Will never buy another ATI card again!

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: sisq0kidd
John Stossel needs to pick up these rebate stories and run with them.

Heh- would that mean I would be on T.V.? HHmmmmm......

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: sisq0kidd
John Stossel needs to pick up these rebate stories and run with them.

A lot of places are either doing "instant rebates", "easy rebates" or doing away with them all together. Rebates are a way around "price matching" and "suggested retail pricing".

I have done some online rebates that did not require a UPC just a code from the receipt. :thumbsup:

 

[iamaelephant]

This may sound strange to you guys, but what the hell is the point of a mail-in rebate? I have never seen one, I don't think they even exist where I live. Why not just give you the discount when you buy the item? Is there something to gain with the mail-in system? I'm asking about what the vendor has to gain from a MIR system.

 

[Ackmed]

People like always make me laugh at them. Some swear off a certain brand of HD, because one died. Other swear by the same brand. Same as with anything in life, Ford/Chevy, Nike/Reebok, etc. Swearing off any brand, because of one problem (that was partly, or all your fault) is just plain silly.

User error helped this situation, then he wants to complain. Always pay for tracking, and always make copies of everything. Dont try putting blame on someone else. Ask anyone who mails things a lot (heavy ebay sellers) and you will find most have had something lost, misplaced, or otherwise. I have had it happen a few times personally.

Sure it sucks, chalk it up as experience, live and learn by your mistakes, and move on.

 

[phlashphire]

Originally posted by: iamaelephant
This may sound strange to you guys, but what the hell is the point of a mail-in rebate? I have never seen one, I don't think they even exist where I live. Why not just give you the discount when you buy the item? Is there something to gain with the mail-in system? I'm asking about what the vendor has to gain from a MIR system.

All about the money... think of it as a loan from customer to vendor (interest free of course).
1. The possibility that the buyer forgets to send in the rebate all together, vendor keeps money.
2. The chance that if customer miss one of the many requirements to fulfill the rebate, vendor keeps money.
3. Some companies don't have the intention of paying these rebates... it's just a lure for buyers who's banking on it coming through, vendor keeps money...

and the list goes on...

 

[Ackmed]

Originally posted by: iamaelephant
This may sound strange to you guys, but what the hell is the point of a mail-in rebate? I have never seen one, I don't think they even exist where I live. Why not just give you the discount when you buy the item? Is there something to gain with the mail-in system? I'm asking about what the vendor has to gain from a MIR system.

Because a large amount of people, buy it, and never send in the MIR. So, the company gets full price for the item. They get to advertise it for a very low price, and have in even smaller print, the rebate conditions, and regular price.

 

[kknd1967]

ATI rebates are OK in my experience. But very slow indeed.
I have done twice (9800Pro and X850XT).

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
People like always make me laugh at them. Some swear off a certain brand of HD, because one died. Other swear by the same brand. Same as with anything in life, Ford/Chevy, Nike/Reebok, etc. Swearing off any brand, because of one problem (that was partly, or all your fault) is just plain silly.

User error helped this situation, then he wants to complain. Always pay for tracking, and always make copies of everything. Dont try putting blame on someone else. Ask anyone who mails things a lot (heavy ebay sellers) and you will find most have had something lost, misplaced, or otherwise. I have had it happen a few times personally.

Sure it sucks, chalk it up as experience, live and learn by your mistakes, and move on.

Wellll the user error arguement is pretty weak....I complied with all the details of the MIR except to copy one of the three things that was pretty ambiguous on the MIR form. There also is such a thing as taking the customers complaints into account, weighing the facts on what happened, and taking a course of action.

I understand ATI has procedures in place to save time and money and not be scamed by dishonest people. And they could care less that I won't buy another video card from them. They will lose more money from me than $50 but that is small potatoes from them as they make more money on the MIR programs than lose it to people like me who never buy a card from them again. It's just a business/profitability decision.

