darkSpyro

OK, here's the latest. I recommend everyone who is a TRU Rewards member eligible for this promotion based on your TRU Swap Force purchases during October-December 2013 .... if you have not received your email voucher for the Special Gill Grunt, READ THIS:

1. Call the general help line for TRU phone support, 1-800-TOYS-R-US. Select option number "5" to speak with the "Rewards" department.
2. Explain to the agent that you are a Rewards member, calling to inquire about the Skylanders Special Edition Gill Grunt promotion.
3. Explain that you should have been in receipt of an email voucher for the Gill Grunt, and that you have not received an email (and you've checked your "junk mail" or "spam" folder, etc. and it's not there, either).
4. Explain that TRU's self-stated deadline to distribute those voucher emails, 1/18/14, has now passed, and you still have not received your email voucher.
5. Ask for the agent to verify your eligibility for the promotion by viewing your Rewards purchase history between 10-13-13 and 12-31-13. Ask them to verify your email address, too, just to be sure.
6. Once the agent has verified your eligibility for the promotion, request that s/he "opens a case" with a reference number.
7. Make sure the agent tells you the reference number and write it down. Make sure the agent makes notation on your "case" file that s/he confirmed that you are eligible for the promotion.
8. Exchange pleasantries and if there's nothing else the agent can do for you, hang up.
9. Then, call a different TRU support number: 1-855-422-7715. This is a direct line to TRU's "customer care" department. You can't access this department easily from the main TRU phone support line (1-800-TOYS-R-US).
10. Provide this new agent with your "case" file's reference number from the previous phone call.
11. Explain your situation -- I haven't received my email voucher; I should have received it no later than yesterday (1/18/14); etc., etc.
12. The agent will probably want to re-verify your Rewards membership number, your email address, your billing address, your shipping address, etc, etc.
13. At this point, the agent may (probably will) try to compensate you with an "e-gift card" credit for $12 to purchase the Special Gill Grunt at TRU.com. If that satisfies you, go for it. If not ...
14. Explain to the agent that you are aware that Rewards members who actually received their vouchers were offered Free Shipping as part of the promotion. Tell him/her you want that, too.
15. At this point, if you've played your cards right, and your agent isn't an idiot, the agent will go ahead and place the online order for you, for the Special Gill Grunt, with free shipping ... possibly even free Express shipping.
16. Don't hang up until you actually receive and see your email order confirmation. Double-check to ensure that the correct shipping address, etc. is on that confirmation.


I'll have to put the standard "your mileage may vary" disclaimer on this post, but I can verify that this process worked for both me and for another family member this morning. The major key (even though it's annoying) is that you FIRST have to contact the generic Rewards agent and get a "case" number, and THEN call back at the other phone number above with your "case" number, and they will solve your issue. If you try to "skip" steps 1-8 in my list above and just contact the 2nd phone number first, be prepared to hear that they can't help you unless you have a "case" reference number from the Rewards department.

I've tried to be detailed in the above-listed procedure; if you have questions, feel free to PM me here.

Thank you!

Thanks for the post. I called TRU and spoke to a really nice lady in the customer care department and she verified that I made all the necessary purchases and she gave me a promo code to credit the special gill grunt and another for free shipping.

I don't understand why they decided to do this promo through the mail instead of just bringing the voucher to the store. They must be losing a ton on the free shipping.

Quote: Corn_Hornet

I don't understand why they decided to do this promo through the mail instead of just bringing the voucher to the store. They must be losing a ton on the free shipping.

It depends on how they ship it. With a box, maybe. More than likely, they're going to send them out in a bubble envelope (aka, your worst nightmare). A bubble envelope probably costs a company like TRU maybe 30 cents or so and actually sending it out would probably only cost maybe $3-$4. (although I don't know about how these things are totaled for big companies lel)

More than likely, they're making money one way or another. If you bought right from the online store, that's like $20 compared to the $100 someone spent to get it for free.

