At the time, I thought they were really great for eventually sending me a replacement check, but now I realize they were most likely lying to me then, like they did this time.

I don't believe that it is a coincidence that both rebates from Frys have involved the same pack of lies and the same scam. I think Frys is getting exactly what they paid onrebate.com for - the delay and rejection of valid rebate claims.

 

[esquared]

[/quote]
Call them first? Why would I call them first? I called them after they failed to live up to their end of the deal.[/quote]

When I said call them first it was meant as a suggestion before you got your blood pressure to high. Your post didn't indicate you had already talked to the rebate company. I was only trying to give you a hand to try to retrieve your rebate. Personally I have gotten Fry's involved in the few rebates I have had trouble collecting. In the B&M stores you can go to the cashiers area and ask to talk to the super in charge and tell them you have gotten the runaround with a rebate. The supervisor has been more than happy to take care of me. The supervisor told me they would make the call on my behalf to retrieve my rebate and if they were not successful, they (Fry's) will pay me themselves. The rebate all came shortly after phone calls from Fry's. If you bought it at Fry's.com you probably need to call the corporate number I posted above.
I know you are mad but it really isn't in Fry's benefit to create pissed-off customers if they are willing to pay you themselves if they can't collect for you. All they really can do is see over time, if too many cases like yours are coming up from Onrebate. If it is, they will dump them if it's creating too much headache and work for them to take care of something they are paying them to do in the first place. Maybe this becomes one of those rebate houses or companies you don't do business with, I don't know. Personally, I don't do Sharp, Maddog, Soyo or I/OMagic rebates anymore. It's not worth my bloodpressure anymore.

 

[jsxlynn]

Originally posted by: jimmybgood
I thought it was about time to get my rebate for the Ultra Xfinity power supply I bought from outpost so I check onrebate.com for my rebate status. Guess what? onrebate.com doesn't exist any more.

They sort of never existed... meaning usually the site was down, and if you tried calling, you'd get put on hold, then dropped ~1-3hours later, repeatedly (I did this while painting a house. The only reason I got rebate was that I called Radio Shack Corporate Office..they intervened and I got it.

 

[rayjayturbo]

Received my rebate from MSI on the X1900XTX deal for $150.

 

[darom]

I _haven't_ received my rebate ($100) from MSI on the X1900XT yet. Purchased it on 9/4/2006. Emailed rebate@msicomputer.com with the request to update the status. What really blows is there was no email confirmation about rebate submission at all. I slowly start avoiding getting stuff from retailers who haven't implemented a rebate program similar to the one from CompUSA (online tracking, email notifications etc.).

 

[bleuless]

i want to vent that, i need to fill 150 worth of rebate from fry's with onrebate, the form suggest i submit it through online, yet their friggin site hardly works. should i just do the snail mail method and pry that i get my rebate?

"faster payment and better tracking" my arse, if you want faster process they want to ding you 5 bux and change, better tracking???? if they clean up their act, maybe consumers don't have to worry about tracking at all!!! rebates are risky business now a days.

 

[darom]

I finally received the rebate from MSI - I guess it doesn't hurt to send an email and inquire about the status. Good luck with yours!

 

[kaborka]

When I sent in the $50 X-Finity rebate to OnRebate after using the online registration (mailing with their label,etc.), I got an approval email in ten days (9/28). I just got the check on Thursday 11/30. Eight weeks to get payment beats many other rebate fillers. Not bad, IMO. I don't think the extra payment for quicker fulfillment is necessary unless you're really in a hurry.

 

[crypticlogin]

Logitech Cordless Action controller, $20 rebate @ CompUSA between 10/29-11/04. Purchased 10/30.

Comes back as denied for being out of promotional period for department number 79993.

Hello, uh, rebate as hosted on compusa.com?!?!? (PDF).