At least I can rant about it some and thanks to all here for their input/suggestions. Especially the registered mail idea. And yea- live and learn. Life never goes exactly how you would want it too- blah blah. But Still DOWN WITH ATI!!

 

[iamaelephant]

Originally posted by: Ackmed

Originally posted by: iamaelephant
This may sound strange to you guys, but what the hell is the point of a mail-in rebate? I have never seen one, I don't think they even exist where I live. Why not just give you the discount when you buy the item? Is there something to gain with the mail-in system? I'm asking about what the vendor has to gain from a MIR system.

Because a large amount of people, buy it, and never send in the MIR. So, the company gets full price for the item. They get to advertise it for a very low price, and have in even smaller print, the rebate conditions, and regular price.

And people actually fall for that sh!t? So that's the reason they only do it in America! (I kid, I kid).

 

[Creig]

Originally posted by: the Chase
You don't find it convienient for ATI that they never received the envelope but will not honor the original offer because I now don't have the UPC barcode that I sent in originally?

Not a bit. If they didn't require that the UPC be physically removed from the box and sent in, HOARDES of lowlifes would be buying cards with large rebates, making photocopies of the receipt/UPC, sending in the rebate and returning the card to the store.

Physically sending in the UPC with the rebate ensures this doesn't happen as the store obviously won't take the card back with the UPC removed from the box.


As other people have pointed out, there's no way to know for sure ATI is to blame. Perhaps instead you should boycott the Post Office and refuse to send/receive any more mail. That would solve the problem completely. Think about it, no more lost rebates from ANY company!

Seriously though, from now on just make sure you photocopy EVERYTHING, including the UPC you've already cut from the box. I've had the exact same thing happen to me a couple of times now. And when they said they have no record of my rebate and could I please resubmit the information, I say "Sure! I photocopied everything before I sent it out, just in case something like this happened. Would you like it by mail, fax or email?"

It always went through the second time for me.

 

[the Chase]

Yeah if I ever do a MIR again it's registered mail and triple copies of everything. So when is the G80 coming out?

 

[atom]

Onrebate.com is the worst. I've done about 5 rebates with them this year and 3 of them have had problems. And every time they've tried to give me the run around. Every time they've tried to reject my rebates because of "invalid UPC". First time I was told to resubmit copies to them. I did. Still no change. I basically had to e-mail them about 10 times before they finally approved it. 2nd time, again "invalid UPC". Again they told me to resubmit copies. I was pretty annoyed that this happened again so I e-mailed them over and over asking them exactly what was the problem with the original UPC. I finally got someone on the phone and they approved my rebate, WITHOUT me having to resubmit anything by mail. 3rd time, again "invalid UPC". Fed up with getting the runaround game from onrebate, I e-mailed the retailer I bought the product from and told them basically" If you don't get me my rebate I'm just gonna dispute the charges with my CC company and you can deal with it." I got my rebate about a week and a half later.

Bottom line: If you do a MIR be prepared to work for it because these companies will do anything to get out of it. I won't even do a MIR any more unless it's over $50. Anything less and it isn't worth my time and the aggravation I have to go through.

 

[akugami]

Keep in mind that just because the rebate is direct from Company X (ATI in this case) doesn't mean Company X is handling the rebate. Usually they outsource it to some company who has a bunch of minimum waged overworked saps doing the job.

 

[Powermoloch]

I never had any problems with my rebates at all. Although i'm lazy to mail for the 7600GTKO

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: the Chase
Heh- yeah I swore I would never do a MIR again but the CompUSA sale with $50 MIR sucked me in. And yeah my time is worth something so I probably won't call my credit card company to hound them or complain to CompUSA. I'll just never buy ATI again (although I said that about MIR's- so my track record isn't so great so far). Also give them a little bad press (here) so maybe they will loose a couple of sales of people sitting on the fence between Nvidia and ATI. It kind of sucks because I like ATI's cards/direction.....

