A few years back I wrote an article on manufacturer’s rebates and how companies “banked” on a certain percentage of consumers being too lazy to mail in the claim forms! Today I have a guest post from an individual who actually worked in a third party rebate-processing center! Enjoy!
“Mom” from the personal finance blog Wide Open Wallet shares her unique perspective as a former rebate processor.
I actually used to work at a third party rebate-processing center. I worked in customer service for Compaq computer rebates so I have some insight as to why mail-in rebates go awry.
The biggest problem we would encounter is the fact that the bigger stores, such as Circuit City and Best Buy, do not hand out the regular rebate forms printed from the manufacturer. They print their own right from the register. The problem is that those rebate forms do not have the proper terms and conditions. When the stores set up the rebate with the manufacturer they have to pick from a list of terms that the store can print, these terms are not written by the manufacturer and they are not the rules by which your rebate will be processed. So you can see the problems that could arise. If you are getting a rebate form that is printed off at the register ask if they have a copy from the manufacturer. They are supposed to, whether they do or not, I don’t know. You can always call customer service and ask for a copy of the rebate form to be mailed to you. While you are on the phone you can ask them to double check that you qualify for the rebate, but still ask for a copy so you can look at the terms yourself.
Another big problem is that if the item you purchase has been returned its possible the rebate has already been redeemed on it. If that is the case then you aren’t going to get your rebate. So never buy an open box if you are counting on the rebate.
Ben already gave you the tip to make copies of everything you send. I wholeheartedly agree. Another good tip is to mail it with a return receipt. That way when the mail is delivered it is handed to a live person and that person signs a slip saying they have received it. That slip is then mailed back to you. Then you can prove your information was received if needed.
Last but not least, write legibly. You would think I wouldn’t have to say this but you would be surprised what I’ve seen. A person has to decipher what you write so take your time and make sure it can be read.
As far as I know, the rebate company I worked for didn’t receive any profits from unprocessed rebates. The company got paid a certain amount for every rebate that was paid out, and then another smaller amount for each phone call we received. We made an honest attempt to process all the rebates that qualified. That said, I never buy anything with the assumption that I’m going to receive the mail-in rebate.
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