SOYO Rebate Problem

[Aristophanes]

This message is now divided into two parts: 1. Some extremely good suggestions in this thread for dealing with SOYO rebates I am just summarizing at the top here, and 2. The original problem (which still exists, and about which I will offer updates as--or if--they occur).

1. Suggestions thus far, with requests for specifics when appropriate, in no particular order. I am assuming that anyone reading this has already tried to contact SOYO via their official rebate address: soyo@verifyrebate.com.
a. Call SOYO directly at 909-937-0778. Be polite; be firm; don't take no for an anwer.
b. If you have waited at least 16 weeks, call SOYO directly at (909) 292-2504. If you get an answering machine, press 1, wait a second and press 1 again. This will connect you with either an operator or Rattana herself.
c. Try emailing Mr. Ming Chok, president and CEO of SOYO Group: Mingchok@soyogroup.com or Ming.chok@soyogroup.com
d. Contact credit card company to report fraud.
e. Contact the BBB. Here are two BBB addresses devoted to SOYO. (Surely that must tell us something.) SOYO BBB #1 and SOYO BBB #2
f. A class action suit. Considering the number of people who seem to have been affected by SOYO's business practices, my favorite suggestion thus far. Does anyone know precisely who to contact?
g. complaint to legal authorities. I have heard IFCC and State Attorney General's Office. Does anyone have names or addresses of such authorities? Authorities with addresses are:
FTC, California Department of Consumer Affairs
h. Don't buy Soyo products any more. Good advice for anyone out there still considering a SOYO product.
i. Report bad SOYO behavior to online retailers, especially ZipZoomFly, TigerDirect, and NewEgg. Someone suggested returning the product for a refund, which should wake the retailer up.
j. Where and How to File Complaints Online, another AnandTech thread with some governmental, but also other, non-state or federal reporting agencies like RipOffReport.com

2. I need a strategy for dealing with SOYO
I have $235 worth of SOYO rebates outstanding, beginning from September, 2004. After their initial non-payment of any rebates at all, I emailed them with jpgs of all the rebate material, and they said they would pay in three weeks. When they did not I contacted the BBB. SOYO responded by telling the BBB that I never correctly submitted most of the rebates; they are also implying that I did not pursue the problem through them, and that it is now in any case too late to do so. (Fortunately, I have saved my email correspondence with SOYO, which contradicts these assertions.) They are trying to settle by giving me $60 of $235. Of the more than 150 rebates I have submitted--many of which have been difficult to collect--SOYO has given me by far the most trouble.

I suspect I shall next have to report them to state and local authorities. Can anyone who has done this where SOYO is located give me some information on how to do this? (Their rebate address is 1142 S. Diamond Bar Blvd., #507, Diamond Bar, CA 91765.) Also, has anyone ever been involved in a class action suit, or know how such a suit works?

While SOYO's behavior smacks of fraud, there is always the chance that there might be some misunderstanding on their part. What confirms my suspicion, however, that SOYO is in fact perpetrating a fraud on myself and others is the amount of bad press they get on various websites devoted to this kind of issue: badbusinessbureau.com, FatWallet, and AnandTech, to name just three.

I don't post here often but to buy and sell, so I want to make sure this thread is correct. Here is the "Hot Deals Forum Rules" section I'm using: "If a company has acted dishonestly or fraudulantly, threads discussing legal ways to enforce your rights are a valid and important topic for discussion."

FatWallet SOYO complaint
badbusinessbureau.com SOYO complaint
AnandTech SOYO complaint



Thanks for listening.

 

[drinkmorejava]

wrong forum, but yeah, soyo is geigh. As good as some of their deals have been, I dont find it worth it.

 

[ClockerXP]

Same thing here. I got a mobo that was supposed to be free after rebate at Newegg. It's not worth my time to persue it and I think that Soyo knows that. I will never buy another Soyo product, ever. rebate@soyousa.com doesn't reply to any of my e-mail messages. I asked about about the rebate back in November and they said I had to wait until after December. DId that and now they don't respond at all.

Soyo is a POS company.

CXP

 

[ClockerXP]

Here's what I've sent them 4 times now:

Please reply to this message.

I purchased a Soyo SY-P4I865PE Dragon v1.0 motherboard on at Newegg.com on 8/30/04 and sent in the TWO rebates that were being offered at Newegg.com for $40 and $35 on 9/5/04. The rebates are still not showing up on www.verifyrebate.com. I sent the rebates with USPS 2-3 day priority mail with delivery confirmation so I know for a fact that they were received approximately 16 weeks ago.

When will my rebates be processed and sent to me? I have photocopies of everything I sent so I know the forms and requirements were filled completely.

Thanks,

 

[Aristophanes]

No, this is not the wrong forum. That's why I posted the quotation from the forum rules. God: did that HAVE to be the very first response? Here's another forum rule: "No thread crapping. If the subject matter of a deal does not interest you, do not post negative comments about it."
Thanks for your attention.

 

[Aristophanes]

Hi, Clocker:
Well, depending on the number of people who respond, and whether anyone has any expertise in class action suits (admittedly a long shot), I might be interested in taking this on for a number of dissatisfied SOYO customers. Strength in numbers, maybe.

 

[breweyez]

as far as the forum rules go.....this should be in the brag & moan thread

I got my $50 rebate from soyo last year.....it took around 8 months (guesstimate) and a few emails, but it finally did show up

 

[dirtrat]

I KNEW people would be getting SCREWED on the SOYO FREE after rebate deals after I saw them a few months back. If I remember the threads correctly people warned others about possibly not getting the rebates. I stopped buying Soyo after my last 2 motherboards from them broke.

 

[xDanielx]

I bought the amd socket A mobo from newegg or something around april 2004. In october I called and they said they would send the $50. Well, still havnt got it yet. Luckily I go to school at cal poly pomona, and if they give me crap I might just knock on their door.

