Duh! Late HDTivo rebate and lazy CSR

dagap · 11-12-2005, 07:10 AM

My $100 HDTivo rebate is overdue, so I used DirecTVs website to send an email to their customer service.

48 hours later they reply: "I'm sorry but your email did not provide enough information for us to be able to answer your question. Please write us back and let us know if you have already submitted your completed rebate form. "

Duh. That's just bad service. Instead of bothering to look for the rebate info, they throw it back into my court.

OF COURSE I submitted the rebate form. So how about doing your job now and providing some "service" to this "customer" by looking up the freaking status?

What a bunch of bozos. Witness the numerous posts here indicating DirecTV screwed up their rebate. They "never received" some submissions. Several people have called and received a credit in lieu of the rebate. Lots of screwups in our small sample. But others receive theirs promptly.

What sort of system are they using over there? The most charitable excuse would be rampant incompetence.

leftcoastdave · 11-12-2005, 09:49 AM

I suspect it is more a problem of too many customers and too few trained CSR's. The folks at customer retention (800-924-9081) are a bit more responsive than the average CSR.

I sent my rebate request in more than 10 weeks ago and when I called to check the status, there was no record of them ever having received it. Initially the CSR suggested I resubmit it, but I convinced them that once was enough and they agreed to issue an instant credit of $100 instead.

When I next inquired as to when I might expect the free D10 receiver they offered me in August, they again showed no record of my telephone order which was placed on September 28. The CSR re entered the order and told me to expect the interactive receiver in 2 to 5 business days.

In the course of the conversation I am pretty sure the retention guy I spoke with implied they had been having some system problems and it looks like they clobbered a whole bunch of customer records at some time in the past two months.

My experience with D* is that with persistence and patience, I always find someone to give me what I am seeking. While it is fair game to get irritated, I don't think it is appropriate to take out our frustration on a CSR who is probably unfamiliar with our unique set of circumstances.

Dave

dj4monie · 11-12-2005, 02:35 PM

Our rebate is way overdue as well.

It was prolly caught in that snafu you spoke off.

Updated when I find out more info...

sjberra · 11-14-2005, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj4monie

Our rebate is way overdue as well.

It was prolly caught in that snafu you spoke off.

Updated when I find out more info...

Really glad to see I am not the only one that this has occurred with. Mailed mine back on 09/13 and have not seen nor heard anything on it. When I called in I was told to wait the full 8 weeks before calling back in, well tried that and was told they will call me back on the rebate. That was friday 11/11 early AM and no call back.

PMKMDJ · 11-14-2005, 09:29 AM

I emailed Friday regarding the status of my HDTIVO rebate and they responded that they never got the form. I called in on Saturday night and I received an instant $100 credit to my account. It's a little disheartening that they seem to never have received these rebate forms...hmmm.

beelzabuck · 11-14-2005, 09:44 AM

My rebate also never came and I sent August 26. I called today and got a csr who agreed to just issue me a 100 dollar credit to my account. I tried to get another hd tivo at the same time, but couldn't do it.

SkersR1 · 11-14-2005, 09:45 AM

I also sent my rebate froms in about 8-10 weeks ago. I called Friday to check up on it and the CSR said they had some technical issues and expect my check in 2-3 weeks.

ciucca · 11-14-2005, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkersR1

I also sent my rebate froms in about 8-10 weeks ago. I called Friday to check up on it and the CSR said they had some technical issues and expect my check in 2-3 weeks.

After reading this post I called the regular CSR and asked about my 9 week over due rebate. The Rep basically told me the "check is in the mail". Now what are the other 2 great lies?

cpemberton · 11-15-2005, 06:52 PM

I also did not received my rebate and when I inquired by email, was todl that DirecTV never received it. So I called and explained that I had sent it by priority mail delivery confirmation which means that I knew it was delivered to the address. The first CSR I talked to wanted me to resubmit the rebate and wouldn't try to fix this any other way. I called back and the second CSR requested the delivery confirmation number and once she checked and saw that the rebate showed as delivered on the USPS website, she offered to issue a $100 credit to my DirecTV account.

dagap · 11-16-2005, 08:40 AM

So are they crooks are just completely incompetent?

