Update: TDK 12/10/32 Rebate issue with Buy.com #2

[designgirl]

Ok, hopefully this will be a more constructive thread. Without trying to blame buy.com, and whine and whine.

I know people feel they have been cheated, but then again you can't blame buy.com. I know most people who bought after the 1st rebate assumed the 2nd one should work also. well, buyer beware.


i'm hoping the moderators will lock all the TDK threads where all these people are just whining and whining......

isn't there a sperate forum for these people.

 

[darker]

So I can still buy the TDK from Buy.com and use the 50.00 off coupon? Thanks for the deal update. I am going to order it right now!

-------
should i say something here? nah

 

[marklyn]

I'm not sure I understand that line of thought. When I make a purchase online, many times it's because I'm reading the rebate 'rules' which give me basic guidelines (date of purchase, etc).
A "blanket statement" that says 'participating dealers' means
to me any decent, reputable, reasonably-considered e-tailer or
retailer. How am I supposed to know if someone I am purchasing
a product from "qualifies" as part of the rebate. As a consumer
being put into this situation, it is difficult for me to always
know that.
If Buy.com was a participating dealer at the time a rebate was
being offered and, now all of a sudden, they are not, then I feel
this is deceptive by TDK. When they run a rebate program, which
overlaps in time, with a retailer that "is" a valid retailer and
for part of the rebate purchase period "is not", then something is
wrong here and I would fault TDK more than buy.com, but buy.com,
could have inserted a disclaimer that they were no longer part of
the rebate program. Either way, when I was looking at the drive in
Dec and I decide to buy it in Jan, how am I supposed to know that
buy.com is'nt a participating dealer. How does one know this in general unless you find it somewhere in writing?

 

[7lords]

WOW!!!! This deal is flaming hot! Sign me up!

 

[divinemartyr]

marklyn

Why is TDK at fault? TDK is not the one to blame here. Buy.com is the one which chooses to participate in rebates. If they are not a 'participating' retailer then that means they CHOSE not to participate. TDK does not restrict where the rebate can be had from, it only offers the rebate to retailers. The retailers will have to pay back a portion of all rebates sent in to TDK, but most retailers and manufacturers bank on the fact that people will not send the rebate in, but the positive side is, they will sell more drives.

One more thing to point out, if buy.com said "we are no longer participating in the $50 rebate" right next to the drive, how many people do you think would buy the drive from their store? They aren't being deceptive, just smart in their marketing techniques. They don't want to fail as a business, just like anyone else.

dm

 

[bigbigsavings]

divinemartyr,

The problem here is NOT whether or not Buy.com was in fact a participating retailer, as it has already been determined that they were not. The problem is the fact that TDK's website said nothing about having to purchase the drive from a "participating retailer". It was only a few days ago that TDK revised their rebate form and had added the "must be purchased from a participating retailer" clause.

This is the same thing as you buying a pair of running shoes from your local store under the pretence that your purchase can be returned for a full refund within 10 days, and when you return to the store, the policy has been changed to you being able only to EXCHANGE your pair of shoes.

Those people that purchased this drive prior to the policy revision on TDK's part ARE ENTITLED to the rebate, and if TDK has to swallow the pill on this one, it is their responsibility to, since THEY were the ones who made the mistake.

Alex

 

[designgirl]

this is just so anybody that reads this thread. The current TDK rebate is only valid at these places.


Sears
Best Buy
Circuit City
Comp USA
P.C.Richards


so now that you know, don't make the same mistake others are making by buying someplace else other than these stores.

Hope this helps.

 

[chexi]

So let me get this straight. What Divinemartyr is saying is that it is perfectly okay to advertise a product KNOWING and HOPING that people are going to buy it with the expectation of getting a rebate? You don't consider that deceptive? I did not even order this drive because I read the threads, but I think Divinemartyr's comment is so patently absurd that it necessitated a dose of ethics.

 

[divinemartyr]

<< So let me get this straight. What Divinemartyr is saying is that it is perfectly okay to advertise a product KNOWING and HOPING that people are going to buy it with the expectation of getting a rebate? You don't consider that deceptive? I did not even order this drive because I read the threads, but I think Divinemartyr's comment is so patently absurd that it necessitated a dose of ethics. >>



You know it's not often I get pissed off on these forums, but when people assume what I meant and it's completely stupid and lacks a good judgment I get really pissed off.

First of all, TDK's WEBSITE may not have said you had to purchase this drive from a participating retailer. *I* did not know this, what I DO know is that the original rebate program, which I had an ORIGINAL FORM for, stated VERY clearly it had to be purchased from a PARTICIPATING retailer. Unfortunately TDK's website was incorrect, but that isn't where I got my information from and didn't realize that's what the website said.

Addressing your concern chexi buy.com never ADVERTISED this rebate next to the drive itself. Some other merchants (i.e. Circuit City) ARE advertising this because they ARE participating. If buy.com was NOT participating, there is no need for them to let people know SPECIFICALLY that they are not participating, THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDING THE REBATE.

If buy.com had EVER advertised that there was a rebate on the drive, which they did not, then they would have done something wrong, but alas they did not. Please, in the future chexi DO NOT ASSUME what other people mean by their statements. PM them first and find out what their stance is. You just made me look like an ass, and I don't appreciate it. I've made MYSELF look like an ass now, and that's because I'm being one.

dm

 

[chexi]

Point taken. I did make an assumption. If it was incorrect, as it appears to have been, then I apologize.

What I am saying is that if a retailer knows before hand that people will be purchasing an item under (a very rational) assumption that a rebate will apply, and the rebate will not apply, then the retailer has a moral if not legal obligation to inform the customer that the rebate will not apply. If the retailer has no idea that customers have such an assumption, then there is no such obligation. It also makes good business sense to have happy customers.

 

[bigbigsavings]

chexi,

I don't think buy.com is at fault at all here. They do not have any kind of obligation to post any rebate information on their site if they are not offering the rebate. If you want to point a finger in this case at one responsible party, it is TDK, without a doubt. The fact that they updated their online rebate form AFTER they started hearing complaints is proof positive of this. If they felt that their original rebate form was fine, they would have left it as is but they had clearly missed the &quot;participating retailer&quot; wording on it, and the CUSTOMER cannot be responsible for the mistake.

Alex

 

[mikieboy]

i ordered and bought a tdk and got it last night. am i eligible for the tdk drive.

 

[designgirl]

mikie boy....


as i have said...if you purchased the drive from only those participating retailers then you will get the rebate...

read up a few lines as I have already listed which ones are eligible and are participating. If it's from anywhere else, i doubt you will get the rebate.

so, you can either keep the drive or return it and buy it from one of the &quot;participating retailers&quot;

hope this helps

 

[codeyf]

there are ways around the whole buy.com issue. 'nuff said!!

 

[jaspo]

We as consumers did nothing wrong. Even if they didn't post a participating dealer clause or even a list of participating dealers. The sytems for obtaining the information is flawed. And that is TDK fault for not stating the list of participating dealers on the rebate coupon. We didn't cheat to get the rebate. We used a respectable well known e-tailer and we followed instructions to the BEST of our abilities. We operated in good faith. And from a marketing stand point this is horrible negative press. We are the target audience. Internet wise hardware junkies. All people are gonna remember is that TDK did not operate in as good of faith as the consumer.

 

[Richter]

I didn't want my post to get lost in it all so I posted my solution in a new thread.

Here's the link