Quote: spyroflame0487

Quote: Corn_Hornet

I don't understand why they decided to do this promo through the mail instead of just bringing the voucher to the store. They must be losing a ton on the free shipping.

It depends on how they ship it. With a box, maybe. More than likely, they're going to send them out in a bubble envelope (aka, your worst nightmare). A bubble envelope probably costs a company like TRU maybe 30 cents or so and actually sending it out would probably only cost maybe $3-$4. (although I don't know about how these things are totaled for big companies lel)

More than likely, they're making money one way or another. If you bought right from the online store, that's like $20 compared to the $100 someone spent to get it for free.

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the bubble wrap mailer, based on the horror stories I've read on here. The one other time I ordered from them my figures were sent in a box.

You're probably right, they're still coming out on top of this in the long run, especially since they charge $2 more per figure than everyplace else.

Well i just got the run around on the customer care line. they said they don't have a list of who qualified and can't check to see if I did or not (even with a case number).

Was told i would receive a call back in 3-5 days.


Lousy service.

I can confirm that the above does indeed does work, just be very polite and patient.Just do it exactly how it is explained above and I did not even have to do anything they did the order gave me the order number.

Quote: Corn_Hornet

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the bubble wrap mailer, based on the horror stories I've read on here. The one other time I ordered from them my figures were sent in a box.

Yeah... this is when we can all get PO'd. If they seriously ship these in bubble mailers, that's when we riot.

Quote: RevQuixo

Well i just got the run around on the customer care line. they said they don't have a list of who qualified and can't check to see if I did or not (even with a case number).

Was told i would receive a call back in 3-5 days.


Lousy service.

I tried to make this crystal clear in my above post/instructions, but perhaps I failed >.<

It is true that the "customer care" line agents do not have a list of who qualified for the promotion. They don't have that; they're telling the truth. Which is why ...
You need to first get a "case" reference number from the regular Rewards customer service agents (at 1-800-TOYS-R-US; press option #5) AND you need to ensure that the Rewards department agent writes/types notes into your case's file, stating that they confirmed your eligibility for the promotion.

It only by satisfying all of these conditions that the "customer care" agents will have authorization to help you out. It's a ridiculous amount of "red tape" and "circus hoops" ... but it's also a classic case of the "left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing" inside a bloated over-sized American super-corporation. The method I outlined in detail above WILL work, but you can't cut corners and you do have to spell it out for the service agents. If you encounter an agent who sounds like he/she is inadequate, just politely end the call and try calling back again ... chances are you'll get a different (hopefully better) agent on the phone.

Quote: UncleBob

Quote: Corn_Hornet

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the bubble wrap mailer, based on the horror stories I've read on here. The one other time I ordered from them my figures were sent in a box.

Yeah... this is when we can all get PO'd. If they seriously ship these in bubble mailers, that's when we riot.

Bob, I'll have both an extra pitchfork and a torch for ya!

BahamutBreaker is indeed correct do exactly as he has outlined above DO NOT CUT ANY CORNERS and it will work and like ha said you have to outline it to them just as he stated i can contest to it working.

Quote: BahamutBreaker

Quote: RevQuixo

Well i just got the run around on the customer care line. they said they don't have a list of who qualified and can't check to see if I did or not (even with a case number).

Was told i would receive a call back in 3-5 days.


Lousy service.

I tried to make this crystal clear in my above post/instructions, but perhaps I failed >.<

It is true that the "customer care" line agents do not have a list of who qualified for the promotion. They don't have that; they're telling the truth. Which is why ...
You need to first get a "case" reference number from the regular Rewards customer service agents (at 1-800-TOYS-R-US; press option #5) AND you need to ensure that the Rewards department agent writes/types notes into your case's file, stating that they confirmed your eligibility for the promotion.

