Joint Class action committe: ETAK PCMCIA GPS SYSTEM

[Dx-treme]

This is the post from www.ETAK.com website.

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Question: I saw a link from Netbate or Ebate that showed a rebate on your PCMCIA connected GPS product, SkyMap 2000GPS\PCMCIA but it is gone now. Is it still in effect?

The SkyMap 2000 GPS/PCMCIA UPC P-35902600-7 does not have and has not had an open* rebate since March of 2000. Unfortunately Netbate secured the information and applied it to the wrong product without our knowledge or consent. We have contacted Netbate and they have removed it from the incorrect product. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
*There was a rebate for CompUSA purchases only, that ended 9/31/00. If you made this purchase your form from CompUSA will still be accepted.

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WE ARE ALL SCREWED. EXCEPT IF YOU BOUGHT YOUR GPS PCMCIA FROM WWW.COMPUSA.com. I DO NOT SEE WHY compusa buyers are different from us the other buyers. WE PAID WITH US LEGAL CURRENCY TOO. This is totally unacceptable

WE MUST DO SOMETHING. I thought netbate and etak will honor all those coupons before the site was bought down. Thanks to some M0r0ns who insists on publishing the coupons on thier site, now NObody gets a single cent.

What shall we do this time ?

(reminds me of the joint action force i got together during www.ubid.com fiasco last time. THey said we will get nothing ...bla .. bla .. moan ...moan. Result ? $ 750 free gift certificate form www.ubid.com)

My first letter to www.etak.com for protest already been emailed out. I suggest that if you are into this deal, email your letter out to them showing that we are serious. their email: skymapPR@etak.com

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Sir,
I was really disappointed with your reaction regarding the gps pcmcia rebate. I got my legal rebate form printed out and sent to www.ebate.com already and cut the upc code from my box which made my alternative of returning the product impossible.

I purchase the SONY GPS system in good faith and the sole reason to purchase the gps system is because of the available Manufacture mail in rebate. Now your company is claiming fraud, mistakes, misunderstanding and refuse to honor your own legally printed/published coupon.

This decision is uptmost unfair to your customers and the consumers. The least that you can do or consider doing as an ethical and honorable company is to honor the rebate form that was legally sent in before the rebate form was taken down.

I sincerely believe that this is a mistake on your part or www.ebate. Nevertheless, we as consumers do not have to suffer as the result of this consequences. Therefore either your party or ebate have to honor the rebate or you will have to accept your product back without the upc code and give the consumer the refund for the total purchase.

Kindly take this matter into consideration and do please do let me know.

sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXX

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Next step: If Etak still refuses our proposal we have to file a complaint/report to the FTC, BBB and all the governing bodies that we can get our hands on if they refuse to honor the coupon and cheat on us, the customer. Same old way on the class action suit that we proceed with www.ubid.com last time

 

[barebottoms]

On Sep/28/2000 9:37 AM DX-treme post:

"I called SKYMAP directly with some specific questions about skymap 2000 and found out some really BAD NEWS.

THE COMPANY OFFICIAL TOLD ME THE $75 REBATE IS FOR THE INTERNAL (SERIAL) VERSION ONLY !!!

Meaning: YOU ARE STUCK WITH THE SONY SOFTWARE ONLY (non NEMA compliance) !!

I even directed him to the netbate website showing the $75 rebate regardless of the version. He said, UPON inspecton of the UPC cutoff that you send during rebate time, only the serial (INTERNAL) version with the right UPC will get the $75 rebate. The only reason there is $75 rebate is to get rid of the serial version.

I try calling netbate with their tel no from their website but all i got is a automated talking %#@%#@%#@ phone. So i cannot verify it from there. HE also mentioned that rebate centers sometimes give out the wrong info.

GOOD NEWS:
WIn 2000 k update/drivers is in the work and should be available in 4-8 weeks.

OVERALL not a HOT DEAL. I was disappointed myself and thank god i did not place an order"

Given this information and the Fact that "i did not place" an order. Why are you bringing on this Class Action Suit? You directed them to the site for the rebate. So it seems you too are responsible for killing the deal.

Just my thoughts

 

[Dx-treme]

I directed them to the site but after it was taken down, at that time ETAk states via phone that they will honor the ones with the previous coupons printout.

then some m0r0ns decided to post and publish the coupon on their website so 100's of other late comers can get into the deal. THIS IS WHT CAUSES ETAK TO DISHONOR THE COUPON ENTIRELY.

At first i do not want to jump into the mess but seeing so many other ppl did (sold out at onvia, computers4sure ...etc) I couldnt hold back on a hot deal.

BTW, if you are not affected with this why do you even bother ?? If you are affected i urge you to do something and fight for oyur consumer rights

 

[cmv]

Damn... We are really screwed ...

 

[navap]

Can any one confirm the rebate for CompUSA purchases? What kind of rebate do they have? My order with Onvia is screwed up. I placed an oder Last Sat even before the deal went on most private deal link. Damn, for me $85 for this one, I'm willing to pay, regardless of the rebate. But for $99 with CompUSA, I have to think twice.

