More Rebate Scams…

To continue an ancient post of mine from 2006, the date’s changed, but not the scam: rebates are still a big scam.  Alright, I’m a major cheap ass and I do look for product rebates, especially the ones that you can submit online, like Staples does.  Apparently Rhode Island has gone one step further and has done away with mail-in rebates and forces retailers to sell things at the discounted (after rebate) price; I like that, but since I can’t think of one other nice thing to say about Rhode Island, I’m not moving there.

The latest scam in rebates is many faceted.  Sometimes I’ll receive a rejection letter with no particular reason for the rejection.  When I call up, they’ll tell me that my rebate “should have gone through” and then it’s resubmitted successfully.  It’s like your health insurance claims that mysteriously get rejected at random only to be accepted when you point it out to them.  I’ve seen these rejections too many times without cause and the only logical explanation is that they universally reject your rebate submission in hopes that most people will accept it.  Well, not this cheap ass.

Another “scam” I just experienced was a rebate for a mail order computer that had to be postmarked within 20 days of purchase.  If, for a moment, you consider that I ordered online day 1, I received the computer day 5 or 6 and now you have about 2 weeks to dig up the invoice that was emailed to me, go back to the website where I bought it and find the rebates, print them out, gather all the appropriate UPC codes, make copies of everything, address and stamp the envelopes and then mail everything.  All of this needs to be done with a high priority while you’re setting up your new computer and loading/debugging software, setting up email addresses, web favorites, etc… which is NOT trivial.  Bottom line, you have MUCH better things to do than fill out a freaking rebate form the day your computer arrives.  Ninety days is more reasonable.

Our new washing machine also came with a rebate.  Again, I ordered it online, but my rebate was rejected.  I was told I didn’t provide an invoice that stated “paid in full”.  What I did send, was my order confirmation email (headed “INVOICE”) that stated “paid: credit card”, but apparently that didn’t work.  The rep said he couldn’t help me, so he put on his supervisor.  Long story short, I had to fax them my packing slip from when the washer was delivered and write a brief note asking them to accept my packing slip AND emailed invoice in lieu of the “real” invoice.  Ugh.  I’m still waiting on my $75 check, but I expect it’s on its way.

Staples does it right: many of their rebates are able to be submitted via their website; you just enter your receipt number and that’s all the proof of purchase you need.  I’m sure other retailers know this, but they also know that many, many people are attracted to the discount a rebate offers, but a large percentage of the purchasers will never fill out the rebate form, especially if there’s any sort of complicated procedure.

So I just got off the phone with the “20 day rebate” website; they’re going to honor all but $10 of my $110 in rebates, despite it being late.  I pleaded my case and they gave in, more likely because I was whining, but nonetheless, I got my $100.  Little do they know that they just saved a customer and I will purchase from them again.  This time, however, I plan on filling out the rebate forms immediately and then I’ll lie in wait to see what NEW reason they reject them.

It’s hard to be me.