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Pre-Ordering TaxCut Cuts Off Rebate

By Ed Foster, Section The Gripelog
Posted on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 01:20:40 AM PDT

Companies come up with some pretty remarkable excuses for denying customers rebates, but H&R Block appears to have come up with a new one for rebates on its TaxCut tax software. One reader reports that he was turned down for failing to send in the rebate paperwork before the software for the 2004 tax year was even available.

"The rebate rip-offs never end," the reader wrote. "I thought that Intuit was bad when I was a consultant and had QuickBooks, but TaxCut has become just as bad. Even though you purchase the product on-line, H&R Block charges full price. To get the $25 rebate on the state software, you have to fill out a form with a pen and put it in the U.S. mail. Then they 'evaluate' it."

H&R Block's evaluation resulted in his being denied the rebate because he had not submitted the form within 30 days of purchasing the software. "Of course I did not submit my rebate within 30 days of purchase," the reader wrote. "I pre-ordered the software on October 8th on Taxcut.com. I didn't even get the e-mail saying the software was ready to download until the end of November, which was already past 30 days. Then, of course, I didn't drop everything and install the software because I really didn't need it yet. So I installed it after New Year's and got the rebate form from the install directory. I sent it in on Jan. 17th. Ha Ha! Too late. I was ripped off $25 -- $25 that should have not been charged in the first place because they could have billed me the correct amount on their website."

The reader tried complaining to the "H&R Block Rebate Processing Center," but to no avail. "Our records indicate your purchase date was 10-08-04 and your postmark date was 1-17-05," the e-mail response he received said. He was therefore not entitled to the rebate, since he hadn't sent it in by November 8th. The fact that the software and the mail-in rebate form it contained weren't yet available at that point was of no consequence to H&R Block's rebate police.

"This whole thing is such a rip-off," the reader wrote. "It's not the $25, it's the whole crooked process that bothers me. You have to find the rebate form on your own -- there is no 'Rebate Help' in the product or in the e-mail you get when the state software is finally ready. Imagine the non-computer literates who never get beyond opening TaxCut from the desktop icon and won't even find the rebate PDF form to print out and mail. The idea that you download software off the TaxCut web site, have to mail in the form and proof of purchase, and it has to be 30 days from when you buy the product or they keep the money is really larceny. It's just especially so when you 'pre-order' eight weeks before you can download the software."

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Pre-Ordering TaxCut Cuts Off Rebate | 51 comments (51 topical) | Post A Comment

I'm not surprised[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#1)
by LasVegan on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:49:46 AM PDT

Rebates are offered to get you to buy a product. Since you had already bought the product they don't want to offer it to you.

[ Reply to This ]

Don't pre-order[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#2)
by Anonymous User on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 07:12:03 PM PDT

I've used Taxcut for more than 10 years, and discovered long ago NEVER to pre-order it. There's always a better deal if you wait until it shows up in stores.

Some years it would even show up in stores before they bothered to send it to me.

[ Reply to This ]

When to buy[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#3)
by Fushigi on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 05:48:51 AM PDT

I wait until I've got all my tax forms so I typically don't buy until the end of Jan or early Feb.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Don't pre-order anything[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#8)
by LasVegan on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 10:10:40 AM PDT

Don't pre-order anything that might reasonably be on sale, not just tax software. By pre-ordering you're showing you're a very interested consumer and thus they aren't going to be giving you a good deal.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

My experience, too[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#31)
by Anonymous User on Fri Apr 08, 2005 at 11:33:29 AM PDT

I learned long ago never to pre-order TaxCut, because there was always a better deal to be had as Tax Day approached. Since I usually don't get the necessary information (W2, 1099's) until late January, after the deals are being offered, why pay full price and have the product sit around? It was a very liberating day when I found TaxCut wouldn't run on my computer and I went back to doing taxes on paper. It takes the same amount of time for me, either way. Also, I don't do e-filing -- why pay $10 or so to file when I can do it for 37 cents? I had it with Quicken rebates years ago. I've switched go GNUCash, which has pretty well severed my dependency on Windows entirely.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

dddd[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#115)
by Anonymous User on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 07:09:19 AM PDT

Borderline Fraud?[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#4)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 05:56:16 AM PDT

..or at least false advertising? I wonder if the state's attorney general could take a look at it?

