It pays to follow up on rebates

[Panama Red]

I'm sure many of you follow the same procedures that I do when submitting rebates. I tape the UPC label to either the vendor invoice or to the Rebate Form and then make copies of each document sent. I keep all paperwork in a file folder until they are received and I have a Notepad file in my Rebates-Returns folder where I record the date sent, amount expected and manufacturer offering the rebate.

Last night I was reviewing the open rebates and checking their status online. A $25 one from D-Link was not showing up and it had been submitted on Mar 27. I called the 800 number on their rebate form today and spoke with a young man who could find no record of submission. I'm thinking, "great. Another one of these lost/denied stories" that I keep hearing about. Turns out they have multiple ways to search their data base and a little extra work on his part found the rebate. Someone had keypunched the wrong zip code in and the check had already been sent to an incorrect address. I then discovered that D-Link has a policy requiring a wait of 30 days after the check has been issued before a new check will be sent to the correct address. The check was cut on May 22 so I now have to wait until June 22 before I can call again and ask them to issue the check to me at the correct address. The rebate has been reentered so now I can follow up but they still won't send any more money until the 30 day period has passed.

The point to all this is to remind everyone the importance of keeping good records of your rebates, following up on their status in a timely manner and remember when speaking to a representative on the phone, be courteous and helpful. You will get more help if you're nice to them than if you're verbally abusive.

[Two|Bit]

Very true, I worked at Futureshop, Canadian BestBuy, and i got lots of horror storys about rebates. Take the time to do them right and you get your money, they aren't trying to con you, although it my seem like that

[Kov-Ice]

I do much the same (tho I like the idea of taping the UPC to one of the forms), and it's helped twice in the last 18 months with getting a rebate back that I was due.

[Kareeser]

I always knew that the people behind the counter make mistakes. Blindly typing in numbers into the numpad without doublechecking is bound to fail someday.

My DLink rebate came three months after I mailed it out, but it eventually got here... Perhaps it's faster in the states. :)

[Panama Red]

To continue this saga, I called D-Link again on Friday 23rd. Talked to a young lady this time. She found the claim and promptly indicated she would request a new check (and now the good part). I have to wait another 4 weeks for the check to be cut!! "It's company policy, sir. Nothing we can do to expedite it." Man, I love paying for someone else's mistake!

[mairving]

Very true, I worked at Futureshop, Canadian BestBuy, and i got lots of horror storys about rebates. Take the time to do them right and you get your money, they aren't trying to con you, although it my seem like that
Oftentimes I think that they are trying to con you. I mean come on the whole principle of rebates is a scam else they would just take the rebate off the price immediately always. Another scam is that if you don't follow the rules correctly you can't go back and correct the mistake since they keep the UPC. I once submitted a Samsung printer rebate for $75. I filled out the form correctly, attached the UPC and the sales receipt. Well then I get a letterl back telling me that I didn't attach the original sales receipt but a copy. Well I ordered it from NewEgg and printed off the invoice that they sent me. Well sorry that wasn't an original copy according to them. I asked them to review it and it was still turned down. I contacted Samsung and that fell on deaf ears. I also asked them to send back my form so that I could resubmit it. They couldn't do that either. Don't know how I could have gotten a more original form either. So I don't buy Samsung any more and don't do rebates.

[rspassey]

Speaking of rebates and discounts, I've had a few good instances with getting a better price than what I was expecting.
1) A few years back when I helped my Grandfather order his Dell computer, he decided it'd be worth a shot and tell them that his son-in-law would be able to get him a better deal through his work. Consequentially, Dell kindly lowered the price by 10%. He also asked for a senior discount, but that didn't work out as well.
2) The last time I bought a CD, I took what I thought was just the right ammount of cash - I had just openned a new back account and deposited all I had except for 15 bucks to get a CD with. Well, it was my first purchase in the state and I calculated the tax wrong, I was actually 55 cents under the price of the CD. So what did the lady do, she just dropped the price of the CD two bucks and readjusted it and when I paid for it, she still gave me back change. That was really nice of her, and I was quite to thank her for doing it, but I still don't understand why I got change back...

