18 weeks in Amazon rebate hell

Last fall, I knew it was time to dump my 2-year-old cell phone--an old flip-top Motorola V360--when nearly all of my conversations ended with me saying, "Huh? What did you just say?"

I put up with this for months, reluctant to face the myriad choices of phones, the tangle of network plans and the pushy cell phone salespeople who didn't look old enough to buy a beer.

Finally, I chalked it up to the price of living in a disposable, high-tech world. The marketers and manufacturers of many phones designed this cycle of consumerism: Throw away that old, beaten phone, buy the newest gadget and sign on to another contract for wireless service!

Of course, I'd hate to please them. But if I had to, I wanted the sleekest phone out there.

Hello, Moto.

Sure I made a trip or two to Radio Shack to play with other models of phones--telling myself I should get one of the 50 or so free phones available nowadays that are dangled as carrots for costly service.

But there, in front of the rows of boring plastic and metal models, as I angled for the attention of a pimple-faced sales guy, my desire for the zippy-hip Motorola Razr V3 was sealed. After all, the phone had everything I wanted: a flip top, so you don't dial accidentally; a speaker phone so you can drive (or fold laundry) responsibly; and external caller ID so you know when to answer.

(Plus, it was Moto.)

When I knew what I wanted, I went straight to Amazon.com. I knew the shopping giant offered super-duper rebates for buying a cell phone with new wireless service (that's how I bought my last phone). Plus, I didn't have to deal with salespeople.

The phone cost about $150. But Amazon offered a full rebate with the purchase of a new, one-year wireless contract for $39.99 or more. Choosing a carrier plan was fairly simple, given that only Cingular carried the Razr at the time, apart from my then-carrier TMobile. Staying with TMobile would have precluded the rebate.

I bought the package on Nov. 28, 2005, and immediately applied for the rebate on Amazon's site. Then all I had to do was wait for that surprise check in my mailbox.

In a fume

I'm still waiting.

Amazon acknowledged my rebate application on Dec. 12 with an e-mail, which included a tracking number in case I got antsy and wanted to check on the status of my refund on Amazon's site. Two months later, I took them up on the offer, input the tracking number and received this automated response: "Your rebate has been entered and is scheduled for final processing."

Technically, it takes between eight to 12 weeks for Amazon to process rebates, plus a nebulous "retention period," according to Amazon's rebate terms and conditions. But according to Amazon's Web site FAQ, it takes 10 weeks to process rebates. Can you say "confusing"?

Either way, I was still under the wire. I could still find a check in the mail any day.

[cjross]

V360? Really

"Last fall" you already had a two year old Moto V360? Can I borrow
your time machine?

[stussy214]

2nd

i was thinking the same thing. i just got mine last month.

what's odd is i called amazon to ask a question about the rebate and next thing i know, the guy tells me he's gonna rush my rebate request through. i guess we'll see what happens.

[eldarin]

Moto-quality

Why would you prefer a Moto mobile phone ? It has a proven worse-than-average service and usability track. It must be all the fancy US commercials keeping domestic consumers in check and dazzled.
Hahaha ... *sigh*

Try reading the story

This was about the REBATE - not the phone.

[pokeyzoe]

narrow minded

This person bought the phone when the moto was new so there was no proven record of the moto being inferior in quality yet. Put some thought into your posts.

[Zymurgist]

Not all Motos are created equal...

I've had several phones (the last two being a
Nokia and an Sony-Eriksson), and now have 2
Motorolas. My wife's V551 is fairly decent, but
my Razr has the best sound and reception yet. I
understand that there are folks that find the
volume too low, but I suppose my hearing isn't
going yet because that's not been my experience.

Feature-set wise, they are OK. Frankly, there's
no phone currently available that has the
features I'd like to see in a phone. I do wish
vendors would open up their phones and better
support development for them. The closest you
can get are the Linux and Windows "smart phones"
and you still get minimal support for
developping for them.

Look at the sorry state of the interfaces and
features and you see that there's a lot of
possibilities for improvement. Why not harness
the power of the digitally literate public to
improve the product -- and keep a thumb on what
becomes popular?

[eldarin]

8 to 12 weeks

Hahaha ... *sigh*
It's nice when some developed countries actually have something called next-businessday-shipping.
;-)
How come you put up with 8 to 12 weeks of shipping ? I would be stark raving mad to shop anywhere they have such terms.

