Fighting for an iPhone Rebate

— -- Busy pediatric nurse Eunice Clark found a great deal on a new phone – a brand-new iPhone 6 with a rebate for her old phone that would help cover the cost. But when getting that rebate proved harder than she expected, Eunice rang for some help.

Read Eunice’s original letter to the ABC News Fixer below, and see how The Fixer helped Eunice finally get her $200 rebate. Also, check out tips for the next time you need to cash in a rebate offer.

Dear ABC News Fixer: I purchased an iPhone 6 last October. I was told I would get $200 for the iPhone 4S that I was trading in. It was in excellent condition. I mailed the phone to Verizon as I was instructed to do.

Several weeks went by and I started to wonder where that trade-in credit was. I called and was told that the rebate gift card information was sent in an email to me. I never received it. Since then, I've called back maybe 30 times. Each time I'm told they will resend the gift card or I’m disconnected from the call. Please help.

-Eunice Clark, Congers, N.Y.

TUNE IN to "Good Morning America" Sunday for more on this story from The ABC News Fixer. And do you have a consumer problem? The ABC News Fixer may be able to help. Click here to submit your problem online. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Dear Eunice: Ah, rebates! The ABC News Fixer could write a book about rebates. Businesses love rebates because they get our attention (“Hey! Buy this item and you’ll get cash back!”) but consumers sometimes find it difficult to get their money.

The good news for you is that as soon as we contacted Verizon, they jumped right on this. They investigated your account and found that an email containing your gift card information was emailed to you back on Nov. 18 but the gift card wasn’t redeemed. At first, we wondered if it had fallen into a spam folder, but you said the more likely culprit was a mistyped email address (in which the letters “r” and “n” somehow became an “m”) that you had tried repeatedly to correct. You said you’d call and couldn’t find anyone to help, or you’d find someone but they would tell you to wait for an email, or you’d get disconnected or get a busy signal, and by springtime you were fed up.

You told us you love Verizon’s service, but this rebate thing was driving you to distraction.

We had better luck going straight to Verizon’s corporate offices. The company decided that rather than send out a new gift card, they’d just apply the 200 bucks to your account. They also apologized for the hassle and gave you a direct contact so if you have any questions in the future, you’ve got a specific human being you can call.

For the rest of us, here’s some general advice about rebates, which are offered on everything from cell phones to computers to tires and toilet paper:

• Don’t make a rebate the sole reason you’re buying an item or switching to a new service. In many cases, they are administered by third-party vendors, which means you’ll be dealing with that company if something goes wrong.
• If you do go for a rebate, keep careful track of everything. Screen-shot or photocopy the offer and your application.
• Follow all the directions to a “T.” Most rebates have strict eligibility requirements.
• Mark your calendar with the date you expect to receive the rebate, and inquire if it’s late.
• If it’s a mail-in offer, send it by certified mail, return receipt requested.

-The ABC News Fixer