Sandisk off my list

I have been a big fan of SanDisk for a long number of years. I purchased a card at a BestBuy in part because they have a rebate. However, my request was denied because BestBuy is not considered one of their "authorized" photo dealers. What a scam....

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http://markkayphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/1305161

....before you purchased?

I struggle to see how you hold Sandisk responsible after years of good service.
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http://www.pbase.com/mark_allen

So BestBuy buys a bunch of Sanddisk cards off the back of a truck, sells them, and you blame Sandisk for that? Sounds like BestBuy should be off your list for selling product that they're not authorized to sell.

.

How were you informed of this? Did you get a card in the mail with that reason being checked off as the reason for denying the rebate? I would call SanDisk to verify this. I bought three 8GB cards last year that came with a $160.00 rebate. I submitted all the info correctl only to receive a card noting that my request for rebate is denied because I bought the cards "outside" the offer period. Not true. I placed a call and immediately got it straightened outl. I head heard, but I can't really say if it's true or not, that SanDisk routinely denies rebates, if you don't press them then they saved some money. I did happen to me and it was obvious from the paperwork I submitted that I purchased the cards within the timeframe allowed - there was no way they could make that mistake but they did.
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My humble photo gallery: http://ntotrr.smugmug.com

The only thing I don't like about their rebates is that they send it in the form of a pre paid visa card! So now I have 80.00 to spend but that is not the same as receiving a check. I do really like the Sandisk cards tho.

--
Paul
Life's Lessons Chapter 33
'You can't please everyone, you just have to please yourself'

There are cards, equal or better, at lower prices. Move on. Don't bother to sort out who's at fault. Not worth the effort.

--mamallamaq

Check the SanDisk website for 'where to buy'. I entered the zip code for Wilmington Delaware and 3 Best Buy stores are identified as dealers, complete with maps and phone numbers. It's hard for SanDisk to first identify a dealer via their website and later state they are not authorized.

http://www.sandisk.com/sandisk-support/where-to-buy

Send them a screen capture and advise them your next step will be to contact the state Attorney General's office to file a consumer fraud complaint.

Best regards,
Doug
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http://pbase.com/dougj

--
Neil
http://thewarmland.com

Doug J said:

Check the SanDisk website for 'where to buy'. I entered the zip code for Wilmington Delaware and 3 Best Buy stores are identified as dealers, complete with maps and phone numbers. It's hard for SanDisk to first identify a dealer via their website and later state they are not authorized.

http://www.sandisk.com/sandisk-support/where-to-buy

Send them a screen capture and advise them your next step will be to contact the state Attorney General's office to file a consumer fraud complaint.

Best regards,
Doug
--
http://pbase.com/dougj

Click to expand...

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28 years as a freelancer,(news,magazine, wedding photography) camera equip. over the years: Practica MLT, Canon A1, Minolta 9xi, 7xi, Dimage Z1,Fuji 5200,Canon S2,Pentax K100D,Olympus 380,Canon SX 10 ( http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Buckl/ )

http://issuu.com/Lbuck

Paul_Hiers said:

The only thing I don't like about their rebates is that they send it in the form of a pre paid visa card! So now I have 80.00 to spend but that is not the same as receiving a check.

Click to expand...

It is an irritation, but they do explain it on the rebate form.

Paul_Hiers said:

I do really like the Sandisk cards tho.

Click to expand...

Me too. I standardized on Sansdisk cards and readers a number of years back and have never had any problems.

I'm sorry that others are having problems with the rebates. Rebates are a pain and I try to avoid them, but the last round of Sansdisk rebates on 4 gig CF cards was too good to pass up. I only have 8 and 10 megapixel 12 bit DSLR bodies, so 4 gig cards work fine for me.

