Is Canon associated with Rakuten?

[photog_husband]

I have been using Rakuten for years and have purchased lenses on Black Friday/Cyber Monday in years past when the cashback offered is quite high (12-15%) and never had an issue with the cashback being honored/paid out.  I made a similar purchase this year, confirmed it was not on the list of excluded items and did not use any coupons, etc.  Rakuten has a record of the purchase (Order #), but the purchase amount (and therefore cashback) is showing as $0.  When I've reached out to resolve the issue, Rakuten claims they are waiting for a response from Canon to confirm the purchase details.  

The purchase required that I call Canon to confirm, and when I did this, I asked about Rakuten and was told they have no affiliation with Rakuten.  Is this true? 

I have already filed a BBB complaint, but fear I'll get just continue to get a canned response from Rakuten saying they are waiting on Canon.  Any help or contact information would be appreciated!

[normadel]

True. Canon has no connection with Rakuten.  WHERE did you buy this lens from/through?

Sounds like an unscrupulous seller.

[shadowsports]

Agree, unscrupulous seller.  Make sure your BBB complaint is against Rakuten and not Canon (who did nothing).  

[Stephen]

Hello!

I'm not sure what's going on, but I'd like to do some digging. I know we used to have a relationship with Rakuten, but I'm not sure if we still do, so I will find out for you. When you get the opportunity, please email any relevant information, such as when the product was purchased, the Canon order number, etc., to CUSA_Social@cusa.canon.com

To make it super easy, just put "Attention Stephen; Rakuten Issue" (or something similar so I know what's going on).

The supervisor of the group, who I'm 99% sure handles this, is off over the weekend. Mondays are very busy for everyone here, so I'll try to connect with her ASAP (tomorrow or Tuesday), but with the Holidays, I'm honestly not sure if she's on vacation, so please be patient. 🙏🏻

I look forward to hearing from you soon! 

[photog_husband]

Thank you, Stephen!  I just sent an email with as much information/background as I could.

For other commenters (thank you for your responses!), Rakuten is just a conduit by which purchases made from online retailers (Canon being one of many) receive cashback if the Rakuten link is used prior to purchase.  I made this purchase directly from Canon clicking through the Rakuten link advertising 15% cashback - the only exceptions being "Canon EOS C70, EOS R1, gift cards, or orders deemed by Canon to be for reselling purposes."  I've had very few problems until a few months ago, so I'm trying to get to the bottom of whether or not this cashback from Rakuten will be honored.

[Stephen]

Hello!

(I sent an email, but wanted to reply publicly just in case anyone else had a similar question)

I wanted to let you know that after a lot of research, several emails, and messages, I finally found some good information for you!

Canon USA does work with Rakuten. 

Rakuten's process can take quite some time (confirmation can take 100 days after purchase). Everything is laid out on Rakuten's payment schedule page. 

Our phone agents can't see that your order was placed via Rakuten, so they won't be able to provide you with any updates on your cashback status. You'll need to contact Rakuten for updates. 

I sincerely hope this helps!

[photog_husband]

Hi Stephen - 

I did not receive an email, and several other follow up emails I've sent have not received a reply.  My purchase was now marked ineligible.  The last communication I had with Rakuten (which I cc'd you on), they indicated they were waiting to hear back from Canon.  Can you please point me to the right person to understand why this cashback is being denied?  Rakuten is going to point to Canon, so Canon's answer can't be to just point me back to Rakuten.  I can't seem to get the right people from both sides to give an actual explanation that doesn't involve just punting to the other party. 

[normadel]

Sounds like Canon ought to find someone else to do whatever it is Rakuten does, which is not perfectly clear anyway.

[Electrogirl]

Hi, I bought a mirrorless camera and zoom from Canon about a week ago when it was 15% off Monday. I'm a DSLR Nikon user so switching is expensive but that was enough discount to motivate me. The terms say cash back in a few days. Well, a week later, after I msgd Rakuten multiple times they respond that they need more time to hear back from Canon to verify the purchase. In the mean time I send my receipt/proof of payment. A few days later I go to my Rakuten account and it says my Canon purchase is NOT eligible. But it doesn't list why? I did abide by the terms. You can't call Rakuten. You can only message them and it takes 24 hrs on average of a response. I called Canon Customer Service. They have nothing to do with Rakuten. I am probably going to return this. I was counting on $615 cash back from Rakuten to soften the blow. I don't even need to get that money asap... I just need to know the discount was valid and I am eligible for it. It says cash back shows up in a 'few days'. 100 days? I am not waiting outside the return period to find out! But now I am the second person with an issue posting here. Rakuten is good once in a while for small things but I will never use it a purchase of this significance. Beyond disappointing as I spent a lot of time watching videos to learn how to use the R6 and take test shots. And Canon, this is a brand you partner with that promotes various cash back discounts all the time. They are providing a way to drive business to your website. Why don't you want your customers to have a seamless experience? Why isn't your customer service team more informed to provide more of a response? 

[photog_husband]

Yes, that's my frustration.  I understand why a purchase may need to sit in pending status for a while (awaiting returns, etc), but I'm not buying the excuse that Rakuten is "waiting to hear back from Canon.".  Who from Canon?!?  My order number was correctly tracked, why does the purchase amount and cash back show up as $0?  Their response to my BBB complaint was "We reached out to Cannon on 12/11.  I also sent you an email today letting you know.  We typically see these taking around 7 days for a response.  I will follow up with you once we have a response."  Will update here if this ever gets resolved and hope that I'm not out the $1400+ cashback I was counting on towards a pretty exciting Christmas gift for my husband!!