Short version:
Panasonic customer service is bad, and I may be screwed out of a free
12v drill body I was supposed to receive as a promotion when I bought
an impact driver.
Long version:
December of '05 I bit the bullet and decided to upgrade my cordless
drill situation. I'd been eyeballing the Panasonic Digital Impact
Driver for a while, and finally sprang for it while they were having a
promotion for a free 12v drill body. I sent in the rebate form in
early January and haven't yet heard or seen a thing from Panasonic.
In mid-February I filled out an online form at their website asking
them when I could expect my drill. No response.
A week or two later contacted someone who told me to call someone else,
where I heard a recording to try checkmyrebate.com. I don't think I
was able to get anyone on the line at the second number. IAE,
checkmyrebate.com didn't help, it didn't recognize my shipping info or
my email address.
So I called the first or second number again and a lady said to call
their rebate center in Tennessee. It was here that a woman told me
that no longer handles Panasonic rebates. I did some googling and
finally found the lucky number...
Called the number (some Panasonic office in Washington) and a woman
said I'd have to wait the full 10 weeks before I could open a "rebate
status request form". So I waited.
Just got off the phone with them again, and they said they'd "have
someone look into it" and that they'd call me if they had questions.
I'm calling back to get someone else on the line right now.
JP
RayV wrote:
> I had a problem with a different type of merchant before and wrote a
> "30 day demand letter" and the problem was resolved almost instantly.
>
> http://hcs.harvard.edu/~scas/DemandLetter.htm
>
> It only costs 5 minutes and 39 cents to try it.
I think I will. Thanks.
JP
**********************************************
Further bulletins as events warrant.
Jay Pique wrote:
> Short version:
> Panasonic customer service is bad, and I may be screwed out of a free
> 12v drill body I was supposed to receive as a promotion when I bought
> an impact driver.
>
>
>
> Long version:
> December of '05 I bit the bullet and decided to upgrade my cordless
> drill situation. I'd been eyeballing the Panasonic Digital Impact
> Driver for a while, and finally sprang for it while they were having a
> promotion for a free 12v drill body. I sent in the rebate form in
> early January and haven't yet heard or seen a thing from Panasonic.
>
> In mid-February I filled out an online form at their website asking
> them when I could expect my drill. No response.
>
> A week or two later contacted someone who told me to call someone else,
> where I heard a recording to try checkmyrebate.com. I don't think I
> was able to get anyone on the line at the second number. IAE,
> checkmyrebate.com didn't help, it didn't recognize my shipping info or
> my email address.
>
I had a similar problem with Best Buy. A router I bought had two
rebates, one mail in and one online. Sent both in 2 December 05. On 2
Jan I got an email that my rebate was on the way (online one). So far
have seen nothing of either.
I have about decided that rebates are a ripoff marketing scheme. If they
want to give me a discount they can give it at the time of the sale.
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA
'Bother', said Pooh as he stuffed
Piglet's corpse into a trash bag
----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----
Gene T wrote:
> I got my 12v drill body about 3 weeks ago. They say to allow 8-14 weeks.
> Did you try the [email protected]
> or 1-800-833-9626 that was on the reabate form?
I sent an email to fulfillment, etc., and I also called the 800 number.
I'm going to enjoy my stay in Minnesota (recovering from lasik done
this a.m.) and worry about it next week. Wish me luck!
JP
Jay Pique wrote:
> Gene T wrote:
> > I got my 12v drill body about 3 weeks ago. They say to allow 8-14 weeks.
> > Did you try the [email protected]
> > or 1-800-833-9626 that was on the reabate form?
>
> I sent an email to fulfillment, etc., and I also called the 800 number.
> I'm going to enjoy my stay in Minnesota (recovering from lasik done
> this a.m.) and worry about it next week. Wish me luck!
I got a call from Panasonic. They are waiting for a shipment of drill
bodies to arrive. Not sure when they're going to get here though.
<sigh> Well, at least I'm on the list.
JP
"gw" <[email protected]> writes:
>Since I started sending all rebate forms by registered mail, I have not
>missed one. Before that, my forms often got "lost in the mail" YMMV.
Some rebate processing companies are now refusing certified mail. Says so
right on the form.
I have done a ton of rebates recently via 1st class mail and received all
of them.
Brian Elfert
"RayV" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I had a problem with a different type of merchant before and wrote a
> "30 day demand letter" and the problem was resolved almost instantly.
