Rakuten

[431cruiser]

Hi. I’m just wondering if anyone purchased a phone from Visible using Rakuten in the past few weeks? I did, and Visible isn’t honoring it. They claimed they haven’t had a rebate offer in a while, though they did in October and currently offering one now.

[DeanKevin64]

I have never used Rakuten but from my understanding they are a cash back type system. I have saw Rakuten mentioned a lot on Visible Reddit page, usually the cash back offer is through Rakuten and they credit you, Visible would have nothing to do with it. It has been a couple years since Visible themselves offered a credit in the form of an electronic credit card or gift card for phones. 

I did just check out Rakuten and it looks like they have a $60 cash back offer on phones and service, not sure how Rakuten tracks that you made the purchase but the $60 would come from Rakuten and not Visible. Any offers or discount that come from Visible would be on their deals page on their website and normally has a promo code you need to apply at checkout on Visible.

[431cruiser]

Thanks for your reply. As I mentioned, I purchased from Visible because of the rebate they offered in conjunction with Rakuten. If I had thought it didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have.

I’ve used Rakuten for many years, going back to when they were called eBates. While the rebate payment does come from Rakuten, it is automatically triggered by purchasing an authorized product from a participating merchant’s website, Visible in this case, if you access the merchant via Rakuten’s redirect. After a purchase is made, the merchant notifies Rakuten and the payment is issued at a later date. It is shown as pending until its release.

Throughout the month of October, the rebate existed at various amounts. Rakuten didn’t receive notice of my purchase as it was not shown as pending. When I contacted them, they said they were waiting on Visible to acknowledge the purchase. When I contacted Visible, they said the rebate didn’t exist and wouldn’t confirm my purchase with Rakuten. 

To make matters worse, my Visible account on my end shows that I purchased the phone, but hasn’t updated to show that it shipped and delivered, despite the fact it is activated and being used. I’ve contacted them three times over three weeks as I suspected this as the reason the Rakuten doesn’t have a record of my purchase as their notification from merchants is automated. Visible hasn’t addressed these inaccuracies either.

In addition, my Visible account shows my purchase as one day later than actually made, despite the confirmation email showing the correct date. This is important because (a) the transaction must occur within the timeframe allotted by the redirect from Rakuten, and (b) the rebate amount, in this case, decreased the day after I purchased my phone.

Others have complained about Visible not honoring rebates as well, regardless of it being directly from Visible or via partnership with Rakuten. 

[431cruiser]

Thanks for your reply. As I mentioned, I purchased from Visible because of the rebate they offered in conjunction with Rakuten. If it didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have.

I’ve used Rakuten for many years, going back to when they were called eBates. While the rebate payment does come from Rakuten, it is automatically triggered by purchasing an authorized product from a participating merchant’s website, Visible in this case, if you access the merchant via Rakuten’s redirect. After a purchase is made, the merchant notifies Rakuten and the payment is issued at a later date. It is shown as pending until its release.

Throughout the month of October, the rebate existed at various amounts. Rakuten didn’t receive notice of my purchase. When I contacted them, they said they were waiting on Visible to acknowledge the purchase. When I contacted Visible, they said the rebate didn’t exist and wouldn’t confirm my purchase with Rakuten. 

To make matters worse, my Visible account on my end shows that I purchased the phone, but hasn’t updated to show that it shipped and delivered, despite the fact it is activated and being used. I’ve contacted them three times over three weeks as I suspected this as the reason the Rakuten doesn’t have a record of my purchase as their notification from merchants is automated. Visible hasn’t addressed these inaccuracies either.

In addition, my Visible account shows my purchase as one day later than actually made, despite the confirmation email showing the correct date. This is important because (a) the transaction must occur within the timeframe allotted by the redirect from Rakuten, and (b) the rebate amount, in this case, decreased the day after I purchased my phone.

Others have complained about Visible not honoring rebates as well, directly from Visible or via partnership with Rakuten. 

[DeanKevin64]

The reason Visible is telling you the rebate doesn't exist is because they are not the ones that offered the rebate, only the transaction of the device. Only thing you can do is contact Visible customer service, without mentioning Rakuten, and see if they can fix the transaction so it shows processed or finished. There really isn't anything Visible can do about any rebate that doesn't comes from them to begin with. 

I guess I am only on here and Visible's subreddit page, on that subreddit it seems when it is mentioned it takes a month or two for the rebate to show up. Guessing you met the terms of the deal as the current one appears to be for new Visible customers who port in a number and do not monthly finance the phone. The fine print could be the reason some of those reporting they were not getting the rebate was because of that. 

[431cruiser]

For someone that has never used and not familiar with Rakuten, you have all the answers, though repetitive.

Do you think Rakuten just hands out money to people who buy from business “x” without getting anything in return? Multiply that by hundreds of companies. Do you think Rakuten just freely offers shoppers cash for buying from hundreds of companies, without some agreement from that company? How do you think Rakuten can link to these companies and get them to notify Rakuten of these purchases without having an arrangement with them ?

You do not know what you are talking about, as you admitted in your first response, so please don’t respond again. You are only repeating yourself and not providing logical comments. You are also clearly a rep of Visible given your defense of them regarding my situation and now the many others given your last statement. The fine print that should have been is that Visible has a record of not honoring the rebate offers for which they sponsor. 

[DeanKevin64]

I am no representative of Visible, I don't get paid by Visible, I am just a customer. Have a nice day and good luck with getting your rebate.