Check this out. This is what I just sent Mr. French. I will let you know what he says. Also, for all of you who have heard the "Parago" is the bad guy bullsh|t, read my letter and you'll see who is really at fault here.
Mr. French,
I am sure you are aware of what this letter pertains to, but I shall continue anyway. I purchased your PCRW80 CD burning drive. My rebate was bought and submitted to Parago on 8/22/01. When I had not received this rebate by the beginning of October I immediately inquired with Phillips and was give a case number (U52-xxxxxx) and told I would receive my rebate in 4-6 weeks. I accepted this due to your Customer Service Representative telling me the story about how Parago was the bad one in this deal (although I find the badmouthing of Parago disgusting since I receive rebates from them monthly, within the rebates posted time). I then after a few days received a letter stating the rebate would take 6-8 more weeks! I immediately called to express my concern/disgust and was given the same excuses. I had no choice but to accept. Here it is well past the original due date of my rebate, not to mention the second promised due date and I have nothing. Upon calling your Customer Service line I get the story that "Wow, this should have been there already! I don't know what happened to your rebate, it shows we've inquired several times but the promotions department has never responded. You should have your rebate already. I'm going to send another inquiry to them to try and figure this out." What is that? I have been more than patient with your company and have actually purchased my Television, Stereo system and Monitor from Phillips, as well as my CD Burner. Now I?m told I have to wait again for my rebate up to 6 weeks! This is UNACCEPTABLE!
Like a sucker I believed your promotions department Parago story and purchased my monitor from Phillips via Office Depot. Phillips was offering a $100 mail in rebate on this product and believing your story; I purchased and submitted my rebate to you yet again. When my 8 week waiting period was over and I had not received my rebate I was very disappointed. So, with the limited amount of spare time I have to spend with my fiance outside of work I called your promotions department again. Guess what the story is? Parago must have messed it up! Well, if you took over all your promotions from them after the CD incident then how is Parago to blame? I have been told now for my $100 rebate (Case # U52-xxxxxx) that I have to wait another 6 - 8 weeks!
I am appalled by this childish way of running a business. Every phone call produces another "Wait 4-6 or 6-8 more weeks and I promise it will get there". Now Christmas is upon us and I am short $140 from you. That is a few presents for my family and the words I have for Phillips are far from friendly. Who are you to take my money, invest it and make a high percent yield off of it in the stock market or your bank, and then have the nerve to not reimburse me? You have made countless dollars off of me in the past and others. Then you turn around and treat us like this. With the time value of money and the percentage I paid on my credit card waiting for your check to pay it off, this money is worth about $100 now and you have made how many hundreds off of the suckers you tricked into buying your brand? This is the worst I have EVER been treated by a company. There is a way you can save a bit of your tarnished reputation with me,
but I cannot guarantee anyone else. You can send me the money I am owed under the legally binding contract that we agreed to upon purchase, and try to get it here before the day after Christmas. I will be celebrating Christmas with my family the Saturday after Christmas and having that money would help put a smile on their face, which to me is priceless.
How you handle this situation is up to you. I work for a large corporation and I hope you don't honestly try to attempt the "Your check will be cut within 2 weeks" routine. I know that a check can be cut the same day manually in any businesses system and pray that the initiative is taken to do so in order to save your reputation. If you choose to ignore this situation and not respond I feel it is my duty to inform you that I will file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. I will also then explore my options with the legal system and possibly join forces with the other hundred or thousands that are already speaking of filing a class action lawsuit. I am sorry that this has come to this point, but when I think of how I will not be able to afford some gifts for my family at Christmas this year and how you have profited from causing this situation, it sickens me.
As an FYI to you, your Customer Service Department has been repeatedly badmouthing Parago in this situation (which Parago could use in a defamation of character lawsuit against Phillips, but that's your choice). Parago, as stated above, has never let me down on any other rebate. In fact, approximately 90% of the time they get Staples rebates back within 4 weeks of submission. Something to think about when you are telling your customers it's Paragos fault, most of them know the above fact and you are only fueling their disgust.
I hope that you take the necessary steps to resolve this issue in a timely manner. I would like to think that Phillips really does care about its customers, after all we are the reason you exist.
Sincerely,
MSUman
(Removed my real name
)
I think this may get a response, but he|| who knows?
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