LEXAR REBATES ARE BOGUS! BEWARE!

[kelly_flanigan1]

The rebate fine print is made/designed to trip you up. If wrong; you get no rebate at all. Most rebates are rejected because the specific exact rules were not followed; not that they are ripping you off. This year I filled out about 8 rebates; and got about 6; the two got the canned "denied"; but they were filled out the same way. Some repates ask you to circle the price paid on the receipt; circle the date; circle the store. Those folks who cannot draw the three circles fail the test; and get no rebate.

[akajohndoe]

I purchased mine within the allotted time, sent the orginal UPC, bought from a valid retailer, and was still rejected.

 

DON"T BUY FROM LIARS AND THIEVES! LEXAR: BE VERY ASHAMED!

[kelly_flanigan1]

Rebates can take along time; the longest ones I have recieved followed me after I moved; and came 18 months after being submitted. Often they are 90 days; to place the expense in the next business quarters books. The success rate of rebates is poor; most folks dont read the instructions; or file/postmark them too late; dont circle the requested items; dont clip the UPC code; dont use a different name and address for duplicates. They check all this stuff; in case of audits; which do occur. The requirements and rules for submitting rebates has grown real picky. In some the postmark date can be only a few days after purchase!

[kelly_flanigan1]

Here I used a Lexar rebate on a card reader last year; and got the rebate; an uneventfull event. But; I also bought from Cambridge Camera for almost 40 years with no problems too.

[capocheny]

DN,

 

I, too, purchased a couple of their products and the dealer sent in the rebate

documentation to the address in Ontario, Canada. On the first go-round, they said

the documentation hadn't been received. So, I sent them in copies and, lo and behold,

the originals showed up. I didn't hear back from them for quite awhile so I went onto

the website that was provided (to track the refund.) Nothing was in the works so I

sent them another note... the second time round, I had to send in the copies to some

address in the US. I waited and waited and waited and, finally, after what seemed

forever, I received my rebate.

 

I think it's probably important to keep hounding them and don't let them off the

hook. However, at times, I wondered whether it was worth the effort or not? Then

I decided that it was more a matter of principle than an issue of money. So, don't let

up... stick to your guns!

 

Good luck..

 

Cheers

[archie_alcantara1]

Similar experience...bought 512 mb compactflash from CompUSA via website....CompUSA had a $30.00 rebate form sent with shipment....submitted this to Lexar..denied it because the rebate form was for wrong period (I sent the rebate form for current promo, but invoice was before the current promo started...and yes, I mailed the request prior to the postmark deadline)....will never buy Lexar products again....

[markus_baue]

try fotoclub.com

 

they have great prices and no rebate forms needed...

 

i got a 1gig lexar from them a month or two ago... and the prices have gone down

since then...

[t._duane_jones]

I sent an email to Lexar's corporate office, to advise them of whats going on with the rebate. I am waiting for my check as well, so maybe I'll hear a reply from them, and the situation will be resolved. I'll keep you updated.

 

Duane

[jackflesher]

Thanks for posting this -- I will NOT be buying any more Lexar products.

[leonard_evens]

I have actually never had a rebate turned down, although on occasion it has taken me several tries and a lot of effort to get the rebate. And often I don't bother because it seems to be too much trouble.

 

But one thing is clear. The rebate system is designed to put obstacles in your way and thereby discourage you from applying for the rebate. Perhaps they also hope you will never notice that you didn't get it. In principle, rebates are a form of price competition. If you have a choice of two products which are more or less the same, you will normally choose the cheaper one. Offering a rebate is a way to get you to choose their product. But they clearly hope that you won't actually apply for the rebate or that it will be turned down. Otherwise they would just offer you the discount directly or they would have the retail seller process it and send you the rebate themselves rather than farming it out to a rebate processing center. This is yet another form of corporate dishonesty where they appear you offer you something that you may not actually get. A free market can't operate properly where you can't believe anything the seller tells you. It appears that today we are in a buyer beware environment and so-called reputable companies freely encourage it.

[el_fang]

Thanks also for this post. I was about to upgrade all five of my 40x 1GB cards to the same number of Lexar 80x 2GB (a $1000 purchase from B&H) but have changed out to Sandisk instead.

[rickaubin]

I received this email from Lexar shortly after sending the rebate to them. I checked the Claim ID at the website and found out my order was being processed. I'm not holding my breath, but at least I got a positive answer.

 

Dear RICK AUBIN:

 

Thank you for your purchase of a Lexar Media product. We have received

your Lexar Media rebate and are processing your claim. Please allow 6-8 weeks

for processing. If you would like to check the status of your claim online,

please refer to www.rebate-zone.com/LexarMedia. Your Claim ID is XXXXXXXX.

Again, thank you for your patronage.

 

This is an automatically generated email that is unable to accommodate replies.

Please be aware that you have not been added to an email list.

 

Lexar Media Rebate Center

Customer Care

[l_a_k_h_i_n_d_e_r]

I once bought some software, About $100 worth, and they wanted me to

send in proof of purchase from the older version. I cut it from the old box, and sent it. Upgrade Rebate was about $60.

 

They wrote back saying they need the old CD as well! I wrote them an

angry letter, telling them that nowhere on the rebate-form CD was asked

for!

