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Subscribe to RSSSeen any good rebates lately? Rebate offers are on the decline — a trend that’s been going on for several years. But the ones that are still available can help stretch your budget.
The editors at dealnews.com recently analyzed the numbers and found that manufacturers are opting for quality over quantity.
"While the sheer number of rebates is going down, we've found that the number of high-quality rebate deals is going up,” said Lindsay Sakraida, features director at dealnews.
In my book, that’s good news, because mail-in rebates are a pain. Who wants to go to all that work for just a few cents, knowing that in many cases the rebate check will never arrive?
Thankfully, many rebates can now be done online. Sakraida says Web-based rebates have become more popular with visitors to the dealnews site.
“People are more willing to click on the rebate deal because they're a better value,” she told me. “Deals that require rebates these days are giving you an all-time low price or a rare discount, so consumers are a little bit more willing to put up with that extra step."
The dealnews analysis shows tech products most often have high-value rebates. That’s especially true with solid state hard drives right now. So far this year, nearly half of the rebate offers on these hard drives gave shoppers best-ever prices, or close to them, for their respective storage capacity.
Rebates are still popular on computer software. It’s not uncommon to find “free after rebate” offers — the ultimate prize for a savvy shopper — on security software.
For example, right now at newegg.com Symantec has a free after-rebate offer on Norton Antivirus 2013. You pay $35 and get a $35 prepaid card by mail. Buy Bitdefender Total Security 2013 at FRYs.com and you make a penny. You pay $49.99 (shipping is free) and get $50 back after the mail-in rebate. Both of these offers expire on Nov. 1.
Be advised: The rebates for some “free” software deals are only good if you upgrade from one version of that program to another.
The bottom line
Free money is always good, so it would be silly not to take advantage of a rebate offer. But it’s just as foolish to buy something with a rebate and not claim your money back.
Manufacturers love it when customers don’t follow through. They count on the fact that a significant percentage of shoppers will be attracted to the “after rebate” price, but forget to submit the rebate claim. Don’t leave this money sitting on the table.
The Federal Trade Commission offers these tips for successfully claiming a rebate:
- Follow the instructions on the rebate form and enclose all required documentation in the envelope when filing for a rebate.
- Make a copy of all paper work to be mailed when applying for a rebate. It's the only record you will have of the transaction if anything goes wrong.
- Contact the company if the rebate doesn't arrive within the time promised.
- If the rebate never arrives or arrives late, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, your state attorney general or the local Better Business Bureau.
What have you found when you go shopping? Are the rebates worth your time or too much of a hassle?
Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook or visit The ConsumerMan website.
Leave a Comment:
I hate rebates. They almost seem insulting, as if the company doesn't really want to give you a reduction, but is pretending so you'll buy their product. If they were sincere, the price would be reduced at the counter through an agreement with the store and not require you to jump through hoops to get it.
The problem with rebates is that you have to clip the UPC code off the package and mail it in to get the rebate.
If the product you buy (e.g., a computer) breaks, you can't take it back to the store for a replacement, as you have cut the UPC code off the box. Your only option is to mail it back to the manufacturer under warranty.
And this is done on purpose, as a returned computer is not counted as a sale (and the consumer may decide to go with a different brand, than take the same model in replacement). It also adds to the costs of the manufacturer.
A warranty repair, however, which can take weeks, if not months, plus cost you postage, is a lot cheaper for them.
Rebates are a sad joke. Just buy the item with a cheaper price.
An item with a cheaper purchase price may not be the most cost-effective option. I focus on buying quality goods that will last for years without issue. I have some neighbors who in the past decade bought three sets of furniture. They scoffed at my spending when I bought a set that was three times the price of their original set (they've since outspent my original purchase). My furniture is of a classic style, so it won't go out of fashion, as opposed to the crap that most people buy. It also looks new. I win.
Be careful how you cut costs, as it may cost you more than buying it right the first time.
Boom! You lack reason.
Rebates are designed to distract you from the underlying transaction. Retailers want you to chase after rebates, coupons, flyer miles, loyalty rewards, and other ancillary deals, so you ignore the fundamental transaction.
Usually, rebates are used to sell slow-moving products that are slow-moving for a reason. For example, when I bought a computer at Wal-Mart, the Toshiba was $320. An HP was $450 but was a "better" model. With a $100 rebate, it sounded like a pretty good bargain.
But.... It was still more expensive than the Toshiba, and if you Google "HP Laptop Overheat Nvidia" you will understand why there was a rebate on that model. Once I clip the UPC and sent in my ORIGINAL RECEIPT, Wal-Mart would not "take back" the computer if it overheated and failed. I would have to mail it in to HP for warranty repair.
I bought the Toshiba. It works just fine.
The best, simplest and most direct deals are often the best bargains. Once you chase after rewards and rebates, you take your eye off the ball - which is EXACTLY what they want you to do.
You get so caught up in "savings" that you miss the underlying transaction.
As for quality furniture, I buy Stickley. And no, they don't offer "rebates" on it. In fact, they don't offer rebates on quality anything.
Sorry, but you missed the entire point of my comment.
And I am not entirely sure there was a point to yours.
Rather, you lack reading comprehension. I was agreeing with your overall statement, and then adding that people should pay attention to more than simply the advertised price, which always shows the "after rebate" price. People who look for the best deal may see the after rebate price before they see that it requires a rebate. They almost never see the "true" cost, which includes cost to replace when the items ages out of usefulness or style.
I was moving past electronics in my comment, since I have seen rebates for pretty much any product. I buy my laptops according to specifications, not ultra low prices. Most people don't realize that higher numbers in specs don't always translate to greater performance.
Rebates are an insult to me. It is obvious that the manufacturer hopes that you will forget to take advantage of the offer. Otherwise, they'd just lower the price. Manufacturers also hope that, even if you don't forget to apply for the rebate, then they can at least nail you on some technicality and avoid paying you that way.
I go out of my way to avoid rebate purchases, sometimes even to the extent that I will actually buy something more expensive -- in order to avoid the insult and hassle of rebates. An exception is when the "rebate" is offered at the sales counter, which as far as I'm concerned is just a price reduction. THAT I will take advantage of.