Cingular (AT &T) Rebate Program Is Sneaky

They are always working the angles on these rebate deals. Bought two new phones. Rebates totaled $100 on one and $30 on the other. The Cingular sales rep set up the paperwork for me very nicely and I mailed it in after scanning the submission. (I’ve had companies come back and tell me that I’d sent the wrong paperwork. So I keep copies). I was expecting to get a check six weeks down the road. What do I get instead? Two “Cingular Reward Visa Cards.” One has $100 on it and the other $30. This is kind of awkward. I wanted checks so I could apply the money to my Visa account which I used to pay the exorbitant pre-rebate prices for the phones. Now, I have to buy something and will no doubt end up with a bit of a balance on one or the other or both of the cards that will, if I can’t find an accountant to keep track of the balance and a cooperative merchant, accrue to the benefit of AT &T. Plus, I have to stick two more credit cards in my wallet.
I smell a conspiracy here. I wonder if AT &T has learned that a certain percentage of folks won’t use the card, forget them, or leave outstanding balances on them. There’s a three month time limit to use the cards. Tried to find a corporate e-mail for AT &T so I could complain directly. Blogging about it more efficient. It’s like sending a check.

Comments

[vivianeinfantino]

Completely frustrated with the Cingular rebate process, I decided to find out if someone was blogging about what might be going on.... I, too, went through all the correct steps of filling out paperwork for a $100 rebate when purchasing a wireless card in late december of '06. In February, what I thought was the rebate came in the form of a $10 Visa card, which I mistook for an additional "bonus"! When the original rebate did not come back by April, I called and went through a reissue process. To make a long story short, I kept records of phone calls to Cingular, which included another "reissue" in July, with the actual rebate being "processed" on Sept. 10th. I called today, Oct.1, and was told the rebate had been mailed on 9/27 and would take 7-10 business days to arrive. I note this last bit of information, to "go public" at this point out of sheer frustration and time wasted. I agree that a check is what Cingular/ATT should issue, so that the rebate amount can be utilized to offset the original expense. But at this point, I'll take the gift card and use it immediately. And won't be buying into another similar offer! ...Any of the other wireless companies any better to deal with?!

[Zelda MacGregor]

I did the same process a while back and had no trouble receiving my Visa rebate card. Moreover, I didn't mind the card because it works just like a debit or gift card and was accepted anywhere Visa cards in general were allowed, which covers all my bases, anyway. A meal out here, a shirt there, and I used up my card with no problems. I can understand that you would prefer a check to offset the balance on your credit account, but why couldn't you just pay the bill with the money you already had and then use the card to pay for what you would have used that money for? Groceries? Shoes? What couldn't you buy with the Visa, and is it ultimately that difficult to keep track of for the small amount of time it would take to use it up? $130 doesn't go THAT far, after all.

I guess what I'm getting at is that if you couldn't pay for the phone with cash to begin with, you probably ought not to have purchased it.