TigerDirect And Onrebate.com Scam

[vbgunltd]

I purchased a Maxtor 300 GB SATA HD from TigerDirect in October 2005. I submitted the required submission for the $45 rebate to Onrebate.com and received a confirmation.

The $45 rebate check came in December 2005.
I cashed the check.

In January 2006 I received a letter from my bank along with the returned check copy, a $25 charge and $45 debit to my account.

The rebate check bounced and now I'm out $70!

My calls and emails to both TigerDirect and Onrebate.com go unanswered.

Incidently TigerDirect's logo appears on the Onrebate.com webpage.

I believe these two companies are connected and the rebate program is a major scam.

Needless to say I won't do business with TigerDirect again and if any rebate is connected to Onrebate.com I won't buy the product!

I have registered my complaint today with the U. S. Federal Trade Commission and intend to contact my state's attorney general's office concerning this scam as well.

Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

On 1/26/06 Onrebate.com issued a rebuttal on Ripoffreport.com, here it is.

Rebuttal REBUTTAL Owner of company
Submitted: 1/26/2006 10:18:01 AM Modified: 1/26/2006 10:18:01 AM

"RE: Check Bounced

Dear Customer-

We sincerely apologize if the check bounced.
please fax me a cooy of the bank statement and I will gladly reissue a new check and credit the fee back to you.

Fax# 1-888-426-9467 attn Nadina."

Nadina - Hialeah, Florida
U.S.A.

Well, I followed "Nadina's" instructions and faxed the bank statement along w/ the returned copy of the bounced check.
The following day I received a telephone call from "Nadina" asking if I had faxed the information she had requested.
I told that I had and she replied that Onrebate.com was going to issue a $45 rebate check immediately and TigerDirect would credit my my charge card account for the $25 fee.
It's been three weeks and guess what?
No check and no credit.

Interestingly I see TigerDirect is now advertising a "REBATE GUARANTEE".
They now state on their webpage,
"We guarantee that every rebate we offer on our site or in our catalogs is honored.
We guarantee you'll be paid the rebate amount--even if we have to pay it ourselves."

Buyers Beware!

[Sixpac_XP]

Personally I would never buy anything from Tigerdirect. Period.

[HeadBand]

i knew they were bad with rebates but this is crazy...i had heard they were getting better so i got in on this deal too...i didn't send it certified mail so they claimed it was never recieved and i was out of luck...now i'm kindof glad

[robertaa]

I've had similar experience with Onrebate.com. If you don't send the rebate documentation in by certified letter, they don't acknowledge getting it and then Tiger Direct won't guarantee the rebate. When emailing Onrebate all I get is an autoreply confirming receipt of the email. Have yet to get a response from a representative after several weeks and multiple attempts. So much for their claim that a representative will be in contact within 72 hours. After reading here about a rebate check bouncing I think, just in case, I'll switch pay type to Paypal deposit instead of trying to get a check in the mail. At least then I won't need to worry about the possibility of a rebate check bouncing, assuming I ever get one, later at my bank. After this mess...I'd buy local retail before I'd buy anything from Tiger Direct that depended on rebates to make the purchase look like a good deal.

[robertaa]

As an update to my previous post, received email from Onrebate.com notifying me of a change in status to "ACCEPT" on my rebate. If you've read my previous post, this is a suprising sudden shift in direction considering I only changed pay type to paypal late Friday and it's now early Monday morning. Onrebate is deducting a $5.50 fee for the payment via paypal, but considering I didn't send the documentation in by certified letter I'll probably just consider the cost of the fee as a slightly higher substitute to the cost of a certified letter. It's a shame though that only now does Onrebate acknowledge receipt of rebate documentation that they've had since December. Now to wait and see when they process payment.

[ZYFER]

Well since Paypal costs them absolutely nothing to do, and is cheaper then making out a check, I find that quite outrageous to charge you a fee.

