I Hate Rebates (1 Viewer)

[DouglasRobert]

Why can't they treat rebates like coupons?

Just take the item that the rebate is good for to the cashier, purchase it and the amount of the rebate is auomatically taken off the purchase price.

As long as you meet all the purchase requirements to get the rebate then it should be taken off at the register.

Since we know live in a high tech world this should be no problem.

And if they want to know your name and address for their records, this can also be done at the register. And then the store sends the info to the company after purchase is done.

Wouldn't this also cut down on costs of the company of having people open up letters, labor costs involved in processing the rebate and the cost of mailing out the rebate checks.

I use coupons because its instantly taken off, but I don't take advantage of rebates due to the hassle and the time waiting for the check.

 

[SeanP]

for the record sprint sucks on rebates too

 

[ChristopherDAC]

You can thank Richard Nixon for rebates. In order to put a stop to the catastrophic inflation of the day [it didn't work] he instituted the only peacetime price controls ever in the U.S. [administered, oddly enough, by a Young Republican named Donald Rumsfeld]. Of course, when stores were not allowed to change their prices, this meant they couldn't have sales. They soon found a legal dodge: mail-in rebates were not taken off in the store, and were not automatic, and did not actually decrease the register price, so they didn't fall under price controls. Then they found out it worked another way: the lowered prices attracted customers, who then forgot to mail in their coupons. And they've been at it ever since.

 

[Leila Dougan]

So what's with Best Buy? None of their price tags say "mail-in rebate" anymore. . .they all just say "check". Bah. . .as if a change in wording really makes any difference.

 

[LewB]

Douglas:
That is the precise reason why they do what they do. They are in business to make money, not give it back to the consumer

 

[SteveBro]

Best Buy is being more specific. This is to differentiate between rebates that come back in the form of cash versus those that come back in the form of Best Buy gift cards.

 

[Leila Dougan]

Oh okay. I guess I hadn't seen any that said "gift card" so I didn't know they were making a distinction. I think the new wording is very confusing, personally. At least with "mail-in rebate" you knew you had to mail it in. The "check" is very unclear as to how you get your money. Of course I think this is intentional, as well. But thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

As a family, we have sent in TONS of rebates, and they always get processed.

Remember, use good handwriting, and follow the instrustions (make sure what they want is mailed!!!) - or else your not getting anything!

 

[Lee L]

On the last couple of rebates I have sent in, I have actually taken a digital picture of all the required items plus the stamped envelope sitting on my desk. I always use 2 stamps so there is no doubt about the postage not being enough. I print this out and write on the bottom of the paper, "I have all the required materials, do not deny this rebate", then I put it all in the envelope and send it in. No problems so far.

 

[Mark Shannon]

There's one other catch. Money in the bank is interest gained.

You pay a company $200 for an item with a $100 rebate. The bank, or wherever the company keeps their money offers 15% interest per month (unrealistic, yes, but bare with me). Well, you have the product, the seller has $200 in the bank, and it'll take 8 weeks for your rebate to be mailed. By keeping this extra $100 for 2 months, the company is getting $30 extra, for a total of $60 extra from the $200 purchase. They then send you your rebate, so that you think you're getting money back (when you actually are), but the company is also making money on your money.

Same idea for prepurchasing items. If they can get your money ahead of time, that means the seller can invest your money before actually shipping you the product.

 

[Bob Graz]

Also, you pay sales tax on the price charged. There's no rebate of the sales tax you paid.