Panasonic refuses to honor my HVX rebate!!!
by Greg Jac
on
Feb 25, 2008 at 7:19:26 pm
I have emailed multiple complaints, called their rebate number dozens of times, complained on message boards, etc
Just in case there is anyone at Panasonic who reads this board and actually cares about their reputation I am posting one more time.
I want my rebate! Is that too much to ask? The last time someone responded to me must have been 8 months or more ago.
Do you realize that complaints like this COST you sales? Does this thought ever enter your brains?
Expect lots more complaining on every message board I can find where your potential customers may regardless if it is consumer or pro products. I can be relentless when someone wrongs me. I never give up.
I talked to your rebate people long ago and they said "everything with your rebate is good to go but we are just waiting for the gear to come in". I was told this after having to FIGHT for my last DVX100B rebate. Yes, I am not some major corp customer but I thing a half dozen cameras over the past few years should get me a little bit of respect.
So how about you wake up and send the rebate for serial # D7TC00055 R ?!!!
Now I am tracking down the contact info for top people in your company. They are going to be getting sick of hearing from me and perhaps certain people in charge of rebates might feel some heat from their bosses.
I know it may be breaking news to you guys but doing business properly keeps loyal customers and wins new customers. I know I know, this is hard to imagine but I have found it to be true.
Re: Panasonic refuses to honor my HVX rebate!!! by Ron Lindeboom on Feb 25, 2008 at 8:41:04 pm
Greg,
Please fax all the relevant paperwork to the COW's fax number. We want to make sure that this is NOT a gray market buy or any other matter that disqualifies you from the rebate.
You WILL NOT use the COW's boards as your private whipping post and we do NOT condone such things -- although we WILL work with you and the manufacturer should there be a legitimate rebate here that somehow slipped through the cracks. (But what we have found in nearly all of these kinds of things we have investigated in the past, is that there is no legitimate claim and that the purchase was done though unauthorized means and channels -- which means that the original buyer is someone who filtered the unit to the gray market channel.)
So email me at ron@creativecow.net and I will send you our fax number. Until you do that, you will not be freed to use these boards as your private whipping post.
Now in the COW Magazine: Commercials. A look at the history, strategy, techniques and production workflows of successful commercials. All brought to you by some of the COW's brightest members. Accept no substitutes!
Re: Panasonic refuses to honor my HVX rebate!!! by Jan Crittenden Livingston on Feb 26, 2008 at 2:00:19 am
Hi,
I receieved a copy of this very same post in today's email. It is the first I have heard of your problem. Since I was only available by my Blackberry, I couldn't seem to figure out how to answer your complaint directly.
I did forward your email to the folks at the Rebate Center and I expect that I will hear back from them tomorrow. I am assuming that you have prequalified and have sent in a copy of your invoice and all of that. I base that on some of the words in your post.
We were unexpectedly out of inventory as Anton Bauer took all of our inventory and updated it. This did take longer than we expected. It is and always has been our intention to honor every rebate. Sorry yours seems to have fallen through the cracks somewhere, it would help if I had your name, didn't have that in the email I got earlier and the address than the product needed to ship to. Sometimes there is a transposed number that is the problem. But I could enumberate a whole is of hwo things go wrong, but that really isn't necessary.
So if you would contact me directly at crittendenj at us.panasonic.com and send along the rest of your details, it will just give me a few more handles to grab on to.
Sorry for your problem and we will work to clear it up as quickly as possible.
Best regards,
Jan
Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, HPX500, HVX200, DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems
Easy does it Greg by Steve Wargo on Feb 27, 2008 at 4:59:57 am
Hi Greg,
It seems like you're really frustrated and we don't blame you. Most of the time when there is a rebate hold up, it's usually a small thing that is standing in the way.
The Creative Cow is the world's largest production forum and it is monitored by the major players. Jan is a regular and she is here all of the time helping with everyone's concerns. Panasonic is concerned with their customers and will always honor a legit rebate submission.
We would appreciate a more professional approach. Many of us have faced your predicament and have resolved it through the proper channels. Our unpaid participants are here to help you.
Hang in there. Jan will get to the bottom of it.
An apology would be appropriate.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It's a dry heat!
Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1.
Re: Easy does it Greg by Greg Jac on Feb 27, 2008 at 5:44:01 am
Update: the rebate is being handled now. thank you!!!
No, I not making any apology. Why should a customer have to take complaints public? They have a rebate center that ignored several calls. Other peole at Panasonic ignored me as well.
Last year they told me that I my rebate was ready to be to go- that they were just waiting for the products to come in. Since then I have just been ignored while being a "nice guy".
So thank you Panasonic for now working on my rebate but no apologies will be made from me.
Re: Easy does it Greg by Ron Lindeboom on Feb 27, 2008 at 5:57:22 am
Here's why, as Steve suggests, an apology would be appropriate:
1. Nearly all rebates are handled by fulfillment companies, not the manufacturer.
2. Because they are not handled by the manufacturer, few people in the company can really help you as they do not have the knowledge or often the power to make things happen. Most don't even know how to begin the process of trying to find out what's happening with a rebate -- this, as it is simply not in their department and it would take many, many steps to isolate the means to get a real answer for you.
3. It takes someone with the over-riding authority and power (such as Jan Crittenden) to pull the strings across a wide range of departments and people to cause everything to work out to your benefit.
4. Jan Crittenden cares about her customers/users and so she gets involved. We do not have to twist her arm nor do we have to insult her to get her to do this -- even though it is NOT her job.
5. You can either apologize or remain obstinate, something which will cause your personal stock value to plummet here at Creative COW as most all of us here at the COW have a HUGE amount of respect for her. Treating her with discourtesy is a sure ticket to cut off most any help you might get here in the days ahead.
6. Apologies do not hurt your case, rather they show class and you will find that that can go a long way with a hardened and intense bunch of grizzled professionals such as many here at the COW tend to be.
7. If 1-6 is something you wish to argue, don't bother, we really don't want to hear it.
Now in the COW Magazine: Commercials. A look at the history, strategy, techniques and production workflows of successful commercials. All brought to you by some of the COW's brightest members. Accept no substitutes!
Re: Easy does it Greg by Nate Stephens on Feb 28, 2008 at 2:07:23 am
Ron,
"hardened and intense bunch of grizzled professionals" come on Ron,,
hardened maybe but "grizzled" I shaved today... If the word got out that I reflect that term, I might never find a date that wants to hear about my new HVX200....
After spending 12 hours recording Lawyers lecturing about how to fire somebody in the workforce..... I really appreciate my freelance job... as I appreciate the Cow educating me (the lawyers have to pay for the education to keep their license) and Jan providing a great upgrade path for this "greying" SD guy to HD.