It only by satisfying all of these conditions that the "customer care" agents will have authorization to help you out. It's a ridiculous amount of "red tape" and "circus hoops" ... but it's also a classic case of the "left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing" inside a bloated over-sized American super-corporation. The method I outlined in detail above WILL work, but you can't cut corners and you do have to spell it out for the service agents. If you encounter an agent who sounds like he/she is inadequate, just politely end the call and try calling back again ... chances are you'll get a different (hopefully better) agent on the phone.

Yes and I did all that and the customer care person indicated that the person I spoke with who made the notation "wasn't even in the rewards department as they don't work on Sundays". I just went ahead and ordered one off of the website along with a legendary trigger happy (surprised this is in stock). and used a $5 certificate to defray the cost. I'll try again on Tuesday to hash it out.

I called the 855-422-7715 number stated above. Gave them my reference number from yesterday and they ordered a Gill Grunt for me over the phone. Received my confirmation email. Still dont know why this was so damn complicated!

Quote: spoons10696

I called the 855-422-7715 number stated above. Gave them my reference number from yesterday and they ordered a Gill Grunt for me over the phone. Received my confirmation email. Still dont know why this was so damn complicated!

not for me either went just as it was stated and got the confirmation email on my order as i was on the phone.

I called the 855-422-7715 number and told them I did not receive my email. I had called yesterday and got a reference number, but she didn't even ask for it. She never asked for any information other than my name and address to send it to. She even sent one for my dad as well, since he did not get an email either under his rewards card. She never asked for rewards numbers and it was the easiest thing in the world. Maybe they have been told now to just send one to whoever calls. I am thinking the emails are not going to work anymore if this is the case.

I was going to ask for this info this morning. I guess I need to get the ball rolling.

EDIT: Called...I had to push to get a reference number...nothing could be e-mailed (despite what was said previously). I had to push for them to tell me I qualified...they confirmed...I told them to put it in the reference for the call...I was told to call back in two hours. Hehe.

Quote: Kesrael

Quote: j32bass

Update: Just talked to a rewards R US customer service rep. and after being put on hold for a while, she came back and said "sir we still have 71,000 Emails to send out, and it may just be that we ran out of stock and we are waiting to get more in before we send out more Emails, please wait 2-3 business days and if you still haven't received the Email then give us a call back".

Thank you for that update. *sigh* Then I guess there is no point in calling today. I can wait until Wed, I guess. Still, I ordered one just to be sure I am going to get one. I didn't buy the regular GG this time around because I figured I'd be getting this guy from the promo and I really don't need 2.

I ordered one too, and I'm thinking if we qualify but don't receive the code, we could probably call and have them reimburse us for the one we bought.

Tried to call the 1-855-422-7715 number as per Bahamut's suggestion, and was told "we are waiting for a response on how to proceed with customers who did not get the Email because this has been the issue of the day, the best I can tell you is call back later, maybe even tomorrow because it's Sunday and we may not even get an answer today". Very comforting.
She also told me they had sent out 42,000 Emails - not sure if that was total, today, yesterday, or what. If they only had 42,000 and still need to send out 70+ thousand, they're gonna have a mess on their hands.

I got a similar response. Apparently management has re-enforced the "don't take action" for the reps while they figure out the mess.

If that is the case (That they ran out of stock). Is there anyone here that can answer YES to the requirement listed below but has not received the Promo Code Email:

1 - Bought $100 of Swap Force (Minus the Pre-Ordered Starter pack) on Release date, this does not include any items bought on day 2+. This means you bought the 3-Packs/Adv. Pack/Battle Pack that gets you over the $100. (There is a reason I am asking this - minus the Starter Pack)

2 - Has a Reward Card setup and used it prior to Release day?

3 - Checked their Reward Account to verify that the items purchased on release date was entered in correctly. If you had to call TRU to get this corrected, you would answer NO and would not qualify for this survey.

If you answered "NO" to any of the 3 questions above, this does not mean that you will not get a free GGG, but just means that they ran out of stock with the ones that did answer YES, like myself.

