CANON USA Rebate Program

This is who Canon trusted with our rebates:

http://forums.dpreview​.com …rum=1032&messag​e=21962854

Here is the story from that link!

This is my first post here, but I thought it would be a good place to start since there are so many rebate nightmare stories happening here in this forum

First of all, most people don’t know anything about Young America and what it actually does … my wife worked for them for a short while about 2 years ago to make some part time money, so this is fact, not fiction (it’s kind of a scary story though, so anyone under 15 might want to close this window right now)

Have you ever seen one of those flyers put up advertising “work from home and make tons of money”? … that’s EXACTLY what Young America is and that’s exactly how they get their employees

This means that anyone and everyone that applies gets a job at Young America regardless of skill, education, criminal tendencies or anything else you can imagine

Most of the workers are Mom’s that want to make some extra cash during their spare time, but others are just people that can’t or won't get a job elsewhere for whatever reason … several are Mom’s that take double the workload and farm out their teenagers to do the extra work so they get more money (Young America pays a certain amount for each rebate that is processed, usually around $0.05 per envelope) – it’s considered to be last ditch employment around here

Young America doesn’t have a training program in the conventional sense … every rebate goes through a different process according to the manufacturer – there are different things that the workers have to enter into their website and different things that need to be done with the rebate forms, different ways of stuffing the rebates etc … there is a pamphlet that comes with each type of rebate telling the worker how to process it and a toll free phone number to call in an emergency, but no real training to speak of

Also, Young America isn’t the one that actually pays the rebates either – all they do is process them and send them to back to whoever issues them, Canon in this case – so as much as we all want to berate Canon for this, their only fault was in choosing Young America to do their processing (something I’m guessing Canon has told some of the members with problems when they called Canon directly)

Here’s scary fact #1 … while we might think that our valuable rebates are being handled with care at a state of the art processing plant by highly trained workers, in fact they are actually being handled in PEOPLE’S HOMES, and they are there in lots of 500 or 1000 – this means that our irreplaceable UPC’s that were treated like golden certificates by us are subject to all kinds of household dangers such as being moved from the kitchen table to the living room couch, nosey guests (or teenage children’s guests) rifling through them, being mixed up with piles of open envelopes and other rebates, falling into a crevice between the seat and the door of the family car on the way to/from the drop-off point or a curious toddler just checking out all of the mail that Mommy brought home … one thing to note: workers might get into “trouble” if they damage or lose any part of the rebate, so it’s much easier to just “lose” it entirely and say that it was never there, which there is no way to prove one way or another

Scary fact#2 … many of the workers have figured out how to really make extra money by working there … all they have to do is to look for receipts that don’t have the buyers name and information on them, and then conveniently have the UPC’s, the receipt, or the entire rebate envelope “disappear” (into their pocket) and say they never got it with the other 2000 Canon rebates that they took home yesterday … then it’s only a matter of downloading their own Canon rebate form from the web, filling all of it out in their own, or a friends name and sending it right back in for processing and waiting for the rebate checks to roll in – I'm not being paranoid here, another worker explained to my wife exactly how to do this while they were waiting for the truck to meet them (in a grocery store parking lot) to drop off the bundles of rebates for the workers to take home … this other worker told her that all of them know how to do this, and exactly which rebates work best for this (always the high dollar ones) – she also told her not to do this to any of them that were from Minnesota (where Young America is located) because it would be one of the workers that was doing this and that they all kind of ‘look out for each other’

Scary fact #3 … any number of people might have access to your envelope and the contents (including the ultra-valuable UPC’s) … from what I know, at least 4 other people were digging into the envelopes before my wife got them, and who knows how many people after her – all along this line there is no way to tell if anything dubious happens to any of the contents – in fact, even after it’s processed and sent back to Canon, if a UPC happens to disappear it is likely that the rebate will be denied – if any of the contents disappear, there isn’t any way to prove it or to track where it went astray

All this combined really scares me … I have $430 worth of rebates coming to me and I’m going to really make sure I cover all my bases – I’m going to make copies of all of my UPC’s and then take pictures of all of them, with the rebate form and receipts right next to the envelope … I am printing a copy of the picture

as for the people that have already sent theirs in and are in the middle of this BS - the advice I've seen posted to call Canon directly is perfect - calling Young America will get you the run around because there's no telling where your actual envelope and stuff is at

Canon will take this seriously and will take it up directly with Young America - YA has every reason to listen to Canon, because that's who is paying them

I wish the best of luck to us all - I wish I could help more, but I don't have any better chances against this than anyone else, except for my own precautions that I'm taking when I send mine in

joegolf68 wrote in post #2730990
This is who Canon trusted with our rebates:

http://forums.dpreview​.com …rum=1032&messag​e=21962854

Here is the story from that link!

