Rebates and Gift Cards, Same Old, Same Old

The newest hook to get consumers to buy merchandise, gift cards! Buy a new fridge, get a gift card by mail. Buy a new computer, get a gift card by mail. I think I have heard this con, I mean come on, before only they were calling it rebates.

At least if he or she did receive the rebate, it was in the form of a check which a consumer could cash and either save it or spend it wherever he/she wanted to shop. With the gift cards, the consumer is required to spend the card where the original merchandise was purchased. That is, if the gift cards are ever received!

The rant is on! You can probably guess where this is going!

In October I purchased a new refrigerator (stainless steal, double doors with ice water, crushed ice, cubed ice available through the door and not cheap!). I also purchased a new washer and dryer. Gift cards totaling $200.00 were to be mine as soon as I dutifully filled out all of the paperwork and sent it in along with the required proofs of purchase. This I did the next day after the purchase and I still have all of my suggested copies. November came and went, no gift cards. On December 15th I decided to call the 800 number on my copy of the gift card receipt.

Yes they received it, for all three gift cards. One card for $150.00 mailed November 28, the phone rep stated. Two other cards, for $25.00 each were mailed on December 7. So the phone rep said. So why didn't I receive them? I could see maybe one go missing, but three? Uh huh, I don't think so. So now I must wait 45 days from the date the cards were mailed before I can get new cards, unless the original cards have been used.

Wait a minute! If they can tell the cards were used, then they must have a way to invalidate them if they are lost! I think I have been scammed royally! Anyway, I will wait until the 45 days have passed and see what happens.

Stay tuned, there may be a real bang up for someone, in the corporate headquarters of this big and I do mean big, merchandiser, not to mention a newsworthy tidbit for the local news. Names to be mentioned later!

Martha

Martha's Web

Update!

After four months and numerous phone calls, the missing gift cards finally arrived. I do believe they were never sent originally and if I had not been persistant, I would never have received them. Sigh!