CompUSA & Wheresmyrebate Yet Another CompUSA Rebate Rip-Off Modesto California

On 10/26/03, responding to an ad in the local newspaper that had been running for months, I finally bought an Epson Stylus 2200 printer from the CompUSA in Modesto, CA. The ad said I would get a $100 CompUSA gift card if I bought the printer.

I filled out the rebate form and sent my ORIGINAL barcode, which was requested by CompUSA as a criteria for getting my gift card. (I kept a copy of it, of course.)

On 1/12/04, when I didn't receive my rebate, I looked on the www.wheresmyrebate.com website to find my rebate (as printed on my original receipt). No rebate was listed there for me, so I called the 800 number on my sales receipt. This place is in New Rochelle, NY. They told me that the gift card hadn't been sent out yet, but it would be mailed out 2/2/04. I waited and waited and still no gift card came.

On 3/15/04 I checked the wheresmyrebate.com website again and still found no rebate for me. So I called New Rochelle again. Suddenly, the customer service person was gone and I got a dial tone. When I called back, the man there said that the "system" was down.

On 3/17/04 I called again. I was told that my gift card would be sent right away. I waited and waited and still no gift card came.

On 5/10/04 I went back to the local CompUSA in Modesto, explained everything to the man at the help desk and was given the customer service number for CompUSA (corporate I suppose). I called them, they put me on hold while they called New Rochelle, then came back on the line and they told me I had "dropped out of the system" and that it was a problem for Epson to resolve.

When I called Epson, the customer service rep. was a little surprised. She said that they had nothing to do with a CompUSA gift card and that that was CompUSA's offer. I agreed. When I hung up, I called the local CompUSA in Modesto, beings they were the ones who have the ad in the paper and are ultimately responsible for delivering on their advertising. I spoke to the General Manager, Henry. He told me he'd look into and call me back. It is now May 25 and I'm still waiting for his call.

I feel that I have been strung along for 7 months now and am wondering if I am a victim of a string of errors or if I have been intentionally deceived. I also feel that, because the gift card was contained in an ad that CompUSA is obligated, by advertising law, to make good on their offer within a reasonable amount of time. I feel that I have given them a reasonable amount of time and enough opportunities to resolve this issue, especially after visiting and calling the CompUSA that I bought the printer from.

Gale
modesto, California
U.S.A.