My rebate suspicions confirmed

laurence

laurence

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It took us six months to get our rebate check back from fry's electronics for my flat panel monitor. 3 months for the DVD burner. I always figured people didn't always turn in the rebates, but to have 70 to 90% of people walk away from money!
 
Hey Laurence

I got frustrated in 1998 never knowing if I got paid back for rebates.  So I started a spreadsheet detailing date sent, rebate amount, who to and item description;  when I would get the payment, I would enter that also and the date, then I note how many days transpired between sending the paperwork and receiving the check. 

The spreadsheet now has 285 transactions detailed for over $5,000 in money rebated.

Guess who is the worst payer...  Starts with "F" and has four letters and an apostrophe... 

Keep trackin
JohnP
 
I know that it's fairly common for stores to offer "in store" rebates on top of a manufactuers's rebate to get the net price even lower. But usually those "in store" rebates are instantaneous...right at the register. I noticed last week that Circuit City now makes you mail off for even the part of the rebate that comes directly from them...so on a $100 purchase that offered rebates totaling $32, I had to send documentation to two different locations...and had to be very careful to meet the specific requirements of each rebate issuer because they were not the same.

It was almost enough trouble to get me just to blow it off...but then I decided that's exactly what they wanted me to do, and I filled everything out and mailed them off.
 
Fry's is well known, as was compusa although they got in legal troubles I havent heard if they've really improved. Tiger Direct is supposed to be pretty bad.

Seagate I believe holds the current record for rebate suckage.

In all my years of rebating (and I use 'jennifer johnp's method of logging the amount, date, due date, 800# and email to complain, and copies of all the materials sent for anything over ten bucks) I've had one crappy digital camera company go belly up and not pay a rebate ($89 off $89) at all, HP tried to weasel out of a rebate mistake where they issued 3 different rebates on a laptop, none of which excluded other rebates or offers - they paid, Seagate tried to pretend nothing happened but when I called, they paid, and t-mobile sent me an old rebate form with a new phone, then although I included a letter explaining what they did, rejected it for being an old rebate. When I called, they sent me the new rebate form. Which was identical to the original form, except for the expiration date, and went to exactly the same rebate processor.

Rebates processed by the company in "New Rochelle, NY" have also been frequently maligned.

Best ones are Costco and Staples. You can do em online and they pay fast.
 
I have learned to hate rebates.  I feel compelled to jump through all the various hoops to follow the rebate "rules" just so I can relieve the rebate offerer of their rebate money.  It irks me to think that a proportion of people don't claim and lets the company off the hook.  As it's easy to forget all about the rebates I put a reminder in my calendar and follow up if no check has arrived.  It's amazing how it's often claimed that the check has just been processed - funny that - and only after one has followed up does the refund turn up!

JohnP said:
So I started a spreadsheet detailing date sent, rebate amount, who to and item description;  when I would get the payment, I would enter that also and the date, then I note how many days transpired between sending the paperwork and receiving the check.   
Click to expand...
Wow, JohnP!  You are so organized!  I ought to do that.

On the whole, I wish there were no rebates.... :LOL:
 
I have been tracking them in my financial spreadsheet also. I think if you go online (a lot have online tracking), it seems like the rebate comes in faster. At least, it says, hey dont mess with me cause I am watching you buddy. :LOL:
 
I only participate in a couple of rebates a year. I always make copies of anything I mail in. The last one wass for $10. I mailed in all the necessary documents. The packaging had what appeared to be 2 similar bar codes. Because the instructions were unclear, I picked the wrong one so they reject my rebate until I sent in the other one. Finally got my rebate after 4 months.
 
Around Christmas DS/DDiL purchased an LCD TV from Costco using a coupon.  The thing died in late January.  I did some checking with Costco and recommended they take it back will all the stuff that comes in the box (manual, connectors - not the box itself) even 'tho they couldn't find the receipt.

Costco found the purchase in their system and gave them credit equal to purchase the same system (cash + coupon value).  They are absolutely delighted and I earned a couple Mother-in-Law credits.   :) :) :)
 
I'll pay a little extra for most electronics and potentially finicky stuff if I buy it from costco, due to their extravagant return policy. Usually I end up paying a lot less though.

And nothing like gourmet foodstuffs and wines at a huge discount...
 
I bought a Samsung laser printer from Best Buy in 11/05 and have not received my $70 rebate or any response! The rebate site indicates that it is being processed --bummer. I rather buy an item that has an instant rebate.
 
I'm a procrastinator, so I stay away from rebates because I basically never get them. The one time I recall sending one in I never got the money back.

I did just order that wireless router CFB/Jennifer 8 posted a week or so ago, but I figure it's fairly cheap even if I don't get the rebate. (I do plan to send it in....)
 
BigMoneyJim said:
I'm a procrastinator, so I stay away from rebates because I basically never get them. The one time I recall sending one in I never got the money back.

I did just order that wireless router CFB/Jennifer 8 posted a week or so ago, but I figure it's fairly cheap even if I don't get the rebate. (I do plan to send it in....)
Click to expand...

I have always received my rebates.
Several years ago, I lost track of time and didn't get around to mailing my turbo tax rebate. A week after the expiration date, I called saying that I haven't received my rebate, they of course told me that they hadn't receive my rebate request. I told them that I mailed it in and I had copies of what I mailed. I said I can mail in my copies, but they told me not to bother and mailed me my rebate.
I suspect they make a fortune on people who don't get around to mailing theirs in or don't read the extra fine print which would reject/delay their rebate.

