Rebate Comment

[steve torelli]

Good Morning All,

 

I feel compelled to post this after previous posts by myself and many others

concerning the trials and tribulations of maneuvering the Canon rebate maze. I

recently purchased my first third party lens ever, a Tamron 90mm 2.8 macro (an

excellent lens BTW). There was a $90 rebate offered on it, though I wasn't aware

of it until making the purchase from B&H. The day after receiving the lens I

filled out the paperwork and mailed it in. Ten days later, I received the check

from Tamron, no hassles, no questions asked.

 

I own and have owned a couple of dozen Canon lenses, and have never simply

received a rebate check without a problem of some kind, usually the "invalid

UPC" thing, other than one time. After coming from twenty years of Pentax film,

I went with Canon for digital because I saw them, correctly so, as the industry

leader. They do most things they do very well.

 

Surely they can handle their rebate system better than they do now. IMO, it's a

disgrace that a company with their resources and experience haven't addressed

this problem sooner, particularly after all the complaints that have been

registered. I have never been disappointed with Canon products, but their

customer service in this area is, without question, lacking.

 

Good luck.

[sattler123]

Amen to that!

[senate1]

oh god

and ive just send my stuff to them

5d and lens rebate form

OH No!

[mark u]

Actually, more recent posts suggest that Canon have managed to improve peoples' rebate experience in the US (it has never been a real problem in Europe):

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KVhD

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KFS2

 

No guarantees that it will continue that way of course, but I beleive they did sit up and take notice of the number of complaints.

[tommyinca]

What rebate? It is April 25 and there are no current rebate (except for camcorder).

[mark u]

There are current rebates in Europe and Canada:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KbBB

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KZMX

 

Not everyone with an internet connection lives in the USA!

 

Some more recent US rebate experiences:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KhZi

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Kdx5

[14mm 2.8l]

With no rebate "offers" to USA market I think Canon has figured out how to fix their well publicized rebate failures: Stop offering them in USA. I skipped buying a 5D due to rebate fiascos posted on the internet. So I face another year using my bought used EOS3 film body for full frame shots and Pentax dslr for digital crop shots.

 

Its revealing that a couple people got 2 checks while many others got hassled and denied. Canon's $700 rebate promise was worth nothing to me so I bought into pentax digital instead. When Canon can market a brandnew 5D at $2,200 at B&H without the rebate promise scams I'll buy one. I dont need a 5D for the next 12 months now that my wife and I own a two pentax dslrs.

 

Something I've wondered about recently, no Canon dslrs are Windows Vista compatible. Won't this new operating system pose a problem to the Canon and Nikon and Pentax and ect concerning their unsold dslr inventories in the coming months since none say "Vista Compatible"

 

Lindy

[bobatkins]

While there are problems with the rebate program, the usual thing happens. People who have probalems complain. Those who don't say silent. So all you read are complaints.

 

I don't know of any cases where anyone who has properly filled out the rebate forms and kept proper records have actually failed to get a rebate after contacting Canon if the &^%$#$% reabte fullfilment company gives them a hard time.

 

Not taking advantage of a $700 rebate because of the possibility of having to complain to Canon if there's some sort of paperwork problem doesn't seem to me to be the sensible way deal with things.

 

Yes, the rebates can be a hassle at times, but like I said, I'm not aware that Canon have failed to come though with the money for anyone who has valid copies of the rebate submission. I doubt Canon are happy with the situation either, but I'd guess that they just don't have the internal staff to deal with the paperwork involved.

 

If you ask, why not just a discount, you're obviously not in product marketing! Rebates work out cheaper for everyone involved.

 

If Canon don't offer any rebates this spring, I guess everyone will be happy?

[14mm 2.8l]

I'm fine with no rebates 'offers" this spring. But I own more than one 35mm system so I have options. I received a second identical brandnew pentax k mount dslr last Friday. Now the wife and I have one each and we can share the lenses I bought for her over past 6 months. The 2nd dslr ran me $429 w/ kit lens versus $2,800 minus $600 rebate promise plus another lens to purchase to qualify. I Absolutely Love my Eos3 film body so Canon Full Frame digital imaging is a desire for me, not a need.

 

Anyways its quite reassuring to read that Tamron knows how to operate a rebate program. I've only bought their glass second hand, but now I'd consider them for new purchases too.

[fourfa]

Current internet rumor holds that the rebates are processed at home by part-time or contract workers. Ever see those "Make $$$ working from home!" flyers? This is it. There is no supervision or oversight, just bags of submissions handed off, and data entered in a computer.

 

The interesting bit of the rumor is that these people treat your UPCs as a secondary source of income. If the receipt and UPC doesn't have your name printed on it, they can "lose" your submission and give it to a friend to resubmit, then split the money. According to this rumor it's wise to write your name on the UPCs and receipts in pen.

