Rebates have become increasingly popular in the last few years on a lot of household purchases and other consumer items, especially on electronic items and computers. Rebates of $20, $50 or $100 or more are in fact quite common.
I’ve even seen items advertised as “free after rebate” and other items advertised with such a ridiculously low price “after rebate” that it might as well be free. Do these rebates come under the heading of “too good to be true”? Some of them do and there are “catches” to watch out for. But if you are careful, rebates can help you benefit from some really good deals.
The way a rebate works is that you pay the listed price for an item then mail in a form and the bar code to the manufacturer. They then send you a refund thus reducing the price of what you paid for the item except with a time delay of several weeks.
Rule #1. Rebates from reputable companies are usually okay.
You can be pretty sure you will get the promised rebate from the high street A-list department or electronics store, or from online retailers like Amazon or Dell, but you should probably not count on getting one from a company you’ve never heard of. If you really want the product and are OK with paying the price listed then buy it but don’t count on actually receiving the refund. Or be prepared for a lengthy complaints process with your local consumer protection/consumer affairs agency and realise that the outcome will still remain the same, i.e. you’ll see zip of the rebate money!
Rule #2. Check rebate expiration dates.
Many times products will stay on the shelf of a retailer after the date for sending in the rebate offer has expired so check that date carefully.
Rule #3. Be sure you have all the forms required to file for the rebate before you leave the store.
Rebates will almost always require a form to be filled out, a receipt for the purchase and a bar code.
Rule #4. Back up your rebate claim.
Make copies of everything you send in to get your rebate including the bar code. Stuff is always going astray in the mail and if the rebate is for $50 it’s worth the trouble to back up your claim.
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Focus Liquidity is committed to helping distressed debt companies find a workable solution for their funding requirements, whilst providing every day people with access to a bigger piece of the money pie. If you are either a small to medium business seeking funding for a viable venture, or you are someone with a small amount of money (even as little as $1,000) and would like to maximise your returns, contact us today. We might have a solution.
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Paul Lange
CEO, Focus Liquidity
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