[Triple_B]

I believe if you are a business class member on Paypal, there are charges for credit card/electronic check issued monetary transfers. I had to add on a $1.25 charge for a recent event I held where paypal was the only accepted form of payment due to the service charge they added on.

However, $5.50 seems a bit much.

[tigerdirectnoway]

this is a very bad deal where the merchant himself is running the rebate outfit. sort of like having the fox guard the hen house.

PS tiger direct sucks, big time.

[stompbox67]

I see by your post you have sent emails to them but have got no response. Thats better than what they have done to me. I sent 3 emails each 5 days apart. All unanswered. So I sent a 4th. It was returned to me "cannot deliver intended party has placed your address on a spam block list" This is a copy of the email I received back after the 4th email I sent.

NOTE: YOUR EMAIL HAS BEEN REJECTED AS SPAM AND DISCARDED.

Thats proffesional.

I have also sent my complaints and copies of these returned emails to my state attorney general as well as to the BBB and consumer affairs.

I contact Tiger with my frustration and anger toward Onrebates ways. I'm told to calm down, relax,Onrebate would never block people, etc.. So I said when it's your money you can tell me how to react. I was hung up on. So I send Tiger a copy of the blocked email and to no surprise I got no response.

WALK AWAY thats the best advice I can give anyone thinking of purchasing thru Tiger. Maybe they won't screw you? maybe they will? My opinion why risk it? and why support them by giving them business? The more business they lose the quicker they will be out of business

[nomaxim]

A few notes on Tigerdirect, from bbbenc.org
1.

Original Business Start Date: January 1988 Incorporated: April 2001, FL
Principal: Carl Fiorentino , President File Open Date: March 1995
Entity: Corporation
TOB Classification: Computers-Dealers
BBB Membership: This company is not a member.

2.

On November 4, 1999, case C3903, the Federal Trade Commission issued a Decision & Order against Tiger Direct for violations of the Pre-sale Availability Rule, the Disclosure Rule and the Warranty Act. Without admitting any wrong doing, Tiger Direct agrees to 1) not represent that it provides On-Site Service unless all limitations and conditions that apply are disclosed; 2) fulfill obligations under the warranty within a reasonable period of time after receiving notice from the consumer; and 3) shall cease and desist from failing to make warranty text available for examination prior to sale, failing to disclose what is not covered under any given warranty or the procedures needed to have warranty work accomplished and failing to disclose that certain states may give the consumer legal rights in addition to those provided by the warranty. For further information regarding this order, you may contact the FTC at 877-382-4357. This order expires year 2019.

And for the company HQ in FL, from bbbsoutheastflorida.org

3.

Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to a pattern of unanswered complaints.

3.a.

Specifically our files show a pattern of complaints alleging dissatisfaction with product quality, failure to deliver promised goods, service issues, misrepresentation in advertising and marketing practices and the failure to address and overcome the basic cause of complaints brought to their attention by the Better Business Bureau.

3.b.

Complaints allege customers are led to believe they are buying new, Brand Name computer systems, parts and other products with either a 90-day, or 1 year warranty. Complainants allege they are receiving generic, defective and refurbished items and only a 30-day warranty with the option to purchase the 1-year warranty. Customers who purchase the warranty also experience difficulty in getting return phone calls to get the problems fixed or replaced. Customer are told they may return the items for replacement, but they will need to pay again for the replacement and will credited back when the item is returned and received by the company.

3.c.

Some of the complaints have issues with the advertised rebate, both the catalog and web site have numerous offers for items with a mail-in rebate. Upon receiving the products the rebate application is not included in the package. Customers are told the rebate application is on the website and customers are required to comply with the program and submit paperwork that they never received. Many are denied because the product they have purchased does not have the advertised rebate, the rebate has expired, and some rebates are only good if the item is purchased with a computer. Many customers feel they have been victims of bait and switch, and are unable to return the products because the package has been open. Customers who have contacted customer service with concerns have problem with getting return calls, emails, and experience unresponsiveness and unconcerned customer service staff. However, the company has responded to most complaints presented by the Bureau.