The Rebate Guide

The Rebate Monster's Guide to Free or Reduced Cost Electronics
(or how not to get ripped off)​

Rebates are time-delayed cash refunds on purchased goods. These returns are either in full (free after rebate) or a part of the entire value (discount). These goods are available online, or in stores. This guide only applies to the United States, so my apologies to international readers. Many of the guidelines are anyway good buying practises. If you are only interested in how to go about participating in rebate items without getting ripped off, skip my introduction.

Introduction

Rebates are manufacturer's way of thanking you for supporting them. Usually, the item on rebate is not selling well, or is about to be discontinued. A lot of the times, companies have overstock of the item, and needs to get rid of the surplus. Also, companies lose money in order to gain some market share loyalty. All these factors make items that are free after rebate “profitable” for corporations.

I suspect that the rebate market is simply run by interest rates and beating the clock. When you buy an item that has rebates, it always takes four to ten weeks to receive the money back. During this time, the company is probably investing the money you spent on stocks or other high interest commodities (bonds, certificates of deposits, etc) to break even or still make a profit on the item they just gave you. The time they keep your money allows their savings to mature so they can cash out and reinvest their earnings.

Keep in mind that companies hope you will forget to file a rebate, or will err in filling out the form. This way, they are not obligated to honor your rebate request. Companies do NOT want to pay you the money they promise to give you, that's why the rebate process is generally considered to be a hassle.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are usually thought to be the epitome of modern evil. If you use them properly, they can be a great boon for shoppers. The bottom line is if you never keep a balance on your credit cards, you'll never pay interest on the balance. This way, a credit card is basically a temporary loan that helps your credit score, assuming you pay your balance off monthly, in full. More importantly, credit card companies offer security on your purchase, in case the manufacturer decides to not honor their return policy or warranty.

Finding Rebate Items

There are a lot of ways to find items on rebate. Many electronics stores have weekly ads that usually appear on Sundays listing the items on rebate. Major online retailers such as eCost and Amazon list their items for rebate on their site. Keep in mind that there are manufacturer's mail in rebates, and store-type rebates. The differences range from how you fill out the forms, to who mails you the money. Keep in mind that both types of rebates need to be carefully filled out before submission, in order to avoid future hassles.

Buying Online vs. In-Store

FreeAfterRebate.info offers a weekly list of rebate items, although not every one is free after rebate. Keep in mind that when ordering online, shipping costs many ruin the free-after-rebate status of the item. For those who are keen on avoiding sales tax, ordering online may be a blessing (or a long term mistake). Keep in mind that ordering online may also having shipping delays that could ruin your ability to send in the rebate in a timely fashion.

Making Money From Rebatable Items?

By shopping online, you might be able to actually not only break even, but even make money from rebate items. That's right, actually earn cash by using online rebate sites such as fatwallet.com and dealking.com. These sites allow you to get cash back (like credit card rewards yield) from 1%-20% cash back from various online stores.

Using Product & Sending Rebates

If you are not happy with the item (for whatever reason), return it or exchange it before you even think about submitting rebates. If you plan on selling your rebatable item, remember that you must notify your buyer that the item no longer contains the UPC code. Fill out the rebate forms accurately and fully. Never leave any blank form areas. Start an email account that you can use just for rebates, since you are likely to get spammed emails after you give out an email to any company. I suggest using a return address label on your rebate form, so there is no confusion on where the company needs to send your rebate.

Keep Copies of Rebate Info (Receipt, UPC, Forms)

This is an absolute. If you want any chance of initiating a dispute with a company, you need proof of purchase and rebate submission. Make sure to read the rebate form carefully, and send in original copies of the material they want, IF it is requested. If you want to play it safe, always send in the originals after keeping copies of everything. Please the glossary below to make sure you understand what documents you need to save and submit.

Wait for Check

Rebate checks usually take anywhere from three to ten weeks to arrive. Read the rebate submission form to find out when you should expect the check. When the check arrives, make sure to deposit it before the expiration date – many times, sixty to ninety days. Rebate companies hope you will forget to deposit the check before the expiry date, so don't let the corporation win.

Call/Email to Check Rebate Status

Mark your rebate calendar so you know when to start calling the appropriate parties. If your rebate fails to arrive within eight weeks, it is appropriate to start calling and emailing about the status of your rebate. Many times, large rebate companies seem to wait for you to call before they initiate the rebate check process. It's one more cog in the system to help them win if you don't call.

File Complaint if Rebate Not Received

Write a professional letter with headings stating that your rebate was not received. Mention when you bought the item, from where, and when you submitted the rebate. Send this letter to the head rebate office using only USPS Certified Mail. Certified mail is scary to get for companies, since it requires a signature confirmation. The moment they see the green certified stamp, they know you mean “business.” Because certified mail costs more than two dollars, it may not be worth spending the effort and money in doing this on a small rebate item.

You can alternatively file a complaint to the Better Business Bureau if your rebate is not honored. It's a complicated thing to take legal action on a rebate that wasn't honored. Many times, a rebate is not honored due to company bankruptcy.

Threats of Legal Action

I'm not saying it's actually worth filing a suit against a company for a rebate. Not at all. Like I said before, usually just the threat of a lawsuit gets people going, as long as the threat sound serious enough. If you purchase a lot of things on rebate, having a template of what you are going to say can be handy.

Conclusion

This guide is meant to help all people in the rebate process. Keep in mind that the companies out there are eager to get your money, and they hope that you don't care much about getting it back. If you are careful and thorough, and keep good records, rebates should not be much of a hassle. By no means do you have to work very hard to get back your money from a rebate item. In fact, most rebates today are getting easier. The online submission process is becoming more popular, and the time to receiving the money is shrinking. Companies know that they are on the losing end of rebates if good consumers like yourself boycott bad rebate offers. By making sure that every step is perfect, you will avoid getting a letter or email from a company stating that your rebate submission was denied.

Feel free to PM me with your questions and concerns about this guide or the rebate process.

Glossary

A receipt is NOT a shipping invoice. This is an example of a receipt.


A UPC code is not a model number or serial number. This is an example of a UPC code.


Thanks to Andrew for his help in editing this guide.

 

hey just curious...but if i buy an item that has an 8 dollar mail in rebate, and i want 2 of that item, will i be able to get a 16 dollar rebate on the total order, or should i make 2 separate orders to get them both? It's only 8 bucks, but i definitely thinks its worth the extra 5 minutes to do so.

 

98% of the time, rebates are restricted to 1 per person... Check the fine-print, and if not, I'd still call them to make sure.

 

I love getting a rebate check in the mail.
You usually forget about it, then it comes and its a great surprise.
Its funny how many people just dont put in the work to get them!