Sony Cashback Scam? - Where to complain?

[Nirurin]

I recently purchases a sony a6000 camera from John Lewis, under the terms of the current sony camera cashback offer. This states that I receive £50 cashback if I purchase a camera during this time frame, as long as I send them the invoice which shows the date, invoice number, product model, etc. 

I have now done this 6 times. 

Every single time I send it, they respond with a different 'reason' that my claim is invalid. Sometimes it is that the date is not shown. Sometimes that the model number is not shown. Sometimes its the invoice number that isn't shown. 

However... I always send the exact same invoice document. And the document clearly shows the invoice date, invoice number, model number, etc etc. The document is perfectly fine. 

At first I gave sony the benefit of the doubt, assuming that it was some kind of automated service. However I have now had slightly different responses, but all having some degree of a copy/pasted response. Clearly the response team have been given a list of 'excuses' to respond with, in the hopes that their customer will just give up. 

I have contacted the customer services team by email on two seperate occasions, but am yet to receive a response. 

At this point I need to find out what the next stage of escalation would be. I have fulfilled sony's own terms and conditions to the letter, so I know that legally I am prefectly within my rights to expect the money that they owe me. However I do not know the best way to proceed. 

I hope someone on here can direct me in the right direction. 

[Squire123]

Good luck !

[Feckit]

I must be one of the lucky ones!

After reading of the problems others had faced I made sure that I read the small print and that my claim was perfect.

It was accepted within a few days.

However Sony then claimed that my bank had rejected their payment to my account.

My reply was that they were talking rubbish and that the account details were correct.

Again I received a reply that all was accepted and the money would be paid into my account.

It was paid within a few days.

All I can suggest is that you do not give up on the claim

[Squire123]

 absolutley , don't give up.

[windypics]

They've just tried it on with me now as well. In spite of enclosing the full receipt I got from the Jessops store, which clearly shows that VAT is included, they are now demanding a full VAT invoice, which is clearly ridiculous.

This is the first Sony camera I've bought and if this is the way that they try to scam their customers then it will definitely be the last, as this has left a bad taste in my throat. 

This is the guff they sent me, in spite of me attaching a photo of the entire receipt, and I have to wonder of someone at the other end hasn't yet worked out what the scroll bar on their browser is for!

 "We can confirm that we have received the documents you have sent, however, please note that we did not receive the full VAT invoice, as we have received a partial picture of the invoice and we require one picture showing the full invoice."

I've been a photographer for over 40 years, I certainly know how to photograph the whole area of a bloody receipt! 🙂

[Alan.14]

Well, despite all the negative stuff on this thread, my £150 cashback was paid late August. Admittedly I did have to send them a snottogram 2 weeks after I submitted the VAT receipt, SNo. picture etc. and they still hadn't verified it, but otherwise ok.

Dunno if I just got lucky, or they've woken up to the adverse comment, but there it is.

Good luck to those still trying.

[foggo12]

can anybody tell me how long do i have to wait to get my cashback? i submited my form 2 weeks ago and got a message pop up to say it had been received but i have heard nothing since? thought i would have received an email of some sort by now? who do i contact? thanks.

[Alan.14]

That's what happened to me too. No action despite them having everything necessary to nod it through. I sent a fairly direct chaser to them, quoting their reference number, and it had the desired effect.

Sent from my iPad

[kim1861]

But that is the problem. You have to fight, bully, cajole them into doing something that they offered as an incentive. Nobody put a gun to their head and forced them to offer an incentive to buy their products, and that does leave a bad taste. I haven't bought anything from them since they scammed me, and when I eventually upgrade/ replace I don't think I will be considering Sony despite their camera being not bad.

[foggo12]

Where to i find a reference number alan? I have no confirmation email.

[Alan.14]

Couldn't agree more. Problem is, while I did my research on the camera itself, I didn't look into how the cashback process was (mis)managed. Once the money was paid and the camera was in my hand it then became apparent............