 

[cheapgoose]

i have a pending rebate with soyo. why did it take you over $200 to figure out their rebate sucks?

 

[Aristophanes]

Hi, Cheapgoose: Actually, the rebates came fairly close together in time, so that I wasn't too worried yet that the first rebate was due when I bought the last product.

 

[c627627]

Count on half a year or so from the date the promotion ends + multiple (not one or two) multiple email & telephone calls to get your rebate processed. Then count on months more for it to get "sent". Then count on moe multple calls to actually get it, yes even after it shows up as "mailed."

This assumes lots of luck, + even after all of this, for you to actually remain polite when talking to them soas "not to piss them off (if you can believe that), I mean what have they got to be scared of?

We all know what TigerDirect BBB report is like, yet TD is still doing business galore.

With most of us not willing to pay lawyers more than the actual rebates are worth, really, what choice do we have?

Don't forget to post warnings about SOYO rebates (and TigerDirect rebates) wherever you can.

 

[Thump553]

Good luck. But I must say that if your rebates started in Sept. 2004, then you jumped on the Soyo bandwagon at the tailend, when there were already numerous warnings and complaints about their practices here and on other deal forums. It's a classic Ponzi scheme, the ones at the end get burned.

You can complain to the FTC and your state's consumer department (probably part of the attorney general's office), or if you want to throw more money down this rathole, hire a lawfirm to pursue your class action.

 

[z3Cta]

Lets sue the mo fukers, its been 8 mo now and never got my 60 $$. I am sure there's plenty of ppl in my case.

Or worst, we should let the people know not to buy SOYO prod

THEY SUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

 

[freshspace]

I think you have to wait at least 6 months before they process your rebate. Also, there was a looooong thread here about it with valuable information. There's a phone number in there with the name of the contact. I called the number, spoke to the person and that's how I got the rebate. You should search for the thread. It is not the one that Aristophanes has listed. I had $70 of Soyo rebates, and I received both of them.

 

[Lanyap]

A SOYO rep posted at FW. Go tell him what you think _HERE_

 

[SuperSix]

Hate to say it - but you probably won't get your money - and Soyo will be out of business before long..

 

[havenmaster]

I too still haven't receive the $50 rebate for the motherboad that I sent in 6-7-04.Rebate fraud is a violation of federal laws and carries fines and imprisonment.With that many peoples being cheated by Soyo,I think we should do something about this.A while back, a local grocery store owner was fined and given jail term for fraudulently collected over $50,000. worth of rebates.I saw on 20/20, there is a law firm (I think in NY city) that specializes in class action law suits in behalf of consumers.Today, many companies are out to defraud consumers,I am in the process of filing a law suit against such company, FOX RENT A CAR in Los Angeles, CA who defrauded me over $600 ( I found many others were defrauded by FOX RENT A CAR through various forums www.rip-offreports.com, www.my3cents.com, www.complaints.com...) I would like to hear from anyone who was victimized by FOX RENT A CAR.
As you all know, PAYPAL is paying out 9 millions dollars to settle a class action law suit against them.I think we should take legal actions against companies who defrauds their customers.
thanh1239@yahoo.com

 

[thedealmaker]

Wrong forum, but I will help you out.

I created a thread just for this topic. Click here to find out what you should do next when BBB fails. I have 100% rebate success rate!

 

[Snowlock]

Soyo generally sends out their rebates if you pester them. But you have to wait a long time before you bother calling them on it. My last soyo rebate showed up after 9 months. I am expecting a few more from them to show up any day now since it has been about that long.

 

[Samus]

lol, yea, i filled out one 8 months ago (may) and still haven't received it.

didn't they go bankrupt? or did they just 'exit' the industry.

 

[BlackPear1]

Originally posted by: SuperSix
Hate to say it - but you probably won't get your money - and Soyo will be out of business before long..

What led you to that conclusion? I have received all the Soyo rebates I applied for (the latest two weeks ago). They are unbelievably slow at processing - for me, the quickest arrived 7 months after submission - but the rebates still seem to be trickling out of the Soyo bank account.

As for the future of the company, their financial condition does look poor. According to their most recent published financial statements there has been some improvement in results, but they've been struggling for a long time and discuss the possibility of "restructuring". That makes it hard to be confident in their ability to satisfy their obligations (including rebates) indefinitely, so it might be wise to submit a friendly email or phone inquiry to their rebate department to help move things along.

 

[Tomer]

After checking the online status, sending numerous E-mails and finally calling, I got both my $10 Motherboard rebates that were sent 9 months and 6 months ago, respectively.

It was a NewEgg exclusive rebate and I was very disappointed NewEgg took a 100% hands off approach when I asked for some assistance. No help at all.

Someone posted the phone number to call on this board. Find it, call it and maybe, just maybe, you will get your rebate too.

Never, ever, ever will I try another Soyo rebate, although both boards have been rock solid and run 24/7 with no problems at all.

Now if the checks just don't bounce.....

 

[RBC]

I got my $50 rebate, submitted in March at the end of October and a $15 one from April a week later. It took several phone calls and emails but they did finally come and the checks cleared. As others have said, Soyo rebates are NOT worth the work and frustration. The time out of our lives can't be replaced and could certainly be put to better use than waiting on hold, repeating a many times repeated story, and generally being pissed off with oneself saying "I should've know better".

 

[rm430]

I wonder about the legality of disputing the charges on my credit card. I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel as thought the vendor has some responsibility to us. I bought the SOYO product because I got an e-mail from Newegg with an ad for it and it said free after rebate. I realize that the rebate is from SOYO but I would not have bought it if Newegg had not sent me that e-mail. Any thoughts?