I guess this article is your way of making sure "your Moto" gets sent to you for free...
At least you're using the german DT T-mobile service. ;D

[CentrOS]

Ummm yeah....

Might want to read the article again...

Try reading the story

The story was about eh REBATE, not the phone delivery.

[dnguyen68]

Amazon restarted my $150 wireless rebate

In aug 2005, I got suck into amazon razr phone for free after $150 rebate with 2 years plan @ $39/month.
- I submited all the rebate paper work around Nov, 2005.
- Checked rebatestatus.com around Dec, 2005 but could not find it. Called 800 number, the automated system said my rebate is in the system.
- Checked rebatestatus.com in Jan, 2006 . Still no status. Called 800 number again, the automated system said the check will be mailed soon.
- Feb, 2006. Still no check, so I checked the rebatestatus.com, still no status. Called 800 number, the automated system said it could not find my rebate. Talked to customer rep and was told to fax all the paper work in again. I faxed all the paper work on Feb 17, 2006.
- Checked rebatestatus.com around Mar 2006, still no status so I called 800 and talked to a customer rep. They found out there is a typo on my last name, that's why the rebate doesn't go through. I checked rebatestatus.com with the typo last name and there it is. That explained why I couldn't find my rebate status from rebatestatus.com in the first place. The customer rep told me contact amazon to correct the problem.
- I called amazon on Mar 16, 2006 and explained the problem. They said they have to restart my rebate again. I said that's not fair, it wasn't my fault.
- Now, it's Apr 6 and I still dont see my rebate status on rebatestatus.com

[LarryLo]

Stay on them!

I am having the same problem. Your Article brings hope that maybe someone from Amazon Rebates is reading this and realizes what frustrating thing this is and how it will hurt them long term.

Let me tell them: If I don't get my rebate, I will never buy anything from them again.

End of Story

[m2004]

dont give up, contact BBB if necessary.

I had a similar rebate story. I contacted BBB (better business burau) after I accepted nothing is coming in. They made rebate managers- that are unreachable by phone- contact me and send my rebate.

Me too

I had similar (but not identical) problems with the reabtes on my Motorla A630. I had to wait something like 12-15 weeks, before I could claim the rebate. Then I had to mail in a million and one things. I sent everything in. A month later I got 1 message saying 1 rebate was being processed (still not here) and the other - I had apparently sent the wrong barcode - I sent a photocopy of the outside of the box, that the phone had come in - how could I have sent the wrong one ?

[djysrv5]

Amazon cheats on rebates

It isn't jus cell phones. Amazon walked away from its promise for a $20 rebate on StarOffice8. I got a postcard that said I didn't submit a bar code. BS I did too. They just don't want to pay.

[guninder]

Technical difficulties

That is one phrase they always use. I ordered an Garmin GPS which was supposed to arrive within a week during holiday season. After 5 weeks I started writing to them and they always responded(with technical difficulties). Then I gave them a call and the sales person told me that there was a problem with processing my credit card. when i told her that i have recieved the mails stating that there were technical difficulties, she agreed and told me that that the model I ordered was not in stock and i should cancel my order. Since then i have not ordered anythinig from Amazon.

[estebs1978]

Do not allow them to get away with it

First to those of you who are confused. The story relates to the rebate process of Amazon only (www.amazon.com) and not phone quality, shipping of the phone, etc.
I would contact the Better Business Bureau on this Stephanie. Amazon is a major retailer and they have to comply with that they promised. I have shopped Amazon a lot and I have never dealt with a rebate issue, but I will make sure that if I ever have to do this, that I document everything I send and dates.
These people cannot get away with screwing consumers and I suggest you take them to the 18 weeks of OLSEN hell! Don't give up! Keep us posted please.

Cingular will givew you the rebate

You should have gone to a Cingular store to buy the phone. They will check the Amazon rebate offer online and match it, giving you immedaite credit for the amount of the rebate against the purchase price of the phone. At least they did that for me here in the Denver area a few months ago when I bought a Siemens SX66 Phone/PDA.

[kim&4catz]

But Cingular's rebate kind of sucks

For my Cingular rebate, I got 3 plastic "Cingular $50 Visa Cards" instead of, you know, a check. They had to be activated online, you couldn't ATM them, and you couldn't refill them. They bought some groceries but after that became a useless piece of plastic trash. I thought their solution was economically inconvenient and environmentally irresponsible.