This is my first post here, but I thought it would be a good place to start since there are so many rebate nightmare stories happening here in this forum

WOW!!!

I found out that Young America was doing the rebate for Canon. I was a little depressed about it, and concerned. I have sent in my rebate twice now. I sent an e-mail to Young America, no response in 2 weeks. I think I will send Canon my deepest disappointment in their choice of handlers for this rebate. I have never had so many problems getting anything back before.

Great! Count me as another person they're screwing with. Now I'm pi$$3d! This is unbelievable! Mine was sent in following the instructions to the letter. I was really hoping Joegolf68 was wrong, but I had a funny feeling...

Jeff Solenberg wrote in post #2734666
Great! Count me as another person they're screwing with. Now I'm pi$$3d! This is unbelievable! Mine was sent in following the instructions to the letter. I was really hoping Joegolf68 was wrong, but I had a funny feeling...

Time to call Canon (not Young America). Follow my instructions in your other thread: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=278341

ok, folks. i just received my rebate check for $700.00 today. all it took was one call to Canon. GOOD LUCK to everyone!

Jeff Solenberg wrote in post #2734666
Great! Count me as another person they're screwing with. Now I'm pi$$3d! This is unbelievable! Mine was sent in following the instructions to the letter. I was really hoping Joegolf68 was wrong, but I had a funny feeling...

Sorry Jeff, I too was hoping I would be wrong, but the evidence just keeps mounting. Good luck, sincerely.

Joe

http://articles.moneyc​entral.msn.com …teDeal.aspx?wa=​wsignin1.0
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Who keeps the uncashed checks?
According to SEC filings, Young America kept $42.9 million in uncashed rebates between 1995 and 2002. Massachusetts Treasurer Tim Cahill believes the company has held onto $129 million worth of uncashed checks.
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Young America Chief Executive Roger Andersen admits, though, that some retail clients have pushed for confusing programs that would result in a lower redemption rate.
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By Melinda Fulmer
The pitches are irresistible: Get a $100 hard drive for $30 after rebate. Score the latest $150 cell phone with digital camera for nada. Make $10 by mailing in a rebate form for virus-protection software.

Rebates like these have become pervasive as retailers and manufacturers look for ways to discount without permanently marking down the prices of their products.

Now, nearly a third of all computer products and 20% of electronics, such as digital cameras and flat-screen TVs, are sold with rebates, according to the NPD Group. In part, that's because only an estimated 50% to 70% of buyers redeem them.

But these discounts are not always the sure bargains that consumers think they are. Many manufacturers and retailers have come under scrutiny for delaying payment, imposing hard-to-fulfill restrictions or making forms too complex -- and therefore, too easy to reject.

In Vic Giannini's case, the rebate check came, but it couldn't be cashed. The Akron, Ohio, retiree received the $45 rebate he was promised for purchasing a Maxtor hard drive from online retailer Tiger Direct. After he deposited the check, he got a notice from his bank, stating that the account with Tiger Direct's fulfillment house, Onrebate.com, could not be found. To make matters worse, the bank charged him a $25 fee for processing the invalid check.

"Then I was out $70," Giannini complained. He says he called and e-mailed both Tiger Direct and Onrebate.com, and got no response.

So Giannini posted a report complaining about his experience on www.ripoffreport.com and threatened to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, the primary agency overseeing rebate abuse. Onrebate.com has since offered to cut Giannini a new check.

"What they are banking on is (that) you aren't even going to bother," Giannini said.