MJ
 
Spanky said:
I bought a Samsung laser printer from Best Buy in 11/05 and have not received my $70 rebate or any response! The rebate site indicates that it is being processed --bummer. I rather buy an item that has an instant rebate.
Click to expand...

Call the 800# from the rebate form. I'll bet magically the check will be in the process of being cut JUST THAT DAY!

Some rebate processors hold them until you let them know that you really, really are going to notice that they havent sent you a check...
 
I use a different approach. I only buy items that are still a reasonable deal without the rebate. Send in the rebate and forget about it. If/when the rebate comes back it is found money.

I don't spend any time tracking or wondering if all the rebates have been accounted for. Life is to short.

Jeb
 
It takes me about 3-5 minutes a month to send them in. Once a month I'll look at the list and see if there are any stragglers. Maybe twice a year I make a quick phone call.

I've gotten back several thousand dollars from rebates for maybe an hour a year net time spent. Had I not pushed the handful mentioned, I'd be out 200+200+200+90+40...maybe some more if I looked at the log.

Not too onerous. Good payback.

I keep telling my wife that I'm saving us so much money by buying stuff, I may double the rate next month so we'll really be living in luxury! ;)
 
I don't spend any time tracking or wondering if all the rebates have been accounted for. Life is to short.
Click to expand...

If life is so short, why are taking the time to comment on this tread, then? :LOL:
 
We need to start tracking, I have a sneaking suspicion several hundred dollars are owed us that we have forgotten about. :mad:

I admit I discount rebate money vis a vis a straight sale, if the item is only 10% higher at store b, as compared to store a with rebate, I'll still buy store b.
 
I have been screwed by Fry's also.... and by Best Buy a long time ago...

Fry's was for two reasons.. I bought a phone with a $5 rebate... but had it sit around for a couple of weeks as I was giving it to my mom... well, the form said you had 5 days to mail it in!!!

Got me off my a$$ and I sent in the $50 rebate for a monitor on the last day... got rejected. sent emails, got rejected, called, no answer, went to Fry's and was told 'that rebate is no longer available'... I said OF COURSE NOT, you have delayed it so long...

Best Buy was a couple of small rebates. Sent them in on time to the vendor, nothing. Calls etc., nothing. Called up Best Buy to see if they could help as there were STILL selling the stuff with the rebate... they told me 'that is between you and the other company'... I said 'you are ADVERTISING the rebate and should at least help me out'... well, they said nope... Have not bought anything from them in over 15 years... now Fry's is on my no buy list.
 
That sucks. A lot of retailers will pay a valid rebate if the manufacturer wont. Quick call to the BBB and state attorney generals office usually resolves it. I know staples has been known to pay a deadbeat manufacturers rebates.
 
CFB... yes, I agree.. with BB I went up to a regional manager and he was not willing to even talk to the company for a $15 rebate...

At least Fry's people called etc. and tried to get me the rebate, so they were better. However, I said that their name was all over the rebate form and that if they wanted me as a customer send me a check... no check... but, I am not stupid and would buy something from either of these two if the price was better than someone else... but so far someone else will match or be better

The part I hate about this whole rebate game is that they advertise it so much but pay out so little... they put so many hoops in the way for you to get your money it is crazy... the example is my phone with only 5 days from purchase to postmark... but the rebate time period was three months. So any time in that 3 month time period you had 5 days!!!

Considering how much it 'cost' to get a customer, you would think that these places would be a bit more honest in giving you your rebate.

OH, almost forgot my Pizza Hut guarantee... they had the pan pizza a long time ago... get it in 15 minutes or the next one is free... mine took 30 minutes and I asked them about it... they said I never ordered it, then said I had not paid for it... well, they finally gave me the one I had ordered and paid for, but would not give me the next one free... that was about 20 years ago and the only time I have been back is if I 'had to' with others
 
In the past my approach was just to send in the rebates and usually I get it. If not I figured it wasn't worth my time to chase it.

But recently I've been hearing lots of horror stories about rebates, and it really does seem like the processors are getting more aggressive about falsely rejecting rebates. So recently I've been paying more attention.

Tigerdirect rejected two out of the four rebates I sent in.

One was rejected because I sent two rebates to the same address in the same envelope. Their rules that I didn't read thoroughly enough say you have to send each in a separate envelope. I called up and told them okay, send me the stuff back and I'll send it back to you in two envelopes. They said Uh, No.

The second was rejected because they said I enclosed the wrong UPC code. I specifically remember enclosing the only UPC code on the box, and I know the difference between a UPC and other barcodes. So I think this is pure BS. After badgering them a bit about it they agreed to fax me what they received but said it might take a while. Three weeks later I haven't received the fax.

My attitude is generally that I should chase these things down if only to make it more expensive for them to not pay the rebate (in customer service expense) than to pay the rebate. But perhaps I need to just let go of that crusader trip and accept that since the vast majority of people don't chase their rebates, my little protest is not going to make much difference.

I do think that this is an under-regulated area... we need laws that give an independent redress route for people who can prove they followed the rebate requirements. And we need laws saying that they can't impose arbitrary hoops, that the hoops need to be things that actually are needed to process the rebate.

So I have been channelling my energy into writing my elected representatives asking for better regulation, and posting negative feedback against tigerdirect at the ftc website and other feedback sites.
 
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