[ Reply to This ]

I'll be smarter next year[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#32)
by Anonymous User on Fri Apr 08, 2005 at 12:20:06 PM PDT

Okay, I'm the original complainee. I guess I was dumb to respond to the email offer in the first place. And no, I didn't see the "30 day" rule when I clicked on the link from the email to order. I'm sure it's buried on the web site somewhere. In small print. Probably a footnote. Nor is it mentioned in the email that you receive with a link to download the software when it's available. My real anger point is the concept of ordering on-line, paying full price, then sending some documentation via U.S. mail - as if I bought it at CompUSA or Best Buy. The ripoff is built-in. They don't need documentation, a boxtop or a serial number, because I bought it directly from them on their web site. It appears that all 3 tax vendors are a problem right now. Intuit's practices are legendary and there's been the discussion of TaxAct spam this year.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Fraud - Plain and simple[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#33)
by Anonymous User on Sat Apr 09, 2005 at 04:39:05 AM PDT

If it walks like a fraud, smells like a fraud and acts like a fraud, it probably is a fraud. This behavior is worthy of examination by any attorney general, IF you have your facts straight. A case could be made that the company obviously has reason to believe that most customers will fall to this trap. In otherwords, they have good reason to know, certainly from past experience, how likely their customer base is to not able to comply with their "offer" yet they repeatedly make it again? Further, if you're saying that it is impossible for you to comply with the offer because the conditions cannot be met due to actions of the company itself, then maybe we can get some interesting results along the lines of more interesting criminal charges. Big company operating across many state lines, using the postal service perhaps? -Bob

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Taxcut rebate[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#5)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 06:42:37 AM PDT

If he hasn't already, he should call the Intuit customer support line directly and see if they can help. Contacting their PR dept. might also help.

Most of these companies outsource their rebate fulfillment (rejection?) processes and those outsourcing companies typically have very little discretion or very little motivation in dealing with these issues. Calling the rebate center call center (the number that is probably on your rejection notice) will normally result in an encounter with a large, stone wall. I recently tried going directly to Canon on a similar problem with a camera rebate and it worked for me.

If you still don't get satisfaction, submit a report to the appropriate Better Business Bureau and/or the Federal Trade Commision.

Rebates are a good way to alienate and frustrate customers. It is a Win for the seller and a Lose for the Buyer. If you don't request the rebate, you feel like a sucker for falling for the marketing gimick. If you request it and don't get it, you feel robbed. If you request it and have to fight for it, you feel like you invested more than you got back. If you do get your check and forget to cash it, you feel like a schmuck.

Here is a link to some good info on "Rebate Madness":

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/consumerism/rebate_madness01.html

[ Reply to This ]

Not Intuit[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#6)
by sconeu on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 08:04:54 AM PDT

It's TaxCut, not TurboTax.

--
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the United States of America.
[ Parent | Reply to This ]

REBATE SOLUTION?[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#7)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 08:32:23 AM PDT

Considering the sort of crooked dealing that goes on with software rebates, is it surprising that many users simply download the cracked version from a warez group and avoid paying anything? Is it any worse than what the vendor does?

[ Reply to This ]

Is it WORSE?![ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#16)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 01:32:04 PM PDT

Yes.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Hmm[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#27)
by Jarulf on Fri Apr 08, 2005 at 03:04:48 AM PDT

So you believe one case of copyright infringement is worse than actually engaging in a practise that fools people out of getting their money? I don't see how you can argue yes to the question.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Rebates are a huge rip off![ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#17)
by adamsdaddy on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 02:07:20 PM PDT

I have been burned so many times that I never buy anything predicated on the idea that I might get a rebate back. In fact, anytime I see a product with an offer of a rebate, that company automatically earns my contempt as a less than honorable seller. But I have learned which companies offer crappy deals like "mail me in within 15 days of purchase" and I avoid them like the plague. They plan for you to fail. If it takes 10 days to ship it to you, the know most people don't get around to filling this stuff out in the first few days. They would do better giving you six months to send it in, because most people would say "oh I will get to it later" forget to mail it in until a year later then they would blame themselves for not mailing it in. This practice of planning for customere failure instead of helping customers succeed only enrages honest customers and yes, I don't always pay for software every single time because they have tried to screw me on rebates for so long. Give me a great price up front if you want my business. How many of you have had 2-3 rebates in the works, you get a rejection, but it doesn't tell you which one this is for? And when I do have to buy a product, utility or otherwise, I will go for an alternative to the company that screwed me out of $20. Dale Anderson