GadgetJunkies · 11-16-2005, 11:59 AM

On hold with the rebate dept. right now. Rebate submitted on 08/25/05 with no $100 check yet. They don't even show me purchasing the HD Tivo! I told her I'm looking at your bill right now with it on there. Hense this is why I'm on hold.........

GadgetJunkies · 11-16-2005, 12:03 PM

They want me to send it in again for a THIRD time! Argggghhh! On hold for a supervisor.

GadgetJunkies · 11-16-2005, 12:24 PM

$100 instant credit issued. Ironically, I'm home today waiting on a DTV service tech to come out and look at the HD DVR for the audio/video sinc problems I've been having.

inaka · 11-24-2005, 02:34 AM

I still haven't received my $100 rebate...everytime I call, they just tell me they never got the form and want me to mail it AGAIN and AGAIN...anyone else still getting this nonsense??

1999cobra · 11-24-2005, 07:15 AM

I sent it back return reciept requested so at least I will have a signiture in case I have to pursue this ... (for all the good that will do)

1999cobra · 11-24-2005, 07:21 AM

[quote=My experience with D* is that with persistence and patience, I always find someone to give me what I am seeking. While it is fair game to get irritated, I don't think it is appropriate to take out our frustration on a CSR who is probably unfamiliar with our unique set of circumstances.Dave[/QUOTE]

Well it's always been my experience - hence a coined phrase "You pay peanuts-You get Monkeys"

And that - in a NUTSHELL (pun intended) says it all!!! LOL...

inaka · 11-25-2005, 06:52 PM

Yeah, well I saked to speak to a supervisor, and then just applied a $100 credit to my account. FINALLY. It's really a scam that they make people jump through hoops to get rebates that are 100% owed to them. In general, rebates are a coin flip depending on the retailer...

jrredho · 11-29-2005, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inaka

Yeah, well I saked to speak to a supervisor, and then just
applied a $100 credit to my account. FINALLY. It's really a scam that they
make people jump through hoops to get rebates that are 100% owed to them.
In general, rebates are a coin flip depending on the retailer...

I agree with all of this. I, too, had been put through the mill regarding
receipt of my rebate.

Only after I found this thread via a forum search, and realized that there
was a bit of a pattern, did I call back the customer retention
representative and ask to get an instant credit for the rebate amount. It
was given on the spot.

cheers,
john

keefer37 · 11-29-2005, 03:01 PM

This thread reminded me we have not seen our $100 either. I called and after extended periods of wait time, they came back and could not find any record of receiving my rebate.

But they transferred me and are setting my account with a $100 credit. If I receive a check and cash it, they'll reverse the charge. I just called through the 800 number on that DirecTV card we got in the mail a few weeks back. Didn't actually go through retention or anything.

toneman · 11-30-2005, 01:03 PM

Looks like I'll need to talk to the "right" person--foolish me took the CSR's word that my rebate concern will be forwarded to the billing department for "further research"...

Like others in the this thread, I was told the same thing--"our system does not show that we received your rebate"...and this is more than two months after I mailed mine in...go figure.

