Parago rejected Rob’s $18 rebate request because of a missing UPC. Rob had purchased Smith Micro’s Anonymizer Anonymous Surfing from Buy.com. He writes:

I sent everything in as requested, and when they posted my rebate, they claimed that I did not submit the UPC. Luckily, not only did I follow all the directions, but from an article I read on your site, I took photo pictures of my original submission.

We love photos. Especially photos that catch corporations blatantly lying to their customers.

Rob’s letter to Paragao, and his deliciously damning photographic proof of their lies, inside.

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The product registration:
What is that box with the barcode? Is it a UPC? Let’s have a look:
Rob isn’t finished with Parago. He wrote them a letter.

Please be advised that it has been commonplace for companies offering rebates to lie about contents of the submissions and to deny rebates to customers who faithfully follow the instructions provided by the company.

[I] am put on suspicion that your company may be involved in this sort of fraudulent activity. If these rebates are not approved and received in a timely manner, I will be forced to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and to initiate a lawsuit. It is unacceptable for companies to not honor their rebate offers.

Rob has handled the situation perfectly. We’ll let you know when he hears from Parago. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

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