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I was just looking through a pile of papers on my desk and came across a rebate I submitted in February for a Fantom drive purchased through Buy.com and managed by Promo Process.com. Thinking...'gee, that's a long time for getting the check', I logged onto the promoprocess.com site, and sure enough, rebate was denied.
Why? Because apparently I didn't log back into Buy.com's website after completing the order and printing an 'invoice' with 'Bill To Name and Address.' According to the promoprocess.com FAQ, neither an e-mail confirmation (which I submitted) nor a packing list (the other document I received with the drive) is valid for proof of purchase, even though the rebate form calls simply for a "purchase invoice/receipt."
Months have passed, obviously the $20 rebate isn't coming. Just entering this into the Internet's long and hard-to-delete memory for the next time these guys try to move some inventory using a rebate..
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Asking for the invoice is pretty standard with many rebates/offers. Apple requires that for their offers.
Quite often when a rebate is denied for incorrect documentation, you can call and offer to send in the correct documentation and still get the rebate.
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sorry about that, but I personally am aware that neither a packing slip, nor a confirmation is the same as an invoice and I have gone back to websites in the past to print up a real invoice to submit for rebate.
I've always taken for granted that if the letter of the law is not followed, I'd be denied so I make sure to follow the rules to the letter.
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Seems like the rebate process is pretty much dead. I haven't done one in years. Just too much trouble.
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hal wrote: I've always taken for granted that if the letter of the law is not followed, I'd be denied so I make sure to follow the rules to the letter.
That's what I do. I go down the requirements as I prepare the items and I go down the requirements as I put items in the envelope. I also make a copy of everything and file it. When the rebate arrives, I throw away the paperwork. Some people even put reminders in iCal.
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Yes to all of the above. I just went to Buy.com's website and printed the "receipt" which also does not contain the required wording stated by the rebate processor. I've contacted both Buy.com support and the rebate processor's support by e-mail. I used to do tons of rebates with a very high success rate, this one just smells (in retrospect) like it was designed for high percentages of failure.
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I usually read all of the rebate conditions before purchasing the item... if something smells fishy, I'll steer clear. There have been a couple of purchases where I have had to contact the vendor to get them to send a viable invoice/proof of purchase because their "normal" email confirms, packing slips, online order tracking, etc. don't conform to the exact wording on the rebate form. If they advertise/promote a rebate in any way, it's fraud if they don't eventually provide their buyers a way to comply; just remind them of that as needed, and they will provide the appropriate documentation.
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Man this is a tough room today.
The documentation required according to the rebate form (which, yes, I copied along with everything I sent) said "Purchase Invoice/Receipt, Original UPC Code/Serial #, Signed Rebate Form" I guess my error was not immediately contacting the rebate hotline to ask them to define what a "Purchase Invoice/Receipt" was, as it wasn't until after the rebate was denied that there was a direction that the purchase documentation had to contain "Bill To" information, which none of the Buy.com forms contains.
Anyway, I've contacted promoprocess and buy.com support and will see if anything comes of it.
