So, my girlfriend and I bought 2 copies of Symantec Antivirus with the rebate offer of a full refund if you send in proof of purchase of any company’s antivirus software from the previous year. I had purchased Symantec’s antivirus the year before and my girlfriend had purchased another company’s software. So, we sent in the rebate forms as instructed, including the proof of purchases for the Symantic that we bought and the previous versions of software.
So, this week we both get a post card from Symantec saying:
“Dear Costumer,
Thank you for participating in this promotion. Unfortunately we could not honor your request due to the following reason(s):
Norton AntiVirus - Missing Original Proof of Purchase or Email Confirmation.”
Now, we both checked our submission before mailing them in and we are sure that we included both proof of purchases for each one we sent in. When I called the phone number given on the card, the automatic recording said that if your card stated that you hadn’t included the original proof of purchase, you could still mail or fax it in. How can you resend an original receipt? Why would they accept an original receipt by fax?
Well, I ended up talking to a real person and told him that I got the post card. Without saying anything, he looked up the account by the number on the card and then said that we would get the rebate check in 4-6 weeks. He never said anything about not receiving the proof of purchase or anything. Maybe it is just too much trouble for the company to bother with the few that do call, but I wonder how many people actually get these cards and don’t call in to complain?
November 14th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Thats typical and these things emulate from the top. The company HAS a covert ripoff mentality.
Thats the company direction. Take a look a the product support……..nothing works if you loose a file because they SELL the support…..imagine that. This company dead ends its products for the sale of more, doesnt support what it sells and has taken the old broom / car sales approach to business. Gheez…..dont you just wanna puke on these people….They hide behind fake support screens with no potential for communication. You cant get any relief.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
EXACT same thing happened with me and another Symantec bundle of ghost, antivirus. I was supposed to receive a $50 rebate and I was very anal and included my UPC code, forms, original receipts, etc. When I checked my rebate status six weeks later it had status “invalid - original UPC code not included”. After six mails back and forth to their support saying that I no longer had the UPC code because I mailed it in, the next guy said I could mail my original receipts and a copy of the original UPC code. Of course, they also have the original receipts.
I gave up on them after this. Trying to get $50 from Symantec is not worth my time. I am going to return the cut up box to Fry’s where I bought it 3 months ago, and if I don’t get my money back, they can have the software. I would tell anyone out there, DON’T buy Symantec products, because it appears they do this on purpose. If you check the web, we are not the only ones scammed. Sad that they have to revert to stealing from customers to make a profit.
If someone starts a class action lawsuit I’m all over it.
And if you intend on sending in a Symantec rebate offer, I suggest you take a picture of the documents that you stuff in the envelope so you can prove you included whatever they tell you in the future you didn’t supply.
Never again Symantec.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Me, too. I mailed the original Norton Internet Security 2008 Proof of Purchase box flap but Symantec said they never got it. So I mailed a photocopy of what I previously sent them including the proof of purchase flap and they said they needed the original proof of purchase. Catch-22! Symantec just lost my repeat business. But I don’t want to get mad…I want to get even! If there are more like us out there, then we might be able to make a case that Symantec’s actions show a “pattern of racketeering”, which could support a class action lawsuit alleging Federal Racketeering in Interstate Commerce (RICO) Act violations and, thereby, seek treble damages. Any lawyers out there with class action experience?
April 9th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I’m baaaack! After threatening legal action, it took less than 90 minutes for Symantec to OK my $20 rebate. Too bad, because it would have cost them far more in small claims court.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 am
Um. Guys, I work for a major software developer. Usually a third party company handles rebates and sometimes there is problem with the POP and other things you’re required to send in. A company as large as Symantec is not conspiring to steal your money.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
It may very well be true that a third party is the one processing the rebates, but Symantec is ultimately responsible to make good on their promise. If the company they hire is not keeping up Symantec’s part of the deal, then it is up to Symantec to correct the situation or drop the third party company and find one that will perform. Any entity working on behalf of the larger corporation represents the larger corporation. Even if it is not direct maliciousness on the part of Symantec, they don’t get a blind pass by saying “We hired them to do work for us, but it’s not our fault if they screw you because, at the end of the day, it is not us screwing you.”