Sustainability, Planning and Economic Enhancement

Consumer Services

Where am I? »

Consumer Action

Running After a Rebate

After four (4) months, Mr. F became concerned about not receiving his $150 rebate for a treadmill he had purchased. He had made several unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue with the rebate provider directly. Feeling like he was getting the run around, Mr. F contacted the Miami-Dade County Consumer Services Department Mediation Center (The Mediation Center) to help get him back on track (or treadmill).

The Mediation Center forwarded copies of Mr. F’s original rebate submission to the rebate provider for review. After reviewing the submission, the rebate provider indicated that the rebate request had not been submitted as required and that the time frame for resubmitting the information had expired. The Mediation Center inquired as to what was incorrect with the original submission. The rebate provider explained that Mr. F had submitted copies of some of the required documents instead of originals. The Mediation Center was able to negotiate a resubmission extension for Mr. F allowing him time to resubmit his rebate request with the original documents. After doing so, Mr. F was off and running with a $150 rebate check.

Rebates are regularly used by manufacturers to persuade consumers to make purchases based on perceived lower prices. While the consumer can receive money back on the purchase, most consumers do not take advantage of the opportunity or do not submit the rebate according to the stated terms and conditions. Please see our article in this edition of ConsumerWise regarding tips for avoiding the pitfalls of the rebate process.

I've Got Power

Mr. Z purchased a generator from a home improvement center. After completing the “minimal amount of assembly required,” he added oil and gasoline to the machine and started it up. The generator performed capably for two (2) to three (3) hours and then stopped producing electricity. Mr. Z attempted to troubleshoot the problem, but could not determine the cause of failure. Subsequently, he attempted to return the generator to the store from which it was purchased. The store would not accept the return as the generator was covered under a manufacturer’s warranty. Mr. Z would need to contact the manufacturer to determine the nearest service center to perform the warranty repair. Mr. Z was not confident about the future performance of the generator based on his experience even if it was warranted for one year. Feeling powerless he contacted the Mediation Center.

The Mediation Center reviewed the warranty information and contacted the home improvement center and the manufacturer. The home improvement center stood behind its decision to not accept the return based on their established and posted policy. However, the Mediation Center was able to negotiate a complete replacement with the manufacturer instead of a repair.

Certain types of products are not returnable to the store from which they were purchased because they are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty that supersedes the store’s return policy for other items. The store selling those items is required to disclose the non-return policy to consumers prior to purchase. The idea behind a warranty is to make the manufacturer directly responsible for making product corrections to the consumer. Make sure you are aware of and comfortable with the return policy and warranty coverage for the items you purchase.

I'm Still Standing

Ms. M purchased two chairs from a large furniture retailer. The day after receiving and signing for the chairs, Ms. M realized that two of the chairs were defective. Ms. M began contacting the furniture retailer to notify them of the problem and request replacement chairs. After a year, Ms M was still waiting to be seated. Ms. M contacted the Mediation Center for assistance.

Ms. M provided the Mediation Center with copies of all of the documents related to her purchase including copies of the numerous letters she sent to the furniture retailer describing her situation. The Mediation Center contacted the furniture retailer’s Vice President of Customer Relations and forwarded Ms. M’s documentation for review. After reviewing the information, the furniture retailer indicated that the chairs were no longer available. However, because they had handled the situation so poorly, they would be willing to work with Ms. M to arrive at a satisfactory resolution.

Ms. M was upset that she had been stood up by the furniture retailer for a year, but was willing to work with them. The Mediation Center negotiated the return of the two defective chairs in exchange for any two chairs Ms. M wanted from the retailer’s available inventory within $1,000 of the price of the original chairs. If the two new chairs were valued at less than the original purchase price she would be refunded the difference plus ten (10) percent. Ms. M was able to identify two chairs that met her liking and is resting comfortably.

When trying to resolve problems, it is extremely important to document your efforts. Keep records of who you spoke with, when you spoke with them, and what you spoke about. In the case above, Ms. M’s detailed record keeping clearly demonstrated how she had attempted to resolve the problem and simplified the matters for the Mediation Center. Back to Top Page Last Edited: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:01:53 PM

csd

sect_0

Switch to mobile version.

Tools

You are now leaving the official website of Miami-Dade County government. Please be aware that when you exit this site, you are no longer protected by our privacy or security policies. Miami-Dade County is not responsible for the content provided on linked sites. The provision of links to these external sites does not constitute an endorsement.

Please click 'OK' to be sent to the new site, or Click 'Cancel' to go back.