 

Never heard from them again. Rebates are a pain! Of course, my story has nothing to do with Lexar.

[grepmat]

When I see a rebate offer, I ask myself: Is this offer worth the time it takes for me to comply with its terms? How about any distraction I might feel in waiting and wondering, even assuming that they will in fact follow through? And if they don't, how much anger and frustration will I feel? Even if all that is worth the risk, is it enough to sway me to purchase their product over one that is not offering a rebate? For the usual rebate on a stack of blank CD's, or the like, the answer is absolutely not! When I'm in a grocery store, or any of those thousands of places that want to sign me up for a "loyalty card," I ask myself a similar thing. The answer seems to always be "no, thanks," and my life is simpler for it. People, assume greater control over your lives. Yes, it is wrong that companies knowingly reneg on their offers. There is no honor among thieves, but there is also no free lunch. You make your own choices in life, and one of them is what you are willing to invest your time and energy into. Which reminds me... I should spend less time reading and posting to these sorts of threads. Cheers.

[daniel_smith6]

Why not have all you guys send the complaints to your US Senators offices. They love to handle problems for voters as it makes them look like they are doing something. Every company out there is afraid of them & government intrusion/investigations.

[jim_gifford]

Grepmat, I agree with you in general but what you call "loyalty cards" at grocery store chains actually are worth the small hassle of (a) filling out a form and (b) remembering to use the card or key in your phone number. I save more than a thousand dollars a year using them. That's worth some few minutes of minor inconvenience and annoyance.

[digitmstr]

>>When I see a rebate offer, I ask myself: Is this offer worth the time it takes for me to comply with its terms?<<

 

That is not the point here. Companies should honor rebates or show proof of non-compliance on the part of the customers' whose rebates were denied.

 

There are Federal laws which regulate commerce (advertising, etc...) and the rebates fall clearly under that jurisdiction. I suggest that if enough people get screwed from LEXAR that they (WE) start a class action lawsuit. And for those who say "it ain't worth my time" think about this: soon enough NOTHING will be worth your time which would in turn mean that your time is worth NOTHING.

 

Companies, unfortunately, lobby Congress much more than we consumers do and as it is evident, many times people fault the victims NOT the companies. A shiny example of that was VP Cheney who told Californians "they did it to themselves" when Senators from that State asked to meet with him regarding the energy price gouging perpetrated by Enron. Now, we all know that Enron has been found guilty of FRAUD and many of its exec. are slowly but surely being incarcerated.

 

IF people write letters, make themselves heard and take actions things can and do change.

[digitmstr]

I have sent for the same rebate last week. If I get denied I would like to contact all of you and write a letter on all our behalf. I will let you know.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Some rebates will void all your entries; if you submit multiple entries; and this is clearly stated in the terms of the rebate. A mulitple entry can void all your entires; to the same address and name. Maybe this is like applying for college; or a job; where they seem to like to cull out those who dont fill out the entry forms well; leave out info; cannot read; assume. This is more of a very basic reading and following of instructions problem; than a problem a Senator or Attorney General should be wasting time and tax dollars on.

[Troll]

They get away with it only because the amounts are individually too small for the customer to waste his time pursueing the rebate.

[grepmat]

Giampiero: Of course they should. I said so myself in that same post. But that was not *my* point. My point was that people can and maybe should decide not to waste their time right from the start, especially in a game such as the typical "rebate", which is all too often deliberately rigged to thwart and frustrate you, and is often highly misleading if not an outright fraudt. Just because the law says something doesn't mean companies don't make every effort to skirt it.

 

 

And, Mr. Gifford, I commend you. You must be lucky enough to have a large family. But are people really saving? Or are they just getting the same savings you would have gotten before cards came into existence, but must now have a card to get? Personally, I do my grocery shopping at a great local store that does not have cards, or even sales, but offers daily prices that are competetive with the local mega-chain. By doing so, I don't waste any mental energy, and just get what I want when I want it. Maybe that simple and direct approach results in savings for me than, say, buying a gallon jar of pickles just because it's a "good value." Sadly, our world is turning away from that sort of simplicity. Cheers.

[digitmstr]

> My point was that people can and maybe should decide not to waste their time right from the start...mr. Gifford...<<

 

Mr. Gifford? What's up with that? The point is that it should not be a waste of time, it should be what is says it is, in print.

[jim_gifford]

<<are they just getting the same savings you would have gotten before cards came into existence, but must now have a card to get>>

 

Yes.

[bryan_lardizabal]

Lexar Rebate center said my rebate is not valid because my invoice is not in the

rebate period. That is TOTAL BS!!! I have a dated invoice 1 day before the rebate

cutoff date...they said my request is invalid.

[grepmat]

Mr. Scuderi, "the" point is up for debate. What you are describing is your point. I was clear about making my own point. Also, I was addressing Mr. Gifford separately. Unfortunately, photonet's primative system does not allow me to break paragraphs, at least using my default browser. Another point about loyalty cards: They, almost by definition, result in higher costs to consumers. They cost money to implement, and if companies did not net greater profits by their use, hence extracting more dollars more efficiently from consumers, they would not use them at all. But now that consumers are used to them, they cheerfully bear these hidden costs as well as the additional inconvenience, all while voluntarily giving up a measure of their privacy. It's a strange world we live in, but live in it we must. Cheers.