Wayne

I called the rebate number listed on the card and they told me BestBuy is not an authorized dealer. Ok this is deceptive. Do you really think that BestBuy buys these cards off the back of a truck as someone indicated. NO WAY. BESTBUY by definition has to be an authorized dealer. The advertising is deceptive. What is should say is that rebate only valid purchase from selective dealers. It is not the 20 dollars-- it is the deceptiveness. I wasted my time cutting and mailing
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http://markkayphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/1305161

This is why I refuse to buy anything with a rebate. If they want my business, reduce the price by the rebate amount.

If they are so up and up with good service why would they list BestBuy as an authorized dealer on their own website

http://sandisk.links.channelintelligence.com/Pages/pp.asp?cii_sZip=94022&cii_sSKU=&cii_nRadius=15&cii_nRGID=1950&cii_nRID=-1&cii_sCT=&cii_nPGID=-1&cii_sCountry=US&cii_sCDATA=&cii_sSort=&cii_sSortOrder=

mark allen said:

....before you purchased?

I struggle to see how you hold Sandisk responsible after years of good service.
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http://www.pbase.com/mark_allen

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http://markkayphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/1305161

mamallama said:

There are cards, equal or better, at lower prices. Move on. Don't bother to sort out who's at fault. Not worth the effort.

--mamallamaq

Click to expand...

Which cards are BETTER than Sandisk ? How much experience do YOU Have with CF cards that you would suggest this ?

And guess what ? It IS worth the effort because it's not just about this card but this issue affects every purchase decision this person will make for the rest of his life - AND everybody that this person tells about this issue.

Or we could just adopt your attitude and be helpless and not stand up for what is fair and give up .....

--
Bill,

http://www.pbase.com/billmcintyre

It's not an issue about warranty. It's an issue about rebates. Please be a little more accurate in your slander of Sandisk.

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Bill,

http://www.pbase.com/billmcintyre

The scam is the rebate company that Sandisk farms out their rebate program to. Now, of course, Sandisk is responsible for the actions of the company they subcontract out to, and I am very disappointed in Sandisk for tacitly approving such conduct, but it is the rebate company you need to deal with.

And you should not have too much trouble getting the rebate company to alter its decision because they are VERY well known for denying MOST claims and if the customer doesn't stand up for themselves then the rebate company pockets the profit.

Do a search on these forums for sandisk rebate and you will find MANY complaints about this VERY common practice. The rebate company has a VERY frequent habit of denying claims that are obviously valid - and if the customer doesn't complain then the rebate company wins and the customer loses.

But the rebate company is VERY well known for changing their initial denial if you simply call them or write and STAND UP FOR YOURSELF !

You shouldn't have to do this - but a simple call to the rebate company should solve your problem.

It is a shame - Sandisk makes great cards. Their farming out their rebate business to a scam company that is operating almost at a criminal level is really sad.

--
Bill,

http://www.pbase.com/billmcintyre

When i called they told me no. I did not realize at the time BestBuy was on their website. I have sent SanDisk an email and will call the company back on monday. Hey it is not the 20 dollars but the the issue of fraud

PerfectPoms said:

The scam is the rebate company that Sandisk farms out their rebate program to. Now, of course, Sandisk is responsible for the actions of the company they subcontract out to, and I am very disappointed in Sandisk for tacitly approving such conduct, but it is the rebate company you need to deal with.

And you should not have too much trouble getting the rebate company to alter its decision because they are VERY well known for denying MOST claims and if the customer doesn't stand up for themselves then the rebate company pockets the profit.

Do a search on these forums for sandisk rebate and you will find MANY complaints about this VERY common practice. The rebate company has a VERY frequent habit of denying claims that are obviously valid - and if the customer doesn't complain then the rebate company wins and the customer loses.

But the rebate company is VERY well known for changing their initial denial if you simply call them or write and STAND UP FOR YOURSELF !

You shouldn't have to do this - but a simple call to the rebate company should solve your problem.

It is a shame - Sandisk makes great cards. Their farming out their rebate business to a scam company that is operating almost at a criminal level is really sad.

--
Bill,

http://www.pbase.com/billmcintyre

Click to expand...

