Canon Rebate Scam?

<p>I recently purchased a 40D kit, L lens and Pixma printer. I had been tracking prices and deals for sometime, so when B&H posted a $300 Canon rebate I pulled the trigger. Ordering thru B&H's website was great and my shipment arrived quickly. Included in the package were concise mail-in rebate instructions, clearly indicating the required documentation (UPC's, receipts, etc...). I made copies and sent it off. I recently receive a letter stating "... your Canon rebate could not be honored because a UPC is missing & UPC is invalid". I was very thorough and triple checked the packing list and required docs.<br>

With very little effort searching on the web I come to find many other people have had the identical experience. It seems Advertising Checking Bureau, Inc. is the common thread. <br>

Has anyone had any luck receiving a rebate? Does B&H or other sellers have some level or responsibility since they are the beneficiaries of the purchase under the pretense of a rebate? Should these businesses advocate for their customers since it reflects poorly?<br>

Is the best course of action to contact the NY District Attoneys office and/or NY State Consumer Protection Board? It looks as though Advertising Checking Buearu is headquater out of NY.<br>

I'm thinking if I can find many complaints with short search that with some effort attornies would turn up much more... this has class action written all over it. While I may never see my rebate at least these companies with questionable practices and their officers will take a thumping.<br>

S-</p>

<p>This resembles old Canon rebate scam, when purchasing Canon camera AND Canon printer bundle was offered at $150 combind rebate.</p>

<p>I actually did the purchase from local store, after verifying with local vendor validity of the rebate at that time.</p>

<p>Later I received letter from Canon that: "The camera serial number does not qualify for this rebate". The local vendor was surprised, but that happenned also to other people at that time.</p>

<p>Contact BH. What do they say?</p>

<p> </p>

>>> Is the best course of action to contact the NY District Attoneys office and/or NY State Consumer Protection Board?

... I'm thinking if I can find many complaints with short search that with some effort attornies would turn up much more...

this has class action written all over it.

 

 

Why not start with B&H before going nuclear?

<p>So, you sent the rebate claim to Canon, the denial came from Canon, and you're blaming B&H? There's something about that I don't get. However, I'm willing to bet that B&H will help you with the problem, regardless. As Brad said, before going nuclear, why not contact them? It's a little soon to be turning a relatively simply problem into a headline item on CNN......</p>

Rebates are handled by third parties, in this case the Advertising Checking Bureau, Inc., 99.9% of the time. The company offering the rebate contracts with the third party to verify the required docs and prepare and mail the rebates. The company provides the third party with the requirements and the third party has a huge staff of clerical employees checking the submitted docs against the requirements. With the large volume these third parties handle, stuff gets lost, some clerk makes a mistake, etc. Assuming you made a copy of the required docs before you mailed them, you should make two copies of your copies and two copies of the letter you received. Write a letter to the ACB detailing the circumstances; where and when you purchased the bundle and the fact that you sent everything required to them and to reconsider their decision. Send this letter to them along with a copies of your docs and the letter they sent you. Then write a letter to Canon with the same information, copies of your docs, the letter you received, and the letter you wrote to ACB. BTW, the letter you received from "Canon" was more than likely actually from ACB on Canon letter head, which how the "you don't qualify" letters are normally handled.

<blockquote>

<p>. I made copies and sent it off</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>That I think is your problem. You have to send in the original receipts and UPC codes (cut from the boxes you purchased the items in) and send those in. Copies are not valid for processing rebates when you read through all the fine print they give you to sift through.</p>

<p>When I had a similar problem a while back, I called the help number for the rebate outfit (I had of course kept copies of everything, UPC and all). A nice lady in the Indian subcontinent (I think) checked on it, I gave her the numbers, etc. and she straightened it all out and I got the check within a week. The problem is with the rebate company, but both Canon and B&H will probably help you out if needed. But call the rebate company first and see if it can't be made right. If not, let Canon know what is being done in their name and how you feel about it (politely of course, even if you don't feel that way).</p>

<p>"Never anger a waiter <em>before</em> you get your food" .... Ancient Swedish folk saying.</p>

<p>Uh, you DID make copies of everything before you sent it off, right?</p>

<p>I did make copies and sent originals. Interesting caveat. Apparently it took 3 weeks for the denial letter to arrive. There is a 30 day dispute window, I received it with 1 week to respond.<br>

I'll keep you posted on my rebate adventures.</p>

<p>Just call the rebate company (it's not Canon}. This exact same thing happens almost any time I send in rebate forms - once you call and tell them that you do have copies of everything and that you'd be happy to supply them with the copies, the rebate gets miracuously (sp?) approved! This is a typical scam to cheat you out of your rebate. It is very sad that Canon allows this to happen. They MUST be aware of this going on because it happens every time. Of course, not having to pay the rebates saves Canon a bundle too - wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of bonus for the rebate processing company if they minimze the rebates paid out.</p>

