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[email protected] December 30th 06 07:16 PM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 
On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 03:47:31 GMT, "Bob (but not THAT Bob)"
wrote:

SNIP


I get every damn rebate I file, so I'm saving money at the expense of
illiterates/incompetents - so what?


Wow. That's a nice attitude you have grown over there. Did you use
the condescending fertilizer or just the I don't give a ****
version???

The Etobian December 30th 06 09:16 PM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 
On Sat, 30 Dec 2006 11:15:15 -0600, M Berger wrote:

Wow... how lucky. You were unemployed for six months but you got
2 computers and $ 50 out of it!


That might have eased the pain of being unemployed, but I would rather
have been employed for the six months and paid for the cost of the
computer (less the rebate, of course).

DerbyDad03 December 30th 06 09:38 PM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 
Etobian,

Perhaps you missed my response to M Berger:

I received a year's salary continuance from the company that I was
downsized from.

Let's do the math:
-- A year's salary continuance from my old job
-- A new (better paying) job 6 months later (can you say
"double-dipping"?)
-- 2 computers
-- $50 bucks

In the end, not only did I end up with 2 free computers, but I made
more money that year than any year in my life and my new job pays
better than the old.

I was forced into making the career change that so many people think
about but are frozen by fear from doing. There's a saying about making
a major change that goes something like this: "Before a change can be
made, the pain of staying has to be greater than the pain of leaving."
That's why many people remain in dead-end jobs or careers they really
don't enjoy. The pain/fear of being unemployed for any length of time
or failing at the new career keeps people locked into an unhappy, but
safe, situation. That's exactly where I was. As I look back, I am very
grateful for those 6 months of (fully paid) unemployment. I was forced
to look inside and decide what I really wanted to do for the rest of my
life and then go out and make it happen.

And on top of it all, I ended up with 2 free computer systems!

The Etobian wrote:
On Sat, 30 Dec 2006 11:15:15 -0600, M Berger wrote:

Wow... how lucky. You were unemployed for six months but you got
2 computers and $ 50 out of it!


That might have eased the pain of being unemployed, but I would rather
have been employed for the six months and paid for the cost of the
computer (less the rebate, of course).



jJim McLaughlin December 31st 06 01:23 AM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 
RichA wrote:
John wrote:

I know that the institution of rebates is meant to rip you off so I'm
quite anal about paying attention to the details and ALWAYS sending in
the rebate with delivery confirmation. The delivery confirmation at
least minimizes the "Sorry, we never received your rebate" or "Sorry, we
didn't receive your rebate in time" excuses.

I read the rebate forms several times looking for the "gotcha's". I know
I go through way more trouble than I should for $20-$50 but it's the
principle. They make it as annoying as possible to claim a rebate so
that most people won't bother. I'm the one that bothers.

I send in my rebate to Canon along with all the rebate form, purchase
receipt and I cut out the UPC code from the box and put that in the
envelope. My new tactic is to use wide tape and tape the UPC code to
the rebate form.

I checked on my rebate status just now.

Error(s): An original qualifying UPC was not included

Yep. No matter how hard I tried, Canon still managed to screw me over.

Since they want "an original" qualifying UPC", my copy won't suffice.

Canon, the next time I'm in the market for a product I'll remember this
incident.



Mail-in rebates are always a scam. Why do they do them? Because
people buy based on this.
50-80% never claim them.
Rebates take 8-12 weeks and often are never delivered, another 50%
forget about them.
They force you to call someone to fix the problem or ask where your
rebate is 16 weeks past due delivery time.
At the end of it all, according to various business studies, only 3% of
rebates are ever paid out. So, they can boost sales with what might
amount to a 0.5% overall discount paid.
It is business genius.



I LOVE rebates.

I always fill them out, checking off each step on the firm as I do so,
always make copies of everything, and always send them in, with delivery
confirmation.

Eight out of 10 times no problem.

When there is a problem, I go to the local Small Claims Court here in
Oregon and sue both the stre and the manufacturer for breach of
contract, fraud, and for violtions of something called the Oregon
Unlawful trade Practices Act (ORS 646.601 et seq.)

The local vendor is an actual and apparent agent of the manufacturer.

I have always recovered my filing fees; a minimum of $ 200.00 statutory
damages under the Oregon UTPA; a stautory "prevailing party fee" of $
250.00 and the costs of service of the complaints and summonses on the
local retailer and the registered agent of the manufacturer.

Zinging Fry's and its various manufacturers is lots of fun. I just
fiished, in early December, with Frys and Kingston Memoy on a thumb
drive, which Kingston laimed lacked a dated sales receipt. They get so
twidgy when served with a request for production requiring them to
produce the original of the entirety of the rebate package sent in to
the. Apparently whatever the service company at the post office box
address in El Paso which so many manufacturers use (the work is actually
done in Juarez across the river) keep no iinal records at all. Judges
get so ticked when a defendant's lawyers say its company polivy to
thow orginal records away g.

