Has a rebate or trade-in offer ever prompted you to make a purchase? If so you know how the process of getting that offer can be a slow one. I have some tips to help stay on track.
When Mary Lawrence went to Verizon for a $200 rebate on her new iPhone she thought the six week delay was just an oversight. One of the issues was that Verizon required her to turn in her old iPhone to get the promotion. But she had trouble getting the company to send the shipping package.
“I call them again, they promise to get it out again,” recalled Lawrence. “The part that drove me crazy is that they never argued with me. They’d say you are doing everything you are supposed to.”
After her last call Mary got a special kind of disconnection.
“I waited another 4 to 6 weeks and I called them again and then they informed me that this is over with. You are too late now,” said Lawrence.
Playing the rebate game is tough. The way to get ahead of the game is to first, read the fine print. Obviously Mary’s rebate had a deadline. Other suggestions by our friends at Bankrate include:
- Fill out all of the rebate forms
- Make sure you get the UPC codes right
- Keep your paperwork and make copies in case either you or the company makes a mistake
- If a rebate is available shop at a store like Costco that can either give you an instant rebate or start the paperwork for you
We were able to speak with Verizon and it gave Mary a $200 credit right away. But after all the hassle, she’s not sure it all paid off.
“I think if you calculate my time, I went in the hole!” exclaimed Lawrence.
Verizon‘s statement about Lawrence’s issue:
“We work with our customers and shipping partners to fulfill all promises made regarding our device trade-ins and other promotions. On rare occasions a shipping error delays the return of a trade-in phone and also slows the fulfillment process. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
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