Rebates, a scam?

[Gentle Ben]

I never buy products because of a rebate, but last fall I purchased Quick Books with a rebate offer of $50 marked on the front cover, it said to see on reverse for details, there was nothing on the back of the package that indicated anything of a rebate, the clerk at the store assured me it was on the inside of the box, that they had run into this already.

At home I opened the package, there was nothing regarding a rebate inside the box, I called the company and they faxed me the neccesary documents for the rebate, It stated allow 8 weeks for rebate.

At about 10 weeks I called the number for tracking the rebate, there was no record of my rebate, I called Quick books to voice my concern, they assured me that my rebate was in process, but rebates are processed by 3rd party, so it really was out of their hands.

At 12 weeks I called again, no record of my rebate, another call to quick books, they tell me the cheque has been created, but not mailed yet, when I suggest they are bordering on false advertising (they state allow 8 weeks ofr rebate, we're now 12 )I get a very snark response, " The product does everything we claim it too, we're not false advertising in anway"

I am now at 16 weeks and no rebate cheque, today I called quickbooks to find out the whereabouts, they claim apparently the cheque was mailed out 4 weeks ago!
I think its a scam

 

[n_v]

I had a similiar situation wioth another product at a Future Shop. Heard thru a friend who talked to someone who works with one rebate centre. basically they are a scam to get you to buy the product. Live and learn. Not doing that again.

 

[The Bandit]

I've always received any I sent away....then there are the ones you forget to send. I can't be bothered with the ones that are only a few dollars.

They are always farmed out to a third party, so you're taking your chances.

 

[backflush]

Yeah, I hate rebates. I'd rather have an instant rebate. Give me the money now.

My quick books rebate took awhile but I did eventually get it.

 

[Ben Hogan]

They're a pain in the ass!

I think most rebates are a ploy to get you to buy and (hopefully) forget to send them in. Some are only for a few bucks (which after the cost of a stamp & your time are hardly worth it). My biggest pet peeve are the ones with the bizarre instructions such as "Lick the envelope while fondling a goat with your left hand". Basically they try and make the requirements difficult enough that you'll give up in frustration. Just drop the price or offer a special without making us jump through hoops. Okay??

 

[xarir]

I think mail-in rebates are a rip off. I've purchased a few sets of DVDs recently. The final set had a coupon that if you mail in you get a reasonable amount of money back. But, you need proof of purchase of the past few DVDs in the set (which is fair) and you also need a dated sales receipt. Trouble is, the DVDs were released over a period of several months. My receipts were long gone at that point.

Other rebates have beem mailed in and promptly moved to the DRC (Deleted Rebate Centre) never to be heard from again. And some rebates are so laughably paltry as to be a waste of time to even fill out.

Generally I find that the rebate amount is insignificant relative to the total cost, so I never find that a rebate is incentive enough to purchase something. I buy things because I need them or because I want them. Money back is just a bonus.

 

[t8rs]

Most rebates I've seen are worth getting but I despise the process and generally avoid those products. I saw a report on T.V. that stated around 1/2 (I think it was 60%) of rebates are never submitted. I believe I've received every one I've sent in but most of the time I have to call and chase after it. On one occasion the cheque was issued and they were just sitting on it. Were you going to mail it if I didn't call, you f@#*ers?

 

[RogerRabbit]

Most rebates I've seen are worth getting but I despise the process and generally avoid those products. I saw a report on T.V. that stated around 1/2 (I think it was 60%) of rebates are never submitted.

This is so true and they count on you not following up, Spitzer should teach them fair play....

 

[flyingdgn]

I purchase a bit more software/hardware than the average guy out there and I always look for rebates. I have received ALL of the rebates that I have applied for. These rebates have varied from $20 to $200 and sometimes printers, PDAs and cameras.

It's true that most people are weary of the rebates and don't bother to send in the forms. Rebates piss me off as well because they do this knowing that half the people won't even bother to send in their rebates.

If they advertise a rebate, they are legally obligated to follow through with the rebate.

Here are a few tips.

