Rebates can be a great lure when you’re making some purchasing decisions. But be careful: Not everything is always what it seems! ALWAYS read the fine print and follow ALL of the rules you see on the rebate form! Make copies of everything before you send it in. Plan to wait for your money and in fact, it may even be wise to consider it a gift if it does really come to you one day.
This short story is just an example of something I had to endure to collect two $20 rebates from a certain software company selling those small film disks for digital cameras. Hopefully others can use this information when buying their own products today...
"Buy this camera and this particular Compact Flash card at this particular store in these sizes and brands, and get $20 off!"
This was on the Internet but it would be the same thing in many stores.
Since I already make a point to save everything, make copies of everything, and even make screen shots of everything I see on the Internet or in emails, I figured it was OK for me to dive in and try to get my cash back. It’s kind of like remembering to write CANCEL on those free magazine offers once they start to try to bill you for something you forgot you ever signed up for. Be on top of this stuff and it can pay off in your favor! You do not necessarily go into this with the intent to cancel something, but remember that you always do have that right, so use it. Be safe.
I am usually very careful about all of the marketing offers I receive and I keep track of them because if I don’t, I cannot really complain when something goes wrong. The reason for my almost obsessive record keeping is because Web links and emails in HTML format that come to your inbox can become disabled after some time passes, and time always seem to pass when it comes to waiting for someone to give you money. When you see an offer for something you can get back on the Internet or even in most stores, you can almost be certain that weeks later, when the money is said to finally be processed for mailing out to everyone who did the offer, those signs and advertisements will be gone! You need to have proof of what you saw and when you saw it. This alone can help you show the seller that you did in fact do everything their offer asked you to do in order to receive your rebate. Sounds strange, perhaps, but consider that some companies actually PLAN on the fact that a certain percentage of people will never send in those rebate cards, do it too late, or make a mistake that disqualifies them altogether. They basically got you to notice and buy their product but did not have to give back the promised money on the rebate offer! And, some of these rebates are actually just returning money to the customer on products that have been marked up above the price offered by other retailers. If you look around and away from these crafty lures, you might find it cheaper and save a postage stamp or time online.
Screen shots are easy to make for your own records of things. On a PC, you hit Alt+PrtSc keys and that "copies" what is active on your screen. Then just go to MS Word or something like it and hit PASTE. This will save what you saw online! For me, this is just an extra step I often take and takes no time at all. If you have to fax or email someone to prove your side of the story, it sure does help. Many times, we find ourselves in situations where the store or marketer says, “OK, just send in your receipt or copy and we’ll credit you… sorry for any inconvenience.” You should have it available for them. Not everyone is trying to screw you—there could have just been an honest mistake and now you need to show your records to help fix it. Be thorough. I tend to keep printouts and emails until I see a thing I am waiting for come to me in the mail (like the actual rebate check) and then I throw it all away.
However, my recent case involved a double screw up:
I had mailed in two separate rebates offering similar things and both were for $20 each. I did everything right but somehow these mailings got confused. I had mailed it in one envelope. That is a mistake I will not repeat. Stores or rebate companies they hire out process thousands of these things and though everything eventually worked out, it confused the clerk who opened it and one of them got lost. Fortunately I had copies and the store believed me too.
Even someone like me, who thinks he is on top of this stuff, can have “it” happen…
Don’t let it happen to you… be careful and you will get the rebates! If not, consider the Better Business Bureau. But before you get upset, make sure you have all the records you are going to need to go to bat. I hope this helps you in your next purchase of anything!
:) Marathon Man!
