Frank Giordano

Frank Giordano, president of TCA Fulfillment Services in New Rochelle, N.Y., the company that processes rebates for CompUSA, said there is no conspiracy to withhold rebates.He said the number of consumers redeeming rebates in the electronics area, where TCA specializes, has increased from between 40 and 50 percent of buyers three years ago to nearly 85 percent today.

Giordano declined to discuss Kamitian's situation, but he said delays are often caused when consumers fail to provide necessary information."Typically, the customer does something wrong," he said.

TCA President Frank Giordano said his company regularly gets calls from people asking about their rebates.Giordano said missing checks are usually the consumer's fault for not filling out paperwork or forgetting to mail it.

Frank Giordano, founder of TCA Fulfillment, claims "We get paid for every redemption request we enter in the system.

"Consumers complain because they don't receive their rebates," said Frank Giordano, president of TCA Fulfillment Services in New Rochelle, N.Y. "Maybe that's because they didn't buy the right product, or bought it at the wrong time, or did not follow the submission rules."

"Fulfillment houses have to wait to receive the rebate money from the manufacturers, and that can cause added delays," he said.

TCA has an unsatisfactory rating with the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York, with 110 complaints filed in the past 12 months.Giordano said that TCA had tried to resolve the complaints and had adopted new policies intended to prevent or quickly resolve future complaints.

That's especially true in the highly competitive electronics industry, said Frank Giordano, TCA founder and president.

Consider the consumer who is comparing computer monitors.One that sells for $150 is likely to be viewed as a $150 monitor.One that sells for $200, with a $50 rebate, will be viewed as a more expensive, hence, superior product.

Even though the prices of the two are identical, "the consumer feels better about the purchase," Giordano said.

Judging from TCA's volume of mail, consumers are feeling good about purchases.In 2001, TCA processed 3.5 million rebates worth $91 million.

The privately held company does not disclose profits, but Giordano said 2001 revenues were $10 million.Giordano, with a background in computer programming, started TCA 14 years ago with wife Lynn.

TCA brags that its proprietary software weeds out more fraudulent claims than its competitors.Never underestimate the creativity of the criminal-minded, said Giordano, who figures that 5 percent of TCA claims are fraudulent.

TCA also boasts that it introduced the "bounceback" promotion.In the trifolded mailing that contains a rebate check, TCA uses one of the folds that would otherwise be blank to promote a product tied to the rebate.If a $30 check is being mailed for the purchase of a printer, an attached coupon will offer $40 worth of printer ink, provided the consumer mails back the rebate.

By Giordano's reasoning, everyone wins: Consumers are happy because they boost their purchasing power for a product they need (ink for the printer), retailers are happy because shoppers will visit to redeem coupons (and maybe buy other merchandise), and manufacturers are happy because they've recouped the rebate money.

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"It's all about competition," Giordano said."It shows no signs of letting up, mainly because rebates are good business for everybody."

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That's especially true in the highly competitive computer and consumer electronics industry, said Frank Giordano, TCA founder and president.Consider, he said, the consumer who is comparing computer monitors.One that sells for $150 is likely to be viewed as a $150 monitor.But one that sells for $200, with a $50 rebate, will be viewed as a more expensive, and hence, superior product.Even though the prices of the two are identical, "the consumer feels better about the purchase," Giordano said. Judging from TCA's volume of mail, consumers are feeling good about their purchases.In 2001, TCA processed 3.5 million rebates worth $91 million.TCA projects it will double that volume this year. The privately held company does not disclose profits, but Giordano said revenues were about $10 million last year.Giordano, who has a background in computer programming and systems analysis, started TCA 14 years ago with his wife, Lynn. TCA brags that its proprietary software weeds out more fraudulent claims than its competitors.TCA's system cross-references data, searching for patterns, consecutively numbered receipts or similarly spelled names. Never underestimate the creativity of the criminal-minded, said Giordano, who figures that about 5 percent of the claims TCA receives are fraudulent.

Frank Giordano Frank is a graduate Accountant and spent 15 years as a financial auditor and business advisor before starting TCA Fulfillment Services in 1986.This background in financial and system auditing provides the foundation of TCA's processing systems.TCA's processing system has addressed all the financial areas of fraud, cost containment and program maintenance, enabling clients to receive complete, expedicious information.Frank remains a staple in the industry and is often looked to as a source of information to solve the industry's most compelling issues.

TCA founder Frank Giordano did not respond to several calls and a letter requesting comment.

"That is such urban folklore," counters TCA founder and CEO Frank Giordano, explaining, "We are a service organization.We get paid for every redemption request we enter in the system.If we don't put it in the system, we don't get paid."

The BBB reports that TCA has exhibited a pattern of not responding to consumers' complaints."More than 90 percent of [these complaints] were from irate consumers who'd been denied [a rebate], usually for good reason," says Giordano.

TCA president Frank Giordano said his company regularly gets calls from people asking about their rebates.Giordano said missing checks are usually the consumer's fault for not filling out paperwork or forgetting to mail it.

"We're not motivated to lose mail," he said."We've been accused of that very often, but it makes no sense," he said.