Canon Rebate Update

[delwyn_ching]

Well, I was in for a surpise when I checked the status of the rebates I

submitted. I bought a 5D and 70-200 f/3.8L IS and would receive a double

rebate totalling $700. In my posting last week, I mentioned there was a

problem processing the rebate and the status website stated I submitted the

incorect UPC barcode from the lens box which by the way, there's only 1 UPC

barcode with the serial number right above and I sent both the original UPC

and serial number to the rebate center. I called the toll free number and

told them I submitted everything the rebate form asked and made copies of

everything. In addition, I told them I sent it Certified Mail with return

receipt so they can't say they received it pass the deadline. I told them

I'll fax everything in and also will send it to Canon USA Marketing. The

person replied, "whatever" and I slammed the phone on him.

 

Lo and behold, I just checked and it shows the error non-compliance postcard

was sent. It also shows a $50 check was sent and a $650 check plus a non-

compliance postcard to resubmit for a $100 check for the lens. I sure hope

Canon finds a better contractor to handle their rebates or better yet, don't

give out mail-in rebates and go for instant rebates at the register.

[davyjo]

My $240 Rebate is showing "PROCCESSING" on the website. It's been that way for three weeks. Seems to me that If everything is complete and there are no errors, a check should be written and mailed instantly. Unfortunately I have to wait through a "check approved" step. Then a "check mailed" step. Bottom line is they should find someone better to handle the rebates...

[gdanmitchell]

<p>Unfortunately, this is a very common occurance with the Canon and other rebates. (It

may be more upsetting in this case because the rebate amounts are so large.)

 

<p>There is a current very active <a href="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/

488115/0">thread on this topic</a> at the Fred Miranda forum.

 

<p>Variations on your story are very typical: You carefully submit all required materials

before the deadline only to be told that there is a problem with your UPC code on the

camera, and that you will recieve no rebate or perhaps only the very small rebate on a

lens. In most cases, when the "victim" calls and reports that they have a copy of the rebate

materials and that they sent them on time, the rebate processing firm suddenly - and

sometimes without explanation - decides that there really was no problem, and the full

rebate check is processed.

 

<p>Many believe that the companies offering rebates and the firms that process them

profit from the fact that many people do not pursue rebates. A very large percentage of

eligible buyers never send in the materials; a certain percentage make errors that

disqualify them; others simply give up when they get a message denying their valid rebate

request. In the current case, there is reason to wonder whether the rebate firm is declaring

a lot of applications to be invalid with the knowledge that some percentage of those

receiving this message will simply give up.

 

<p>There are many lessons to be learned here. The first and most timely one is that

anyone encountering a rebate refusal from Canon for these reasons should immediately

follow up on the problem and insist on a resolution. (On my last rebate I finally had to

contact Canon before their rebate processing firm would release the check.) Second, be

very careful with your rebate applications: fill out all forms very carefully, make copies of

everything, send the materials in early, and so forth. Third, if you encounter problems with

the firm processing the rebate, do not give up. Fourth, let the vendor (in this case Canon)

know that you are having this problem and that it reflects poorly on their public image.

 

<p>I don't have the link handy, but there was a recent article in <a href="http://

www.sfgate.com/">SF Gate</a> (online version of the SF Chronicle) that provided a lot of

interesting information about the whole rebate business.

 

<p>Dan

[jon_austin]

Rebates are the biggest scam in retail marketing today. The idea is to motivate the consumer to buy at the point of purchase, by promoting the notion of $$ saved off the regular price.

 

Since the consumer still pays the regular purchase price, they also pay sales tax on the full price.

 

When the rebate claim is correctly and timely submitted, there's no reason on Earth why it should take "6 to 8 weeks for processing." The rebate companies take that long to mail you a check, hoping you'll simply forget about it in the meantime.

 

I say all of this even though every Canon rebate I've submitted has been paid without any further action from me after submitting it. However, I truly believe that these rebate companies (who are contracted with by the manufacturers for their services) intentionally torpedo a certain percentage of the claim submissions (more or less at random).

 

In June, my wife bought a phone from a wireless carrier on a new contract, and it qualified for a $50 rebate. I submitted the materials in a timely manner, completely and correctly. After about a month, I received the entire submission back, envelope intact, with the front stamped "Return to Sender - Received past Deadline."

 

I called the rebate company, and explained to them that the envelope was postmarked several weeks before the deadline. They "apologized," and gave me a new PO box number to mail the claim to. Which I did.

 

Four or five weeks later, I get a letter stating that the rebate claim is denied, because the phone number on the account is no longer active. Which wasn't true; the phone number had never been deactivated nor the account ever delinquent since activated. So I called again. They "apologized" again, and told me they'd reprocess the claim.

 

Another four or five weeks later, I get the same letter again. This time, when I called, I was really p-o'd. I went through two levels of supervisor before I was informed that "the period for processing rebates for that promotion has expired."

 

I cursed them non-profanely, hung up, called the carrier directly, told them the whole ugly story, and then told them they could either credit the account immediately for the $50, or we would cancel the account and return the phone immediately. We had the credit posted to our account later the same day.

 

Bottom line, I never make a purchase decision on the basis of the value of a rebate.

[delwyn_ching]

I agree with all of you regarding this issue. It makes better sense to have instant rebates right when you purchase something rather than mail-in rebates but these companies count on incorrect submissions as well as people forgetting, to make their money. Sometimes they make it so hard that people leave it as is since it's not worth the effort.