More hoops, more hassle
Indeed, while analysts say it is easier than ever to track the status of your rebate both online and through 800 numbers, rebate rules and forms have gotten more complicated.

"They make it so you have to jump through all these tiny little hoops," said Ed Magedson, editor and founder of the Ripoffreport.com. "And then when you do, they say you didn't get it there on time."

With consumer complaints to the FTC and Better Business Bureau escalating, regulators are ramping up their scrutiny of rebates.

The FTC has fined a handful of companies for failing to pay consumers or for paying them late. Last year, it settled its first case with a retailer, Dallas-based CompUSA, for knowingly advertising rebates from computer peripherals manufacturer QPS Inc., even after CompUSA officials knew the manufacturer wasn't paying the rebates or was paying them as much as six months late. Indeed, the FTC said CompUSA continued to advertise the rebates until shortly before QPS filed for bankruptcy protection in August 2002.

Now, after settling with the FTC, CompUSA must advertise a specific time frame for rebates. The retailer must also bear financial responsibility for any rebates not paid during the time specified.

A CompUSA spokesman declined comment on the settlement, other than to say, "We feel we do an excellent job of fulfilling rebates to the benefit of our customers."

However, at least one customer says CompUSA's rebate problems haven't been solved.

Bill Rubin, a 40-year-old operations manager in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., is still waiting for $56 of the $161 in rebates he was promised last August after a $195 purchase of Hawking Technologies networking equipment at CompUSA. Both Hawking Technologies and CompUSA say the money is on its way -- after many complaints -- but Rubin is still waiting, long past the promised 10- to 12-week window.

"You learn your lessons from some of this stuff," Rubin said. In this case, he said, he will never buy Hawking products again and will look twice to see who's handling a rebate before making a purchase.

There ought to be a law …
"Everyone I know has horror stories about rebates," said California State Sen. Liz Figueroa, who introduced a bill in 2004 to establish guidelines for mail-in rebates. That bill, which would have given consumers 30 days to apply for a rebate after purchase and guaranteed payment 60 days after application, passed the California House and Senate, only to be shot down later that year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

However, with growing bipartisan support for rebate reform and new advisers in the governor's office, Figueroa plans to reintroduce the bill.

"Republicans and Democrats," she says with a laugh, "we all agree on one thing: We hate rebates."

Other states have also begun tackling rebate issues on their own.

One of the first to take action was New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer settled a case with cell-phone maker Samsung Electronics America in 2004 for failing to pay rebates. The company agreed to pay $200,000 to more than 4,100 consumers whose rebates were denied simply because they lived in apartment buildings. Samsung's rebate system only allowed one rebate per address and didn't have space to submit apartment numbers.

In Connecticut, state officials are now investigating several retailers that list only prices after rebate in their ads -- a practice that is illegal in the state.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts, in conjunction with 40 other states, is taking on a company that handles rebates. It has sued the nation's largest rebate fulfillment company, Minnesota-based Young America Corp., demanding that it submit to an audit of the uncashed rebate checks it has kept in recent years -- money known in the industry as "slippage" -- in exchange for charging its clients lower processing fees.

Who keeps the uncashed checks?
According to SEC filings, Young America kept $42.9 million in uncashed rebates between 1995 and 2002. Massachusetts Treasurer Tim Cahill believes the company has held onto $129 million worth of uncashed checks.

Cahill believes this practice has provided incentive for Young America to cheat consumers. This money should be turned over to the states' abandoned property divisions so that consumers can claim it, he says.

"There is an appearance of deception here," Cahill said. "We want to shine some sunlight on this practice. It sends a message to other firms. They are holding onto other people's money that doesn't belong to them."

Cahill says he is also "concerned" by some of the confusing forms used to deny consumers their money.

For their part, Young America officials say they have refused audits in Massachusetts and other states because they don't believe uncashed rebates are unclaimed property, a claim it says has been affirmed by the states of Minnesota and Oklahoma, where it previously had operations.

Young America Chief Executive Roger Andersen says that his company has no incentive to reject applicants to keep the money.

"We don't get any checks or funds for disqualified customers," he said.

