When rebate fizzles, make a fuss - loudly
Q. Dockers and Kohl's ran a promotion that said if you buy $100 worth of Dockers, you get a free two-night stay in a hotel of choice, depending on availability. I did everything. The concierge contacted me and said they would get back to me with the availability for those dates. I never received a return call from them, and after numerous calls to them, I have been unable to resolve the matter. What are my options? Isn't this false advertising?
Linda Giuliano, Winthrop
A. You have a lot of company on this promotion gone bad. TLC Marketing Worldwide, which is located in Boston, was supposed to dole out the rewards, but something went awry.
More than 1,000 people filed complaints against TLC in the past three years, most of those in the past year. Like you, I had no luck getting a response from them by phone or e-mail.
In fact, a similar promotion offering plane tickets also crashed and burned, leaving many frustrated consumers who did their part to earn a travel deal. They, too, waited to hear from the so-called concierge - which is a fancy name for a customer service rep from TLC.
Kohl's, where you did your shopping, did not respond to requests for comment.
Levi Strauss, which owns the Dockers brand, decided to do the same - choosing to ignore that it has disenfranchised customers who paid good money for their products.
In a situation like this, you ought to start complaining as soon as it appears you're not getting what you had bargained for. The squeakiest wheel should get the grease. If it doesn't, it should make enough noise to let everyone else know that it's squeaking.
Of course, it's particularly lousy when you've done everything you're supposed to do, only to find out the folks on the other end won't live up to their side. It also is another example of how risky it is to count on getting what amounts to a rebate.
In this situation, you should lodge complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the Massachusetts attorney general's office, and the Federal Trade Commission. This is a good example of when government should at least take a look at why so many people were promised something that wasn't delivered.
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