Edit for Steelski- it's possible but I did have my return address on the envelope and checked at the post office to be sure I had enough postage (wish I would have thought of registered mail at that time).

But what angers me is the whole- well you have copies of everything and the empty box- but you didn't copy those UPC codes which we expressely say we need the originals of to process the rebate- so now you are just screwed- attitude.

ANY rebate company will do the same thing . . . not just ATi . . . why should they "trust" you? . . . someone else could have sent in the UPC code, got the rebate, sold you the card - and now maybe you are scamming them.

i have done THOUSANDS of dollars worth of rebates . . . . and many times have had to deal with "lost" UPC codes . . . never lost a nickel . . . "copies" are essential as any judge will tell you if you try to go to court.

if you can't follow the directions EXACTLY, don't bother with rebates.

Finally . . . since you bought it at CUSA you might take your sad story to a manager . . . if you are polite and present your case well, you might get some satisfaction.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: the Chase
Heh- yeah I swore I would never do a MIR again but the CompUSA sale with $50 MIR sucked me in. And yeah my time is worth something so I probably won't call my credit card company to hound them or complain to CompUSA. I'll just never buy ATI again (although I said that about MIR's- so my track record isn't so great so far). Also give them a little bad press (here) so maybe they will loose a couple of sales of people sitting on the fence between Nvidia and ATI. It kind of sucks because I like ATI's cards/direction.....

Edit for Steelski- it's possible but I did have my return address on the envelope and checked at the post office to be sure I had enough postage (wish I would have thought of registered mail at that time).

But what angers me is the whole- well you have copies of everything and the empty box- but you didn't copy those UPC codes which we expressely say we need the originals of to process the rebate- so now you are just screwed- attitude.

ANY rebate company will do the same thing . . . not just ATi . . . why should they "trust" you? . . . someone else could have sent in the UPC code, got the rebate, sold you the card - and now maybe you are scamming them.

i have done THOUSANDS of dollars worth of rebates . . . . and many times have had to deal with "lost" UPC codes . . . never lost a nickel . . . "copies" are essential as any judge will tell you if you try to go to court.

if you can't follow the directions EXACTLY, don't bother with rebates.

Finally . . . since you bought it at CUSA you might take your sad story to a manager . . . if you are polite and present your case well, you might get some satisfaction.

Well I do have the original receipts and tracking info so I can prove I didn't buy the card second hand. I believe I complied with the MIR instructions exactly and if they hadn't "misplaced" my envelope I sent them, the whole - but you don't have back up proof- would not be an issue.

ATI has every right to claim they are in the right and not grant me the rebate. But if they are not going to let me send all my receipts and MIR coupon in the original box so they can honor the MIR then I am simply not going to do business with them again. I've never had a problem with a MIR submission before (except for 1 or 2 that I didn't bother to mail in).

I'm not going into CompUSA and plead my case and go through a bunch of crap for something that ATI bungled and won't make right. ATI won. Except for the thousands of dollars of my future video card purchases that they will never realize. If they do this to enough people it will start to hurt their bottom line eventually.

 

[mikek753]

also think about those "rebate" as the way to stop you from returning back the product.
you have to cut out UPC and send it in 3 - 10 days (less then 30 return period) to a company.
Now, you did as they asked and sent it right a way.
And then in a week your new product "kaput" - doesn't work any more - as result without UPC you can't return it back and only way is to go via RMA.

What you are gonna do in that case when you are with bad product and without money and rebate?

Also almost all those rebate centers ask you to wait 4-8 weeks before even prompt for rebate status.

Rebate ~ SCAM.

 

[tuteja1986]

You guys should bother with Main in rebeat

 

[postmortemIA]

I agree, mikek has a good point.

Anyway, it is easy to be smart now.

So far, I've received all my rebates.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: the Chase
Heh- yeah I swore I would never do a MIR again but the CompUSA sale with $50 MIR sucked me in. And yeah my time is worth something so I probably won't call my credit card company to hound them or complain to CompUSA. I'll just never buy ATI again (although I said that about MIR's- so my track record isn't so great so far). Also give them a little bad press (here) so maybe they will loose a couple of sales of people sitting on the fence between Nvidia and ATI. It kind of sucks because I like ATI's cards/direction.....

