I’m one who likes a deal, so I find\u00a0technology gadgets that are “free” after rebate.\u00a0 The rebate game is not for the faint of heart.\u00a0 It requires skill, patience and ambivalence.<\/p>\n
Once you find a gadget advertised as “free after rebate,” be prepared for hassles.\u00a0 The store will usually not have the item in stock.\u00a0 If they ever had any of their advertised items in stock, it was probably\u00a0only one or two and someone’s beaten you to it.\u00a0 Cut your loses and leave the store.\u00a0 It won’t help to wait twenty minutes for a clerk to help you.\u00a0 There are no more items left in the back room.<\/p>\n
If it’s in stock, it probably won’t be marked in any way.\u00a0 Therefore you must read the advertising flyer and know what you’re looking for.\u00a0 Bring the flyer with you so you can check the precise brand, model number, SKU or UPC.\u00a0 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.\u00a0\u00a0If you ask a clerk to find the item for you, he’ll undoubtedly grab the wrong one.\u00a0 Check it yourself right then and there.\u00a0 Otherwise you may not notice the error until you get home.<\/p>\n
If you find the right item and it’s in stock, bring it to the check-out for the next round of hurdles.\u00a0 The item won’t be in the store’s database as\u00a0being on special.\u00a0 You’ll be charged regular price.\u00a0 This is where you whip out the store’s advertising flyer to explain the situation.\u00a0 The cashier will not have read the\u00a0flyer and won’t have any clue how to enter the discount code or ring up the special.\u00a0 You’ll have to wait for the manager to saunter over.\u00a0 It’s best to point to\u00a0the item on the flyer and give them a chance to\u00a0mull it over a while.\u00a0 They may have to confer with a couple of other employees and argue back and forth a bit.<\/p>\n
If you’re lucky by now, you’re about to leave the store with your purchase.\u00a0 But wait there’s more.\u00a0 Be sure you have all your rebate forms.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n
Once home, you must submit your rebate forms by a certain date.\u00a0 Most companies bet you won’t make that deadline.\u00a0 It’s best to do it within a couple days.\u00a0 The sooner you submit the forms, the sooner you’ll get your money.<\/p>\n
Most items now\u00a0require multiple rebate form submissions.\u00a0 This is\u00a0yet another hoop companies are betting you won’t want to jump through.\u00a0 It takes a little concentration and organizational skills to read all the requirements and gather the necessary items and address all those\u00a0envelopes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I’ve devised a system:\u00a0 Fill out the rebate form and cut the UPC label from the product box.\u00a0\u00a0Make a copy of the rebate form and\u00a0include\u00a0the UPC label as you make the copy.\u00a0 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\u00a0page.\u00a0 Also make a copy of the receipt.\u00a0 On\u00a0the copy of the rebate form, underline the items they request.\u00a0 This usually includes a copy of the sales receipt, the actual UPC label cut from the box, and the rebate form itself.<\/p>\n
Assemble these materials and address your envelope.\u00a0 Put the items in the envelope, but don’t seal it yet.\u00a0 Now repeat the process for each rebate form.\u00a0 At the end, you’ll have all your envelopes ready to go.\u00a0 If everything is in order, seal the envelopes and put them in the mail.<\/p>\n
Don’t skimp on postage.\u00a0 If there are two rebates intended for\u00a0the same address, use two separate envelopes.\u00a0 The rebate processor cannot handle more than one submission in the same envelope, unless this is specifically mentioned on the rebate forms.\u00a0 If in doubt, use separate envelopes.\u00a0 Remember they are looking for any excuse to disallow your rebate and you’ll have to re-submit.\u00a0 If you have to re-submit, the time period will have expired and you’ll be out of luck.<\/p>\n
Now on the copies you made of the rebate forms, write the date you mailed the submission.\u00a0 Leave space to write the date you receive the rebate, if you do recieve it in the future.\u00a0 I also circle the rebate amount so I can see at a glance whether the rebate check is accurate.\u00a0 File these copies in a folder dedicated to your rebates.<\/p>\n
Two more hurdles to go.\u00a0 The rebate form usually indicates it will take\u00a0eight to ten\u00a0weeks\u00a0to process your rebate.\u00a0 Forget that.\u00a0 It will take three to six months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Check your folder of rebate submissions periodically.\u00a0 After about three months, it’s time to call the number on the rebate form to enquire about your rebate.\u00a0 This is a preliminary call, so be jovial and ask when you can expect to receive your rebate.\u00a0 Disregard what they tell you because it is meaningless.\u00a0 It’s all part of the game.<\/p>\n
About a month later, it’ll be time to call again.\u00a0 This time be a little more forceful and point out the rebate form says eight to ten weeks and it’s been sixteen weeks.\u00a0 Repeat this every month until you receive your rebate check.\u00a0 No sense getting angry, this is the way the game is played.<\/p>\n
The law of averages applies to rebates.\u00a0 Some companies simply won’t be sending you a rebate check.\u00a0 Period.\u00a0 No amount of phone calls or complaints to the store will resolve it.\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes the address to which you send the rebate submission will be closed or changed without notice.\u00a0 The best way to catch these instances is on the Internet.\u00a0 Sometimes companies will indicate the address is no longer valid and give you further instructions.\u00a0 Your rebate materials will be lost of course, so you’ll have to re-submit the copies you made.\u00a0 These copies have come in handy a few times in my experience.<\/p>\n
The “free after rebate” craze has quieted down in recent months.\u00a0 Not nearly as many are advertised anymore.\u00a0 I suppose that all the customer complaints are hurting business for both the retailers and the manufacturers.\u00a0 Some stores now offer rebates which you can submit electronically.\u00a0 So far, these have resulted in easier submissions and more timely receipt of rebate checks.\u00a0 No phone calls necessary!<\/p>\n
Is it worth it?\u00a0 For a few dollars in taxes, plus postage and a half hour of your time, you can find some neat technology gadgets.\u00a0 However I imagine that rebates will continue to decline\u00a0in the coming years.\u00a0 As with any game, it’s a matter of understanding the rules, accepting some defeats, and sometimes getting a good deal.\u00a0 What fun!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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