[lonny paul]

Rebate Info: 101 - Read the Terms - Author telling incomplete story

It's important before reporters, once who have grammatical errors in the second paragraph, need to do their due diligence prior to making the claims against Amazon. When it comes to cellular rebates, its not the reseller that is setting the stage for rebate disappointment - it's the carrier.

Companies like Amazon have direct contracts with the carriers who pay them a "bounty" for each new subscriber they get to sign up for a 1 or 2 year contract. This bounty can average from $200 to $350, depending on the carrier and service plan. Amazon creates rebates to allow the customers to take advantage of the big bounty, which is used to pay for the rebate.

Carriers do not pay resellers until three months after the contract has been issued and service has been paid for that period of time. So, there's an automatic 90 day window after which you purchase the phone in which you are not going to get your rebate. They have to make sure you are keeping your phone.

That's why similar complaints regarding InPhonic, LetsTalk and other cellular providers run rampant on the web - half don't read the rebates.

In order to debunk this post, I went over to Amazon myself, once there, I was able to locate the rebate form for the Motorola Razr v3. Upon reading the terms and conditions, it clearly states "After meeting retention period qualifications, please allow 8 to 12 weeks for processing." That means after it's eligible to be paid. In the first rule/condition on the Amazon rebate, it clearly states that "You must remain active on the account for 180 days to qualify."

So, according to my calculations, If you purchased the phone on November 28, you must maintain service through May 28 in order to have reached your "qualifying retention period," then 8-12 weeks may pass for the processing post their required "retention period."

Seems that Amazon may have a higher payout, as they are known to negotiate some of the toughest deals in the country, however it also seems that in lieu of a 3 month required active status the carriers may be requiring a 6 month retention in order to ensure their ROI for Amazon's program.

In checking a Cingular rebate form from Amazon and other sites, it clearly states that they have similar guidelines. Inphonic and LetsTalk rebates seem to only make it a little more clear, but confusing at the same time - they clearly state the period of time during which you may submit your rebate - and they require that you also include a copy of the third months paid bill so that they can be assured that your service is still active. Amazon just lets you send them in right away. Then you gotta wait. Takes away the initial frustration, however may make it worse in the long run.

Stephanie, CNETs got a great reputation of providing consumers with a COMPLETE view of the situation. This story does not provide the full details and I hope that my posting can provide others with a clear view of why rebates may take a long time to process, especially with cellular phones. For standard merchandise, there is usually a period of time during which the merchant may monitor for a return - with many retailers, such as TigerDirect, building smart logic into their systems so a rebate cannot be filed if a product is returned, and once a rebate is filed - the product is non-returnable. Staples EZ Rebate process does the exact same thing. On the last day of your return period, the check is cut.

Stephanie - get it straight.
CNET - are you hiring bloggers now?

Or in the the first paragraph ...

"It's important before reporters, once who have grammatical errors in the second paragraph, need to do their due diligence prior to making the claims against Amazon. "

:)

[arluthier]

Only partially on the part of the AUTHOR...

Ok... I am not going to harp (maybe tease a bit though, hehe) on the fact that you also had a grammatical error in your first sentence. Ironically, the same sentence about the author?s grammatical error. :-)

I agree that, since this was supposed to be a full fledge article about Amazon's rebate process, CNet should have done some research on the exact conditions of the rebate process.

HOWEVER... the author had been on the phone with a person that should have been able to inform them of the details rather than just say "Technical Difficulties" or "You will have it in 7 business days."

Maybe this story is more pertinent to the inept customer service available at the rebate center.

[kim&4catz]

Pot, meet your friend kettle.

From your very first paragraph:

"It's important before reporters, ONCE [sic] who have grammatical errors in the second paragraph, need to do their due diligence prior to making the claims against Amazon."

Thank you for your shilling for Amazon and/or a cell phone company.

Also, the unnecessary crappy remark about bloggers reflects on you, not bloggers.

[dorianh49]

grammar errors?

You have one in your first sentence.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Why do those who complain about grammar make so many mistakes?

Everyone look again! There's more than one grammar error in that first sentence.

I'm amazed and amused at how often this happens to those who complain about grammar and spelling.

I'm with the others though, the rebate program should be built to tell people what "stage" of the program they're in. It should tell them they're in the "qualifying wait" period and inform them how much longer they'll be in that and it should tell them how long to expect the rest of the stages to take and give them an honest estimate of when they rebate will actually occur. They way it's set up now they're giving their customers unrealistic expectations and then suffering bad publicity, all because they don't provide useful and accurate information.