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

rebates are meaningless to me[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#20)
by dmittleman on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 02:52:35 PM PDT

I am in full agreement. For a couple of years now I simply ignore the rebate in making my purchase decision - and decide whether I am interested in full price or not.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Guess I'm just lucky[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#28)
by cmaloney on Fri Apr 08, 2005 at 08:37:20 AM PDT

I've probably submitted 30 or more rebates over the years. I've had a problem with 2. One that I screwed up. The other was a TiVo one that was resolved with one message using their automated inquiry function, that was resolved in less than 24 hours.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

You are only hurting yourself and the rest of us[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#35)
by ekuns on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 05:10:36 PM PDT

I don't always pay for software every single time because they have tried to screw me on rebates for so long

If you steal software from a company who uses deceptive marketing practices, then you are still indirectly supporting that company by not supporting that company's competition (whether open source or closed source, whether free-as-in-beer or commercial). This is especially true if you are stealing from a company who has market dominance. Ultimately, that hurts you. If you steal software from a company who does not use deceptive marketing, then you are not only hurting a reputable dealer, but you are again hurting yourself by making it more difficult for a reputable company to make a profit.

Deceptive marketing is wrong. No company should be allowed to get away with it, nor excused for doing so. However, I don't understand why people can justify stealing software (OK, fine, "copyright violation") as if two wrongs make a right. When you don't pay for software, you really hurt yourself (and the rest of us) in the long run. You are just trying to avoid inconvenience rather than do the right thing.

Imagine the positive affect if we could teach people NOT TO PURCHASE FROM SPAM! If even a very small number of people purchase from SPAM, then it is profitable. Copyright violation has the same counter-productive effect, if not as directly so and not as obvious.

I get the impression that a lot of people simply feel entitled to be able to do a certain thing on a computer and don't want to be inconvenienced into doing something themselves or using a less-finished product. Grow up. If we ALL voted with our wallets, this kind of deceptive marketing would disappear. If we support an honest vendor whose product is not as good, we help that vendor improve their product (by giving them revenue) and we send a very direct message to the dishonest vendor. When you steal, you only send the message that you want to use something without paying for it. That is the full extent of what you are telling the company whose product you are not using legally. One choice motivates companies to avoid practices that piss off their market. The other choice motivates companies to implement stupid, restrictive, and mostly-counter-productive-let's-punish-the-honest-consumer DRM.

This why I get angry when people steal software. They are not only hurting themselves. They are hurting the rest of us. I am continually amazed at the moral justifications people create for "copyright violation." If the company is that bad, can't you just do without?

And again, I am not supporting companies with dishonest marketing or sales practices. I am just saying that if you steal from those companies, you are indirectly still supporting their choices to be deceptive and dishonest. You are really hurting yourself in the long run much more than you hurt them.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Re: You are only hurting yourself and the rest of[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#38)
by Ed Foster on Tue Apr 12, 2005 at 11:26:38 AM PDT

Well said. I completely agree. -- Ed

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Weighing in[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#39)
by trashpicker on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 07:47:50 AM PDT

I'd like to weigh in as a supporter of rebates. I use them frequently and would estimate that 95% of those that I have submitted have been remitted to me with no problem. In the cases where I have had problems, most of the time an irate phone call to the rebate office (ask for a supervisor) resolves the issue. A keyphrase in these phone calls (IMHO) is "If you're not willing to honor the rebate, I am more than willing to use [competitor's product] next time - is that your desired outcome?" and also "I am a fan of your product and tell my friends about it, but if you are unwilling to honor this rebate, I am more than willing to tell them not to use your product as you do not honor your promises." I've never had them tell me to pound sand after these conversations... but maybe I'm more persuasive than most ;^D

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Rebates[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#41)
by Mason on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 01:03:08 PM PDT

I'd guess that 95% of the rebates are actually done at a fulfillment center unrelated to the company that actually made the product. Your tone of voice might help grease the wheel, but they don't care whose product you're using.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Is it worse[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#18)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 02:22:50 PM PDT

Is it wrong to download the cracked version and not paying? Of course! Is is worse than what the vendors do with impossible rebate requirements? Not in my book! The vendor made a promise and then didn't honor the promise. I didn't promise the vendor anything. Also, if I wouldn't have purchased the software, then the company has in fact suffered no damages and my only evil is that I took something of no value that I wasn't entitled to.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Taxcut rebate[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#9)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 01:12:39 PM PDT

I ordered the software last year and did not look at the rebate details until I used the software. That is my fault but the short time to send in the rebate is theirs. I will look at an alternative next year. Rebates will lose customers for a company if they are handled unfairly.

