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Holy cr@p, I actually got my rebate! - Printable Version

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Re: Holy cr@p, I actually got my rebate! - Jem - 02-07-2007

[quote Carnos Jax][quote Will Collier]I'm with yoreagano. I've collected hundreds in rebates over the years, 99% of the time with no problems other than the fill out the forms and wait hassle. I've only had one problem-child rebate (the old AcomData firewire CD-RW from several years back) that really required any serious follow up. And I got my money then, too.
Ditto. 'Perhaps' we don't represent the norm, but it doesn't mean that it can't happen. I've only had 1 rebate in over several hundred that wasn't fulfilled (and probably could have had I followed it up).
While it is true that persistence often pays, the question is, "At what cost?" If the "cost" in terms of lost time (what is *your* hourly rate?) plus mindshare (having to keep track of and remember all the hoops you've jumped through in case you need to dispute a "lost" claim) exceeds the value of the "discount", then I would say the rebate is a net loss.

Staples is to be applauded for greatly simplifying the process through easy online submission of *most* of their rebates. Other companies depend on the above calculation working in their favor so that folks either don't send them in or give up if they run in to a bump in the road. The problem is sorting out which companies are legit, and which are prone to dragging their feet and throwing up road blocks.

I think that consumer legislation should be passed to either ban rebates as they are currently offered, or require that they follow a standardized and enforceable practice that is easy for the consumer to follow up on... and make it easy to report violations by a company should they drag their feet to long.

I'd be curious to see how many "rebates" dry up once accountability was more stringent when it comes to fulfilling them.