Mail-In Rebates from Sprint

Okay, why does it take so long for a mail-in rebate to be processed? Oh, that’s easy … the company has your money for a longer time. Recently we went into Sprint to get a new phone. I thought it was better to do it at a Sprint Store since you actually have the phone in your hand and can see what it feels like, does, and does not do. We picked one that was “free” after a mail-in rebate of $50. The only catch was that we had to extend our Sprint contract on that phone for another year. No problem. We agreed.

I paid for the phone (the $50 we were to get back plus tax) and took the rebate forms home, filled them out, and mailed them in. I also went on line to Sprint and saw we could have gotten the same phone sent to us with an “instant rebate” of the $50 … so no mailing, no paying tax on the extra amount.

Within a week, I got an email from Sprint giving me a site where I could look at the progress of my rebate. Going to the site, I saw that Sprint stated the rebate would take 10-12 weeks. Why? I cannot figure that out. Oh, yes, they get to keep my money longer.

Time passed. About once a week, just for the heck of it, I went to the Sprint site to see what was going on. Nothing, until one day I saw the message “rebate refused.” A bit put out and curious and wanting my money back, I called customer service at Sprint. After explaining my problem, I was told that Sprint customer service does not handle rebates and was given an 800 number to call.

The attendant at the 800 number looked up my account and said that the reason why the rebate had been refused was that we had not extended our contract for that number for another year. I told her that the salesman at the Sprint Store had assured us he had extended the contract and I had the paperwork to prove it. No matter. It wasn’t there. Okay, so let’s extend the contract. The attendant told me we had purchased the phone about 30 days ago and that she would be extending the contract from today. So, they really got a 13-month extension on the contract with this tactic. Oh, and since “you’re such a good customer,” I was told the check would be sent out in 10 business days instead of the normal 30 days from approval.

Let’s go through this. On line, I could have gotten the same phone, gotten an instant rebate, and the contract would have been extended a year from that date. The downside is that I would have had to go to the Sprint Store to see what phone I wanted, returned home, ordered it on line, waited for the phone to arrive, and taken it to the Sprint Store to have all the phone numbers in the old phone brain sucked into the new one.

Buying it at the Sprint Store meant the phone was in my hands, numbers were brain sucked, but I paid $50 plus tax (which I will not get back) and mailed a rebate form that takes 10-12 weeks to process and has hiccups along the way.

Is there a better way to serve customers?

"Change" Takes the Stage

MODOT closed the main highway going downtown. There was icy rain. I had a tooth tip crumble days before the performances and a quick repair job. But, so what? It all came together.

We have just completed our two days of performing “Change, the Subject.” It was exhilarating. And Carol and I are sad it’s over. Fifty people saw the event over its two days. It was terrific that with our investment of time and energy, it all worked: the poetry, music, pictures all talking to one another … poem dialogues between Carol and me … nice space to work in, lighting, sound system … receptions afterwards to talk to everyone … poetry book sales … lots of help before, during, and after. Doing this piece before a live audience (and doing it two days in a row) was energizing, different each time, nerve-racking, and wonderful. We have an amazing group that worked on bringing all this together. It could not have happened without all of them.

We had lots of feedback we should do this again at different venues. How does one market something like this? Even with the wonderful publicity we received via mail, email, online calendars, and print media, I think when many people hear it’s “poetry,” they don’t consider coming. Is it a concert? Theatre? Certainly it’s a performance of some kind. Performance art? What’s its audience? People near my age who share similar memories or people of all ages who relate to stories that resonate not only about themselves, but also their parents or grandparents?

So, where do we go next with this project?