He admits, though, that some retail clients have pushed for confusing programs that would result in a lower redemption rate. "We decided that we didn't want to do business with them," Andersen said. "Anything that gives our industry a bad name…is going to erode the acceptability of rebates as a promotional tool."

Indeed, at least one major retailer, Minneapolis-based Best Buy, has said it plans to eliminate all mail-in rebates by 2007. Last week, the company said it was no longer advertising mail-in rebates for laptop computers and was instead offering instant savings. Best Buy also recently launched an online rebate submission tool, so customers don't have to mail in forms and UPC codes.

But, analysts caution, there's a price to be paid for not dealing with the headaches of rebates: higher prices.

"It's a case of be careful of what you ask for," said Steve Baker, vice president of industry analysis for Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD. If mail-in rebates are replaced with more expensive instant discounts, he said, "you may see some great deals go away."

6 keys to getting the rebate you earned

Follow the instructions on the rebate form religiously, enclosing all the required documentation, such as UPC codes or receipts in the same envelope. Some rebates require you to submit each one separately, so read the fine print.

Make a copy of all paperwork to be mailed when applying for a rebate. It's the only record you have if something goes wrong. Some rebate veterans also suggest sending paperwork for larger rebates by certified mail, or getting a delivery confirmation so you can verify the form was sent when you say it was.

Contact the company if the rebate doesn't arrive within the time promised. Most retailers, manufacturers and rebate fulfillment companies have Web sites and 800 numbers where you can track your rebate and complain if your rebate stalls or is rejected. (Many customers have said that they were able to reverse a rejection or resolve a problem with one phone call.)

If the rebate never arrives or arrives late, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, your state attorney general or the local Better Business Bureau.

If all else fails, set up your own Web site or post on someone else's blog to draw attention to the issue. One enterprising consumer set up www.radioshackrebatefr​aud.com last month, when it looked like he and other consumers would not get the two rebates Radio Shack promised in a one-day pre-Christmas promotion on its Web site. Several weeks and several TV interviews later, the company said it would honor both rebates, which were held up by a company input error. Radio Shack and other retailers such as Tiger Direct say they monitor many shopping forums and consumer gripe sites and will try and correct any unresolved customer issues they see.

Lastly, only buy things you can afford without the rebate. While fulfillment company Young America claims it now processes rebates in a third of the time it used to, the reality is that some rebates can be held up for months.

orisky wrote in post #2735654
Time to call Canon (not Young America). Follow my instructions in your other thread: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=278341

orisky, I greatly appreciate the info. I will call them today. Thank you!

If you have probelms, call Canon, and CALL your Congrsessperson's office. No kidding, it works, and it get a compnaylike Young America's attention. They don't want legislation that will keep them honest!!!! If you've never calledyour Congressperson's office, you will be surprised at how helpful they are, they want your vote, so they bend over backwards to help you..............!

joegolf68 wrote in post #2736231
If you have probelms, call Canon, and CALL your Congrsessperson's office. No kidding, it works, and it get a compnaylike Young America's attention. They don't want legislation that will keep them honest!!!! If you've never calledyour Congressperson's office, you will be surprised at how helpful they are, they want your vote, so they bend over backwards to help you..............!

I will try Canon first, but I agree they do want to be helpful. I had to call mine a few years ago and they seemed to want to bend over backwards to help me. I didn't end up needing their help, but it was nice to know I had them in my corner.

While all the links about rebate processers making customers jump through hoops and hoping they forget to file or make some small mistake are interesting....the fact is that Young America is making up reasons to reject rebates that were in fact correctly submitted...This is what needs to be brought to Canon's attention.
Tom

roqdawg wrote in post #2737765
While all the links about rebate processors making customers jump through hoops and hoping they forget to file or make some small mistake are interesting....the fact is that Young America is making up reasons to reject rebates that were in fact correctly submitted...This is what needs to be brought to Canon's attention.

Tom

Absolutely correct Tom, and good point. Canon hired them, and do you have any doubt they were unaware of YA's track record? Maybe, just maybe YA is the only company large enough to handle this large of an order, but doubtful. Seems like a good business to get in to right now, if one wanted to be honest....... but I'm not sure that is what companies want..., it would cost them more money.

