I'm never purchasing something with a mail-in rebate again.

[DeezNuts]

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Perfect!

[Warik]

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I think the whole thing is not worth it and just stay away from mail-in rebates. I don't want to wait three months and get a rebate after sending three letters and making two phone calls.

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I have saved THOUSANDS of dollars with mail-in rebates. If you do them correctly, you don't have anything to worry about. I've done anything from $1 mail-in rebate for blank CDs up to $100+ mail-in rebates for a computer.

Just make sure your rebate isn't for a company that's about to go out of business and you'll be ok.

[Blarg]

Believe me, nobody is more anal-retentive about doing things than this lawyer friend of mine, and if it takes a very good anal-retentive lawyer sometimes three months and more to get a rebate, I figure a pea-brained, easily aggravated, non-threatening lazy incompetent like myself has no chance of not being pissed off he even started the process.

Which I have, a couple of times. And decided it was pretty ridiculous having to waste time arguing with companies to get back the money they had promised.

My friend totally digs that kind of thing, though. It makes him feel smart and like he's winning all these little victories and such. I'm just not that into it.

[tonypaladino]

I once bought a D-Link router, that came with 3 seperate mail in rebates, all from the same company. I mailed them all out, got 2 checks and one letter saying I mailed it too late, when they were all due the same date. [censored] [censored].

[HopeydaFish]

I never buy anything that comes with a mail-in rebate. I've heard too many stories of people getting ripped off to consider it worth my while. If a product is $99.99 + a $20 mail in rebate at one store, and $89.99 with no rebate at the other store, I'll pay the $89.99 to avoid having to go through the hassle of getting my rebate.

You'd think that it would be counter-productive for companies to try to rip off people by denying them rebates based on technicalities (which are sometimes totally fabricated), but they do so anyway. The company is saving themselves a few bucks for now, but is losing customer loyalty in the process.

[Alobar]

always keep a copy of the receipt. Most places (like best buy) when they print it out your sales receipt actually print a copy for you.

Ive sent in dozens of rebates and never had a problem. I think youve got a sample size issue here.

[Alobar]

are you and your friend trying to get rebates from nigerian bankers or something?? I've never once had to send follow up calls and emails from some company in order to get my rebate.

Its pretty ABC. Theres a receipt, a UPC code, and a timeline. Its not like they have a lot of grey area to [censored] you around with as long as you do those 3 things correctly.Maybe your friend just likes to mail them in late and see if he can still getthem through his giant efforts.

[sfer]

I've found that if you forget the rebate the instant you drop the letter in the mail that you are pleasantly surprised often and disappointed never.

[BottlesOf]

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Its pretty ABC. Theres a receipt, a UPC code, and a timeline. Its not like they have a lot of grey area to [censored] you around with as long as you do those 3 things correctly

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See that's what I thought. I followed these simple instructions to the letter, and still I'm told they never received part of it, which is only possible if they [censored] up, or if the USPS opened my mail and removed just the reciept and resealed the envelope with only the UPC code.

I may be able to print another reciept from buy.com, if so, I will use that to prag their face.

In future, I will do some combination of avoiding mail in rebates, and mailing rebates in with all kinds of confirmations and carbon copies and public notaries.

[alekhine8]

Rebates suck. Best Buy is getting better and letting you process some of them online, and Staples was pretty good.

But screw everyone else. F'ing commies, all of them.