>
> http://hcs.harvard.edu/~scas/DemandLetter.htm
>
> It only costs 5 minutes and 39 cents to try it.
>
Just FYI, this demand method is only valid for residents of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, mileage in your state, or Canadian Province, will vary
GREATLY!
I did a quick check and couldn't find any Panasonic presence in the
Commonwealth (doesn't mean there isn't any but is one of the requirements of
Chapter 93A of Mass General Laws (MGL).
No matter where you live you should visit your state's Attorney General
(Consumer Division) web site to see which, if any, statutes are available to
you. If you don't see anything that fits you can always send a letter
(informative, not threading) stating that you will be perusing small claims
action which you can do yourself and get a judgment which you may, or may
not, be able to enforce depending if the company has any assets located in
your state. Just because a company does business in your state (unless it
is a regulated business) doesn't mean they have assets at risk to you to be
able to attach if you win a judgment.
Jay
Since I started sending all rebate forms by registered mail, I have not
missed one. Before that, my forms often got "lost in the mail" YMMV.
"Jay Pique" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Short version:
> Panasonic customer service is bad, and I may be screwed out of a free
> 12v drill body I was supposed to receive as a promotion when I bought
> an impact driver.
>
>
>
> Long version:
> December of '05 I bit the bullet and decided to upgrade my cordless
> drill situation. I'd been eyeballing the Panasonic Digital Impact
> Driver for a while, and finally sprang for it while they were having a
> promotion for a free 12v drill body. I sent in the rebate form in
> early January and haven't yet heard or seen a thing from Panasonic.
>
> In mid-February I filled out an online form at their website asking
> them when I could expect my drill. No response.
>
> A week or two later contacted someone who told me to call someone else,
> where I heard a recording to try checkmyrebate.com. I don't think I
> was able to get anyone on the line at the second number. IAE,
> checkmyrebate.com didn't help, it didn't recognize my shipping info or
> my email address.
>
> So I called the first or second number again and a lady said to call
> their rebate center in Tennessee. It was here that a woman told me
> that no longer handles Panasonic rebates. I did some googling and
> finally found the lucky number...
>
> Called the number (some Panasonic office in Washington) and a woman
> said I'd have to wait the full 10 weeks before I could open a "rebate
> status request form". So I waited.
>
> Just got off the phone with them again, and they said they'd "have
> someone look into it" and that they'd call me if they had questions.
> I'm calling back to get someone else on the line right now.
>
> JP
>
I find that being a continuous but not overly squeaky wheel works.
"Jay Pique" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Short version:
> Panasonic customer service is bad, and I may be screwed out of a free
> 12v drill body I was supposed to receive as a promotion when I bought
> an impact driver.
>
>
>
> Long version:
> December of '05 I bit the bullet and decided to upgrade my cordless
> drill situation. I'd been eyeballing the Panasonic Digital Impact
> Driver for a while, and finally sprang for it while they were having a
> promotion for a free 12v drill body. I sent in the rebate form in
> early January and haven't yet heard or seen a thing from Panasonic.
>
> In mid-February I filled out an online form at their website asking
> them when I could expect my drill. No response.
>
> A week or two later contacted someone who told me to call someone else,
> where I heard a recording to try checkmyrebate.com. I don't think I
> was able to get anyone on the line at the second number. IAE,
> checkmyrebate.com didn't help, it didn't recognize my shipping info or
> my email address.
>
> So I called the first or second number again and a lady said to call
> their rebate center in Tennessee. It was here that a woman told me
> that no longer handles Panasonic rebates. I did some googling and
> finally found the lucky number...
>
> Called the number (some Panasonic office in Washington) and a woman
> said I'd have to wait the full 10 weeks before I could open a "rebate
> status request form". So I waited.
>
> Just got off the phone with them again, and they said they'd "have
> someone look into it" and that they'd call me if they had questions.
> I'm calling back to get someone else on the line right now.
>
> JP
>
"Jay Pique" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Short version:
> Panasonic customer service is bad, and I may be screwed out of
> a free
> 12v drill body I was supposed to receive as a promotion when I
> bought
> an impact driver.
