Western Digital $50 rebate woes

[tony123]

So I bought a 120GB Western Digital HDD way back in the first week of January and mailed the $50 rebate claim form along with the original UPC barcode from the product packaging. A few weeks later I receive a postcard from WD saying the UPC barcode was invalid because it was a copy and not the original. I called WD to tell them it was legit and they told me there was some confusion in their rebate center regarding new product packaging. Apparently their rebate center was not aware of new product packaging made of thin paper and the UPC barcode at a glance resembles xerox copies. They told me it would take a couple weeks to clear up the confusion and mail out rebate checks. So I call back a couple weeks later and find out that nothing's changed. They told me their rebate center was backed up and that it would take at least another week. So another week goes by and I call them only to find out the same thing- no progress. This goes on for another month and 5 phone calls later they are still backed up It's been 3 months and still no rebate check

[Capmaster]

Rump-Wranglers!

[awlchu]

Go 'vitch' at the Store that you bought it at! I know Best Buy and others have toll free #s to use.

[Marco33]

That's why I NEVER buy something because of a rebate.

[handyguy]

If Circuit City, just visit them at the store they should take care of it. Im waiting for mine from April 2003 & all I did was write CC email about it & they said wait another 4 weeks. But lady on the phone at CC said she would take care of it if I brought it to the store, but Im lazy with that.

[lordsmurf]

WD has always been a great rebate promiser. This is odd.

[Roundabout]

They've ripped off a lot of people. Take a look at this thread for an idea of just how big the problem is. You're not alone, it seems.

I was going to buy a WD 120GB that is on sale at CC this week for cheap, but after reading about how many people haven't been paid their rebate, I'm staying away. I bought a Maxtor 120GB on Black Friday last year, and got both rebates (BB and Maxtor mail-ins) with no problem. I'll just wait till another Maxtor is on sale at Fry's or something. Forget WD.

[tony123]

I bought it at Circuit City and paid $135 CASH for it. It was a $70 mail in rebate promo deal: $20 from CC and $50 from WD. Circuity was great- I received their $20 rebate check a few weeks after purchase. But WD has given me the run around for 2 months. This is my first time dealing with WD rebate. But I'm not surprised they received so many complaints. Definitely not a good way to win customers and their loyalty.

[zzyzzx]

Sounds to me like their rebate promise is as bad as their drives.

[northcat_8]

So I bought a 120GB Western Digital HDD way back in the first week of January and mailed the $50 rebate claim form along with the original UPC barcode from the product packaging. A few weeks later I receive a postcard from WD saying the UPC barcode was invalid because it was a copy and not the original. I called WD to tell them it was legit and they told me there was some confusion in their rebate center regarding new product packaging. Apparently their rebate center was not aware of new product packaging made of thin paper and the UPC barcode at a glance resembles xerox copies. They told me it would take a couple weeks to clear up the confusion and mail out rebate checks. So I call back a couple weeks later and find out that nothing's changed. They told me their rebate center was backed up and that it would take at least another week. So another week goes by and I call them only to find out the same thing- no progress. This goes on for another month and 5 phone calls later they are still backed up It's been 3 months and still no rebate check

Sounds to me like you are in need of a Professional *******....Big business always trying to screw the little guy.....

For qualifications please see: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=214413

I wish to offer you my services....I work fairly cheap, for beer....I come very negatively recommended by all customer service representitives that I have spoken to who try to give me the run around.

[Roundabout]

I noticed that CompUSA has the Seagate 120GB 8mb Cache HDD for 59.99 after rebate this week, so I may get one of those instead. At least there's only one rebate to deal with, not two. It's $139.99 - $30.00 off instantly, then a $50.00 Mail-in Rebate leaving it $59.99 (not including tax). Seems like a good deal. Anyone have any positive/negative opinions of Seagate? Anyone have bad experience with rebates from them?

The WD HDD at CC had two rebates, so twice the chance to get screwed. I don't like these two rebate deals, some have even more. Also, it means you have to pay more tax, because the price is usually very high, and you pay tax on that higher price, and you don't get the taxes back.

Better to start with a lower price, you save on tax and only have to mail in one rebate. Same size HDD but different mfgr. Since there is an instant rebate on this of $30.00, you don't pay tax on that $30.00, meaning you save another $2.48 in tax (8.25% tax here). Something to think about anytime you're looking at a rebate.

[tony123]

They sent me a $20 check, not $50. What the F&@!? They still owe me $30.

[northcat_8]

They sent me a $20 check, not $50. What the F&@!? They still owe me $30.

I restate my offer. I offer:

Frustrated, misunderstanding customer - 1 can of beer
Irritated, frustrated customer - 3 cans of beer
Angry Irritated customer - 6 cans of beer
Prick - 12 pack
Pure SOB, MFing ******* - 24 pack

(***disclaimer: sometimes steps 2 and 3 get skipped, at no additional charge to you***)

I get a 2 can bonus for each level of supervisor I go through. Typically never over a 6 pack. As the chain of command usually only goes 3 deep.

I get a 12 pack bonus if I track it down to a single person and I call him at home to resolve this matter.

...and yes I have, I won't say his name, but he use to run the psychic friends network (Miss Cleo). There were actually 3 guys running the show but the other 2 refered me to him, (I called them) and then I called his ass up at home too! Hey...what do you know...problem resolved. Trying to make me pay $356.00 for a 9 year old's phone call!?? Wasn't going to happen.

[tony123]

Northcat thanks for the offer but all is good now. They sent me a $30 check after I emailed them and requested that they send me another check. I guess they were just waiting to see if I was going to forget about it after they sent me the 20. But that wasn't going to happen. And I guess emailing is more effective than the phone.

[tgpo]

If Circuit City, just visit them at the store they should take care of it. Im waiting for mine from April 2003 & all I did was write CC email about it & they said wait another 4 weeks. But lady on the phone at CC said she would take care of it if I brought it to the store, but Im lazy with that.

I bought a 48x CD-Rom drive there when they were on sale for $9.99 with rebates. I ended up paying -$9.99 for the drive because every month I complained to CC and they would check on it and give me $20. There is now a class action lawsuit on the company who made the drive because they never sent any rebate checks out.

[devinemi83]

And this is what the company counts on. They get you to pay a higher price for the drive under the "well it will be practically free after the rebates", line. Then they stall and put off getting the rebates out there to you hoping you will forget about it and go away. I had that trouble with ATI over a vidcap card I bought. I sent them the UPC and they never responded EVER. Same with a company who made my UPS. I sent ALL the upcs off the box because they said they needed them. They sent me a letter saying "You didnt send the correct UPCs,so no rebate will be given". I even called and said "hey I sent all 3, how is it that NONE were correct?!?". I was told the same thing over again.....

I have only had 1 positive rebate experience. TDK had rebates on the 30packs of cdrs. 3 per spindle. They sent them to me but not till after about 3.5 months. 6-8 weeks my ass.

[Conquest10]

Bought a WD drive last year and had about two months to send the rebate form in so I kept saying "I'll do it tomorrow." Forgot about it and it turned out that the deadline had passed. I still sent it in figuring I should give it a shot. Sure enough, I got my check a month and a half later.
A couple of days before getting that drive, I ordered another and it was backordered. I later saw that other drive was available for the same price so I bought the one that was available and tried to cancel the backordered one. Couldn't be done. So two months later I get the second drive in the mail. It also had a mail-in rebate so I scanned the UPC and printed it out and sent the rebate form. I took the hard drive back and got my money back. A month later, I got the rebate check for that drive.