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
Copyright © 2000-2007, Lawrence D. Stone. All rights reserved.
All trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
Larry Stone<larry@stonejongleux.com>