The number 42,000 is consistent with what I heard from multiple different customer service representatives at Toys R Us over the phone on Friday and Saturday. This represents the number (42,000) of Rewards customers who are/were supposedly eligible for the Gill Grunt promotion. While I can understand that TRU didn't want to disperse all 42,000 emails at the exact same time ... there is no excuse for not being able to send all those emails out during the 36-hour window between Friday at Noon (when the emails first started appearing in Inboxes) and Saturday night at 11:59 PM.

Maybe a computer server that does their mass emailings exploded? I have no idea. All I know is that it's absolutely crap that TRU is continuing to allow the Special Gill Grunt to be sold to the public via their website while they still have (presumably) thousands of promotion-eligible Rewards members that haven't received an email voucher. If the customer support team is going to play the "don't take action until we get this figured out" card, then the least they should do is remove the Gill Grunt item from their website temporarily.

I'm not saying this will happen ... but if they exhaust their supply of Gill Grunts prior to all promotion-eligible Rewards members receiving their vouchers ... then they deserve massive consumer complaint backlash.

I can answer yes to your questions and did not receive the code. I called and got the "we don't know what to do yet, please call back in a few hours" comment that others have. I think they are running blind and have no idea how to keep the many irate customers happy whirl not giving us what we were promised!

Called the 855 number since I called yesterday and was given a case number, they told me to call back today of I hadn't received an email. The gentlemen was very helpful, he started giving me the speech about how they still have emails to send out and they are waiting for a list of people that qualified, I told him I was afraid once I got the email that they'd be gone aince they are selling thwm. He asked me for the upc number so he could look it up, once he found the item he ordered me one for free and waited on the phone until I got the conformation email.

Dinoah, stop. TRU is not out of stock on the Special Gill Grunt at this time. They still have plenty of (although not limitless) stock. The issue with the email vouchers failing to be sent is not an issue of eligibility (for most of the people complaining here, at least). It's an internal issue at TRU or TRU Rewards; they screwed something up in their database or algorithms, or there's been some type of mechanical/data failure that will require investigation before it's rectified.

Has anyone found the figure in their local store yet?

That's good (That they are not out of stock), I read a couple of post on page 5 or 6 that they were out of stock.

Sounds like you just have to do what POST #301 says.

Good Luck!!!

Seems like the idea solution would be to jack up the price on the website to, say, $99,999. Use the voucher to get the item free and no one will place orders on the item at that price.

Sounds like they're still working out the details. I'll just wait it out and stick with the one I paid for. Worst comes to worst, I'll call in and get them to just credit me for the amount of the one I bought.

OK, I still advise calling today for those that have not. I called this morning and opened a case with CS. I just got a call back from the TRU Corporate CS center, and the VERY helpful service agent took me to their website and gave me promo codes for both free shipping and the cost of GG. So, now I have an order in for a second (ordered/paid for GG on Friday) and more importantly FREE GG.

EDIT: Just saw BahamutBreaker's post with instructions. This is exactly what I did as well. Thanks, BB!

1. I bought $189 of Swap Force purchases including the starter pack in store on Black Friday and Up until Dec. 20th.
2. I had a reward account set up and had made purchases with it throughout the year (mostly January through July of 2013).
3. I verified on my reward account that all my receipts were entered correctly and they were.

I'm not sure what the problem is, but I have never ordered anything on-line and did not have an e-mail account set up with TRU.com. I have my rewards R us preferences set to get adds from TRU on sales...and all my info is in the system including my e-mail. I get receipts e-mailed, promotions...but I had never signed up for Toys R Us.com. Maybe that is why I didn't get an e-mail (although that doesn't make much sense to me because I get all the e-mails and regular postal mailers...

I called customer care like suggested above, and the lady gave me an order # (had a ref. # from yesterday). The only problem is I got disconnected when she put me on hold a second time. She gave me an order # got all my information (she already had my ref. # pulled up, I guess with my phone #, when I called. She asked for my Name, address...confirmed that the order had been placed and that I should be getting a confirmation e-mail and then I was disconnected. It's been almost an hour and I still haven't received an e-mail for the order and when I look on TRU.com under my orders, it does not list anything.

