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Rebates - who's pockets does the $$ come out of?

post #1 of 11
7/22/05 at 12:11pm
Thread Starter 
I guess I'll start with the back story. I bought a TV from a local dealer and had a problem with the screen. For weeks, the guy kept saying he was going to replace it. Also, for weeks, I've been bugging him for the $100 rebate that is supposed to come with the tv (which he still hasn't delivered)

After realizing that he can't easily replace the screen without taking the tv back to the shop, he replaced the entire tv with a new one. The thing is, he didn't have my model in stock, so he gave me the next model up (Bonus for me ).

Now since the new TV is worth $700 more than the other one, I figured I wouldn't bug him about the rebate.

I told this to my dad and he said "Why not, it's a rebate, what does he care." - Then I thought, where does the money come from? I assumed it came out of the pockets of the people who sell you the item??? Am I wrong?

If it doesn't, doesn't it seem odd that a place can sell you a $100 item and the company then has to pay you the rebate? Sounds like a nice chunk of change for the store that sells the items. I mean, I bought one of those chair mats (for my computer desk) and it was like $40 at Staples. I know they're usually on sale for $19, but there was a $20 rebate, so it ended up being the same price as if it were on sale, but with the rebate, did Staples make the full $40??? or do they have to then pay the company the $20 I got back in the rebate check?

Anyone know how this works? If the store owner has to pay for the rebate, I won't bug him for it, but if not, then I'll definitely ask for the reabte slip.
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post #2 of 11
7/22/05 at 12:15pm
Unless the rebate specified that it was a "store" rebate, then the manufacturer pays it. More accurately, the rebate house that bought the rights to handle the rebate pays it.

Sometimes rebates are offered by the store selling the merchandise, and sometimes they are offered by the manufacturer, depends on the fine print.
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post #3 of 11
7/22/05 at 1:05pm
Are you even sure the rebate applies to the upgraded model? If yes, and the rebate is a manufacturer's rebate, I say give it a shot. The money is not coming out of the store's profits so why not? As long as you comply with the terms of the rebate, it should work.
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post #4 of 11
7/22/05 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
I believe this tv had a $200 rebate as opposed to the $100 rebate on the old model. Of course, I was just thinking that my receipt was for the older tv so I'm not sure how I can get a rebate on the new one.
Quote:
I say give it a shot.
Yeah, I'll see. I just didn't want to seem too greedy after getting such a great deal to begin with
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post #5 of 11
7/22/05 at 4:44pm
If this is a manufacturer's rebate, have you tried looking online - or even emailing them?

In any case the rebates just come out of the difference between cost and the selling price, so no one really loses anything. If the store owener did it, then he knew what he was doing. This has been done to clear out all of the old models (aren't the new ones coming out in September?) - or when the manufacturer has announced a price increase, it is done to soften the blow of the extra $$$.

Glenn
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post #6 of 11
7/22/05 at 5:12pm
Thread Starter 
My dad stopped in to get some rebates that he was expecting...the owner looked pretty down and was like "you know, I sent over the wrong tv...that was $750 more..."

so my dad didn't pressure him for any rebates. I figure I got a 'much' better deal with the upgraded tv, so I won't bug him.
Quote:
have you tried looking online
I looked on SONY's site, but didn't see anything. I forget if it was a manufacturers rebate or not. If anyone knows of one, it's the KDF-55XS955, but again, I don't have proof of the purchase.
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post #7 of 11
7/22/05 at 8:36pm
Quote:
Also, for weeks, I've been bugging him for the $100 rebate that is supposed to come with the tv
Why are you bugging the retailer for your rebate? Every rebate I've seen is mail-in, and you receive a rebate check by mail a few months later from the clearing house. The retailer plays no role in it.

Is this a different sort of rebate?
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post #8 of 11
7/23/05 at 1:59pm
Thread Starter 
It must have been an in-store rebate or something like that because I can't find the same rebate through SONY.
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post #9 of 11
7/24/05 at 8:13am
Quote:
It must have been an in-store rebate
Huh. The in-store rebates I've seen have been instant (at-checkout) price reductions. I've not encountered an in-store, pick-i-up-later rebate, like you describe.

Speaking in total ignorance my thought is the store is trying to pull a fast one by pocketing your rebate or issuing non-existant rebates to improve sales.

Definitely keep on the store about the rebate, regardless of your TV exchange.
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post #10 of 11
7/24/05 at 9:19am
I guess the reseller was only really obliged a replacement or repair from the manufacturer. I suspect he went beyond his obligations by giving you the upgrade just to be nice. He did this volunarily and this by no means legally affects your entitlement to the agreed rebate.

So, for me, it would depend who I was dealing with. If it's a big chain that don't care and would probably reclaim the money for the upgrade from the manufcturer, I'd get everything I was legally entitled to out of them. If it was a small local busines and he'd taken a loss on the deal because of the bad screen, I'd probably let it slide just as an act of good will.
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post #11 of 11
7/24/05 at 12:21pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
If it was a small local busines and he'd taken a loss on the deal because of the bad screen, I'd probably let it slide just as an act of good will.
It was a small business and he did take the loss on the 'upgrade' that's why I'm not persuing this too much. That's also why I inquired about who pays the rebate. If I could go about getting the rebate without bugging the seller, I'd do it, but I can't seem to find the rebate for the TV anywhere, so I figured it's one of those deals where I only get the rebate through him.
Quote:
Huh. The in-store rebates I've seen have been instant (at-checkout) price reductions. I've not encountered an in-store, pick-i-up-later rebate, like you describe.
Yeah, I don't get it either. The rebate was mentioned in the flyer he had, but I don't see any online, so I don't know what kind of rebate this thing was (i.e. I don't have the flyer with me).

Perhaps he was waiting to get the rebate slips??? Anyways, considering the bargain I got, I'm not going to push it.
Quote:
my thought is the store is trying to pull a fast one by pocketing your rebate or issuing non-existant rebates to improve sales.
Well, if so, no biggie either because I got $750 more in TV, so he can have the $200 rebate...if that's the case.
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