Energizer Brands ,Litter Genie, Rebate Scam Nationwide

Energizer Brands, maker of Litter Genie, recently offered a mail-in rebate on Litter Genie cat litter disposal systems. They would rebate the entire purchase price of a new system (around $20) if you mailed in a rebate form, UPC barcode, and receipt. This makes sense because they sell proprietary refills for this product and have incentive to get customers to adopt the system even at an initial loss.

I purchased the product, read the terms of the rebate carefully, then mailed in the rebate form, receipt, and UPC barcode. I know this with absolute certainty because I almost didn't include the barcode. I remembered, opened the already sealed envelope, and put the barcode in, and then resealed it with tape.

Now the company is claiming there was no UPC barcode included. Of course, there isn't any way I can prove that I included it, and they are refusing to authorize the rebate without it. Even after escalating to 2 different levels of management, they are refusing to honor the offer.

If I were a shady business who just didn't want to pay out rebates, that's exactly what I would do. This isn't a lot of money, but it is not how to run a business and erodes trust in their brand. I'm returning the product and will never buy another or their refills.