I called back and had a completely different experience. Some lady told me before I could even tell her what was going on that I needed to wait a couple of days because there were 40,000 emails left to process and that the rewards department wasn't opened on the weekends. I told her I had spoke with rewards yesterday and they were the ones that gave me the reference number and she said that was customer service, not rewards. I told her that an order had already been placed for me and she put in the reference # and said that yes it was still processing and that it may take a couple of days to get the e-mail. She also said she would resend the confirmation e-mail right then, which I never received either, and didn't make much sense to me because she had just told me that it would take a couple of days.

Summary, the first lady was helpful and hopefully got my order in. The second lady, with my luck, probably took my order# and cancelled it. Our conversation was in no way an argument or anything close, but she was obviously just giving answers of whatever popped into her head and had worked on someone else in her past experience.

Just to add something, when I put in my e-mail at TRU.com it said (e-mail not found). Meaning that I had probably never signed up or ordered anything from TRU.com.
However, when I did register for the TRU web site, I went to e-mail preferences and it takes you to the same e-mail preferences as the rewards R us site uses, so it turns out that what I listed above about not being registered for TRU.com should not be a problem.

^don't log in to your account just go to where you can check a order number without logging in. You pit in your order number and zip code. Because mine does not show up in either my orders or rewards when I log in but when I put it in the boxes without logging in I can see it there

I'm not sure if I'm comforted by the fact that my experience of not getting a resolution is now shared by others.

Anyone else get one of these Emails?
Thank you for contacting RUs.com!
We are sorry that you have not received the "Free Gill Grunt" e-mail. I can understand your concern and frustration.
We have forwarded this issue to our Customer Care Specialists and they will research this matter and contact you in 3-5 days. Also I would like to advise that these were sent out the 18th and may be in your junk mail, please be assured we are looking into this matter for you.
Thank you again for contacting RUs.com. We value your business and look forward to serving you in the future!
Sincerely,

I can confirm that the customer service reps are authorized to send gill grunt figures pending verification of your rewardsrus information and promotion eligibility. If they tell you to wait for an email and call back on the 21st, as they did with me, don't buy it and press further. I just received an email confirmation that my gill grunt order is being processed with free shipping, just as the email vouchers would have done.

I just called the 855 number with my case # that was opened yesterday. He verified my email and shipping address, placed the order for me. 5 minutes and I was done. Super easy call with a very polite rep. He mentioned that they "just got confirmation" that it was okay to proceed with placing these orders for those who did not get their code, so maybe that means they sent out a notice to their phone reps on the right way to handle this... or maybe I just got lucky, but it went very smoothly for me.

Remember... BE POLITE. You catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar. The rep you speak with might just be "an idiot", but if they are, it's most likely because management failed to get the information to all of them about how to handle this.

Also, if you speak with a rep and they get your issue resolved and place an order for you, please take the time to fill out the survey (if you get one) and give them high marks. Same with the bad experiences. Take the time to give feedback when you have a positive or negative experience. Those surveys are really the only way that management can tell the good reps from the bad ones. The reps who get good survey scores will be recognized and the ones who get consistently poor marks will have to answer to management about it.

I don't work for TRU, but I do work in customer service and understand how it works.

I had called late yesterday and gotten my case number. So I just went ahead and finished the list that BahamutBreaker had set up for us and now I have one on the way. So apparently they have something figured out now at CS to deal with the problem. There was probably a problem with how the program that scrapes their records to find eligible people works.

I sent an email yesterday and they said around the 19th. Got a call this morning and the rep says they are aware of the problem, its been escalated and should get it within the next 2 or 3 days, or they will call me back. i said the promo ends at the end of the month and they assured me that i will be getting the figure. They verified my email and stuff in the system ........ so we'll see.

Quote: Kesrael

Quote: UncleBob

Quote: Corn_Hornet

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the bubble wrap mailer, based on the horror stories I've read on here. The one other time I ordered from them my figures were sent in a box.