 

Like I said, internet rumor, though the originator claimed to have a sister in Young America MN who was a Canon rebate processor and learned the fraud trick from her fellow employees. There was an epic thread about it on dpreview (yeah, I know).

 

What I do know about rebate processors from articles in the business press (these were very frequent with the rise in factory rebates in the late 90s) - they are third-party contractors to Canon and Tamron et al, not at all integral parts of the business. They advertise to their clients with a number of metrics like average payout speed and overall payout rates. Some will go so far as to imply that payout rates do not exceed a certain percentage.

 

If Canon chose a processor with very slow payout speeds and low payout rates, it is not by accident. Likewise for Tamron if their processor is very quick.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebate_(marketing) (FWIW)

 

Google on lawsuits brought against Young America (Canon's choice of rebate processor) - these are legion; class action, state, and federal.

[fourfa]

<i>According to this rumor it's wise to write your name on the UPCs and receipts in pen.</i>

<p>

I meant to add - also to mail the materials at the last possible minute, to prevent them being resubmitted by someone else within the time window.

[chuck_c_charlottenc_]

Bob, I know that you're saying this 'tongue in cheek'... "If Canon don't offer any rebates this spring, I guess everyone will be happy?"

 

Well, I would NOT be happy! The savings through a rebate program is usually much, much more than any immediate discount program.

 

As Bob mentioned, if I fill out the paper work properly and make copies of all that I send, then I've found that I can always get my rebate, eventually.

 

I've seen an actual improvement with rebate programs over the last two to three years. I'd estimate that I get a 10% reject rate... and I can deal with that, but, I always, eventually, get my rebate.

 

//Chuck

[fourfa]

I take things I read on dpreview with a lot of skepticism. However federal class action joined by 40 states, I take very seriously as an indication of a problem.

[bobatkins]

One rebate I got last year (not Canon) gave me the option of either the full rebate with the usual 8-10 week delay, or for 10% of the rebate as an "expediting fee" they guaranteed that the paperwork would be processed and the check mailed out to me within 7 days. I chose to pay the 10% fee and indeed, within 2 weeks of me taking the rebate form to the mailbox I was in the bank depositing the check.

 

Currently I'm at week 12 of a wait for a $30 rebate on an Ultra memory card. The web site sill shows the rebate as being processed. Time for a phone call to them! I got a Lexar rebate after 8 weeks with no additional paperwork. I'm still in the 2-3 week stage on a couple of other rebates so I'm not expecting any action on either of those very soon, but I'll check on their status in a week or two.

 

You do have to do a little work. Keep copies of everything and a list of when you sent the rebate in and when it should be arriving. If there's a website, check it once a month. Not much work really if it gets you a few hundred dollars.

[PuppyDigs]

I've submitted a Canon rebate nearly very year since the mid-90s. Not a single problem and

always got the check in 4-6 weeks. Umax took over a year to send me a rebate on a

scanner...

[kurt_garcia]

I second Puppy Face's comment. I created the problem(not Canon) but it was quickly remmedied by the rebate department and had my 5D+70-200 IS rebate with in 4 weeks of subbmittal. Very happy! Bob is right most happy people stay quiet. Not me!

[rfdphoto]

I have to agree with you that i was disappointed by Canon's rebate program.

I cut out the UPCs on the boxes of both my 30D and EFS 17-85mm IS USM and mailed them in within the appropriate time frame. I photocopied them first, which was a smart thing on my part.

A few weeks later I received a check for $15 and an "invalid UPC" notification mailer.

The rebate was supposed to be $230.

I called to find out how the UPCs were invalid, indicating that there were no other UPCs to cut out. I was put on hold for about 2 minutes and then informed that a check for the full amount would be in the mail within 30 days. I did not have to explain myself, or ask twice.

 

So the question comes back: "WHY?"

 

Is this something they do just hoping people will take the smaller amount and not bother to call in? I think that is very shady of a company as large and reputable as Canon.

I was very disappointed.

[ron_hamblin]

The length of this thread in two days should be an eye opener to canon. Tamron, zap, canon took six months and phone calls to resolve. Once I got to that nice lady, name excapes me, it worked rather quickly. My thanks to her, and :( to canon. If they want their C back they will have to earn it. It is up to canon.

[cindy_castrilli]

To Andy Radin,

 

Andy I have been a rebate processor for 5 years, and we do take peoples submissions very serious, and we do not share peoples information or UPC's etc. I would not want this done to me, and you can not make copies of this info either.

So please retract your info, we are legit all the way, it is edited by the companies we do the rebates for , so please do not knock the average Joe that is trying to make a living working at home, some of us cannot travel to work.

Thankyou