[ Reply to This ]

Alternatives???[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#14)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 01:25:54 PM PDT

How many alternatives exist??? I've already written off anything Intuit makes because of their little spyware debacle a couple of years ago. Now if I were to write off TaxCut as well, what is the alternative? An accountant? Anyone use any other tax software? When everyone is playing these games, we all have to decide where we draw the line and forego using a software solution. Otherwise whoever we give business to will benefit whether or not they engage in unfair business practices.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

TaxAct[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#21)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 04:07:53 PM PDT

I switched to TaxAct after the TurboTax activation debacle a few years ago. TurboTax will never again get my business because of their greed. TaxAct runs $12.95 for the delux version and includes a free e-file.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Not just spyware...[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#22)
by Mason on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 05:43:18 PM PDT

Not just spyware -- Intuit's business model is built around nag-, ad-, and planned-obsolence-ware.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Stick with TaxSlayer[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#25)
by RonHack on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 03:34:21 PM PDT

Why not? When you realize that tax software is good only until the state/federal government update their tax code (usually once a year), that $20-$40 software package shortly becomes useless.
There are many websites, suggested (but not sponsored) by the IRS, that can do the job for free or $10 for both federal and state forms. I personally like TaxSlayer myself, but I suggest trying out the others suggested for your personal taste/situation.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

You have to be willing to do without...[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#36)
by ekuns on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 05:16:19 PM PDT

... if you actually want to send a message to the company producing the software. If you are not willing to do without, then they know they have you and they know they can get away with just about anything. If you are shopping for a car and you find a car you absolutely must buy, and you are not willing to walk away from that car and that deal, then the car dealer has you right where they want you and they will know that.

The only way we can truly change behavior at unethical companies is to be willing to walk away and do without when there are no better alternatives. Yes, it may be inconvenient. But if simple inconvenience is enough to make us unwilling to go without, then the software company has us in their pocket.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Taxcut[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#10)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 01:17:05 PM PDT

First year, all went fine. Second year -- well, ok, I made the mistake of buying early in January and didn't open it until after the 30 day limit. They had "no provision" etc. This year: I received a letter saying they couldn't mail to a PO Box. Please re-submit the enclosed paperwork. You guessed it -- nothing enclosed. No way to contact except via e-mail. Couldn't get the point across that they hadn't sent back the paperwork. Oddly enough, the rebate for the State software came through, no fuss, to the PO Box.

[ Reply to This ]

30 days ...[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#11)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 01:20:46 PM PDT

Although I agree with several ideas. 1) I hate rebates. 2) They should at least give you 30 days after the *actual* purchase. In this case, however, the complaint is that he didn't get his rebate -- but he bought the product at the end of November but didn't return his rebate until mid January. That seems like more than 30 days. In this case, it would have been his own fault even if the company were virtuous in honoring their rebates. IMHO, rebates should be outlawed. They are fundamentally dishonest.

[ Reply to This ]

TaxCut Rebates[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#12)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 01:22:03 PM PDT

First of all - anyone purchased Tax Software has had to seen all the sales and free software (after rebate) from the stores. This has been happening for many years. I've been receiving Norton Antivirus, Micorosoft Money and other products for free every year. Why you would pre-order is beyond me - especially since it is available in the store at the same time. I've turned in hundreds of rebates of the years and have gotten paid every single cent. There have been a few that the rebate center has made mistakes because of various quirks - but each time I was able to resolve it with them on the first call. I agree that this particular case is frustrating - but the bottome line is - you MUST FOLLOW THE RULES. Is H&R Block at fault here - yes. And as a previous poster indicated - call the PR department and they will probably correct the situation. The lesson is - before your purchase something with a rebate - you MUST SEE THE REBATE FORM FIRST and make sure you will be able to comply. If not - don't purchase the product. Companies create rebates because many people don't bother to send them in. So why credit someone on the purchase price when it is more than likely that they will never have to pay it out?

[ Reply to This ]

Now what do I do?[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#13)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 01:24:47 PM PDT

I switched to TaxCut after the Intuit TurboTax activation fiasco several years ago. I got the rebate, because like others, I don't order the product until I need it. However, the idea that a company can set a rebate policy with impossible requirements (i.e., sending in the rebate from the product before you can get the product) really rankles. So, what are the alternatives to TaxCut and TurboTax?