BTW, the last time I wanted a new phone I went to my carrier (T-Mobile) who looked at how long I had been a customer and simply sold me a highly discounted new telephone with no mess, no fuss, no new contract or any other nonsense.

[vjhaver]

U shd be happy.

Hi

Its been 6+ months from the time I submitted mt rebate and I have not got it yet. Everytime I call they say the same thing "they are looking into it and you should get the rebate within 4-8 weeks". Thats just amazing how the market leader of online shopping is fooling customers. Now I have decided never to buy any item from Amazon.com with rebate from Amazon.

Another Interesting point to note is that, They put other companies rebate form in to the personalized digital locker but you would never find Amazon rebate form in it.

With the hope I get the $150 rebate, I resign now.

[kim&4catz]

Turn them over to the BBB

That gets their attention.

[TiVoJoe]

Technical Difficulties, not just for rebates

I ordered a doll for my granddaughter from Amazon in January. It was listed as in-stock usually ships within 24 hours. Every week like clockwork I get an email from Amazon telling me that there has been a delay. But when I go online and look at the order it is ?Shipping soon? can not be changed or canceled. I have called at least four times trying to cancel the order. Each time they tell me they will send a message to the shipping department to cancel the order. I emailed them twice. Each time I got a very nice reply saying, you?ll never guess, they are having ?Technical Difficulties?. But not to worry, they have there best people working on it.

[mike4dice]

Nothing New!

Nothing New!

In August 2002 I purchased Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) from
amazon.com for $119.99. There was to be a $50 rebate. I
completed and submitted the rebate forms. On November 20.
2002 I received a notice that they ?cannot honor the request?
because ?Invalid SKU Submitted.? It was the only SKU I had from
the bottom of the box.

This notice came from Scottsdale, AZ with a phone number of
1-866-348-2492. There was no actual mention of amazon.com
on the notice. I called the number and spoke to ?Ed? who
assured me that he would ?override and resubmit? my rebate
claim.

To this day, over 3 ½ years later I have not received my $50
rebate.

So don?t hold your breath when dealing with amascam.com!

[201293546946733175101343322673]

Contact BBB !

I had much trouble with Amazon rebates as well.

Initially, I was told that I had submitted a copy of the UPC barcode, whereas the original was required. When I replied back pointing out the rebate form requires only a copy, I was told that I had sumbitted neither a copy nor the original. When asked about their original comment when they had said that I did sumbit only a copy, all replies stopped coming.

Finally, a week after getting in touch with BBB, I got the check.

[trecooldc]

Amazon beats other rebate providers

I always apply for rebates (and most of the time, I get them without any problems). Fill everything out carefully and have a lot of patience. I have had zero problems getting Amazon rebates in the past. It always takes time to get rebates and compared to some other companies, Amazon's process is much simpler.

[rch99]

Accidental dialing?

I hear about this a lot and that's why people buy flip phones. But most people don't seem to know that you CAN LOCK THE KEYPAD. It can even be set to lock automatically after a few seconds. A quick 2 key combo will unlock. It's not that hard people.

[rfortson]

doesn't work

My SE T300 was a candybar style phone. It also had an autolock on the keypad, as well as one-button locking. I had it make numerous calls in my pocket, even though it was locked. Twice, it called 911 (not cool). I ditched that phone and went with a Motorola V600 because I wanted the clamshell to prevent pocket calls.

Of course, now I use an Audiovox SMT5600, but I carry it in a holster, not in my pocket, so I'm not as concerned with pocket calls. I've still had it unlock the keypad even when it's in the holster.

For whatever reason, the keyboard locks aren't reliable. It happens.

[umbrae]

Old News and Old Amazon Practices

This is why I stopped shopping Amazon in 2000. I would pre-order stuff (using classy gift certs that were given out by Echo radio), but would get it 5-6 months after the product had been released. Nice of CNET to report on something that has already been going on for years.

The real funny thing is you can sign up for Verizon and get a free V3 razr right now.

[mikekrause]

Amazon Sucks - You're Just a Number To Them

Yeah - they're cheap, or at least it seems like you're getting the best deal from them. Then, if something goes south - you will realize how bad their customer support is. That is if you can even manage to talk to a human being.