Having lawyered for amost 40 years before hanging up my cleats makes
this rather simple and quite profitable.
After hiring lawyers two or three times to represen them, Fry's has
figred out its cheaper to pay me than to contest the claim.

YMMV.

Bill December 31st 06 02:51 AM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 
Jim McLaughlin wrote:

Zinging Fry's and its various manufacturers is lots of fun. I just
fiished, in early December, with Frys and Kingston Memoy on a thumb
drive, which Kingston laimed lacked a dated sales receipt. They get so
twidgy when served with a request for production requiring them to
produce the original of the entirety of the rebate package sent in to
the. Apparently whatever the service company at the post office box
address in El Paso which so many manufacturers use (the work is actually
done in Juarez across the river) keep no iinal records at all. Judges
get so ticked when a defendant's lawyers say its company polivy to
thow orginal records away g.


Kingston rebates don't go to El Paso, they go to White Bear
Lake, MN (I just got finished mailing some out). I trust that
the rest of your rather amusing story was more accurate?

Bill

Bill December 31st 06 02:54 AM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 
HeyBub wrote:

It's generally not a wise to guess about what I'm thinking. Inasmuch as it's
against federal law to send invoices by Standard Mail (look at your
telephone bill's envelope), one would think a similar rationale would apply
to other financial instruments.


And presumably one would be wrong for assuming that, since its
being done. Of course, you could point this out to Parago and
see if they are willing to change their practice.

And invoices are much different than checks, in that invoices
need to be delivered promptly so the recipient has ample time to
pay it.

Bill

Bob December 31st 06 07:32 AM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 
In article ,
jJim McLaughlin wrote:


I LOVE rebates.

I always fill them out, checking off each step on the firm as I do so,
always make copies of everything, and always send them in, with delivery
confirmation.

Eight out of 10 times no problem.

When there is a problem, I go to the local Small Claims Court here in
Oregon and sue both the stre and the manufacturer for breach of
contract, fraud, and for violtions of something called the Oregon
Unlawful trade Practices Act (ORS 646.601 et seq.)

The local vendor is an actual and apparent agent of the manufacturer.

I have always recovered my filing fees; a minimum of $ 200.00 statutory
damages under the Oregon UTPA; a stautory "prevailing party fee" of $
250.00 and the costs of service of the complaints and summonses on the
local retailer and the registered agent of the manufacturer.


snip

I asked my lawyer friend if CA had a similar law. Here's her $.02.

California does indeed. It is called the "Unfair Trade Practices Act." Business and
Professions Code section 17200, states:

"As used in this chapter, unfair competition shall mean and include any unlawful,
unfair or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue or
misleading advertising and any act prohibited by Chapter 1 (commencing with Section
17500) of Part 3 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code."

Section 17500 states in relevant part that: "It is unlawful for any person, firm,
corporation or association, or any employee thereof with intent directly or
indirectly to dispose of real or personal property or to perform services,
professional or otherwise, or anything of any nature whatsoever or to induce the
public to enter into any obligation relating thereto, to make or disseminate or cause
to be made or disseminated before the public in this state, or to make or disseminate
or cause to be made or disseminated from this state before the public in any state,
in any newspaper or other publication, or any advertising device, or by public outcry
or proclamation, or in any other manner or means whatever, including over the
Internet, any statement, concerning that real or personal property or those services,
professional or otherwise, or concerning any circumstance or matter of fact connected
with the proposed performance or disposition thereof, which is untrue or misleading,
and which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known, to
be untrue or misleading ...."

However, I have not, yet, found the award of fees which he claims. In California,
these cases are generally brought by the Attorney General and/or DA etc. on behalf of
the People of the State of California. Civil penalties are awarded, but are paid to
the state or to the city or county who brought the suit on behalf of the People. I
don't see any basis, at least in the California version, to bring a separate claim
and obtain these fees he mentions. As to the fraud and breach of contract issues,
that may be different, but I still doubt they are paid to the individual, because the
purpose is to make the consumer whole, not to be able to obtain monies over and above
what they have lost or had to spend to recover that which was lost. Those kinds of
fees generally go for intangibles like defamation, slander, intentional infliction of
mental distress, etc.

Not worth your time, other than when you can't get your money back. THEN small claims
would be worth it. No lawyers in small claims, unless he or she is a party.

--
ADD Example

bobert

VC December 31st 06 07:49 PM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 


As has been adequately explained here before, rebates are by their very
nature a scam. There is no logical explanation for a rebate program other
than being a scam. The following truth will never change:

If the producer of a product wants to sell you his product at a lower than
normal price, they will give you a price break at the check out counter.