Yeah... this is when we can all get PO'd. If they seriously ship these in bubble mailers, that's when we riot.

Bob, I'll have both an extra pitchfork and a torch for ya!

I received the "Full Metal Sprocket" (aka Best Buy Exclusive Heavy Duty Sprocket) yesterday in the mail from Best Buy and it came in a big box with tons of air pillow things and literally has enough space to fit 2 Swappers (still in package) 2 Swappers (out of package) 2 Cores (in package) and a core 3 pack (in package) plus 3 air pillow things! I know because I'm selling those Skylanders still in boxes and it all fits with some room! Best Buy might not have the best selection of Skylanders but they know how to send them! Hopefully the $7 shipping means it's coming in a box...

Whoo-hoo!

Just called back and my order is on its way. The rep said that there are so many people calling about this issue that they are overriding the normal escalation process and sending them out. Thanks for all the info from the previous posters.

Glad some people are having some luck! We keep getting the brick wall of "3-5 business days and someone will contact you" and "don't worry they won't run out because they aren't selling these online"! Makes me want to ask Activision to stop doing Toysrus exclusives since they can't get their act together! Sigh!

Finally got somewhere with the classic "may I speak to your supervisor?" Good luck to everyone else!

Quote: artican

^don't log in to your account just go to where you can check a order number without logging in. You pit in your order number and zip code. Because mine does not show up in either my orders or rewards when I log in but when I put it in the boxes without logging in I can see it there

Thank You, I just checked and it has indeed been ordered and all costs waved. I still haven't received any confirmation e-mails or the original, but I'm happy it looks like I will get one.
Just wanted to thank everyone on here that has put up their experiences and information...without out I probably would have just sat back and waited and missed out. I think this type of response has made TRU make some decisions and helped get us all our skylander. They were actually pretty helpful as far as my experiences with customer service at different companies. Try calling Verizon sometime.

Well still no email and I'm not going through all that calling nonsense.

Quote: ToxicFate

Well still no email and I'm not going through all that calling nonsense.

Why not?

That's just purely lazy and/or entitled.
Sometimes one has to work to get what one wants, even in situations (like this) where somebody else screwed up.

The instructions for circumventing TRU's ridiculously poor handling of this promotion are right there for you in Post #301. It will take you all of 10-15 minutes to get through those steps. It took me longer to type all the steps out and post them here than it would take you to follow through on them and get your reward.

To each, his/her own, I guess. But if you're going to just sit there with your thumb in your ear when you could instead be taking action, then frankly I hope TRU does exhaust its supply of Special Gill Grunts right before you finally get your belated email voucher sometime next week. Not going to apologize for feeling that way, either.

Yea it took me less time than normal since I did half of it yesterday.

Yea took me all of about 5 minutes, thanks for the instructions, but had one ordered just in case. And they are selling these online to the member that said they were not. I got one ordered with some other stuff I needed.

Just got a call directly from customer service office, apologizing and calling to confirm my shipping address. My Gill Grunt is set to be mailed out the next business day, which would be Tuesday because of the holiday.

Very happy to see and hear that lots of people will benefit from the information I posted above. I spent a fair amount of time and energy wading through the "red tape" with Toys R Us over the past 48 hours, and I wanted to ensure that more people would benefit from that than just me. No looking for any awards; not like I cured cancer or saved someone from a fiery auto wreck. Just glad to be helpful and glad that lots of Skylanders' fans can rest a little bit easier.

"BhamutBreaker", Followed ya directions and CS confirmed rewards and shipping next business day !! "THANKS !!!"

Quote: RevQuixo

Whoo-hoo!

Just called back and my order is on its way. The rep said that there are so many people calling about this issue that they are overriding the normal escalation process and sending them out. Thanks for all the info from the previous posters.

Yeah, the rep I spoke to this afternoon started off very playfully saying "Let me guess: Gill Grunt?" She was great to me.