Do what I did - refuse to buy anything else from Amazon.com. Sooner or later, they'll get the point that if they want to keep customers they'll have to start treating them like they care.

[Below Meigh]

Amazon = Email boilerplate support

Thank you for writing to us at Amazon.com.

If you would like to cancel this order, we ask that you first contact the seller to explain the situation and to make appropriate arrangements. The seller for ___ can be reached at
Please note that because this item has shipped, a cancellation is not strictly possible and you will need to arrange for a return of the item. As your order was placed using the standard shipping option, the estimated delivery date is as noted in Your Account and your order confirmation e-
mail. We would like to ask that you wait until the close of business on ___ for your order to arrive.
When you receive the order, we suggest that you mark the shipment "refused" or "return to sender," or arrange for a return shipment by a trackable method. Let your seller know that you have
sent a return and allow enough time for its arrival.

We do want to make sure that your order works out. Please save this message. If your return is not refunded as required, contact Amazon.com again using the special URL below:

Anyway...their Third Party vendor policy is not to be involved. So we, Amazon, allow you to buy from someone that we bill for, and now you have to deal with them. Solong Sucka.

If you want, I have a phone number for Amazon Customer Service. It genuine. And it comes in handy.

[maambriz]

Amazon Sucks

Amazon is still not getting it. Stop buying from them. They lure you with "free" shipping and low prices, then ship your order three weeks later without the ability to cancel. Stop buying from them.

[john55440]

Contact Your State Attorney General

Don't allow yourself to be cheated out of a rebate. File a formal complaint with the Consumer Division of your State Attorney General's Office. I have done this with a rebate problem, and it produced results. (I'm sure it helps that my state is known for having an aggressive Attorney General that companies don't want to mess with.)

[kim&4catz]

Good advice

Even for those of us without Eliot Spitzer, or someone like Spitzer, to fight for us.

[ordaj]

VERIZON - Same Story

I went to a Verizon store to purchase my new cell phone (they're the only provider where I can get good coverage in my home...no land lines...only ONE phone service needed).

Of course, the plans offered don't get LESS expensive.

SALESPERSON: "Oh, you're on one of the older plans, we don't offer that any more."

ME: "Do you have any plans that are the same cost or lower?"

SALESPERSON: "Hahaha. No."

ME: "That's not funny. I don't WANT to pay more. I don't even want more crap services. I want to be able to use the PHONE primarily."

SALESPERSON: "I know what you mean. I put VCAST on your phone. It's a FREE trial for a month. I also put in the system for it to automatically cancel after the month. So, there will be no charge for it and the VCAST service will automatically cancel."

ME: "But I don't want VCAST."

SALESPERSON: "Well, I already put it in and it's FREE. And I put it in to cancel automatically so you won't have to do anything."

ME: "Okay." (Secretly doubting everything said.)

Sure enough. I get a statement and "Welcome Letter" in the mail saying that my "new" plan was in effect and thanks for "choosing" Verizon and the "upgraded" service. VCAST charge: $15. Automatically cancelled? Of course not.

ME: On phone with VERIZON customer support: Unprintable.

And to top it all off, we bought a phone with the rebate (knowing full well the games they play), and applied online at the Verizon site. It states that I would get a refund in 10-12 WEEKS. I got the acknowledgement 2 weeks later.

I will be watching them like a hawk. And I fully expect it to be longer. The companies know that "X" number people will never apply, they erect obstacles to getting a rebate, and then prolong the payment period so they can collect interest on the float.

I never compare any product based on rebates. It's a crapshoot. Always compare their full prices and make a decision based on that. Anything else is gravy.

[sjsotelo]

I love verizon!

Great support where I live, also my rebate came in about a month or less. It was for 50$ not bad.

[epiccollision]

OK I Thought this was common knowledge

all rebates have "thresholds" aka the percentage of customers who will be denied a rebate...just simply based upon a percentage...y do you think they usually ask for you to send them your originals{receipts or barcodes}(and then when you get a denial they ask you to send another original???? get it!!)Companies have no intention of giving a certain percentage anything(sometimes not even a denial letter) based upon, mostly, where you live and how many rebates they've given out to that ZIP CITY STATE...they all do it! manf of printers, comps, wireless phones(we don't use cellular anymore! at all! stop calling them "cell" phones), wireless carriers..i've worked in 3 out of the 4 and saw it all the time, I was just smart enough to put two and two together