<p>The business term for this is breakage, and they consider it profit. Disabuse them of this assumption.</p>

<p>With mail-in rebates i've been screwed a couple of times...but not from the store where i brought the item...but, as someone said, from 3rd. party outfits. Some stores BTW, have had so many complaints, that they no longer offer mail-in rebates. Nowdays, if its not an 'instant-rebate' then i don't fool with it...</p>

<p>I have had no problems with rebates thus far, but I rarely pay attention to them much... In this particular instance, if you see the same problem popping up again and again on the internet, it most likely is an actual business practice to deny and hope no one complains. I would contact the NYS attorney general and anyone else that might listen to put and end to the practice. </p>

<p>Insurance companies regularly participate in this kind of fraud and until someone sues the pants off them it will never change.</p>

<p>I don't think the letter you got from Canon is actually from Canon, companies usually have third parties doing their rebate claims. Happened to me twice, I sent all the required documents in but got back letters saying I missed some. I copied and resent the required documents and finally got the rebates.</p>

<p>AFter Canon had got so many complaints from customers, they finally switched to the Instant Rebate for camera and lenses, I don't know why they're still using the mail-in for printer.</p>

<p>Heard somwhere that those "rebate companies" make money on the rebates that people never claim, don't know if it's true.</p>

 

<p>Call Canon and complain. You can fight with the rebate company too, but you may have more success going through Canon.</p>

<p>It's also the case that the 3rd party rebate companies just "try it on" sometimes. If you call and complain and tell them you have documentation copies, they'll often put up no fight at all and simply pay you the rebate.</p>

<p>This is nothing to do with the vendor. It's not B&H's problem. The fight is between you and the rebate fullfillment company, with Canon somewhere in between you two.</p>

<p><em>This is nothing to do with the vendor. It's not B&H's problem. The fight is between you and the rebate fullfillment company, with Canon somewhere in between you two.</em></p>

<p>Thank you. We're certainly sorry Steve's had a problem with the rebate fulfillment company Canon USA has employed. The fact is there's little a retailer can do to help resolve this. We have as relationship with Canon USA but none at all with the rebate fulfillment vendor. Were it possible to advocate on your behalf, we'd be glad to do so, but our "pull" such as it is is with Canon USA and not with the rebate fulfillment company.</p>

<p>Finally, so far this is an error. Presuming it's a scam at this early date is just a little premature IMO.</p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /> <strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

<p>Steven,</p>

<p>I haven't heard the term "breakage" since I was a sales rep in the photo business back in the 1970s. My company offered advertising co-op money for dealers to advertise our products in their local media. Our accountants budgeted only 80 percent of the co-op dollars we gave away, with the other 20 percent being breakage. It's actually budgeted for. However, if third-party fulfillment companies are playing games today to meet breakage budgets, shame on them.</p>

<p>Will</p>

<p>Those rebate fufillment companies should be shut down via a US Federal law. Perhaps the Rico Act already applies?</p>

<p>Keep copies of everything you send in, send them copies of the copies, keep at them until they pay you. Report them to your state's Attorney General office, and let it go in-between interactions for the sake of your own health.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Those rebate fufillment companies should be shut down via a US Federal law.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Some of them have been prosecuted. If the Attorney General gets enough complaints, action is sometimes taken.</p>

<p>I have over a 90% rate of success with rebates. It is 100% if you just count computer and photo equipment.</p>

<p>Go over the requirements again to make sure you sent all they asked for. Contact the fulfilment company. If you don't get satisfaction contact Canon.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>I recieved a denial letter once for a rebate. Called and was told that all was well and it had been processed properly. The check showed up a couple days later. Go figure.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>Rebate sucess varies with how you follow rules. If you follow exactly; one has a radically higher sucess rate; but often still not 100 percent. Rebates "work" because many folks assume stuff; it gets kicked out. Folks not getting rebates is ancient; many decades old. So is not getting 100 percent on other tests in life.</p>

<p>as marc seaid above "Go over the requirements again to make sure you sent all they asked for. Contact the fulfilment company. If you don't get satisfaction contact Canon."</p>

 

<p>I know that the box can have more than one bar code...are you sure you cut out the correct one?</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>SCAMMED ME TOO. BOUGHT A $1500 TAMRON LENS WITH REBATE ADVERTISED ON B AND H WEBSITE, THE PORTION OF THE BOX REQUIRED TO GET A REBATE WAS REMOVED WITH AN AUTOMATED DIE CUT RECTANGLE. WHEN NOTIFIED B AND H SIMPLY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING. FILED CLAIM WITH VISA/BANK, NUMEROUS BBB AND YELP, ETC REPORTS, AND HERE. THIS APPARENTLY IS A SCAM OF B AND H. WILL BE REPORTING THIS TO TAMRON, HOPEFULLY TO PULL B AND H'S AUTHORIZATION AS A DEALER OF TAMRON PRODUCTS.</p>