However--in all fairness to the CSR, she did acknowledged that there have been issues with processing rebates during the past month or two. Now whether that was just a line she fed me just to keep me from blowing my top over this rebate fiasco, I dunno...

newsposter · 12-01-2005, 12:27 PM

Guess I know what I must do now. It's been over 9 weeks...argh.

gfoulks · 12-02-2005, 01:16 PM

I to never received my rebate. I emailed and they said they never received it and they want me to resend. I replied that I absolutely will not because I've already done what was asked of me... It's their turn to hold up to their end of the deal. I demanded that they send my check. I'm waiting for a reply... Next I'll be calling retention and then the States Attorney's Office!

stflush · 12-02-2005, 07:09 PM

Same thing here. Was told they never received it as well, and also got the $100 credit to my account. Very shady D*.

newsposter · 12-03-2005, 06:48 AM

I got the resend email today. Said no way, it's been 9 weeks. Told them apply it or else. And don't tell me to call in and resolve it. It can be resolved simply by giving me what I'm due, and that they have records showing I've been a TCP sub for years and have the active HD receiver and they aren't treating me very well. So we shall see what they say.

Robdec · 12-03-2005, 07:42 AM

I sent mine in on 10/17/2005 and still nothing. I guess its time to call.

shadowbozo · 12-03-2005, 09:00 AM

Took your advice on this and called back again for the 3rd time on my two rebates. One for a non HD DVR where my wife wanted a larger disk and it only cost $99 with a $100 rebate. The second was for the HD-Tivo deal I read here. I mailed both rebates into DTV in early September. I have been a DTV customer since 97 so when I call they always thank me for being such a good customer. The first CSR I talked with couldn't do anything for me so I asked for customer retention. The woman I talked to there was very pleasant. I told her what had happened and asked why I hadn't gotten my rebate checks yet? She put me on hold and said please wait up to 5 minutes while I check on something. When she came back on after around 5 minutes she said that they could only honor 1 of the $100 rebates. I mentioned to her that when I ordered the HD-Tivo the CSR at the time said I could get that $100 as well. She then quesitoned me on the dates of when I purchased both units and that she needed to find a way to give me both rebates. I went on to tell her that I got the HD-Tivo unit to keep me from switching to Comcast and if they didn't honor it I would have 200 reasons to switch immediately. I wouldn't do this because Comcast doesn't have the Sunday Ticket for the NFL. She put me on hold again for another 4-5 minutes then came on and informed me that I now had a $200 credit on my account and that she was sorry for all the inconvenience it caused me.

When you call them and get customer retention be firm but polite. Don't give in when they try to short change you for anything. I was tempted to hit them up after my HD-DVR died earlier this month.

I did get some good news. The CSR stated that when the MPEG4 HD-DVR units are shipping they would be a no cost upgrade. I won't want to do another rebate with these folks but to get the new HD locals for my area. She said they should be availalbe late Q2 next year.

Thank you everyone here for all the good advice on how to handle this situation.

Cheers

ddruker · 12-03-2005, 10:44 AM

same here - no news on rebate for two months, called CSR and $100 credit...

Robdec · 12-04-2005, 09:16 AM

I just received my reply from customer support via E-mail telling to to resubmit it to them. I told them no and to come up with a better resolution then me having to resubmit it. I shouldnt have to resubmit it and wait another 6 - 8 weeks . Lets see what they come back with.

hammer32 · 12-04-2005, 05:17 PM

I called customer retention today and was told they haven't received my rebate forms either.

I gave him the USPS Priority Mail tracking number showing T. Roger signed for it at D* on 14 Sept. After he looked that up on the USPS website he put me on hold.

When he came back he told me that they hadn't received my rebate forms and there was nothing he could do over the phone and that they weren't allowed to issue credits from there. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was put on hold again.

While I was on hold I filled out the mail theft form under the Postal Inspectors link on the USPS website.

When he came back he said there was no supervisor that could speak to me, but I should send my rebate forms again. I politely told him I wasn't going to mail anything in again since someone must be stealing mail at the facility in Mira Loma, CA and that I would leave it up to the postal inspectors to see who got my forms. He then issued me a credit without skipping a beat "since I had obvious proof that we received your rebate eleven weeks ago".

Incredible.

cpemberton · 12-04-2005, 05:32 PM

So what's going on here; incompetent mail handlers at DirecTV headquarters or are they trying to bilk us out of the $100 rebate?