[MakeYourslf2012]

I like rebates because I easily forget about them. I remember complaining about a CompUSA rebate here in the forums that was sent in and MIA 3 months later. I just gave up on it and forgot, then I found a $50 check in the mail last week! Its a great feeling...

[faulkner132]

Oftentimes I think that they are trying to con you. I mean come on the whole principle of rebates is a scam else they would just take the rebate off the price immediately always.

Agreed, rebates are scams. I submit them, but don't count on them... granted I get them 95% of the time, I just count it as "found money".

Unless it is an instant rebate, I never let it factor into buying anything.

[blue60007]

Reminds me of a WD rebate I need to check-up on.

[XenaWP]

Agreed, rebates are scams. I submit them, but don't count on them... granted I get them 95% of the time, I just count it as "found money".

Unless it is an instant rebate, I never let it factor into buying anything.
There is a company that I won't buy anything from if they are the rebate issuer. It's a popular online site that is a 3-letter word synonymous with "purchase."

Twice, with fairly good-sized rebates, they waited until I called to inquire, both times said, "oh yes, this was mailed out 3 days ago," and both times the check showed up 3-4 days later. Now, what do you figure the odds are that I would call exactly D + 2 days after the check was mailed ... TWICE?

I believe they simply wait for people to complain, then cut and mail the checks.

[EzyStvy]

I've gotten all but one rebate back. All but one that I submitted anyway...

I type a formal cover letter and use Words watermark feature to mark em Original and Copy. I note on the letter than I'm sending them a copy of everything for their records....This lets them know for sure that you've stood in front of a copy machine.....I enclose a copy of the full size envelope that I used all nice and filled out...For larger rebates I always send it via Certified-Registered mail and note the registered number on the cover letter....

When needed, I FOLLOWUP....

[David M]

Rebates are a marketing ploy. The whole idea is to entice you into buying the product with the rebate offer and then making it very difficult to get the rebate...not to mention dragging their feet on cutting you a check for as long as possible so that they can accrue interest on the money that they would otherwise be sending to you as soon as they received the rebate form.

You can bet the accounts payable department pays their bills on time and more frequently than they send out rebates to customers.

[blue60007]

Also, they bank on people not bothering to send them in...oh well, for the most part (at least in my experiences...) if you fill them in correctly and send em in...you get your money...eventually.

[Stuey]

I've found that certain companies are extremely trusthworthy (Circuit City, Staples) while others make me work hard for my rebate check (ATI, Dell, CompUSA). BUT in some cases, unlike Mairving's experience with Samsung and Newegg, I've gotten manufacturers involved with store rebates. Whereas the 3rd party rebate center compusa uses kept running me in circles for months, they issues my check asap once I contacted Hitachi and apprised them of the situation.

I've also seen a lot of my peers purchase expensive items with large rebates and then let the rebates hang around and expire.

[Panama Red]

Surprisingly, my complaining about having to wait another 4 weeks must have been heard. I got the check in today's mail. That's exactly one week since DLink said they would reissue the check. My faith is restored.

[kram 2.0]

That's good to hear PR. They're probably hoping that you'll give up because of the hassle!

kram

[Two|Bit]

I think rebates are a plot aswell, however, look at it in the companys perspective. They get to advertise a lower price than you will pay for, its a brilliant idea. They just have to hope their customers are lazy or stupid and don't fill them out properly. So, don't be lazy or stupid, and you will get your money, thats plain. they aren't going to steal from you.

[Kareeser]

It seems OfficeMax has done away with rebates (http://news.com.com/2061-11199_3-6090389.html?part=rss&tag=6090389&subj=news).

[Ghost(BOO!)]

One of the main reasons for rebates I think is that people will either forget to mail them in or will forget about them after a week or so after they sent them.

[MaxRat]

I Have had good luck with rebates when I remember to send them in....

The only time I didnt get the rebate was when I purchased something from Tiger-Direct....I got a big, big hassle...

I ordered 2 cpu's from them and both had rebates of $25.00 each. 1 was a Athlon 2400-xp (unlocked) and the other was a Athlon 2600-xp (also unlocked)

The instructions were the rebate form had to be postmarked no later than 30 days after reciept of the products...