Why not to assume that the company needs the money NOW. For example they
need to report a good sales in this quarter.
To me a rebate looks like an interest free loan from a customer, which
taking into account that the customer gets a good deal sounds fair.



jJim McLaughlin December 31st 06 09:31 PM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 
Bob wrote:
In article ,
jJim McLaughlin wrote:


I LOVE rebates.

I always fill them out, checking off each step on the firm as I do so,
always make copies of everything, and always send them in, with delivery
confirmation.

Eight out of 10 times no problem.

When there is a problem, I go to the local Small Claims Court here in
Oregon and sue both the stre and the manufacturer for breach of
contract, fraud, and for violtions of something called the Oregon
Unlawful trade Practices Act (ORS 646.601 et seq.)

The local vendor is an actual and apparent agent of the manufacturer.

I have always recovered my filing fees; a minimum of $ 200.00 statutory
damages under the Oregon UTPA; a stautory "prevailing party fee" of $
250.00 and the costs of service of the complaints and summonses on the
local retailer and the registered agent of the manufacturer.



snip

I asked my lawyer friend if CA had a similar law. Here's her $.02.

California does indeed. It is called the "Unfair Trade Practices Act." Business and
Professions Code section 17200, states:

"As used in this chapter, unfair competition shall mean and include any unlawful,
unfair or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue or
misleading advertising and any act prohibited by Chapter 1 (commencing with Section
17500) of Part 3 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code."

Section 17500 states in relevant part that: "It is unlawful for any person, firm,
corporation or association, or any employee thereof with intent directly or
indirectly to dispose of real or personal property or to perform services,
professional or otherwise, or anything of any nature whatsoever or to induce the
public to enter into any obligation relating thereto, to make or disseminate or cause
to be made or disseminated before the public in this state, or to make or disseminate
or cause to be made or disseminated from this state before the public in any state,
in any newspaper or other publication, or any advertising device, or by public outcry
or proclamation, or in any other manner or means whatever, including over the
Internet, any statement, concerning that real or personal property or those services,
professional or otherwise, or concerning any circumstance or matter of fact connected
with the proposed performance or disposition thereof, which is untrue or misleading,
and which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known, to
be untrue or misleading ...."

However, I have not, yet, found the award of fees which he claims. In California,
these cases are generally brought by the Attorney General and/or DA etc. on behalf of
the People of the State of California. Civil penalties are awarded, but are paid to
the state or to the city or county who brought the suit on behalf of the People. I
don't see any basis, at least in the California version, to bring a separate claim
and obtain these fees he mentions. As to the fraud and breach of contract issues,
that may be different, but I still doubt they are paid to the individual, because the
purpose is to make the consumer whole, not to be able to obtain monies over and above
what they have lost or had to spend to recover that which was lost. Those kinds of
fees generally go for intangibles like defamation, slander, intentional infliction of
mental distress, etc.



Must be sad to live in such a backward place as California, with little
in the way of consumer protections.

Oregon law has a private right of action under its UTPA. See, ORS
646.638 (1).

Oregon law also allows the State Attorney General or a District Attorney
to bring a case. ORS 646.632.
The two causes of action are separate and independent.

Oregon law provides for minimum statutory damages for private party
plantiffs in UTPA cases. See, ORS 646.638 (1).

Oregon law provides for attorneys fees for a successful plaintiff. ORS
646.638 (3).

Oregon law sets forth a far more extensive "laundry list" of
sanctionable Unlawful Trade Practices
than does California. ORS 646.608.

See generally, texts at:

http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/646.html

Prevailing party fees, in addition to damages, are provided for in ORS
20.190.

Your doubts not withstanding, common law claims for breach of contract
and for fraud always allow damages to a sucessful plantiff. None of
thse damages are ever payable to the state, whether in Oregon or
California.

You California lawyer friend really needs t get her head out of her ass.
As do you.


Not worth your time, other than when you can't get your money back. THEN small claims
would be worth it. No lawyers in small claims, unless he or she is a party.


Matt Clara January 8th 07 03:27 AM

Screwed by Canon Rebate
 

"clifto" wrote in message
...
-hh wrote:
John wrote:
There's no other way of phrasing it: CANON RIPPED ME OFF EVEN THOUGH I
FOLLOWED ALL THE RULES.


Actually, it is the Redemption company who is Canon's representative
who is doing the "ripping offing".

It would appear that their excuse was because they were able to "lose"
your UPC since you didn't physically attach it.


I don't have to go back to the OP's article to know that he expressly
said he *always* attaches the UPC to the rebate form with tape.


Me neither, nor do I need to look at his first response in this thread he
started, in which he claimed he sent in a "copy" of the UPC.




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