Edit for Steelski- it's possible but I did have my return address on the envelope and checked at the post office to be sure I had enough postage (wish I would have thought of registered mail at that time).

But what angers me is the whole- well you have copies of everything and the empty box- but you didn't copy those UPC codes which we expressely say we need the originals of to process the rebate- so now you are just screwed- attitude.

ANY rebate company will do the same thing . . . not just ATi . . . why should they "trust" you? . . . someone else could have sent in the UPC code, got the rebate, sold you the card - and now maybe you are scamming them.

i have done THOUSANDS of dollars worth of rebates . . . . and many times have had to deal with "lost" UPC codes . . . never lost a nickel . . . "copies" are essential as any judge will tell you if you try to go to court.

if you can't follow the directions EXACTLY, don't bother with rebates.

Finally . . . since you bought it at CUSA you might take your sad story to a manager . . . if you are polite and present your case well, you might get some satisfaction.

Well I do have the original receipts and tracking info so I can prove I didn't buy the card second hand. I believe I complied with the MIR instructions exactly and if they hadn't "misplaced" my envelope I sent them, the whole - but you don't have back up proof- would not be an issue.

ATI has every right to claim they are in the right and not grant me the rebate. But if they are not going to let me send all my receipts and MIR coupon in the original box so they can honor the MIR then I am simply not going to do business with them again. I've never had a problem with a MIR submission before (except for 1 or 2 that I didn't bother to mail in).

I'm not going into CompUSA and plead my case and go through a bunch of crap for something that ATI bungled and won't make right. ATI won. Except for the thousands of dollars of my future video card purchases that they will never realize. If they do this to enough people it will start to hurt their bottom line eventually.

first of all, you did not comply with instructions or you'd have photocopied your UPC and this post would have neve been made.

secondly, we don't know that ATi misplaced anything . . . .

thirdly, CUSA sometimes does honor this type of things . . . so your [possible] loss

finally i don't think ATi cares . . . at all . . . you did not fillow instructions [period]

good luck with your G80



Bottom Line: YOU bungled - not ATi

and mikek753, MOST rebates are sent in within 30 days . . . plenty of time for a RMA or change of mind.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: the Chase
Heh- yeah I swore I would never do a MIR again but the CompUSA sale with $50 MIR sucked me in. And yeah my time is worth something so I probably won't call my credit card company to hound them or complain to CompUSA. I'll just never buy ATI again (although I said that about MIR's- so my track record isn't so great so far). Also give them a little bad press (here) so maybe they will loose a couple of sales of people sitting on the fence between Nvidia and ATI. It kind of sucks because I like ATI's cards/direction.....

Edit for Steelski- it's possible but I did have my return address on the envelope and checked at the post office to be sure I had enough postage (wish I would have thought of registered mail at that time).

But what angers me is the whole- well you have copies of everything and the empty box- but you didn't copy those UPC codes which we expressely say we need the originals of to process the rebate- so now you are just screwed- attitude.

ANY rebate company will do the same thing . . . not just ATi . . . why should they "trust" you? . . . someone else could have sent in the UPC code, got the rebate, sold you the card - and now maybe you are scamming them.

i have done THOUSANDS of dollars worth of rebates . . . . and many times have had to deal with "lost" UPC codes . . . never lost a nickel . . . "copies" are essential as any judge will tell you if you try to go to court.

if you can't follow the directions EXACTLY, don't bother with rebates.

Finally . . . since you bought it at CUSA you might take your sad story to a manager . . . if you are polite and present your case well, you might get some satisfaction.

Well I do have the original receipts and tracking info so I can prove I didn't buy the card second hand. I believe I complied with the MIR instructions exactly and if they hadn't "misplaced" my envelope I sent them, the whole - but you don't have back up proof- would not be an issue.

