July 31, 2009

The Acuvue Rebate I'll Never Get (Updated 8/25/09)

I decided to start wearing contacts. I've been wearing glasses since I was about 15. I'm 36 now... it's about time. Plus, I has surgery on my neck a in November 2008 (want to see a picture?) and since that surgery the stem of my glasses has been bothering me. Seems when the doctor removed the golf-ball sized cyst from my neck, he hit and damaged a few nerves. I think the right side of my head will tingle for the rest of my life whenever pressure is put on it because of this. Yea me.

So, It was either contacts or LASIK. Since insurance doesn't pony up any of the $$ for LASIK yet, I opted to poke my eyes every morning.

Anyhow... I've been waiting to get contact lenses until a sale came along. My sale came along in June 2009 when Acuvue announced their 2009 National All Brands Rebate Offer. You had to jump through a few hoops to get the rebate.
1. Be a "new wearer" of contacts (I am).
2. Have an eye exam within the last 90 days. (I did)
3. Buy 8 boxes of contacts by June 30. I did.

If I can do all of those things... and send them all the required information by the end of July, I should receive $100 back.

(My rebate was for $100 because of a slight astigmitism in one eye that the doc said wasn't serious enough for specialty lenses, but I needed to use Acuvue Oasys, which was a $100 rebate instead of the regular lenses that had a $30 rebate. I thought it was a double score.)

So... I bit.
Problem was... it was already the 25th of June and I didn't know where I was going to buy the lenses. So, I went online and shopped around. Nobody would be able to get me the lenses in time for me to get the $100.. until I called Sam's Club. They had them in stock and ready to go. So on June 29 I made the purchase. Got all my information together and sent it in. Sam's wasn't the best price I shopped.. but it was the only place I could get the purchase made in time to take advantage of the rebate.

The next week I shipped it all off in the mail and waited for my $100 to roll in.
I was pretty proud of myself.

So, I got the mail yesterday, and was very excited to see my letter from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., the makers of Acuvue.

The letter reads:
Thank you for participating iun the 2009 National All Brands Rebate Offer. We are unable to proces your request because:
• Sams Club no longer accept manufacturer's rebates; instead they have removed rebates and offer savings in-store or on-line at time of purchase


So.. not only do they renig on my rebate, they throw Sam's Club under the bus.

I guess they needed to be paid back... so their not really risking anything by offering this, they're going to punish the vendor for selling the product by charging him to make the sale.

NICE WORK ACUVUE.

Now I've got a year's supply of contacts that cost me about $50 more than I could have gotten them somewhere else and a really bad taste in my mouth when it comes to Acuvue Lenses.

So.. I wrote them a little letter.


I followed everything I needed to do including rushing out and buying a years supply of a new contact lens product that I've never worn in order to get a $100 rebate.

Now, you send me a letter saying I am not getting a rebate because of where I bought the lenses? Where EXACTLY in the rules does it say I can't shop at Sam's Club (which was the only place I could find the lenses before the deadline).

I did my research. I had quotes from several places. I shopped at Sam's only because of the need to purchase by the end of June.

This is highly unfair and if you are trying to attract new customers to your product,you are failing. I expect to be contacted and I expect to receive my rebate in the mail, as PROMISED.

Thank you for your time.
- Sean Claes


I did a little google search and I'm not alone.. Others have had the same problem. Here

I don't expect anything to come of it. But if you're reading this and it stops you from purchasing from them. That is reward enough.

Anyone know a good alternative contact lens provider? I need a supply next year.

--

UPDATE 8/25/09: Apparently the letter worked. They sent me the rebate. Thanks Acuvue for responding with a check. I thought about taking this down... but I'm betting there's a bunch of other people who didn't get that check... and they should know that writing a letter like the one I did above actually worked (at least once). Take a chance, it may be worth $100.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Similar trouble getting All brands rebate offer honored.

Here is the letter I wrote back:

February 10, 2010

2009 National All Brands Rebates Offer
P.O Box 500010 Dept. 386-144
El Paso, TX 88550

Fulfillment Center,

This notice is in response to your letter dated February 2, 2010. Your organization is mistaken and in error. The original submission, post marked January 08, 2010, did in fact include original copy eye exam receipt from my optometrist’s office.

To help you find it this time, I’ll point out that its YELLOW 6” x 2 ¼”, states receipt of services in the amount of $95.00.

While this situation might have been an oversight on behalf of a member of your staff, I suspect that it is more likely an additional delay tactic within an already despicably foul contact lens rebate process. If it was an oversight on your staff’s behalf it has now cost me additional postage, office supply costs, and a perverse amount of additional time and effort.

While I am prepared to go the route of credit card transaction dispute, multiple Better Business Bureau complaints, and internet flaming posts similar to the two listed at bottom of this page, it would be simpler if you just honor the (expletive removed) rebate agreement!

Sean Claes said...

Good Luck Anon. Hope you get your rebate. I wonder how many people get the rejection and give up?

Anonymous said...

Well, iot's Dec 2010. J&J / Acuvue still offers rebates but just try to fill out the on-line rebate form. No way to print the form. The address to mail the form to is supposed to be on the top of the form - guess what's not there. Try to call the 888 help number. Ten minutes later still listening to "all agents are busy please hold and your call will be answered by the next available agent." Yep - lenses go back tomorrow for a full refund and I'll go back to B & L.

Sean Claes said...

December 2010... Man... Hope you are able to contact them.

Have you tried this link:
http://www.aclens.com/acuvue-rebate-2010.asp

It's got an address
This one:
MAIL TO -
2010 ACUVUE National Rebate 386-160
P.O. Box 420559 Dept F
El Paso, TX 88542-0559 (Mail must be received by date specified. Refer to Rebate Terms and Conditions)

Anonymous said...

They did the same to me in the first week of 2014. Still waiting, and seeing if my letter will do the same for me... Here's hoping.

Sean Claes said...

Five years later! Wow... Good luck!

Jillian Mar Molina said...

This is super helpful, I waited the 8-10 weeks to see if my letter ever got there and now they're saying they never received it. I think a strongly worded letter is coming their way as I have all the info and inspiration via your fight against acuvue!

I bet they wait it out until people give up. How many do you think do??

Unknown said...

2017 - they still suck... acuvue rewards rebate is worse than a bad deal, it's a trap, they got all my info to sell to marketers, and got cheated.

Sean Claes said...

Sorry you're having to go through with this Bruce. It's crazy that 8 years later it's the same issue... and then some.