>
>
>
> Long version:
> December of '05 I bit the bullet and decided to upgrade my
> cordless
> drill situation. I'd been eyeballing the Panasonic Digital
> Impact
> Driver for a while, and finally sprang for it while they were
> having a
> promotion for a free 12v drill body. I sent in the rebate form
> in
> early January and haven't yet heard or seen a thing from
> Panasonic.
>
> In mid-February I filled out an online form at their website
> asking
> them when I could expect my drill. No response.
>
> A week or two later contacted someone who told me to call
> someone else,
> where I heard a recording to try checkmyrebate.com. I don't
> think I
> was able to get anyone on the line at the second number. IAE,
> checkmyrebate.com didn't help, it didn't recognize my shipping
> info or
> my email address.
>
> So I called the first or second number again and a lady said to
> call
> their rebate center in Tennessee. It was here that a woman
> told me
> that no longer handles Panasonic rebates. I did some googling
> and
> finally found the lucky number...
>
> Called the number (some Panasonic office in Washington) and a
> woman
> said I'd have to wait the full 10 weeks before I could open a
> "rebate
> status request form". So I waited.
>
> Just got off the phone with them again, and they said they'd
> "have
> someone look into it" and that they'd call me if they had
> questions.
> I'm calling back to get someone else on the line right now.
>
> JP
>
I had some good luck with HP and the BBB. They didn't like being
reported to the BBBonline one little bit.
Pop
I got my 12v drill body about 3 weeks ago. They say to allow 8-14 weeks.
Did you try the [email protected]
or 1-800-833-9626 that was on the reabate form?
Gene
"Jay Pique" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Short version:
> Panasonic customer service is bad, and I may be screwed out of a free
> 12v drill body I was supposed to receive as a promotion when I bought
> an impact driver.
>
>
>
> Long version:
> December of '05 I bit the bullet and decided to upgrade my cordless
> drill situation. I'd been eyeballing the Panasonic Digital Impact
> Driver for a while, and finally sprang for it while they were having a
> promotion for a free 12v drill body. I sent in the rebate form in
> early January and haven't yet heard or seen a thing from Panasonic.
>
> In mid-February I filled out an online form at their website asking
> them when I could expect my drill. No response.
>
> A week or two later contacted someone who told me to call someone else,
> where I heard a recording to try checkmyrebate.com. I don't think I
> was able to get anyone on the line at the second number. IAE,
> checkmyrebate.com didn't help, it didn't recognize my shipping info or
> my email address.
>
> So I called the first or second number again and a lady said to call
> their rebate center in Tennessee. It was here that a woman told me
> that no longer handles Panasonic rebates. I did some googling and
> finally found the lucky number...
>
> Called the number (some Panasonic office in Washington) and a woman
> said I'd have to wait the full 10 weeks before I could open a "rebate
> status request form". So I waited.
>
> Just got off the phone with them again, and they said they'd "have
> someone look into it" and that they'd call me if they had questions.
> I'm calling back to get someone else on the line right now.
>
> JP
>
Jay Pique wrote:
> Short version:
> Panasonic customer service is bad, and I may be screwed out of a free
> 12v drill body I was supposed to receive as a promotion when I bought
> an impact driver.
>
>
>
> Long version:
> December of '05 I bit the bullet and decided to upgrade my cordless
> drill situation. I'd been eyeballing the Panasonic Digital Impact
> Driver for a while, and finally sprang for it while they were having a
> promotion for a free 12v drill body. I sent in the rebate form in
> early January and haven't yet heard or seen a thing from Panasonic.
>
> In mid-February I filled out an online form at their website asking
> them when I could expect my drill. No response.
>
> A week or two later contacted someone who told me to call someone else,
> where I heard a recording to try checkmyrebate.com. I don't think I
> was able to get anyone on the line at the second number. IAE,
> checkmyrebate.com didn't help, it didn't recognize my shipping info or
> my email address.
>
> So I called the first or second number again and a lady said to call
> their rebate center in Tennessee. It was here that a woman told me
> that no longer handles Panasonic rebates. I did some googling and
> finally found the lucky number...
>
> Called the number (some Panasonic office in Washington) and a woman
> said I'd have to wait the full 10 weeks before I could open a "rebate
> status request form". So I waited.
>
> Just got off the phone with them again, and they said they'd "have
> someone look into it" and that they'd call me if they had questions.
> I'm calling back to get someone else on the line right now.
>
> JP
>
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/03/compusa.htm - you might find this
interesting...about who is responsible when rebates go awry.
dave