Eddie On Everything

How to file a complaint about that rebate that never came - and get your money back

June 3, 2006 on 2:28 pm | In consumer protection |

I hate rebates. I’ve been burned so many times that I don’t even bother buying products that are “discounted” by a rebate. The way I look at it, if a store wants to knock $50 off the price, they should knock $50 off the price. I’m not going to jump through hoops and wait 3 months for a check that I’ll probaby forget about and may well never arrive.

However, despite my better judgement, about 6 months ago I purchased a new Sirius satellite radio that was supposed to come with a $50 rebate. Well here we are, 6 months later, and I’ve received no rebate check. Surprise, surprise.

So what do I do now? I’m inclined to just forget about it, to let it slide. I mean, is all of the trouble and hassle that I’m going to have to go through really worth $50? Probably not. But what really bothers me is that I knew better. I was half sure that I’d never see the money from the rebate, and it turns out that I was right.

I did some checking into what I, as a consumer, can do about getting my money back. Here’s what I learned:

1. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. You can file a report online using this link. According to the author of this very useful fatwallet thread, “Yes, this is the magic link. I tried this several times before and the rebate checks just come without asking.” I’ll give it a shot then update this article with the results I receive.
2. File a complaint with your state’s Consumer Affairs Department. Search Google for your state’s agency and file a complaint with them.
3. File a complaint with the FTC. You can file a complaint online using this form.
4. Contact your credit card company. Under the UCC, you are not liable for charges that you didn’t authorize. I’m not sure how the semantics of this all play out - for example, I’m not sure if you technically authorized the full charge or not, but you may be able to have your credit card company reverse the charge. Additionally, many credit card issuers provide some level of buyer protection. In either event, it doesn’t hurt to call and ask.
5. File a complaint on RipoffReport.com. I don’t know what their success rate is, but it can’t hurt, right?

Also check this very useful fatwallet thread, which has some suggestions for other actions you can take (e.g. contacting your local news station.)