So I found this letter I wrote to, um...a company who will remain nameless in text, but know that they are a major competitor of TiVo and they could probably google negative reactions to their product, trace it back to my account, and then delete all my "Forensic Files," replacing them with episodes of "Squidbillies," and then I'd be sorry.

I wrote this letter because I returned the TiVo I got for Christmas and bought their $300 product that promised a $100 rebate. By February, I still hadn't received it, and when I called customer support, they told me that my INTERNET order didn't go through on Christmas because "the office was closed and no one probably got it."
When I removed my palm from my forehead, I knew we were in for a long haul.

When it finally came, I sent in the receipt that I printed from their website along with the rebate form. They mailed me back and said that the receipt was not valid because it didn't prove my purchase.

So I wrote them this pleasant letter to inform them of their mistake.
=======================================
Dear < jerks >,

You denied my last rebate submission citing that I did not “include a receipt showing the purchase of a valid < jerky > DVR.”

I did, in fact, send the receipt that I printed upon purchasing it online, but perhaps because it was a large piece of printer paper and not a wee receipt from a retailer, some employee may have been confused. I purchased my < jerky product > online and being without an archaic roll of receipt paper feeding into my printer, I was unable to send your “typical-looking” receipt, and perhaps that is where the confusion lies.

I am sending the receipt again (labeled “1” for the page number), actually, practically the same exact one I sent last time that was denied. I simply pressed “Print” again.
I am also including the email confirmation I received (labeled “2” for the page number (the second page)).
Per the instruction of your customer support line, I have circled the important parts of the order on both pages, including my name, the item purchased, the date, and the authorization code.
I did not have a highlighter, like the representative suggested, so I hope the fact that I circled them does not void the rebate.
I circled them twice. Once in black pen, once in blue marker.

I wrote, “This is the receipt from the order page” on the bottom of page one (1) and “Email receipt” on page two (2). I see now that I spelled “receipt” incorrectly, and I hope that does not void my rebate.

I am sending this helpful guide letter, because when I first called your company after not receiving the < jerky product > I ordered over a month previously, the lady on the phone told me that the order did not go through because it was made “on a holiday and no one was at the office.” Given that some of your employees do not even have a basic understanding of how the Internet works, I can only assume that my rebate was initially denied because the printed confirmation was not sufficient or did not appear valid.

However, it is all I have, and I hope that this clears everything up.
I will be keeping in contact with customer support to track the process of potentially getting my rebate.
Understand that I only purchased this model because of the offered rebate, and though I have been nothing but satisfied with its features, I have no qualms about returning the model for its full value and simply waiting for a new rebate offer to come along and start this delightfully fun process over again.

Feel free to contact me at my email: < yep@emailhere.com > for any problems or issues or mistakes you think I have made. You can also write a letter to the four addresses supplied along pages one and two (and each circled twice).
Thank you for understanding and accepting my rebate submission.
Sincerely,
< My signature, and my printed name underneath -- printed REALLY NEATLY >
====================================

I shortly received said refund, which was a complete shock to me, because I had assumed all hope was lost and simply wrote the letter to let off some steam, since I figured a letter with such a snarky attitude would be ripped to shreds and fed to goats.
But they actually listened! Who knew?

I also took these pictures of my experience so they couldn't act like they didn't get the letter.

I still spell it wrong when I don't have a spellcheck present. (I love you, Firefox 2!)

Important signing face!

This happened two years ago, and I never posted it because I felt bad, since they actually came through for me, but now I post it for prosperity. Warning: You catch more bees with honey than by crushing them up until they sting you, or something. I actually once got my webhosting extended by a couple months because of my "calm demeanor and respectable attitude...(I hate the apparent fact that one must be rude and threatening in order to get compensation in anything!)" Sweet! I caught a bee!