Dick Van Dyke rebate outrage! (1 Viewer)

[Paul Drake]

Well I can certainly understand the hard feelings from this situation, but I can't say I am going to boycott the other three seasons. The first two sets set a new standard for TV on DVD and I imagine the other 3 will be equally impressive.

I'll admit that receiving a personal apology from an actual person at Image was a big factor in reducing my annoyance over this situation. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, but not everyone owns up to them.

As an example of how not to treat your customers, I cite Fox and their movie channel. This summer I (along with many others) sent snail mails and e-mails galore to the Fox Movie Channel protesting the censorship of the Charlie Chan movies. I didn't receive one single reply back, and I've yet to find anyone who did. I told Fox I was going to boycott that channel, and to this day, I've kept my promise. Despite showing some other programming I really would like to watch, I've never tuned in to Fox Movie Channel since the ban on the Chan films. Had FMC merely acknowledged my e-mail and addressed some of my concerns that would have gone a long way to clearing a spot on my viewing schedule for their channel.

 

[george kaplan]

I can't say I am going to boycott the other three seasons.
Well, just to be clear, I'm not boycotting them either. However, I am going to make sure I buy them used so that no money I use to buy them will go into Image's pockets. If they can own up to the $20 they owe me, I'll be damned if I'll add to their profit margin, personal apology or not.

 

[NeilO]

I finally sent an email to Image, pointing out how much money I could have saved had I not bought my dsics from Best Buy and bought them right now from Deep Discount DVD. (The prices were probably less before it came out.) I presume other people have written similarly. In any replies have they sought to at least address this price differential between buying it at Best Buy and elsewhere?

Neil

 

[george kaplan]

All of my communication with them has turned out to be fruitless. :frowning: They've basically decided that they are not going to honor their rebate for Best Buy buyers period. They frankly appear not to give a damn that they've lost a customer in me (and I suspect more than just me). I apologize to everyone here in advance, but sometimes a person just has to vent.

Fuck you Image!

 

[NeilO]

Quote:
I received an apology for the confusion and an explanation of the deal Image cut with Best Buy. He noted that I wasn't the only person confused by this.

No rebate coming my way, but I will give Image kudos for their quick and very personal response. The $20 gift card will be used to purchase Season Three at Worst Buy. Seasons 4 and 5 will be purchased elsewhere.

On the positive side, the gentleman did indicate that Image was actively considering rebates for the remaining sets, but noted that nothing was decided yet. I personally would settle for reduced MSRPs on the remaining sets.

Has anyone else heard back from Image yet?

Well, I was just called today. He did say that the gift card was an IMAGE sponsored promotion and that Best Buy received $20 for every gift card they gave out for this. He doesn't know why it wasn't indicated to us in the advertisements or the store that the gift card was in lieu of the rebate.

I asked if there was a possibility of a coupon or something for us towards any future sets and he said there wasn't anything they could give us. He said that right now there is not a plan for any rebates on future sets.

He understands our being upset that we were not able to buy it elsewhere for less and get the rebate.

I guess both Best Buy and IMAGE share the blame together for this. It is all very upsetting, but it looks like were all out of luck in this case. IMAGE really should do something to make up for it. They have our names and addresses. Sending us a coupon for some amount off a future DVD set is the least they could do.

Neil

 

[WayneLouks]

I thought I would just add another perspective about this fraudulent deal. I too bought the Dick Van Dyke DVD sets from this retailer. I have been battling this issue since the end of December when I received my letter denying my rebate.

First, Image Entertainment does have responsibility in this and their corporate reputation is going to suffer because of this situation. Image Entertainment IS responsible for the contracts and business partnering relationships it arranges. It is my understanding that Best Buy was supposed to sell the DVD sets WITHOUT the rebate stickers and material (but obviously the product had the rebate offer.) I was going to buy these sets elsewhere cheaper, but I checked the "Best" Buy deal to make sure the rebate was available on their product with the gift card promotion...and since it was, I purchased the product there. Obviously I did not check with Image Entertainment, but why would I? I only check at the Best Buy store at the time of purchase.

If "Best" Buy did not honor their contract with Image properly, then Image should require restitution from "Best" Buy and honor the rebates. It is also my understanding that "Best" Buy is "informally" admitting fault in this deal to Image, but when it comes to taking any responsibility requiring financial accountability, then they back off.

Image is apparently out the $20 rebate to Best Buy per its agreement with them. With this in mind, I do understand their position, although I think it will hurt their company in the long run; however, since Image has been openly communicating with me several times about this (even though I do not totally agree with their position,) I will continue to consider their product in the future...although this situation will always remain a sore spot. They have apologized and understand my position. Image at least seems somewhat interested in trying to openly communicate and "smooth" this situation even though I do not agree with their position.

"Best" Buy on the other hand is a different story. I have tried to communicate with them with absolutely no attempt to even understand the issue or take any responsibility for it. I have spent quite a bit more money in the past years in their stores than I have on Image Entertainment products...AND I can think of one other issue about six or seven years ago that was very upsetting and I returned a projection television because of their antics. THEREFORE, I will no longer be visiting a "Best" Buy store...nor will I be buying from them online. With any type of effort at all, I will be able to find the product I want at a reasonable to better price elsewhere! If they received the $20 rebate from Image and that was the rebate I was to receive, then their advertising and representation was fraudulent and illegal. I attribute more fault to "Best" Buy for this reason.

The fault I attribute to Image is a poor business contract and relationship, for which they ARE responsible. Image Entertainment is at least seeking to smooth/repair the customer relationship, even though it may not be to my satisfaction. For that I will give them another chance for products I truly wish to purchase. "Best" Buy has shown me they do not value my business whatsoever! So I will oblige and not buy from them anymore...AND do my best to show others they have alternatives also.

 

[george kaplan]

Well you're more forgiving than me.

It's simple. They can cheat me out of my $20. If so, they save $20 and they lose whatever profit they would have made when I bought the remaining 3 seasons, Alexander Nevsky, and any other Image titles I would buy in the future but now won't.

Or they could pay me my $20. They'd be out $20, but would make much more from that from my future purchases.

Seems stupid of them to pick option 1, but there it is.

An apology without a $20 check is no apology at all, it's them giving me the finger.