END rebates! Damn companies all know what we know, and much more, and then use them. I recall when rebates FIRST ht the market, or at least the market big time, and it was cars. Back in the 70;s or early 80's I think, American car companies used them. I recall how angry I was to have to pay tax, registration fees, and other costs on two thousand or three thousand dollars and then get that money back in a rebate. Tax on $3K is about $220+ and extra registration fees based on price, just to get some of the money back later. I didn't buy any of the cars back then, but I knew it was a real suckers move. Like when they say, buy a new car and get a free vacation in Hawaii. Who believes it is free? Dumb consumers back then flocked to the market place and we have all been paying the price ever since. Rebates are a suckers game. I avoid rebates whenever possible, unfortunately I couldn't this time, as I was going to buy anyway. I'd honestly prefer an instant $150 off at the register than a $200 rebate later. Not that I am a guy who must have instant money, I just don't want this hassle.

Canon rebates suck as bad as any other rebate. I hope enough people complain that they will change the program next time. We are all smart here, by proof we can use a camera and a computer, so how many of us, if we desired to set up a rebate program, could sit down and make up a safe, efficient program in ten minutes of brainstorming. Think about it, Canon still has to pay Young America, so they know it is still cheaper to pay them than to give us all an instant rebate right up front. Too bad EVERY SINGLE person didn't take advantage of the rebate, and do so with full 100% compliance with the rules, and 100% backup copies. Statistically won't ever happen, but I'd love to see it and Canon would end these damn fraudulent rebates with companies like YA and just announce next year a big discount right up front. Damn this subject makes my blood boil! Three weeks they have had my stuff and they tell me to wait six to eight before they even acknowledge they received my package. JERKS!

Adam B. wrote in post #2716242
Well here's my sad story, 3 submissions in order:
30D, 17-40L, and a 580EX total rebate due $320 (received, but wrong amount)
50mm f1.4 total rebate due $20 (no records of it at all)
5D, 24-105L total rebate due $700 (no records of it at all)
For a grand total of $1040
I got my first rebate check and it was for only $290 so I call the number and asked WTF, Jason told me it was an error and he would void the check and issue me a new one for the total of $320, it would be mail to me it 2-3 weeks. 5 weeks later (this Monday) I called the same number again and talk with Shanon (very nice lady btw) who said she was going to esclade my stuff up the chain of command. She told me I would be contacted by someone with the next 5 days. Wednesday evening I recieved this email:

Dear Adam Bloomer,

Thank you for choosing Canon. We value you as a Canon Customer and appreciate the opportunity to assist you. I apologize for the delay and inconvenience experienced in having your rebate processed.

My name is Brad. I am the Canon liaison to the rebate house. Your rebate has been escalated to me. Please be assured that your rebate will have my personal attention.

I understand the issue at hand is that you are inquiring about the status of your Canon rebates. I understand that you should have three submissions in the system. I was only able to locate one submission for you.

Please fax, email me with an attachment or mail in to me copies of all of your UPC barcode for all products purchased, as well as copies of receipts and any other documents that you have. If you did not make copies of your UPC barcodes, then please fax or email me photos of the product boxes, showing the holes where the UPC's were cut out. Upon receipt of your documents, I will be able to better assist you with your rebates.


Thank you,

Brad
Canon Customer Care - Rebates
Ph: 757-413-2885 x 2385
Eastern Time 1 - 8 pm
Fax: 800-231-9243

or

Canon Rebates
PO Box 2338
Chesapeake, VA 23327

Early this morning I fax all my copies of all my stuff to him, then called him this afternoon to make sure he received it all (20 pages). He did receive it all and it is now being looked over again. Should hear back from him in the next 3 or so bus. days. Hopefully this will take care of my issues. Brad did tell me that Canon is very unhappy with this rebate house and most likely will not be using them again.

Sorry this is long winded.
Adam

Adam you are a hero among men!!!!!!!!!! thanks for posted this. I had a huge run around with Young America for my rebate also. I didn't know what else to do. I ended up calling the # you posted and just asked for the "Rebate" department. A real nice lady said she would escalate this! She got all my info so hopefully Brad hahaha will be calling me.:p:p:p:p

Your welcome! Hope it helps.