D
Dick Watson
Did anybody else pre-order their Office2003 from buy.com with the $50
eCoupon rebate in mind? Did you get the promised "eCoupon .. sent via email
on or about 11/01/2003"???
I've always had good luck with buy.com on normal order, have never dealt
with them on rebates before, and have never returned anything to them. But
this experience may really put me off.
My story, from a draft of a soon-to-be complaint to the FTC, follows. (Note
that buy.com has fallen afoul of the FTC on "rebate" issues before. I didn't
know that until I started looking into this.)
----
On 11/19/03, I ordered Microsoft Office 2003 Premium Upgrade from buy.com
online, order # 17233950. The price was advertised along with a $50 rebate.
The rebate form stated to "[order product] between September 15, 2003, and
October 21, 2003 and receive a $50 eCoupon valid for future purchases at
buy.com . eCoupon will be sent via email on or about 11/01/2003. eCoupon
will expire after total amount is redeemed or by 11:59PM PST on 11/30/2003."
This form can be viewed at
http://ak.buy.com/buy_assets/retail/pdfs/007/42052.pdf.
Orders on the last day of the promotion thus had only 40 days, or less than
six weeks, before the eCoupon rebate would expire, assuming they received
the product immediately and sent in the rebate material immediately.
Microsoft released sales of Office 2003 on 10/21/03. Thus, orders on the
first day of the promotion only had a few days more than 40, assuming
buy.com shipped product before Microsoft formally permitted them to.
buy.com shipped product on 10/20/2003 and I received it on 10/22/03.
On 10/23/03, I mailed in the rebate material, complying with identified
requirements:
- Product pre-ordered between listed dates
- Copy of buy.com receipt, eligible product circled, included
- Original packing slip included
- Original UPC code from product included
I did not receive an eCoupon on or about 11/01/03.
On 11/01/03, I checked at http://www.rebatestatus.com and found no data. I
submitted their form requesting status with all information filled out. I
received an email saying "a customer service representative will contact you
within 2-3 business days." I have received no subsequent email.
On 11/07/03, I telephoned the number listed ("If you do not receive your
rebate within 8-10 weeks, please call 1-877-776-7625") on the rebate form.
Call pathing leads to a recording that says 'wait 8 weeks from when the
rebate was mailed then call again'. 8 weeks from 10/23/03 is 12/18/03, or 18
days after the eCoupon rebate would have expired. After calling again and
lying to the call pathing system about the length of time since the rebate
was submitted, I spoke to a human operator. She repeated the 8 week
requirement and didn't seem to care that a rebate sent 8 weeks from
submittal was useless. She did say I could fax my copies of the information
in and they should get it entered in their system within 9 working days. 9
working days from 11/07 is 11/20. This leaves only 4 working days for them
to email the eCoupon and me to use it before the eCoupon expires according
to the terms of the rebate. I sent such a fax at 1:59 p.m. MST on 11/07/03.
eCoupon rebate in mind? Did you get the promised "eCoupon .. sent via email
on or about 11/01/2003"???
I've always had good luck with buy.com on normal order, have never dealt
with them on rebates before, and have never returned anything to them. But
this experience may really put me off.
My story, from a draft of a soon-to-be complaint to the FTC, follows. (Note
that buy.com has fallen afoul of the FTC on "rebate" issues before. I didn't
know that until I started looking into this.)
----
On 11/19/03, I ordered Microsoft Office 2003 Premium Upgrade from buy.com
online, order # 17233950. The price was advertised along with a $50 rebate.
The rebate form stated to "[order product] between September 15, 2003, and
October 21, 2003 and receive a $50 eCoupon valid for future purchases at
buy.com . eCoupon will be sent via email on or about 11/01/2003. eCoupon
will expire after total amount is redeemed or by 11:59PM PST on 11/30/2003."
This form can be viewed at
http://ak.buy.com/buy_assets/retail/pdfs/007/42052.pdf.
Orders on the last day of the promotion thus had only 40 days, or less than
six weeks, before the eCoupon rebate would expire, assuming they received
the product immediately and sent in the rebate material immediately.
Microsoft released sales of Office 2003 on 10/21/03. Thus, orders on the
first day of the promotion only had a few days more than 40, assuming
buy.com shipped product before Microsoft formally permitted them to.
buy.com shipped product on 10/20/2003 and I received it on 10/22/03.
On 10/23/03, I mailed in the rebate material, complying with identified
requirements:
- Product pre-ordered between listed dates
- Copy of buy.com receipt, eligible product circled, included
- Original packing slip included
- Original UPC code from product included
I did not receive an eCoupon on or about 11/01/03.
On 11/01/03, I checked at http://www.rebatestatus.com and found no data. I
submitted their form requesting status with all information filled out. I
received an email saying "a customer service representative will contact you
within 2-3 business days." I have received no subsequent email.
On 11/07/03, I telephoned the number listed ("If you do not receive your
rebate within 8-10 weeks, please call 1-877-776-7625") on the rebate form.
Call pathing leads to a recording that says 'wait 8 weeks from when the
rebate was mailed then call again'. 8 weeks from 10/23/03 is 12/18/03, or 18
days after the eCoupon rebate would have expired. After calling again and
lying to the call pathing system about the length of time since the rebate
was submitted, I spoke to a human operator. She repeated the 8 week
requirement and didn't seem to care that a rebate sent 8 weeks from
submittal was useless. She did say I could fax my copies of the information
in and they should get it entered in their system within 9 working days. 9
working days from 11/07 is 11/20. This leaves only 4 working days for them
to email the eCoupon and me to use it before the eCoupon expires according
to the terms of the rebate. I sent such a fax at 1:59 p.m. MST on 11/07/03.