In DeKalb County, Georgia, one must have certified low-flow toilets for a home sale to go through. My husband had no qualms installing two of these low-flow toilets in order to get our house sold, especially because he could install them himself AND because the DeKalb Department of Watershed Management would give us a $100 rebate per toilet. He purchased two nicer-than-required toilets at Home Depot for about $150 a piece, knowing that we would be recompensated for two-thirds of the total cost.
Well, it turns out that the Watershed Management Department is not giving the whole truth as far as the rebate goes. In fact, I would go so far as to say they're providing false advertising.
We got a letter on November 23 (scan of the letter is below - click to enlarge) saying that our toilets were verified as eligible for the rebate... but there are no funds left in the rebate account. Part of the letter reads, "...due to funding not being available in the rebate account, your application cannot be processed at this time" and "please note that you will not be receiving a rebate check within 60 days as outlined in the resolution."
My husband (Dan) called their office yesterday to discuss the sketchiness of their offer and how misleading it is that their Web site still advertises the rebate program. The account rep/office clerk he spoke with said she was sorry but that no funds were available. She did say that the board is voting in a few days to decide whether or not to add more funds to the rebate program. Dan pointed out that they should take down the rebate information until more funds are available. As of today, the info is still up there.
Dan did get a promise from this contact saying she would personally call and let him know if more funds would be available come December 8.
I wonder how many other people feel they've been ripped off?
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4 comments:
Hi,
I am a local Supplier for Caroma Dual Flush toilets (which all also qualify for the rebate programs) and used to market our product towards the homeowners of older homes in Dekalb County. The person in charge of the rebate applications knows me well, as she always called me to verify payment when one of our customers submitted a rebate application. I found out through a comment on a blog post that funds have been depleted. I was stunned to hear about the diminished funds, as the website still has the rebate information. Many of my customers will feel betrayed (by me!) as they will receive their letters.
I was told, there may be funds available in 2010 - I will make sure to call them weekly to find out.
Best regards,
Andrea Paulinelli
ecoTransitions Inc.
(678) 313-9260
Andrea, thanks for the additional info. I hope, for your sake as well, that the account gets more funding. It's ridiculous!
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