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Time Warner Cable’s Byzantine $200 Gift Card Rebate; Follow the Rules Exactly or Get Rejected

Phillip Dampier June 13, 2013 Consumer News 4 Comments

fine-printWith promotions from Time Warner Cable no longer being what they used to be, customers are struggling to get as much savings as possible from discount pricing and a $200 gift card offer available to those switching from a competing provider.

But expecting a $200 debit card and actually getting it are two different things, as some customers are learning.

Stop the Cap! regularly gets reader complaints from customers who signed up for Time Warner Cable promotions but are rejected for the rebate, primarily because they did not follow all the rules or waited too long.

Typically, Time Warner’s complicated rebates are only available to customers switching from another provider. New customers who don’t have active, equivalent service with another company do not qualify. If you don’t have cable television and watch shows online from Netflix or only have a cell phone for telephone service, you won’t qualify.

Other important rules:

  • Customers have to stay with Time Warner for 90 days after installation with no past due balances to qualify to apply for the rebate;
  • You must register your rebate on a special website within 30 days of installation;
  • You must also upload a copy of the bill from your previous service provider issued within the last 90 days showing the service(s) you are cancelling.  Customer’s name and/or address on previous provider’s bill must match name and/or address on Time Warner Cable installation order;
  • You will need a “redemption code” found on a postcard and/or email sent to you after installation that includes your rebate registration instructions to apply for the rebate.

switch nowWith requirements like that, customers can easily be tripped up along the way and get rejected for the rebate.

We recommend customers create a folder to keep Time Warner Cable documentation in one easy-to-remember place. If you can’t find a rebate redemption code, don’t search the house. Call Time Warner Cable at 1-888-892-2253 and request one over the phone.

We also suggest you use a calendar to make note of deadlines and track your rebate so you don’t forget. Some people only discover they were rejected when they called to ask about a missing rebate card.

The biggest obstacle is usually finding and uploading a final bill showing services disconnected with the other provider. By the time some providers send your last bill, the rebate may have slipped your mind or the submission deadline has passed.

twcIf your rebate request was denied and you made a good faith effort to follow the rules, don’t give up and say goodbye to $200.

  1. Start by calling Time Warner Cable and complaining.
  2. If your documentation was sent and the company claims it was not received, ask them to accept a copy.
  3. If you are still rejected or if the company points you to the rebate processor who points you back to the company, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau against the Time Warner Cable division nearest you. In reviewing several cases about rebate eligibility, it is clear Time Warner usually settles these complaints by applying a credit for the rebate card amount to your Time Warner Cable bill.

If and when your rebate card does arrive, it comes with a booklet of terms and conditions as well. Our best advice is to spend the money quickly, because after six months, the issuing bank starts deducting service fees. If you lose the card, it will cost just under $6 to get a new one.

Some suggested uses include buying gift cards with fewer restrictions (Amazon.com is a common choice) if you are worried you won’t use the card fast enough.

One of the best local places to quickly use rebate cards are in supermarkets. Keep track of your balance and when just a few dollars are left, ask the cashier to process it for the exact amount of the remaining funds on the card. The cashier can then accept another credit card, cash or a check for any remaining balance due. Do not use your reward card at a gas station, rental car company, hotel, restaurant or for bill payments. These establishments often place a temporary hold on  card funds in excess of the transaction amount or first process a test authorization on the card for a few dollars to make sure the card is valid and has adequate funds available. It can take several days before holds on those funds are released.

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James R Curry
James R Curry
11 years ago

It’s funny that even as the value of their promotional bundles dwindles, the frequency and desperation of the sales calls that I receive from them is on the rise:

Me: “You don’t carry the NHL Network, or even all of the Dallas Stars games in Austin, and so your TV service is useless to me”.
Them: “I understand that sir, however, it does come with a free professional installation”.

— Actual sales call a couple of weeks back.

matt
matt
11 years ago

the bbb has ZERO teeth no, to Effect a solution: * file a formal complaint with the Public Utilities Commission. The PUC has pointy teeth. * file in small claims court for fraud. your $50 filing fee can be collected as part of your victory award Then STOP patronizing time warner. Have you not been illicitly billed? I left because every month or two there was an unauthorized increase that I had to write/call to correct. Apparently there’s a limit to how many of THEIR errors they will refund after which you “have to pay it” or suspension. Time Warner… Read more »

matt
matt
11 years ago

FIOS HD TV package (one above base hd tv package) + 50/25 internet + 1960s phone

$84/mo

I hope time warner dies an agonizing death hemorrhaging customers

I use anveo.com for home phone for massively powerful call filtering & reliability. anveo provides CNAM filtering (the name part of callerID) and offers SIP TCP so I can use it on mobile without torching battery life If I opt out of phone “service” in fios the monthly fee is the same. whatever. I’ll not use it.

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