Larry's Consumer Warnings

This is just a short page to list companies that I've had problems dealing with as a consumer.

Roxio/Sonic Solutions: Rebate incompetence: First they claimed no UPC included when the purchase was an electronic download. Then after I followed-up, they claimed no receipt. I give up. Roxio has a 30 day refund policy so I'm asking for a refund. I don't need their product that badly. (November 2007).
Symantec: Slow rebate fulfillment: Pre-submitted on-line two rebates with the required paper versions mailed the same day. They said to allow 21 days to show receipt of the paper versions. Here it is over twice that and they're still showing they haven't received the paper versions. Given Symantec's rebate reputation, I'm not at all surprised. Past experience with them says I will get them eventually but it really is frustrating how they promise what they can't even come close to delivering (July 2006). August 12 update: Still nothing. Three e-mailed inquiries have gone unanswered. The subscription of Norton AntiVirus on another computer in our house has expired and has been replaced with a competing product so at this point, phase out of Symantec products from our home is in progress. September 15 update: Finally called, was told to fax copies to resubmission department, after faxing them twice, they finally got it all input correctly and a few weeks later, I received the rebates. But frankly, Symantec is no longer worth the hassle. There's less expensive and equally good if not better competing products out there so Symantec is being phased out here as anti-virus subscriptions expire.
Apple Computer: I really like Apple products but will never again order from them directly. I ordered a $70 piece of software and they sent it with an "Adult Signature Required" endorsement which also means no releases allowing the carrier to leave it at your risk. We're talking software - most of the value in software is the "usage rights" because let's face it, the distribution CD and what passes for a manual these days costs no more than $5 should it have to be replaced. I can understand such a restriction for a full system but most vendors allow unsigned deliveries of even a few hundred dollars worth of hardware. Unfortunately, with no way to be home for the delivery or to get to where I would need to go to pick it up from the carrier, I had to tell the carrier to send it back and I reordered from a reseller I knew would allow delivery without having to jump through hoops (February 2006).
November 2007 update: They've learned! You can now do signature releases and they even provide a link on the order status website to pre-sign a release to get it left on the first delivery attempt.
Samsung: Slow rebate fulfillment: Advertised eight week fulfillment took 14 weeks (April 2006).
TDK (Audio/Video Tape): Unfulfilled rebate (June 2001).
Carsmart.com (A.I.N. Corporation): Unfulfilled ad guarantee. They guarantee that if your used car ad does not sell the car, they'll refund the ad fee but e-mail to the refund request address is ignored (December 2000).
Disney Home Video: Unfulfilled rebate with no response to follow-up inquiry (May 1998).

E-mail:
Larry: larry@stonejongleux.com

Last updated: December 1, 2007

Larry Stone<larry@stonejongleux.com>