 

[cmv]

The details say "at CompUSA on or before 9/31/00" so...

The Garmin eTrex is only $95.99 shipped at dsports.com (with 20% off coupon that has free shipping).

 

[pyr]

Please........ Before you send out a letter to someone USE THE DAMN SPELL CHECKER!!!!!!! Your letter makes you look like you havent the slightest idea of what you are talking about because the whole thing is full of errors.

 

[Zorro]

Realie yours speeling is suck

 

[Dx-treme]

I was so pissed when i type that letter up ! Wht is the difference between buying the gps from compusa then anywhere else ?

for $ 95 i know of many other better GPS system out there than this piece of crap that doesnt even support win nt or win 2k.

I am going to find out the address of ETAK's parent company and file complaints to them as well.

 

[cmv]

The etak is basically a serial port and a gps unit in one PCMCIA card. I'm sure it'll work just fine in any operating system with the NMEA out.

 

[HEUGE]

I feel for you guys, but <$100.00 is not a bad deal for the ETAK unit. I was seriously considering this product with there was a $75.00 rebate with a retail price from $175-$200. I ended-up going with the Delorme Earthmate Roadwarrior because it works with my Palm.

The price of the unit includes both the hardware and the software, so a GPS plus software for <$10.00 due to this deal would be incredible. <$100 is more than reasonable. It looks like Sony/ETAK dropped the retail price of the unit to equal the old cost minus old rebate.

Software costs really do suck, because there is now a new version of the Delorme Eartmate and Solus Pro software. These cost $29.00 each as an upgrade price ($59.98 for both). The eTrex is a nice little unit that I might have bought if I had given another week thinking, but then in addition to the $100.00 price, you would need to buy software (some near free with rebates, and others more $$s).

Good luck getting your $$$'s, but a class action suit would have to be aimed at the coupon provider. Sony didn't directly link the coupon so they are relatively protected. You would also probably need to go after the vendor that had improperly linked the invalid coupon.

 

[MontyBurns]

exactly whom will you be &quot;filing a complaint&quot; against, and in what forum?

 

[Groch]

I understand them not honoring the coupon after it was pulled, but those of us who purchased it before that did it in good faith. Either Etak or CNET screwed up, and whoever did should take responsibility. Especially since the online vendor I bought it from charges 20% restocking. I do not have the option of opting out like ETAK appearantly did.

 

[Bob61]

The MODS must be getting soft. They are letting a lot of posts just float around that aren't hot deals. This should be posted in the BRAG AND MOAN thread. Nothing hot here other than a couple of people who jumped into a deal without checking out the facts. Seriouslly, a class action suit -- this world is just too dang suit happy.

 

[Souka]

Awww---crud.

Got the PCMCIA version....

my Win98 desktop can't use it, cuz my PCMCIA SCSI cardreader treats it like a drive...aka not on a COM port. Hence, the software can't find it, eventhough it's installed fine.

My Laptop has Windows 2000...so I don't have a driver to install the PCMCIA unit....


And after reading this thread, I won't get my rebate? Forunately, I got my letter back from the postal carrier....but because I cut the UPC code off the product, I dunno if I can get a RMA....

Ugh... hopefully computer4sure (where I bought it) will let me return it.

 

[Souka]

Ugh...no dice returning the product because I already cut the UPC code from the box.

Welp...I'm gonna go b*tch the GPS folk tomorrow.....doubt anything will come of it.

Maybe I'll hit them up for $100 worth of traffic info....as if they'll do that...they got my money...end of story.


As a consumer, what can we do? Does anyone REALLY know?

 

[MisterEd]

It's CNET's error, we need to confront them. They posted (according to ETAK) an unauthorized rebate form. I would have never purchased this item if it wasn't for the rebate. Now I can't return it (cut out UPC and mailed it).

 

[Souka]

I spoke with eTak support. Here's the scoop:

NetRebate posted the $75 rebate without etak's concent. Etak is NOT responsible, legally or ethicaly. Example: If I put up a cupon for a 100% refund on Gateway comptuers, is Gateway responsible? Heck no.

NetRebate &quot;may&quot; pickup the tab for those people who ordered teh unit BEFORE the rebate was taken off-line.

I am waiting for a call from NetRebate regarding this issue. I will post what I learn from them.

 

[pete777]

when did the netbate pull out the rebate?

 

[Zero]

MisterEd,
How would CNET get a hold of this bogus rebate? How would a rebate like this be misprinted? Wouldn't it come straight from the manufacturer(ETAK)? Weird.

Todd

 

[Souka]

The rebate is for the SERIAL version only.

NetRebate posted incorrectly and improperly.

From what I can tell, Cnet didn't post the rebate, just a link for it.

 

[navap]

I don't see whose error for this, but for what I see Etak take full benefit of it. Their products are the hottest in most price search engines, besides, they are out of stock every where. If it wasn't for the rebate, I think only a few people would interesting in their product.