02-07-2007, 02:45 PM
[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.
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.