ATI has every right to claim they are in the right and not grant me the rebate. But if they are not going to let me send all my receipts and MIR coupon in the original box so they can honor the MIR then I am simply not going to do business with them again. I've never had a problem with a MIR submission before (except for 1 or 2 that I didn't bother to mail in).

I'm not going into CompUSA and plead my case and go through a bunch of crap for something that ATI bungled and won't make right. ATI won. Except for the thousands of dollars of my future video card purchases that they will never realize. If they do this to enough people it will start to hurt their bottom line eventually.

first of all, you did not comply with instructions or you'd have photocopied your UPC and this post would have neve been made.

secondly, we don't know that ATi misplaced anything . . . .

thirdly, CUSA sometimes does honor this type of things . . . so your [possible] loss

finally i don't think ATi cares . . . at all . . . you did not fillow instructions [period]

good luck with your G80



Bottom Line: YOU bungled - not ATi

and mikek753, MOST rebates are sent in within 30 days . . . plenty of time for a RMA or change of mind.

I know ATI doesn't care. That's why I will never buy another one of their cards. I'm not saying you or anyone else shouldn't. I just won't let anyone treat me that way and continue to do business with them.

If it makes you feel any better the whole thing was my fault. I will enjoy my future Nvidia cards. They support more of my monitors refresh rates with their drivers.

I guess I'm tired of defending my stance on this...Will be my last post in this thread.

 

[Raduque]

MIRs are such scams. I never buy anything that has a MIR. I see something that has a good price, it's like "300gb HD for $59.99*" And then the tiny text at the bottom next to the * says "after $59.99 mail in rebate" and at that point I'm like "well fvck that" I usually don't even bother to go to stores that advertise MIRs heavily, so it's lose-lose for them(no impulse purchases)!

Although, I once got a MIR processed in-store at the Office Depot's CS counter. They didn't give me all the forms I needed, and when I asked for them, the register girl simply gave me the rebate right then in cash.

 

[akugami]

Originally posted by: the Chase
I know ATI doesn't care. That's why I will never buy another one of their cards. I'm not saying you or anyone else shouldn't. I just won't let anyone treat me that way and continue to do business with them.

If it makes you feel any better the whole thing was my fault. I will enjoy my future Nvidia cards. They support more of my monitors refresh rates with their drivers.

I guess I'm tired of defending my stance on this...Will be my last post in this thread.

I think you're missing the point. nVidia doesn't care either. Nobody who is providing these rebates do. It is not in their best interest to honor these rebates. The less people claiming the rebates, the more money they make. To the best of my knowledge there is no monitor refresh rate that is supported by nVidia that ATI doesn't support.

 

[Elfear]

It doesn't really matter to us if you never buy ATI products ever again. The point we're trying to get you to see is that YOU are being irrational about this. YOU did not comply with the rebate instructions which is why you're in a pickle. You blame a company for treating rebates like any other company out there. I've sent in 20-30 rebates in my life and, almost without exception, they all required that I send in the original UPC. They also told me plain and simple on the rebate that I should make copies in case something gets lost. If you bought a car from somebody and they failed to produce a title would you just say "oh well, I'll just trust the guy that it's really his"?

If you can admit you're being irrational about this whole thing than maybe we'd feel a little bit more sorry for you.

 

[Pugnate]

I once had something like this happen to me with my cell phone company, AT&T. This was back in the day when contracts were required.

I signed a 2 year contract, which couldn't be broken. Paid $300 for a phone of which I was supposed to get $100 back in rebate.

They asked me to send a photocopy, which I did and it was clear as day. They said I should send another one because the copy I sent was poor. I swear to all that is divine, that it was a clear copy.

So by the time I sent a second one, the rebate expired.

I am not even joking about this.

So I said @$@$!% AT$T

I used the contract for one year, didn't pay a dime and told them to kiss my ass.