I’m one who likes a deal, so I find technology gadgets that are “free” after rebate. The rebate game is not for the faint of heart. It requires skill, patience and ambivalence.
Once you find a gadget advertised as “free after rebate,” be prepared for hassles. The store will usually not have the item in stock. If they ever had any of their advertised items in stock, it was probably only one or two and someone’s beaten you to it. Cut your loses and leave the store. It won’t help to wait twenty minutes for a clerk to help you. There are no more items left in the back room.
If it’s in stock, it probably won’t be marked in any way. Therefore you must read the advertising flyer and know what you’re looking for. Bring the flyer with you so you can check the precise brand, model number, SKU or UPC. They will try to trick you by offering only a certain model under rebate and hoping you’ll grab the wrong one off the shelf. If you ask a clerk to find the item for you, he’ll undoubtedly grab the wrong one. Check it yourself right then and there. Otherwise you may not notice the error until you get home.
If you find the right item and it’s in stock, bring it to the check-out for the next round of hurdles. The item won’t be in the store’s database as being on special. You’ll be charged regular price. This is where you whip out the store’s advertising flyer to explain the situation. The cashier will not have read the flyer and won’t have any clue how to enter the discount code or ring up the special. You’ll have to wait for the manager to saunter over. It’s best to point to the item on the flyer and give them a chance to mull it over a while. They may have to confer with a couple of other employees and argue back and forth a bit.
If you’re lucky by now, you’re about to leave the store with your purchase. But wait there’s more. Be sure you have all your rebate forms. Even if the cash register spits out your rebate form(s), you may be required to have a separate certificate available only from the rack at the front of the store. If you forget to check, you’ll have to come back to the store to retireve it later, adding to the expense of your “free” item.
Once home, you must submit your rebate forms by a certain date. Most companies bet you won’t make that deadline. It’s best to do it within a couple days. The sooner you submit the forms, the sooner you’ll get your money.
Most items now require multiple rebate form submissions. This is yet another hoop companies are betting you won’t want to jump through. It takes a little concentration and organizational skills to read all the requirements and gather the necessary items and address all those envelopes.
I’ve devised a system: Fill out the rebate form and cut the UPC label from the product box. Make a copy of the rebate form and include the UPC label as you make the copy. If you’re clever you can reposition the items on your scanner and re-insert the printed sheet to get all copies on a single page. Also make a copy of the receipt. On the copy of the rebate form, underline the items they request. This usually includes a copy of the sales receipt, the actual UPC label cut from the box, and the rebate form itself.
Assemble these materials and address your envelope. Put the items in the envelope, but don’t seal it yet. Now repeat the process for each rebate form. At the end, you’ll have all your envelopes ready to go. If everything is in order, seal the envelopes and put them in the mail.
Don’t skimp on postage. If there are two rebates intended for the same address, use two separate envelopes. The rebate processor cannot handle more than one submission in the same envelope, unless this is specifically mentioned on the rebate forms. If in doubt, use separate envelopes. Remember they are looking for any excuse to disallow your rebate and you’ll have to re-submit. If you have to re-submit, the time period will have expired and you’ll be out of luck.
Now on the copies you made of the rebate forms, write the date you mailed the submission. Leave space to write the date you receive the rebate, if you do recieve it in the future. I also circle the rebate amount so I can see at a glance whether the rebate check is accurate. File these copies in a folder dedicated to your rebates.
Two more hurdles to go. The rebate form usually indicates it will take eight to ten weeks to process your rebate. Forget that. It will take three to six months.
Check your folder of rebate submissions periodically. After about three months, it’s time to call the number on the rebate form to enquire about your rebate. This is a preliminary call, so be jovial and ask when you can expect to receive your rebate. Disregard what they tell you because it is meaningless. It’s all part of the game.
About a month later, it’ll be time to call again. This time be a little more forceful and point out the rebate form says eight to ten weeks and it’s been sixteen weeks. Repeat this every month until you receive your rebate check. No sense getting angry, this is the way the game is played.
The law of averages applies to rebates. Some companies simply won’t be sending you a rebate check. Period. No amount of phone calls or complaints to the store will resolve it. Sometimes the address to which you send the rebate submission will be closed or changed without notice. The best way to catch these instances is on the Internet. Sometimes companies will indicate the address is no longer valid and give you further instructions. Your rebate materials will be lost of course, so you’ll have to re-submit the copies you made. These copies have come in handy a few times in my experience.
The “free after rebate” craze has quieted down in recent months. Not nearly as many are advertised anymore. I suppose that all the customer complaints are hurting business for both the retailers and the manufacturers. Some stores now offer rebates which you can submit electronically. So far, these have resulted in easier submissions and more timely receipt of rebate checks. No phone calls necessary!
Is it worth it? For a few dollars in taxes, plus postage and a half hour of your time, you can find some neat technology gadgets. However I imagine that rebates will continue to decline in the coming years. As with any game, it’s a matter of understanding the rules, accepting some defeats, and sometimes getting a good deal. What fun!