We posted the following, self-explanatory, letter to AT&T Wirless on the date indicated. We have NOT, as yet, received the courtesy of even and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. We are posting, simultaneously with this post, the same letter to MR. John D. Zeglis, CEO of AT&T Wireless Group.
Apparently AT&T/NOKIA believes all that is necessary to bilk consumers out of their promised rebates is to feign non-receipt of rebate requests and rely on the "Not responsible for claims lost in the mail" proviso printed on their claim forms.
February 25
AT&T WIRELES REBATES
Dept. 4961-32
PO Box 1600
Young America, MN 55594
To Whom It May Concern:
Please find enclosed documentation confirming our purchase, and submission for REBATE of $50.00, for one NOKIA 3361 (sku: 4830099) wireless telephone, ESN# 07305717708, from BEST BUY store #108 in Victorville, CA on 12/18/02.
We submitted our rebate form, receipt, and UPC barcode (ORIGINALS), as per instructions, COMPLETELY and WITHOUT ERROR, on 12/20/02. To date we have received NO RESPONSE.
In an effort to follow up on our entitlement, we contacted (again per instructions) BEST BUY @ 800.849.0444. The representative at that number (GAIL by name) informed us we are required to contact NOKIA AT&T @ 800.892.2084. We CONFIRMED that number by repeating it to the rep and asking confirmation. However, when we attempted that number we were informed by recorded message "number is no longer in service and there is no new number or further information."
Being more than just a LITTLE annoyed, we called the initial number once more and were told the number to call is 800.982.2084. When we connected to THAT number, the representative (SELMA by name) immediately informed us we are required to contact NOKIA directly. When we balked, she, evidently, reviewed her responsibilities, apologized for giving us erroneous information, and proceeded to give us the address above for RE-SUBMISSION of our claim, as "Your name and address is not coming up on our system."
Selma then proceeded to tell us that "since you no longer have the original barcode (we had to send in the original and, AGAIN per instructions PHOTOCOPIES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE, so we had no valid reason to COPY same) you will have to remove the battery from the telephone and photocopy the information there, which will include the ESN#."
We informed SELMA that since the telephone was a gift to our grand daughter that lives 200 miles distant, getting the phone in our possession for photocopying would require a 400 mile roundtrip, we felt that requirement was more than just a LITTLE ONEROUS. Although apologetic, SELMA informed us, regretfully, that is our only option.
We, on the other hand, feel that since we followed, TO THE LETTER, all instructions for submitting our rebate claim, and AT&T/NOKIA has abjectly failed to perform, and through their telephone representatives, continues to dictate onerous requirements of us before fulfilling its agreed obligations, perhaps exploring legal redress is a viable option.
As the reader may have surmised at this point, this issue has become a cause celebre far beyond the $50.00 at issue. It will most probably be mutually beneficial for this letter/request/complaint to be forwarded to personnel with the intelligence to read and UNDERSTAND it, in order that further annoyance, and possibly legal action, may be averted.
Your expeditious response is expected, and appreciated.
Sincerely,
RONALD C. KAELKE
Enc.
Here's what we'd like to see happen: Remit to us, IMMEDIATELY, the PROMISED $50.00 rebate that was a key inducement to our purchase of the cellphone in question. Compliance will be rewarded with favorable modifications to this consumer complaints that is now prominently posted on the internet, as well as with various state and federal consumer protection agencies.
Ron
NEWBERRY SPRINGS, California
U.S.A.
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