I don't about how any of you feel about manufacturer's rebates but , I detest them.
Maybe because over the last 4 years I have been screwed out of hundred's of dollars of rebate money,usually from Computer related companies.

I have the thought that we as consumers should lobby the consumer direct stores to allow & collect the rebate money from the manufacturer instead of us as consumers without any clout to have to send away for them.

With all the Christmas shopping that been going on & and Boxing Day (Dec 26th) Blow-outs (In Canada) the flyers of these companies are full of ad's that show rebates to send away for.


Your thoughts ?

 

I have had the same experience with rebates. They never come thru, so the only kind of rebate I do is the instant kind.

-btw, it just turned 12 here, Merry Christmas Dennis!

 

I hate em, but have only been beat out of one or two. I thought I was going to lose a $150 one last year on a laptop, but it showed up at the end of April after I had sent it in mid-December. Every year I say I am not going to buy anything with a manufacturer's rebate...but I end up with several. Sometimes you can't help it.

This year for instance:

Canon A520 digital camera for mom. OD had it for $200 -$75 rebate, couldn't do any better, or really even come close. An OD rebate was one I had to wait so long for last time

HP Photosmart 335 for mom. OD had it for $75 outright early in the week. 50% off. Officemax had it for $150 - $10 instant discount - $40 rebate - $40 rebate. Later in the week, OD stores that still had the printer brought them back to $75. Common sense says to take that. But OM comes back, amends their price to $150 - 10 instant - 50 instant - 40 rebate - $20 giftcard via rebate. Final cost if it all pans out like that, $50 + a gift card for 20 bucks. I just couldn't leave the $25 and $20 giftcard on the table. An interesting thing is that the early price, the one with two $40 rebates was still a valid price. It rang up $150. Then a manager had to come manually enter a $50 instant coupon code. The only thing both $40 rebates say is it that it must be purchased by the 24th. Basically they amended the price, but did not cancel the second rebate. My receipts says I paid $150. I see nothing that says I do not meet all the criteria. It just did not print the second $40 rebate at the register. You can get it online though. If they both come back, it would be a final price of 10 bucks with a $20 gift card.

Third item. A Strait-Line laser level at HD. Regular price was $18.83. All laser levels were 50% off, though you would not know that by any signage in the store. I could not find any reference to the sale in my local HD Rang up $9.41...and you guessed it...there's a rebate. If that one works out, it will cost me 44 cents including tax and the price of the stamp. It may not be worth a crap, but for 44 cents

So once again, I get lured in And as far as the retailer sending in the rebates representing the consumer, I don't see it happening. The manufacturer knows that not every consumer will even send the thing in. They also know that the fulfillment houses are masters at picking them apart. And that some houses have an absolutely terrible record of sending them when everything is sent in and is in order. It's a win-win for the manufacturer and retailer. The only potential loser is the consumer. And heck, don't you look forward to getting even more junk mail?

 

I have never been denied a rebate until last month. I sent in the paperwork to Pep Boys, and they gave me some crap that I didn't fill out on their multi-page rebate form. All the info was sent, as I made a copy of it. But, for $3, I wasn't going to fool with it.

 

This is what the rebators are counting on, that is why only about 40 % of rebates are ever paid out. Rebates are the poverbial "hanging carrot" they count on consumers never catching. They make everyone dot their "t"s to the t, and make it a chore to get those rebates from them. ...

We bought a home PC system 3 months ago. Total cost with PC, printer, keyboard, monitor = 999.00 US. With the rebates offered , it would make the system cost us 499.00. So, we paid the 999.00 and went out of the door. My wife being retired and a domestic engineer now, has the time to play their marketing ploys. It took 3 weeks to get the rebate on 3 of the components, 5 weeks on the last one. She got all of the offered rebate checks.

 

Here's the trick with rebates. On the rebate, (copy everything), there's usually a 1-800 number to call if you don't get anything in the 4 - 1200 week period. Instead of waiting weeks/months to make the call, about 5 days after you send it off, call the number to check on things. If it's an online rebate, I'll call the next day. (Do not leave the store without a number to call. I've had a couple rebates that didn't have one, but customer service did. I had one CS person tell me that sometimes when the rebate period is over, the info phone number drops off their system, get the number when you buy.)

60% of the time I'm in the computer and if I'm not, they will manually update the system. I get all my rebates now. Kind of the squeaky wheel method.

 

I gave up on Norton (symantec) because of rebates. I went to Trend Micro because of that, and now every year I just get the TM price for renewing - no rebates to mess with. Rebates seem to be a wide spread problem in an awful lot of rebate programs, but heaviest in electronics.

When you file for a sizeable rebate in electronics, it darned near takes a full time secretary and lawyer to make sure every single item is complied with, and it still failed me a couple of time with Norton. Two times they're out.
I called, I e-mailed, I got a dozen different excuses and run arounds, no more. Theres always another option available.

And I now ignore rebates in the stores, I figure if worse comes to worse, the next cheapest price without an rebate is preferable to getting conned out of one.

 

I'm exactly that the type of person these damn companies are looking for. I don't go looking for rebates, but if it is what I want and the price is right I'll buy it. Problem is I either forget completely about the rebate or by the time I remember I have one that still needs to be filled out - it's too late. Bonus money for the company, a sour feeling for me. I know it's my fault for not taking care of it immediately, but as others have pointed out, it's tedious, time consuming work to fill out correctly. I try to avoid rebates like the plague, unless they are instant.

 

Just lower the prices of everything. Why have a rebate in the first place?

Yeah..I know.. some people, like me, never send the rebate things in..unless it's something substantial ... and so the company makes more money than they would if everyone sent in the rebate forms.

I think I've gotten two rebates back. And have sent in a plenty..in the past. No more. When and if I need a new computer... we'll look at rebates at that time.

 

So far I've been lucky on the rebates.

I've received all of them, except for one.

I actually bought some compact flourescent lamps from Smart & Final in which THEY deducted the rebates; ended up paying .25 per lamp at the check out stand.

When I send out rebates, I enclosed multiple copies of everything.

If it's a large rebate, I send it certified mail with proof of recipients signature.

Bottom line; rebates are a joke.

 

So far I have had decent luck with mail in rebates, beside they took two months to come back.

 

These are a list of the stores I WILL NOT SHOP AT because of being screwed by a rebate:

Best Products- several hundred bucks, several times, I will do without before going in their store for any reason, even water.

Office Max- several hundred, several times. Are they still in business? I wouldn't know as any signage of theirs or newspaper adds I am blind to.

Circuit City- several times and for pocket change. I don't buy from them either for the same reasons.

Rebates are defined by the merchants as a way of separating the fool from its money but not accepting any blame when the money is not refunded. I won't trade at any store offering rebates and should I need an item that has a rebate, I don't bother with getting screwed out of it- just pay the price and go on with life.

 

i use the forums at www.slickdeals.com to see how my lucj with a rebate might be

 

Best Buy nailed me for about $30 over a couple rebates for memory I didn't get. Hope they made good use of it, I haven't set foot in one of their stores since. Cost them a little--they would have made more than $30 on the stuff I've bought somewhere else since then.

I order most everything computer-related online. No rebates, pretty fair prices, and better service than most stores. Actually had fewer warranty gripes with online sellers than stores.

 

Very few people are mentioning *getting the store to cover the rebate and representing the customer by doing this*.

Is this considered a bad idea ?