Mail-In Rebates Denied?

[Kinsella5]

Not sure where the thread went that was devoted to mail-in rebates, but thought I would post this.

For those of you have sent in for Paramount rebates in the past, such as Braveheart, Godfather, Transformers, and now Forrest Gump, it appears they still can't get their act together and hire people to process the rebates that don't understand the difference between a UPC and Proof-of-Purchase tab.

With regards to my Forrest Gump $10 mail-in rebate, I sent in the proof-of-purchase tab for the standard DVD, and the UPC from the Blu-ray. The certificate even states proof of purchase OR UPC. So this morning I see this email in my inbox:

Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for your recent rebate submission for the following:
Rebate Issuer: PARAMOUNT HOME ENT
Promotion: $10.00 MIR W/PURCH OF SAME TITLE OF QUALIFYING MOV
Promotion ID: PHBLURAY09
Unfortunately, your submission was not qualified for rebate due to the reason(s) listed below:
REASONS:
Code Reason
009 NO UPC CODE SUBMITTED OR NOT AN ORIGINAL

Luckily I save a copy of every rebate form submitted, because of this very reason. Manufacturers and retailers are hoping people don't submit them on time or don't follow instructions. In my case I do, I read the fine print, but now have to deal with the fact that the company processing their rebates does not understand HOW the rebate works. An original UPC code is different from an original Proof-of-Purchase tab, if they don't know the difference, how is that the consumer's fault? Either one was required for each DVD/Blu-ray, not both, and they weren't copies.

Now I have to call them and explain that they screwed up and this will be the fourth time Paramount's rebate fulfillment center has done this. So if anyone gets a similar email, contact them. This will further delay the rebate which is BS in it self, but they need to be aware of their screw up.

Always make a copy of what you submit and the phone number/website where you can check your status, until the rebate has arrived.

[dvdirv]

My Forrest Gump rebate was accepted, but I had previous ones denied.

Unfortunately, I didn't keep my copies to prove I submitted them correctly. My impression of their redemption firm is that they try to weasel out of sending a rebate whenever they can.

Actually, I was shocked that I did get a rebate from Forrest Gump!

[Sammy]

I hate MIR's. About a third of the time, you never see the money. I've got one from NAPA from last spring for shocks on my truck for which I have never seen the check. Good thing I needed shocks and the price was okay anyway. The rebate was just a bonus, but I sure wish that they'd follow through on there end as I know I filled it out right and conformed to all their conditions before mailing it in.

[Chloenator]

This is why I don't deal with rebates. I'm all for saving money, but sometimes it's just more work than what it's worth.

[kenbenobi]

Originally Posted by GoPens78

This is why I don't deal with rebates. I'm all for saving money, but sometimes it's just more work than what it's worth.

Agreed. I am SOOO glad that most stores did away with the rebate bullshit on Black Friday. That was really annoying...

[NorCo_1806]

I had an issue with one of the Braveheart/Gladiator rebates....never knew which one. I got a notice in the mail stating I'd submitted the rebate AFTER the last possible mail-in date. Since the last date still hasn't happened, I was puzzled.

I called them and they told me it was a glitch and that I'd be ok. I received one of the rebates, then checked status on the other online...saw it still processing. It made it to me a couple weeks later.

When I called, they seemed easy to deal with....just kinda stupid that I had to go through that at all.

[Kinsella5]

The problem I am having is with Forrest Gump. It called for the proof-of-purchase tab from the Blu-ray, and also EITHER the UPC or proof-of-purchase tab from the standard DVD. What the rebate department doesn't seem to understand is that the proof of purchase tab from the standard DVD was nothing more than a triangle that said "Paramount Pictures" proof of purchase on it, as it didn't list the title of the film. When studios offer a rebate they should make a print out of all possible proof of purchase and UPC codes for each particular DVD that is part of the rebate, so they know.

[Clark Kent]

The rebate firms have monetary incentives to deny any rebate they possibly can. The studios pay them a certain set allocation before a rebate is ever processed. Whatever they have left over after they pay out the rebate claims from that fee is what the rebate processing firm gets to keep. That perverse business structure is what leads to serious misabuse of the process by the processing firms.

It is why I almost never count on a rebate going through. A certain percentage of legitimate claims will be denied just because many customers will simply not follow up after getting denied.

The whole process is a wreck and I am surprised reputable firms like the Hollywood studios use it still. Retail stores have very good studies showing that there is intense customer dissatisfaction with the typical rebate process. But it does pump up initial sales, which is why some companies continue to offer them.

[TylerDurden]

I have sent in two rebate offers so far. One is for the Transformers which was successful. The other is Its A Wonderful Life. Still have not heard back on that one. The UPC or whatever was just a barcode on the back of the DVD box. Not sure it will even work.