I purchased a Connect 3D 2 Gigabyte Secure Digital (2GB SD) card from Buy.com on January 30. I submitted my rebate form within one week after receiving the product. (The time allowed was 30 days.) The form said to allow 8-10 weeks for processing.
When that time was up, I called to inquire why I hadn't received a rebate. The company had a prerecorded message to respond to rebate inquiries. It said that they had transferred processing to another company "due to the unexpected volume of rebate claims received." I called again in a couple weeks and the message said to allow until May 30, for processing to be completed. I called again on July 7 and found that the phone number had been disconnected.
Then I searched Google and found many other customers of Buy.com and other retailers who had bought Connect3D products with rebates complaining that they did not receive theirs either. The only ones who did were paid by the retailers, not Connect3D. I did find one link to another website that could be used to search for your claim, but the only thing it said is that the rebate is "in process."
From all evidence, it sounds like Connect3D is giving everyone the run-around and hoping they'll forget about the rebates, simply refusing to pay them, and dodging questions at every turn.
I submitted complaints to the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and Buy.com yesterday, and another to Connect3D's U.K. Division today demanding that they refer me to one of their senior USA employees. I strongly recommend you do the same.
This is the second time I've had a problem with a rebate advertised at Buy.com. The last was for a $25 rebate from Great Fun, a division of Trilegiant corporation. I hounded Great Fun last year and finally received my rebate after 7 months, thanks to a representative named Trisha Hoffman. It's already been 6 months with Connect3D.
I don't believe in class action lawsuits, since they just make lawyers rich and cause prices to go up for consumers, so it's unlikely that I would support one even if that means I have to sacrifice my $50, but I will support any lobbying activity against Connect3D and Buy.com. This kind of business behavior is totally unacceptable, and it's high time retailers like Buy.com stop hiding behind disclaimers and accept responsibility for not screening the company they advertised rebates for to ensure they were not engaged in fraud, and high time manufacturers start adhering to prompt payment policies for rebates.
0 comments