My advice on mail-in-rebates is to ignore them when you’re trying to decide on a purchase. They take too long to receive, during which time you’ve paid a higher amount on the product. Even worse, it’s easy for a company to deny a claim and refuse to cooperate with you, and it’s hard for consumers to get misbehaving companies to play fairly.

Andy’s experience with MSI is a great example, because first the company rejected his claim with an explanation that didn’t make sense, then approved it after providing a completely different rejection explanation, then revenge-killed it because he’d complained to the BBB.

Im hoping you might help expose MSI for the scam running company they are.

Back in November I was looking to purchase a new video card for my computer. While browsing through newegg.com I found an MSI brand video card which advertised as having a $30 rebate. I decided to purchase the MSI video card since after rebate it would be the cheapest one. I filled out the registered the rebate online as instructed to get the rebate form which is needed to be filled out, and sent all the requested documents. With rebates I always send a copy of the invoice/receipt from email, as well as the packing slip even though they dont require both just in case they try to state they needed one or the other.

I waited several months waiting to get the check in the mail. When nothing came I logged into their rebate website, entered my information, and then was met with a short message saying my rebate was rejected and that no resubmissions are allowed. I sent several emails to their rebate email address trying to get clarification on why it was denied, and was finally told that the invoice did not match the upc, and also that I never registered the rebate online which is why theyre denying it. Both reasons they rejected it I know are false- in order to even print the rebate form out you have to register online, and I also have a copy saved in my acknowledging me registering the rebate online. The first part about the invoice not matching I didnt think I could have sent the wrong ones, especially since I send essentially two copies of them in- the packing slip and a copy of the email/receipt so even if one was wrong like they claim by some odd chance the other would be correct.

I sent literally a dozen emails to MSI trying to show proof that everything was correct and for them to investigate, but all went ignored. I finally ended up filing with the BBB about MSI ripping me off, and aparantly quite a few others have been ripped off as well. They currently hold an F rating and the majority of complaints are all ignored. http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Report/MSI-Computer-Corporation-13155122

Still, I wasnt about to let MSI rip me off if I did everything correctly. I started calling their number and eventually found out they have a rebate department handled by a single person named Jessica at 626-913-0828 x163. I finally reached her one day and asked her to look into why my rebate was denied. This time the reason she said it was denied was not because I filed anything wrong, but because my invoice was partly cut off? She told me I could email her the invoice and she would processes it for me. I did just that and the next day I received an email from MSI saying my rebate was approved and should expect it in 8-10 weeks.

A short while later I got an email from the BBB saying my MSI case was closed due to no response from the company, and that there was nothing they could do. Typical… What was odd however is that the very next morning I get an email from MSI saying my rebate was rejected again. I called back Jessica trying to figure out what was going on, and was told her manager instructed her to cancel my rebate check since I filed a case with the BBB! I couldnt believe it. I asked to speak with her manager and she told me she would be on vacation for a long time. I then asked to speak with a supervisor and she just laughed at me and said they wouldnt want to talk to me anyways and then hung up!

I dont understand how MSI can get away with ripping people off like this and stealing their rebate checks away from them.

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