Is Ulead fair about rebates?

[steve4810]

I got VS7 DVD with my DVD burner a year ago and since it is pretty good I decided to upgrade.

So Sunday I bought VS8 from Fry's because they had it on sale and offered a rebate of their own in addition one from Ulead.

The SEALED VS8 box had a sticker that said:

"$30 Rebate For owners of previous versions of Ulead VideoStudio and selected competitors. Details inside"

The kicker, when I opened the box and began to get the rebate form filled out, I see that it says:

"Bundle versions do not qualify for this rebate"

What?

Is that fair? Honest? Legal?

Am I screwed?

Should I try to screw them?

I can promise you the $30 means a lot more to me than it does to them.

[steve4810]

46 views of my post and no one has a thing to say.

I need advice!

Please, what should I do??

[BrianCee]

If you feel so strongly about it go see a lawyer.

[Black Lab]

I'll give you the same advice a gave in a similar post. Write your local Attorney General or Consumer Affairs department and send a copy to Ulead. That usually gets their attention.

[bettebook]

Mine also said rebate $30, some come on.
When I opened the box, there was only a few weeks in Dec -Jan 05 when you can redeem this. I purchased this only 3 days ago.
Faulty advertising!!
Bette

[steve4810]

Bette,

The coupon dates were old on mine too but that hasn't been a problem in past rebates I've gotten. If they are letting these things be sold, they are pretty much extending the deadline. None the less I don't intend to wait much before I get it settled, one way or another.

Black Lab,

Attorneys General are a kind of a last resort. I am hoping I can get this concluded in less time than they would need to sort it out.

Brian,

A lawyer? For thirty bucks?

I'm looking for money not justice or vengence though if it comes to that I'll get more than 30 bucks worth. I promise you that.

[steve4810]

Bette,

A bit of good news.

When I called customer service/rebate department, a recording started out by saying "All deadlines have been extended". Then they give me the chance to leave voicemail which they promise they will return within a week.

(yikes, there must be a sh** load of pi****-off folk out here).

The number is 877-226-6766 9-5 PST Mon-Fri.

[Black Lab]

You sounded desperate so I gave you a solution that has worked for me in similar situations. You asked for advice and got it! Don't then turn around and bash the advice given!

[steve4810]

Black Lab,

Sorry if I offended you. I just meant to say that going the AG route, while it should work, is rather longer than just finding the name and number of a company official who is known to resolve rebate problems.

Actually I had two motives for posting here:

One, to see if anyone had experience dealing with Ulead on issues like this or, as in your case, ideas of what to do, and second to make public Ulead's shabby marketing tactics.

So now I've got what feedback I could and I've put the issue out there so others, like Bette, may decide not to let Ulead get away with these little frauds.

Maybe even Ulead management has seen this and will take steps to see these kinds of things don't happen anymore.

Anyway, I promise to keep everyone posted on what Ulead does or doesn't do.

[Black Lab]

It's not so much that you wait for the Attorney Generals office to rectify the situation, but when Ulead sees you mean business (by sending them a copy of your letter to the AG) they would more than likely grant you the rebate so when the AG office finally does contact them Ulead can say they've already satisfied the customer. It has worked for me in the past (not Ulead).

[Black Lab]

It's not so much that you wait for the Attorney Generals office to rectify the situation, but when Ulead sees you mean business (by sending them a copy of your letter to the AG) they would more than likely grant you the rebate so when the AG office finally does contact them Ulead can say they've already satisfied the customer. It has worked for me in the past (not Ulead).

[steve4810]

Black Lab,

Your quite right. Companies do listen to folks who take time to write real paper letters.

I had an experience with compact flouresent lights that were sold in conjunction with the power company. I sent letters to the light fixture company and and after 30 days sent letters to the store, Home Depot, and the power company. After another month I got a box in the mail with two fixtures and 5 bulbs. No letter or note. Then 3 months after that I got another box with 1 new fixture and a copy of my original letter and a letter saying how sorry they were.

Still waiting for that promised callback from Ulead rebate department.

[steve4810]

Still no call back from Ulead rebate department.

Since more than a week had passed, yesterday morning I called and left another message but as of now, haven't heard a thing.

If nothing develops by 4:45 this afternoon, I'll try one more time.

[kebrinton]

Hi Steve4810 --

You might be interested to know that I received a rebate from Ulead so long after sending in the claim that I couldn't remember what it was for. I mean something like 10 months later. (I'm standing there holding it, asking myself 'Did I deserve this?')

If you look back just a few days, there's a long thread about waiting time for rebates. They might extend the send-in dates, but after that you can go on with your life, and stop expecting things to happen soon.

Somebody else got a rebate 18 months after send-in. Look up that thread.

Keith

[steve4810]

Time is no prob, but this is:

"Bundle versions do not qualify for this rebate" only printed on the coupon INSIDE the box.

Total *!*!*.


Just tried to get ahold of them for the third time in 9 days. All I got was voicemail. But at least I pressed all the buttons and marked this message as urgent.

So I wait....