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http://markkayphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/1305161

I just googled "Sandisk Rebate" and found a link to their current rebate form. It uses the term "Qualified Retailer" and has a list of businesses that count towards the rebate. Best Buy is NOT on the list.

I was able to go to the Sandisk link provided in a previous post, and input my zip code. The search did reflect Best Buy as a place to buy their cards, along with a place I'd never heard of that sells video games. However, neither appears on the rebate form. Them selling the Sandisk card doesn't automatically make them a "Qualified Retailer".

The rebate form is very specific / restrictive, as to which retailers are OK for the rebate. They are listed, with a checkbox by each name. It is very clear who is a participant and who isn't. The fact that someone isn't on the list doesn't mean they are unauthorized or bogus or crooked; they just aren't participating in the rebate.

I'm just guessing, but it could be that Sandisk has particular businesses who sell a lot of their cards, and the rebates are set up to encourage folks to buy Sandisk cards from the businesses listed on the rebate form. Or, some businesses pay Sandisk more for their cards wholesale than others do, and that is a factor in who gets the rebate. Or, it could even be that the businesses listed put some money into the rebate pot themselves. I don't really know.

I hate to say it, but this is legal and is not an uncommon practice. For example, retails stores often have newspaper inserts that say "Grand opening sale prices in effect at the new Acme store on Main Street only", "good only at a participating dealer", or something to that effect.

So, the question for the OP is, who (or what) told you you'd get a rebate if you bought a Sandisk card? It really depends on what you read, and what it said. If there was something on the Sandisk site that said "rebate if you purchase from a qualified retailer", then you are out of luck. If it was Best Buy, then it's their fault, and you may have some recourse.

I went through this a year or so ago with a couple of 8 GB Sandisk CF Cards, albeit with happier results. I saw the ad on Adorama that claimed "final cost after $20 Sandisk Rebate". They had either a link to the rebate form, or a copy of the pdf file. I was suspicious initially, so I read the rebate form in its entireity and verified that the rebate the business was offering was valid, before I ordered the cards. I got my $40 Visa in the mail with no problems.

--
Tom

Doug J said:

Check the SanDisk website for 'where to buy'. I entered the zip code for Wilmington Delaware and 3 Best Buy stores are identified as dealers, complete with maps and phone numbers. It's hard for SanDisk to first identify a dealer via their website and later state they are not authorized.

http://www.sandisk.com/sandisk-support/where-to-buy

Send them a screen capture and advise them your next step will be to contact the state Attorney General's office to file a consumer fraud complaint.

Best regards,
Doug
--
http://pbase.com/dougj

Click to expand...

No. authorized retailer is different than a retailer that is participating in a rebate. Sandisk has to come to some agreement to be able to get money to/from a retailer, so if they don't agree they won't offer that rebate there.

If you had looked at the rebate form, it SPECIFICALLY states the retailers that the rebates are valid at.

In Summary: Read rebate forms before assuming you get the rebate

Best Buy/Sandisk did nothing wrong, it's the fault of the consumer that doesn't read before they buy

PerfectPoms said:

mamallama said:

There are cards, equal or better, at lower prices. Move on. Don't bother to sort out who's at fault. Not worth the effort.

--mamallamaq

Click to expand...

Which cards are BETTER than Sandisk ? How much experience do YOU Have with CF cards that you would suggest this ?

Click to expand...

Better or equal for the same class card: Lexar, Kingston, Transcend, OCZ. I've used them all with satisfaction.

PerfectPoms said:

And guess what ? It IS worth the effort because it's not just about this card but this issue affects every purchase decision this person will make for the rest of his life - AND everybody that this person tells about this issue.

Click to expand...

Rest of his life??? Man, that's serious. Didn't know Sandisk meant that much to him.

PerfectPoms said:

Or we could just adopt your attitude and be helpless and not stand up for what is fair and give up .....

Click to expand...

If a company does me wrong for a $5 rebate, I move on. What is there to stand up for? $5 rebate?? These rebates are not something I base my budget or life decisions on. They are basically a marketing gimmick.

--mamallama

--mamallama