Toshiba USA consumer fraud rebate ripoff Internet Worldwide

Toshiba USA What Rebate? Out of stock excuses when the rebate item is AVAILABLE for purchase today from their website! consumer fraud ripoff Unknown Internet .....

Oh gawd - where do I begin? Let me give you their recent response as to why I haven't (and probably never will) receive the peripherals (External USB Floppy Drive AND Battery Pack for Toshiba laptop). Short answer when I called their 888# this week?

Toshiba: "The items are out of stock."

me: when will you receive them? It's been 13 weeks.

Toshiba: "We don't know"

me: Is there someone I can talk to that does know? Someone from Toshiba?

Toshiba: No, you are talking to Toshiba

me: thanks I'll go online and get an answer!

Original Toshiba Bait and switch that got me to buy their product:

Offer # M0000360 Offer valid: 2/14/03 thru 4/24/03

Offer: Choice of one >

Toshiba Digital Audio Player - retail value $249.

Battery Pack and USB Floppy Drive - retail value $298.
Battery Pack Part #PA3107U-1BRS
USB Floppy Disk Drive Part #PA3109U-1FDD

$100. cash

I chose the battery/floppy combo. Then to entice you so you'll get the feel goods about actually receiving this great $298. value, you pre-register for this offer online:

"To get your rebate faster"

1. Go to www.web-rebates.com/toshiba/M0000360.

DONE

2. Click pre-qualify online. Enter UPC number. Enter contact information and clearly check the box next to your offer choice*.

DONE

3. Print out Confirmation form. Enclose the original complete product label cut away from the Satellite computer box that includes the UPC code and numbers, Toshiba Part Number and Serial Number.

DONE

4. Enclose a clean, clear copy of the original receipt/packing slip dated between February 14, 2003, and April 24, 2003, indicating your purchase and mail it to the address below along with the complete product label cut from the Satellite computer box.

DONE

This was done on 2/17/03 the date of purchase, THREE DAYS after the initial offering on the rebate of 2/14/03!! Me thinks "cool I can't go wrong... I got my chosen peripherals. I even have a confirmation email dated 2/17 that they received my pre-qualification.

I wait....and wait. Finally I go to their website to check on my rebate. Cool - it's been approved March 20th "allow 4-6 weeks for final processing". Even gave me a handy submission # to validate my submission.

I wait some more..... Go back to their webpage to check the status. Same message "March 20th". Futt the? It's now June 18th!! So I call their 888# to see what's up.... That's when they tell me the items are on back order. (above conversation)

So I email "Tricia" in customer service at Shop Toshiba website. She can "feel my pain", but apparently doesn't represent Toshiba "rebates". WAIT A MINUTE! The link TO the Toshiba rebates is AT the Shop Toshiba Website:

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/pc/pd/cs_home.jsp

Apparently, this is a perfect case of pass the buck subsidiaries, or depts. I'm not a moron Toshiba.

She gives me the SAME #888 I've already called. The rebate page has no other contact info except the #888, so you won't be able to contact them.

I tell her that the peripherals are NOT on back order - I can purchase them TODAY at Shop Toshiba's website. 1-3 days shipping for part #'s:#PA3107U-1BRS #PA3109U-1FDD All I have to do is click Add to Shopping Cart!

I mention that if I can't get this resolved, my next step will be the FTC at their handy online complaint form:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/rebatealrt.htm

Along with Epinions.com, Buy.com, PCWorld. She emails me back and tells me it's not fraud if the item isn't in stock.

HELLO??? It IS in stock. CUT THE CRAP TOSHIBA!

Would I ever buy anything from Toshiba again? Not a chance. Would I recommend taking advantage of their great non-existant peripheral offers? LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Ripoff? You decide. Interesting note the FDD drive and Battery Pack for the rebate are the most expensive of all their drives and battery packs. Sounds like a case of "oops we're going to give away what?!!".

You know they hope most rebaters will just die away with their complaints, but guess what? I am a seasoned consumer and I have just begun to play :-) Even if they finally honor the rebate, I still wouldn't buy a mousepad from them in the future. I am disabled and on low income and this purchase was well thought out... agonized over. The peripherals were the deciding factor. As far as I'm concerned the stress factor that they have caused with my health problems = I am SO done with Toshiba.

Buyer Beware is all I can say. As consumers we are screwed into paying full manufactures retail prices for items we purchase, because any sale price includes a rebate OFF the suggested retail price. When's the last time you bought anything for FULL Retail knowingly? lololol. But guess what? We ARE when we get sucked into these ripoff rebates.

I've seen articles in the Washington Post, MSN, PC World, etc. and it is a MAJOR problem. It's about time there was a class action lawsuit against these companies! Think we have no recourse?

The FTC doesn't seem to think so.

FTC Cracks Down on Deceptive Rebate Offers

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,103697,00.asp

me
somewhere in, Texas
U.S.A.