[ Reply to This ]

What to do?[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#26)
by Anonymous User on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 08:02:17 PM PDT

I don't use either product (and have only once bothered to cash in a rebate offer), so my advice may not be worth much, but here's how I figure it. If you can't collect on the rebate, the worst you are out is $25 (plus the value of your time being frustrated) but there is no long-term damage. If the product installs activation software and overwrites blocks in the boot partition without explicit documentation of what it is doing and in a way that can make your system unusable, you can be out many hundreds of dollars of your time figuring out what has happened and possibly cause the irrevocable loss of data in attempting to recover. I would much prefer the product that installs cleanly and messes with my system no more than essential.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

TaxCut Rebates[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#15)
by auctionhugh on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 01:26:18 PM PDT

1. I can't speak to the problem of preordering because I never do it.

2. The first thing I do after buying it in store is to send in all the rebate forms, on time, carefully filled out, proper proof of purchase attached. In about 5 years of doing taxcut rebates I have always gotten them all, and the MS Money rebates that come along with it.

3. One thing I think it really stinky that H&R block does, is offer a rebate on the e-filing fee, but hiding the rebate form for this inside an advertising booklet in the software box. I always have to search to find where they might have hidden the form this year!

-----
Get help with your website from AuctionHugh's wife Kathleen.
Professional, artistic, and EASY for you!
Kallen Web Design for Small Business

[ Reply to This ]

Chargeback[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#19)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 02:34:55 PM PDT

As many of us on this site continually remind victims, the best solution after the vendor refuses a refund is to put the credit card charge into dispute. Not just the rebate, the entire charge. Use American Express cards whenever possible (this isn't an ad for AmEx, it's due to their pro-cardholder attitudes, particularly for items purchased online). Even if you lose the dispute, which is rare if you have a good case and are persistent, you'll cost the vendor money in answering your dispute. And when vendors lose too many disputes, they can lose their ability to take credit cards or will pay higher card fees. I've had vendors thumb their nose at me, but when I threatened chargeback, suddenly they had a new attitude.

[ Reply to This ]

Thanks - Good Tip![ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#40)
by trashpicker on Thu Apr 14, 2005 at 08:53:30 AM PDT

I like that a lot. Reminds me of a few years ago I bought an expensive book (at a University bookstore) but had to return it (unused/unread) a couple of days later for another edition, but had lost my reciept. They wouldn't even give me store credit without it (even though the book was on the shelf). I called my CC company (Discover), who then made the store provide their reciept to them, they sent it to me, I walked into the store a week later and did the return. The manager was baffled - "but this is our copy!" I explained what I had done and he was pissed - "we had to go through 200 reciepts to find that one!" I told him that if he had just issued me a store credit in the first place it would have saved him, Discover, and me a lot of trouble.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Don't Pre-Order[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#23)
by Anonymous User on Tue Apr 05, 2005 at 08:50:58 PM PDT

I frequently got those "pre-order now" emails, and faithfully ignored them all. Whet's the point in pre-ordering, other then to separate yourself from your money sooner. Just pick it up at the nearest office-supply store, clip the boxtops, and send in the forms promptly. I did that this tax year and have received all my rebates as promised. Phooey on downloading software with rebates. Let the publishers spend more on production and on the rebates. Maybe that will teach them to play fair!

[ Reply to This ]

Pre-order emails[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#44)
by Fushigi on Tue May 03, 2005 at 05:23:25 AM PDT

I just got the pre-order email for next year's TaxCut. The only advantage would be to get the software as soon as it's released; no discount or rebate was mentioned. Considering the number of updates that get released between general availability and, say, late February/early March, I see no advantage in getting the software early. In fact, I don't buy the software until I've got all of my forms from my employer, mortgage company, bank, etc. By then you can usually get other free-after-rebate items if interested (and you trust the rebates to come in).

[ Parent | Reply to This ]

Alternative[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#24)
by Anonymous User on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 11:23:13 AM PDT

I've been happy with TaxAct. In fact I pre-ordered it for this year in November when they offered the Deluxe version w/ state included for about $13.00. They had the option of paying by mail, so I did that option. About late January when I was ready to do my taxes, I went back online, called up the pending pay by mail order and tried to switch it to pay online. Couldn't do it, but a call to their sales department fixed the issue. They cancelled the pending order and re-ordered the package at the price of the initial deal! Short of them going Activiation crazy or spamming me to death (which they don't) they've secured my business for the foreseeable future.

