I bought one 128 MB MP3 player, a 128 MB SD card and a 256 MB SD card from eCost.com and a 128 MB SD card from buy.com, all made by Mach Speed Technologies with rebates. They charge twice on going prices, only to make the sales deals by rebates and bonus rebates.
However, first, they require a number of items that are not normal in rebates and the items required are missing on the packages. Then they change the contact info during the rebate period without notifying anyone.
100% of the items from this company I bought have rebates and all are denied. As a long-term rebate user, I cannot imaging that I would have got sucked by this nasty company. I hope tose who got ripped off by this company united and get even.
Here are the details: For the MP3 player which came with a dead earphone and often auto-rebooting, has only one bar code on it which I sent in. They claim that it was not the UPC, but I would not have missed the UPC if it was on the package. The only explanation will be that the UPC was taped over by the store's own bar code, but they refuse to check.
For the three SD cards, one of them they say was missing Serial number. But the tiny card has no S/N number labeled. After they confirmed that the engraved, hard to read tiny numbers on the back of the cards was the S/N, I emailed it to them through the ticket. Again, no response.
They also claim that I am imssing the rebate stickers. Ther were definitely no clearly labeled rebate stickers on the tiny boxes. I called them before submission and was told to mail in the white label which was the only other stricker on the box than the UPC code. Now they say it is not the right one.
I did keep the empty boxes for a while in case they needed to verify as the rebate requirements seemed to be so suspiciously strange. My mistake was that, after three months or so, I forgot why I had kept those and tossed them right before I started to communicate with them. Now, my only prodf is that I would not have missed all three Rebate stickers if there were such stickers, and the white labels I sent in were regarded as the stickers.
Either the store messed up by tape over the UPC and sellingitems withuot the rebate stickers, or they were missing to begin with. UPCs ar often repinted on the card board product inserts inside the plastic boxes, but I do not see it on it.
Since the rebate requirements were so intentionally flawed, and I do hav the proofs that I bought these items, they should honor the rebates. Otherwise, they seem to be purposely ripping off customers. They also is gilty of over-charge the items (128 MB SD for $20 and $22,256 MB SD for $40, a 128 malfunctioned MP3 player for $47!)
I am also holding eCost.com responsible for the problems. I contacted them but they did not reply at all.
The best I can say about these two compnaies are that they are not trying a bit to help resolve problems in favor fo customers and do not care about losing any customers at all. This sounds like they just want to suck anybody in and take the loot.
A morecinical view is that they simply designed together a system witht he sole purposes of rip-offs. I will report this case to all the state AGs, BBB, FTC and other consumer protection organizations. I feel totally violated. The only other time I had this upset feelings was then my apartment was broken in and thoughds of $ of items were stolen. Their practices of not being willing to pay what they owe the customers are no different than robs.
New York Senator Charles Schummer is proposing national standard for rebates and this is a good exapmple that supports such standard. Those who were ripped off by these companies should unite together and fight back. I hope that the $133 they owe me will prove costly to them.
Remember these companies and be careful when dealing with them.
Gang
New York, New York
U.S.A.
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