how good is compusa in helping get rebates when the rebate issuer is being difficult

[xyyz]

i know fry's is specatular when it comes to rebates. they can get you rebates that are over a year old. microcenter is also just as good, if not better, they give you the cash right there and then at times.

i'm wondering if compusa is just as good. over 8 weeks back, i submitted a $50 viewsonic rebate, and never got anything back, so i called them and i was instructed to resubmit the rebate with "second attempt" written on the evelope.

a few days ago my rebate was rejected. i called the rebate issuing company and they stated that any second offer had to be resubmitted 4 weeks after the deadline of the rebate. this makes no sense on so many levels, but not the least being the rebate form says to contact them after 8 weeks after the submission.

i tried arguing this with them, i guess i'm no good at trying to get them to see things my way, because it was like talking to a wall.

so now, i'm confused about what i should do. has anyone had any luck with compusa in having them get hound the rebate company? what are my other options. i purchased the item with an AMEX card, and i know they help with insurance and other stuff, but i don't know if they'll help with the rebates. anyone ever give them a shot?

if the rebate was $5-$10, i'd grumble and let it go, but it was for $50, which is a lot of money for me.

any and all help (not smart-ass remarks) will be appreciated.

thanks.

 

[Kelemvor]

Contact the Better Business Bureau and your state's Attorney General / Consumer Affairs office. Always works for me plus it gets documented.

 

[acemcmac]

Time to raise hell. You should have been notified by email or postcard if your rebate was turned down for any reason. Again, RAISE HELL.

 

[xyyz]

see i lack these "raise hell" skills. other than telling them they're going against their regulations, what more can i do?

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: xyyz
see i lack these "raise hell" skills. other than telling them they're going against their regulations, what more can i do?

Then raise heck. It's not quite as loud, but often works even better.

It consists of being persistant and committed. Have as complete documentation as possible, with you. Go into the store and ask to speak with the manager. Stay polite at all times. Never apologize, because by staying polite at all times, you will never have a legitimate reason to do so. Quietly stay on messge -- this means YOU control the conversation, simply repeating your well supported points again and again.

This may be hard for you if you are shy or non-confrontative, but, remember, YOU ARE RIGHT. Look the guy in the eye, stay calm, don't be buffaloed by any false roadblocks he (or she) may try to throw up. If 'he' remains adamently opposed, simply ask for HIS immediate superior. Do not leave w/o a name, a title, and the most direct way to contact that person. Specific phone# > all other means. A specific extension means you have a specific phone number. If you don't get one, ask for one. That's when you'll find out the mgr has given you the all but useless, one size fits all, general complaint number. Do NOT settle for this.

And . . . assume support. Not feeling confident? Fake it 'til you make it, is what they say. Anyway, since you know you're in the right, act as though the mgr. you're talking to knows this in their heart of hearts as well, because they do. Personalities differ, but that mgr. is not the debbil, just another jamoke trying to make it through the day.

In our next class, we will discuss off topic schmoozing as a strategic implement.

 

[Kelemvor]

The store doesn't have to do anything so going in there may be fruitless but give it a shot. As for raising hell, that's why I said to contact the attorny general/consumr affairs office. They will contact the rebate place for you and get results. I got over $100 from Worst Buy one time just because they'd screwed me out of $15 and then pissed me off enough by not responding to me. BBB and AG got on them and each got results.

 

[AtlantaBob]

Raise Hell.... that's a good point. If they're not doing what's right, have the number for the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General for your state with you and call right then. Ask for the number for the manager's supervisor. Ask for the regional VP of sales. Often, if you look at the BBB web site, you'll find a nice number that goes directly to the corporate office. Be nice to the people in the office there, and explain how the manager at the local level is being unreasonable and crazy. If they start to act all snotty on you, then tell them that you're giving them 1 hour to make things right before you call the BBB and the AG. Heck, threaten to call the News as well.

Oh, and buy from Microcenter. I had to deal with them on a MadDog rebate that never came (BAD, BAD company) and their manager was absolutely wonderful about it--called and fixed the problem for me, gave me his number, and said if the check wasn't in my hand in a week, come in and get cash from him. That's customer service.

Just as a side note, Cingular has bad customer service, TMobile is pretty good. Wachovia is evil, but I like WAMU. <-- dealt with these companies and feel it's my duty to explain how good or bad they are as often as possible.

 

[xyyz]

i'm happy to report that the matter has been resolved.

the compusa rep said there wasn't much he could do since it was viewsonic's own rebate. he agreed with the BBB and the AG bit, but suggested i try the corporate offices before hand. i called them up and they were pretty helpful. they took the contact information and said the rebate issuer was an outside company.

a few days later i received a message from the viewsonic people stating that "after reviewing the rebate" they decide to honor it, and that they'd submit payment soon.

thanks to all that helped. i've made notes on how to deal in future. oh, and from now on, i'll stay clear from compusa's rebates.

 

[XZeroII]

Glad you got it taken care of. CompUSA was sued over a year ago and lost because of their bad rebate practices. They can no longer offer rebates unless they know for sure that the company will honor them. Trust me, the last thing they want is complaints regarding their rebate practices.