Web site for Ohio appliance rebates jammed

Appliance shoppers were experiencing a few problems today as Ohio’s $10.4 million appliance rebate program got under way at 8 a.m.

The program requires customers to go online or call a toll-free phone number to reserve their rebate, ranging from $100 to $250 for new Energy Star-rated refrigerators, clothes washers, dishwashers and gas and electric water heaters.

Within the first hour of the program, some visitors to the web site, www.OhioApplianceRebate.com, got a message saying it was experiencing high volume and that they should be patient and try again later. Callers to the toll-free number, 1-888-686-8896. were getting a recorded message telling them to go online to get a rebate reservation.

Beverly Price of Green Township said she doesn’t have access to a computer. “I tried twice on the phone line and all I got was the recorded message,” she said.

Jim Recker of Recker & Boerger Inc. appliance stores, said some customers were having difficulty getting through, but “if you keep trying, you’ll get in. So far so good.”

State officials administering the program expanded computer and call center capacity to handle the expected heavy volume of applicants for the rebates. A spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Development said the problems were caused by the heavy volume of applicants and urged consumers to be patient.

Jeff Howell, manager of the Sears store at Tri-County Mall, said his store, which opened at 6 a.m. was having few problems getting through to the Web site.

“We processed four or five transactions for customers within the first 10 minutes,” he said.

As of 10 a.m., state officials said Ohio's appliance rebate Website had received 22,339 hits, and 6,422 rebate reservations had been made. A total of 228 purchases were completed.

Bethany Close, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Development, which is administering the program, said a heavy volume of applicants at 8 a.m. caused some problems for people getting through but the site was operating and rebate reservations are being recorded.

She also advised consumers trying to get through on the toll-free number to keep trying. Initially callers were getting only a recorded message referring them to the website, but she said call center operators were picking up reservations.

As of mid-morning, Ohio still had $9.5 million of the $10.4 million in rebate funds still available.
source://news.cincinnati.com