Well beings they are located in Illinios and I am in Indiana I got them in 2 days after ordering....The same day I got them I mailed off the rebate forms...I know they got them in 2 days (because I got delivery confirmation)

After 6 weeks I called them and I got..."your rebate form were post marked 30 days AFTER reciept"...well I told the person on the phone I have the invioce reciept AND the delivery confirmation of the rebate forms when they recieved them and they stuck with there story...

I was so mad I gave up....I havent shopped there since....and I wont...well maybe..I just wont send a rebate in I know I wont get...

[Kareeser]

Look like Dell has jumped off of the rebate bandwagon (http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,126425,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp).

I didn't even know they had rebates... perhaps I'm one of the ones who never followed up on them, oops...!

[Force Flow]

Can't say I ever saw they had rebates either. Instant savings, yes, but not Mail in Rebates.

[rjfvillarosa]

I don't remember the whole story but someone I know bought a 17" CRT from OfficeMax for $250 with a $50 mail in rebate not a bad buy at the time $200 for a 17"CRT........Yeah Right until she sent in the rebate forms and was promptly informed that the rebate was not applicable to items purchased in Puerto Rico, despite the fact that they advertised it with the rebate and after enquiring at OfficeMax about the problem she was told to take it up with the manufacturer or clearing house as the rebates were not dealt with by OfficeMax.
I am convinced the manufacturers are relying on people to forget about the rebates and not follow them up or screw up the paperwork in some way.

[TwoRails]

Nice tip, and a good story, PR. I bet that if many folks kept records like you (and me) they'd probably discover they sent it in late, or forgot to attach something or the like. I've only not received a rebate 1 1/2 times over a whole lot of years. On the first time, the company went out of business. Can't fight that. (Maximum PC's Watch Dog did a ditty on them and they confessed to over estimating how many people would go for the rebate. They just plain didn't have the money to mail out all of the replies!)

The "1/2" part was one I didn't get until I sent a letter off to the BBB. I didn't even mess with contacting the company direct, since most do Not do their own rebate admin work, it’s usually farmed out. In that letter, I mentioned how I had copies of everything I sent in. I got a check in a couple of weeks.

I’ve had good luck in rebates and I think it was ‘04 where I got something like $400 worth of stuff almost “free” thru rebates. Bought a lot of things I didn’t really need, but the rebates were good, most costing me only sales tax. The only other rebates I “didn’t get” actually turned out to be my errors, like usually forgetting to send the stuff in (dooh!) or forgetting something silly like the originally UPC code or the like. Fortunately that doesn’t happen much.

TR

[Stuey]

Look like Dell has jumped off of the rebate bandwagon (http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,126425,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp).

I didn't even know they had rebates... perhaps I'm one of the ones who never followed up on them, oops...!
I purchased a Dell laptop in April or so, with a $250 rebate. Oh man, it was a hassle trying to get it from them. I'll spare you the details, but after emailing several times and calling up, they finally decided to send it to me. I sent an email in after an appropriate amount of time, and they responded saying that a new check would be issued and they requested me to confirm my address. Another six weeks later I sent in another email inquring about my check. A few days later I was annoyed at no response so I called up. I was told that a new check would be printed and that I had only sent the address confirmation a few days ago. I told the guy that I could forward to him the dated email transcripts if he doubted me.

I sent in a rebate to Verizon a few weeks ago, and to Sandisk. Both sites show that the rebate hasn't been entered at all yet. I trust Sandisk because they honored a rebate after they made a mistake listing the requirements, but Verizon is on my "blood sucking thieves" list as of lately.

[Sharp Canadian]

I generally have no problem with mail in rebates. Out of the 3 or so I sent in Regarding my Laptop purchase I got 2 of them Back Within the suggested time. There was one that sent to the wrong address so I phoned them, faxed over the documents and they stopded payment on the old check and sent me a new check that I got in about 3 weeks time.

And it does Pay to keep all papers and rebate forms and make photocopies of everything and keep it organized and in one place :)

I trust Sandisk because they honored a rebate after they made a mistake listing the requirements

I agree that Sandisk is trustworthy I sent in a 25$ rebate for the Sansa e250 and had no problems with it.