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Avoid A Bunch Of Heartache/Getting Scammed: Don't Bite On Rebate Offers! (Here's Why!) Plus: How To Make Some Extra (Much-Needed) Dough The Next Time You Buy Or Sell A Home
November 6, 2003
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Dear Ben: With the holiday shopping season coming up, it seems like I'm spotting more and more rebate offers. Are you still cold on rebates? Is there any way we can force retailers to pay off?
L.D. via e-mail
Dear L.D: Nothing makes my blood boil faster than being jerked around by retailers that fail to pay consumers rebates in a timely manner. I'm still waiting on a $100 rebate check for a new computer monitor I bought last April...and the most irritating thing about this? I broke my own rule about biting on rebate offers. Dover's #1 Rebate Rule: "Don't buy a product based solely on post-rebate price." Let me clarify that I'm referring to "smaller" merchandise-not rebates on bigger ticket items like autos or homes-since the dollars involved with these transactions usually are substantial and frequently "rebated" (or applied) at the time of purchase.
I've soured on rebates because of the hoops retailers force us to jump through, exacerbated by other assorted rebate-related games they play. But if you're absolutely determined to put yourself through rebate-hell this holiday season, here are Dover's Eight Rebate Rules that'll increase your odds of getting what you're owed:
#1 Read rebate requirements before you buy the product (or as soon as possible after you've purchased the product) to make sure you meet eligibility requirements and mail-in deadline dates. (Last year I lost out on $80 of rebates because I missed a deadline by two days.)
#2 If you're buying a product and the rebate offer is online, download and/or print the rebate immediately. Many online sites remove rebate offers as soon as the promotion is over.
#3 Make great copies of everything you mail in.
#4 Always complete all information requested on the rebate form in legible handwriting. (If you're a doctor or write like me, get someone else to fill in the blanks for you.) Also consider writing in "all caps" to lower the potential for errors on the rebate fulfillment center-side of the transaction.
#5 Make sure to provide all documents requested on the rebate form. If they specifically request original receipts and UPC bar codes (trust me, they will), give them exactly what they're asking for-or prepare to have your claim summarily rejected.
#6 Paper your trail! If the amount of the rebate owed is large enough, mail your paperwork via Certified Mail/Return Receipt Requested. You'll have to be the judge of what dollar amount's worth the extra hassle and expense, since these extra services will add an additional $4.42 in mailing costs.
#7 Keep all rebate documentation and copies in a safe place and follow up on the dates they're due. Computer and mark these due dates on your calendar, and be prepared to call their toll-free number after the deadline's passed without a check. Companies are required to send rebates within the time frame promised; if no time is specified, within 30 days.
#8 Scrutinize your mail! Consumers have been known to mistakenly throw rebate checks away. Why? Because "in the name of containing costs and saving money for the retailer" some rebate checks are in the form of postcard-checks. Oops! It looks like "junk mail" and gets thrown away...creating a resulting "net" cost of zero to the retailer. (Imagine that!) My tips for winning the rebate game-as well as a sample letter format that'll help you paper your trail-are posted on my rebate-free website: www.bendover.com/rebates.asp. (And yes: I'll let you know when I finally receive my $100 check.)
Dose of Dover For The Week: Rebates on automotive purchases are pretty painless, since they usually apply these to the net dollars owed (or financed) at the time of purchase. And now there are even rebate programs that pay out cash rebates ranging from $300-$1,500 (or more) whenever you buy or sell a house. More about this, as well as how to avoid moving company nightmares, tips on financing (or re-financing) a home...even terrific information about reverse mortgages (for homeowners aged 62 plus that want to pull cash out of their homes without the responsibility of having to repay it until they either sell the house or pass away) all posted on my website: www.bendover.com/moving.asp.
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