You can find rebate forms on the net. Stores like Staples will have rebate forms on their site as well.
At the store, ask for a duplicate invoice. Keep the duplicate and send in the original for the rebate.
Read the instructions carefully. They sometimes play with words to mess with your rebate. (one mistake means no rebate)
Don't forget to send in the proof of purchase on the box. It's usually the barcode, but sometimes it's a sticker. The rebate forms will have specific instructions on what they need.
Make a photocopy of everything you send in, including the envelope. They do lose things once in a while and they will accept copies if this happens.
Be patient. They always send out the checks late. I haven't received a rebate on time yet but they do come eventually.

Don't give up on the rebates. You're only helping these scam artists!

 

[Keebler Elf]

I've successfully received many rebates, probably a dozen in the past 5 years or so. The one thing you need to remember is to xerox everything you're sending in (for proof) and be patient. If you're sitting by the mailbox waiting for the rebate, you shouldn't be using them in the first place. They take time, sometimes longer than that given on the forms. But generally I've received mine about 8-10 weeks later (and the suggested time is usually 4-6 weeks at best).

If you kept proof and it's a recognized company, they're not going to screw you.

 

[icto]

Most of the rebates I've received are in US funds and my bank charges a $5 'service fee' to process them, and they aren't big, so I lose a good fraction of it.

I sure resent paying sales tax on the whole amount, including the amount that is rebated. If they had a sale where a product is discounted by the amount of the rebate, that wouldn't happen, nor would messing around mailing forms.

So I use them for things I'd buy anyway, but I don't like them.

 

[Keebler Elf]

Well, the whole point from the company's perspective is that only a small percentage of customers actually send in for the rebates. If they offered the same amount as an instant rebate, they'd be losing a heck of a lot more money and it probably wouldn't be worth it for them to do.

So I don't have a problem with mail-in rebates. It's the fact that most people don't use them that allows me to get a better deal!

 

[islandman4567]

I also think they use it to get customer information. If you went to future shop and bought something and they asked for your name and address , I think most people wouldn't give it to them . but when you buy a product with their rebate , you have to give them personal info to get the rebate .

I agree also with the sales tax part . if they rebate $50 , its actually 15% less.

makes sense from the company's point of view. Jack up the price on your product.Then tell them its on sale for $50 less , makes the customer feel like he got a great deal and you get info for your mailing list.

 

[islandman4567]

a friend of mine used to work at a fish store that used this tactic. his boss told him " just make up a price , then put a huge discount on it , to get you back to the original price you intended to sell it for "

People are always looking for a sale or a discount.

 

[t8rs]

a friend of mine used to work at a fish store that used this tactic. his boss told him " just make up a price , then put a huge discount on it , to get you back to the original price you intended to sell it for "

People are always looking for a sale or a discount.

An illegal tactic. Sportchek got fined big time for this practice.

 

[gypsy121]

I had a similiar situation wioth another product at a Future Shop. Heard thru a friend who talked to someone who works with one rebate centre. basically they are a scam to get you to buy the product. Live and learn. Not doing that again.

I had problems with Future Shop a couple years ago. Never did get my rebate. Never did buy anything there again either. I prefer to voice displeasure by not supporting the business. I told them this and they gave me the same crap about it being done through a 3rd party company.

Live and learn.
gypsy

 

[Gentle Ben]

they gave me the same crap about it being done through a 3rd party company.

Live and learn.
gypsy

That's what Intuit (Quick Books) is telling me, I'm saying to them, "You have contracted this 3rd party Company to do this for you, are they not following your contracted guidelines, yes or no?, they won't answer me .

 

[Girth]

Office Max is the worst. I bought a CF Card because of a great price after rebate. Went home filled out the paperwork online and submitted the form and mailed the UPC and receipt in. Two weeks later they sent me an email saying that the rebate period had expired. Since it was advertised at the store with the rebate, I called foul and sent a letter and never got a response.

Great customer service, I'll never buy from them again.

 

[BigDaddyG]

I was never a major fan of rebates. Always thought that there was some kind of scam attached to it. that previous poster is right when he says, "give me my money now". It always looks appealing to know you can have X amount of dollars taken off, but if you forget to send it in, what's the point?

I've have tried to previously, but I've either forgotten or the deal just never worked out in my favor. I avoid them like I would the black plague.

 

[Keebler Elf]

Electronics stores (e.g. Futureshop) can't really mark up their prices just to create rebates b/c their prices won't be competitive with other stores. Maybe they can do it for a small amount, but not enough to make it worthwhile.