I purchased a Brother P-Touch label maker at Office Max in Kansas City that offered a $30 mail in rebate. The rebate requirements included: a rebate form, an original receipt, and an original UPC bar code.
When I called to inquire about my claim I was told that it had been denied because I had not provided the bar code label. Fortunately, I had made a copy of my submission and the fully readable bar code label was indeed included. Upon further conversation, I was informed that the reason for this particualar denial was that I had severed about 1/8 inch off the bottom of the bar code which caused the numerals below the bar code to be omitted. (This was done inadvertently when I cut open the product).
The gal at the rebate center went on to explain that the UPC they needed was actually the numerals below the bar code and they didn't have any bar code readers at the rebate center. Excuse me? Imagine that. A rebate center that processes volumes of rebates based on UPC bar codes that doesn't have a bar code reader.
The original bar code label I provided had clearly marked in bold red letters "MODEL PT-2600" just above the bar code... Would've been extremely difficult to counterfeit. Besides, the rebate form stated that the requirement was for the "UPC bar code", not the numbers below it.
The manager at the Office Max in Kansas City at I-29 and Barry Road agreed with me that my claim was valid and said she would make a call the next day and get back with me - didn't happen.
I wonder how many people have fallen into this scam. The bar code label is conveniently placed right where you'd cut the thing open.
I'm miffed that a company such as Brother would willingly foster this kind of ill-will over something like this. It will cost them many times the $30 they have ripped off from me. Seems to me that Office Max has some culpability here too.
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