[ Reply to This ]

How about the electric chair?[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#29)
by Bret on Fri Apr 08, 2005 at 09:50:55 AM PDT

Two Comments: 1. Try TaxAct. I bought the Deluxe Federal and State version for less than $20, and got the first e-file free. No rebate forms to fill out, no nonsense. These people are going to be my preferred tax software for the foreseeable future. 2. I say that these rebate processing centers deserve some harsh punishment for the load of crap they dump on us all. They go to these companies and convince them that they should offer rebates and tell them that only a small percentage of customers are successful in getting their rebates. Then the processing center puts impossible terms on the rebates to make it impossible to get your money. So my suggestion is to make running a rebate processing center, heck even working for one, and then using unfair terms for getting your rebate a capitol crime. If they thought they might get the electric chair for screwing customers this way, they would make the rebate procedure much more consumer friendly.

[ Reply to This ]

From an accounting standpoint...[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#30)
by dliesse on Fri Apr 08, 2005 at 10:16:25 AM PDT

This just occurred to me, probably because I'm finishing up the required term paper in my accounting class. An argument someone might use is that from the vendor's side the sale is not complete until the product is delivered. This is in accordance with both Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (SEC staff bulletin 103) and, I believe, US tax laws. I wonder what the response would be!

[ Reply to This ]

Problems on both sides[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#34)
by Elrond on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 07:45:05 AM PDT

In many cases, a rebate submission from an online download purchase doesn't require anything connected with the download itself, just the proof of purchase. In that case, there'd be no reason the user couldn't have submitted the rebate on Oct. 8, when he placed the order. The text suggests he couldn't get the rebate form until he downloaded; if true, then H&R should not have started the clock running until the download was available. But the buyer is still out of compliance because he submitted more than a month after Nov. 30, when the download was available.

There's nothing unusual about a 30-day maximum for a rebate submission, and I frankly don't think that's unreasonable, either. The fact that you may be letting the product sit around for a few months before using it isn't the seller's problem.

Rebates waste a lot of time; I'd personally be a lot happier with half the savings taken directly off the purchase price. But it's the way the game is played, and I don't think the rules are particularly obscure. When I threw away a box recently before cutting out the UPC, I was mad at myself, not the manufacturer.

[ Reply to This ]

Burning Mad[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#37)
by Anonymous User on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 08:07:25 PM PDT

I just received my TaxCut Rebate Denial Letter today for the TaxCut State product. I did everything perfectly.

The letter says "We found that your sales receipt did not indicate the correct purchase amount for the offer." What does this mean? I paid full retail price. The receipt I sent to them clearly shows the purchase amount for Tax Cut Complete, and the purchase amount for Tax Cut State. I circled it, and they even put a check mark next to it. Then they sent it all back to me.

I just read all of the fine print everywhere and can find no mention of anything that would indicate what rule I have so blatantly violated.

The letter says that I should "make the corrections listed above and return the submission." What corrections am I supposed to make? There are no corrective actions listed!

I am so angry right now I want to sue them just to teach them a lesson.

If I sue in small claims court I can't win punitive damages, but at least I will get the satisfaction of knowing that the suit cost them a lot more than they are trying to scam out of me.

Tax software is an annual purchase. What genius thinks that this is how you win a perpetual customer?

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Rebate "incorrectly denied"[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#42)
by Anonymous User on Mon Apr 25, 2005 at 02:13:56 PM PDT

I was one of those who pre-ordered. I got two "Rebate Denied" letters for my state copy of TaxCut.

Last week I got a letter in the mail from H&R Block...

Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for using H&R Block TaxCut(R) to prepare and file your 2004 taxes. It has come to our attention that your H&R Block State rebate was incorrectly denied. Enclosed please find your $24.99 H&R Block State rebate check. We appologize for any inconvenience and assure you that H&R Block is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality produces & services. Thank you for your continued interest in our TaxCut(R) product.
Sincerely,
H&R Block

So I actually got my refund! I think they realized the mistake they made. Or someone made them realize the mistake.

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auto owners [ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#109)
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Lychee[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#112)
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silent killer[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#113)
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eve isk[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#114)
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