OM rebates epilogue

[consumertalks]

Last April, I ordered a bunch of stuff from Office Max. Shredder, mousepad, CDRs, CDRW, all came to $10 AMIR. Good plan, huh? But I've been waiting, and waiting.. no rebates. Finally last November I went to B&M OM to show them my copies of everything. She took copies, said they'd get them pushed through. Next day, get a call verifying my information & rebate amounts. I thought I'd finally get my money. Time passes, nothing. Last week I call the store manager, he has no record of anything. He tells me to bring in my papers and he'd take care of it in store. I bring in everything.. not realizing the OM receipt/delivery slip was back at home. He tells me he can't give me $$ without the receipt, but can do in store credit. I look around, everything is $546 with $545 MIR. No thanks. I drive home, searching for the receipt. I still have boxes from the move, can't find it. Frustrated, I look at the ad online. I return planning to pick up some HP DVD+R's $25/25 (planning to sell them here or eBay for $20), but they're out. I can come back tomorrow, he says. Finally I settle on paying retail for 2 inkjet refills, as I need a color one anyway. Straight exchange, as the refills are $.99 over the rebate amounts. I leave the store feeling defeated.

[volunteer]

Office Max is indeed the worst but Circuit City is playing catchup. OM even has an unlisted telephone number for their corporate offices. If you call, you have to punch in a code to be connected to anyone! Finally got through by having the local OM store patch me in. Again more promises. I always use delivery confirmation when sending in my rebates but even that isn't a guarantee. It has been made much worse now that all the rebate centers so called customer service or the majority of them have gone to India

[samsonmqc]

It depends on if rebateshq.com or easierrebate.com is handling the rebates for OfficeMax.

I mailed my rebates to both rebateshq and easierrebate on January 10, 2004. I have received half of my rebates from rebateshq.com already.

The rebates (which included 8 items on one single form) I sent to easierrebate, I still can't check for my status until today. I had to write them an email last week to request for my rebate status before they show them online.

My rebate status is, they received my rebates request on January 14, 2004. And it has to take over them 6 weeks and an email before they put my status online.

In additional, they used the same trick on me again. They said that I sent in the wrong UPC on one item ($40 rebate for a chair). I checked the UPC code they posted online, I found out that one number is different from the UPC code that I sent it. They did that to me before. I asked for the reason the last time I called them. Their representative told me that they entered the code manually and it caused the mistake. I bought their excuse.

And now it happens again. This time I really think that they do it on purpose. There is no way that they don't take a second look at the UPC code (or retype the code) after they find out that the code is invalided. (In additional, that UPC code is kind of big, 2" X 1.75" with big and clear code numbers.)

[I2n0ld]

thnx for the warning.

[John Prophet]

I havent had any trouble at all with rebates after I started scanning and keeping copies of

1) receipt
2) rebate form filled out
3) upc


Almost all the rebates I do now have online places to check the status..also they send u emails etc to say they receieved it and are processing it etc.

So basically if you keep the copies, you are home free...its YOUR MONEY after all..its a CONTRACT...its not 50/50 odds etc...its YOUR MONEY..dont let em have it.

If they turn down the rebate all you do is make a phone call to the rebate processing center and tell them in a nice firm polite voice something like "yes, I recieved an email stating that my rebate was rejected by reason of improper purchase date but in fact it was purchased in the proper time frame, I have my copies of the receipt right here and I will be glad to fax it to you so we can go ahead and get this approved".......

just leave it hanging like that....what are they gonna say then??

So just keep your copies.....I have never had to go to a store manager to get any rebate fulfilled...you just simply make a phone call to the rebate house...the number is usually on the rebate form..which you kept a copy of, lol.

JP

(yes, I got ripped off several times before I wised up, lol..now when they try to reject one I laff and enjoy it for providing some humour)

[John Prophet]

------------------> Their representative told me that they entered the code manually and it caused the mistake. I bought their excuse.

And now it happens again. This time I really think that they do it on purpose.

-----------------

they do it on purpose, lol...this is a big business...CROOKED like all big businesses are (have u noticed that??)

So they have along list of ways to try to rip u off....and they work well cuz people dont keep copies of stuff so the people are at the mercy of these crooks, lol.

Keep copies and tell em you are ready to refax it to them....let them squirm

[volunteer]

The fax number for OM customer service-rebates is 1-800 782-0421.

[samsonmqc]

Thank you for the advice.

I did make copies of everything. But I forgot where I put them sometimes.

For this OfficeMax rebate, I am able to find the copies. And I measured the UPC before I posted here.