Deals and Bargains forum: Tips on filling out Rebate forms

I am batting about 50/50 on Rebates. I am convinced they are a scam.
I follow all instructions to a T. And 3 months later I get a letter telling me I didn`t include something. When I know for a fact that I did. This happens too often for it to be a fluke. I`m convinced that these companies have a set percentage that they are gonna reject. No matter what. Its one thing to be cheated out of a $5 or $10 rebate. But I have been cheated out of $60 rebates. As you can tell, I`m still steamed about it.
Your advice is good ... MAKE COPIES OF EVERYTHING YOU SEND IN! Even then, you are still at their mercy. Good luck.

If you made your copies of everything and call the Customer Service Center, you can usually get your rebate.
It's all about reading the find print.

-JT

If you think about it, Retailers win TWICE with Rebates

1) There's more people buying because the buzz generated by the "50% off" deal gets people's attention

2) The cost they would have incurred if they just discounted the items is significantly reduced because of the following:

As noted above, NOT ALL rebate buyers bother to mail in the rebate
The added interest income for money budgeted for rebate piles up since most rebate programs ask for a week or more for "processing"

Everyone wins... almost. Retailer wins big. Manufacturer/distributer wins by clearing out inventory. The consumer who has time to mess with rebates wins big. Other consumers... well, you know the story.

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SCAMS!!! Nothing but SCAMS! I refuse to deal with any business that offers rebates. The higher the rebate amount, the less likely you will ever see it unless you want the HASSLE of fighting with the rebate people. This is a business that really needs some regulation. And the business's that use rebates should have learned by now how aggravating it is for their customers.

I must have huge return from my rebate! After reading you post, i realized i haven't do the exact filling out of forms....Thanks for the info..

I do so many I had to make an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of them. One thing I sometimes do is use a return address sticker instead of filling in the boxes. You probably all get them in the mail. I have a big stack of them I've gotten with advertising. Like a whole sheet from the cancer society at Christmas time, etc. I cut off the picture and the sticker is small enough to stick on top of the boxes.