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Rebates: Learn the truth and how to claim
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Rebates: Learn the truth and how to claim
Claiming a rebate is no simple task. According to a recent statistic, only 5% of the people in the US who have the opportunity to successfully get their rebate. Rebates are offered on everything from cars to computers phones movies software etc. The price is too high when you buy it but with the rebate it may be lower than a competitor. However, here are a few things to keep in mind before buying a product with a rebate:
-- Can I get it cheaper without a rebate somewhere else? This means the ACTUAL amount of my you have to pay on the spot.
-- The average rebate takes 6 - 8 weeks to get back if not 3 or more months.
-- Very often your rebate will be "lost" in the mail.
-- Trying to get back rebate money is an investment. Often you won't get it back at all and the money saved is usually only 5 - 10 percent of the product's cost.
-- Do you have enough money to wait 2 months for a rebate check?
I personally have a strong distaste for rebates as they are simply a way for companies to keep your mone. I will avoid buying things at all costs with a rebate. First, if it's a small amount of money ($10) for the work it takes to get it most of us have better things to do with our time. Now if you can fill out and mail the application at work between shifts of forum posting, then maybe it's worth it. If you're busy it's not. For larger amounts of money, like I said before it's an investment. If you have plenty of money in the bank and spare time, go ahead. Plan on time filling our forms, giving out much of your personal information, and probably time calling support finding out when/where you rebate is. The morale: Avoid at all costs. Boycott rebates. Companies are using this against you. Force them to stop!
However, if you are set/forced to get a rebate, here are some steps for success:
-- If it's a good amount of money, CALL the support number BEFORE you by the product. Often, by the actual time you call months later the number will be disconnected.
-- MAKE COPIES of your rebate forms ... filled out and not filled out. I can't stress how important this is. When your rebate gets "lost in the mail" you still can have a copy of it. Now 2 more months of waiting...
-- Send it more than once! No harm can really come of this and the worst they'll do is do what they normally do and throw it out.
-- If the company whose product you bought has a shady rebate operation going on, REPORT THEM! Search on the Internet or phone book and FIND law firms/companies who specifically take of this. There are LOTS of organizations who will go after fraudulent companies offering rebates you can't get back and get a big lawsuit out of them. Either you get money or you bring the company down! Either is good!
Always remember it's survival of the fittest. Look out for yourself and your "people."
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2003-03-24, 02:37 PM
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