How do Mail-In Rebates Work?

[Silv3rAc3]

Hey guys,

I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I have this build for $600 that comes without a monitor or Windows OS. Without the rebates the build is $650. I need to buy Windows which is $100. This brings the total to $700 with rebates and $750 without rebates. I also need to buy a monitor. The one I am looking at is $50 so the total is now $750 with rebates and $800 without rebates. Do I pay the $650 for the build up front and then do something with the rebates to get the price to $600 or are the rebates automatically applied?

Thanks in advance!

 

[wanderer11]

You pay the full price up front. Once you get your stuff there will be a rebate form to print and fill out. You then include your receipt/packing slip and upc sticker from the box. You mail it to where it says and wait 20 weeks, they say 8-10 but it's more like 20. They will mail you a debit card.

 

[USAFRet]

You buy something for full price. In the process, you agree to loan the billion dollar company a small percentage. Maybe $10-$15. You send in several pieces of paperwork, all not earlier than nor no later than a specific date. They are then supposed to send you a check or prepaid card with the rebate amount.

If they fell generous, they may send you that $10-$15 back. If they don't feel generous, they can just 'ignore' it, or lose it, or tell you that you've messed up something in the submission chain. And now the time window is over, so you're out of luck.

But meanwhile, they have kept that, and combined with several thousand other $10 loans, have collected the interest on it for a couple of months.

Can you tell I detest mail-in-rebate? Strictly a marketing ploy.
If the billion dollar company can afford to sell it to me for the $10 off price, then do that. I have no desire to loan them money, in hopes of maybe getting it back.

 

[Cpt Underpants]

You buy something for full price. In the process, you agree to loan the billion dollar company a small percentage. Maybe $10-$15. You send in several pieces of paperwork, all not earlier than nor no later than a specific date. They are then supposed to send you a check or prepaid card with the rebate amount.

If they fell generous, they may send you that $10-$15 back. If they don't feel generous, they can just 'ignore' it, or lose it, or tell you that you've messed up something in the submission chain. And now the time window is over, so you're out of luck.

But meanwhile, they have kept that, and combined with several thousand other $10 loans, have collected the interest on it for a couple of months.

Can you tell I detest mail-in-rebate? Strictly a marketing ploy.
If the billion dollar company can afford to sell it to me for the $10 off price, then do that. I have no desire to loan them money, in hopes of maybe getting it back.

^+1
so.... much.... win

But no seriously I'm dealing with the rebates on my new build too. I've got $100 of rebates, or it might be $70 since ASRock insists they be mailed within 10 days of sale, unbeknownst to me. I bought from NCIX & my invoice date was a week before I actually paid for everything because of their fancy deposit system that will set your date of purchase to whenever you make a deposit. Thinking I was being clever, I made my deposit strategically, thinking I had locked in many lucrative rebates. Long story short, we'll see what happens, but I wholeheartedly agree with USAFRet, I do not see any value to either myself or society in providing these companies free short-term capital.

 

[JDFan]

Totally agree with both of you !! -- Rebates are a complete waste, I now do not even include them when purchasing (sure I send them in if the product ends up being purchased based on the non-rebate price vs. other items but I do not even consider them when making the purchase.)

I can see why the companies offer them since they can keep the $ in the bank for awhile and only about 50% or less of the rebates ever get sent in then 10 - 20% of those sent in are denied due to missing information or not properly\timely being sent in and even more get lost in the mail dropping that to around 20-30% being approved - then the rebate cards get lost, either in the mail or after the buyer receives it or go unused until they start deducting $5 or so a month after some time of non use until the card is worthless dropping even more of the rebates from ever being used. In the end the actual return and fulfillment of the rebates winds up around 10% or less so they can offer a $50 rebate rather than a $5 discount on the selling price and wind up ahead after you factor in the interest they gain during the 6 months it takes to process and spend the rebate which is why they offer them so often !

I just wish they'd pass laws about advertising with Rebates and make them advertise the full price instead of the after rebate price to curb some of it - and also make the companies doing the rebates place the $ in a separate bank account that they send the rebate $ into as the product is sold - so that it never gets included in the companies records and any $ that goes unclaimed go straight to the govt coffers to help pay off the deficit including all of the interest gained on it. Since that would take the financial benefit out of the equation and actually hurt the companies rather than incentivise offering rebates.

 

[GhostPyro]

i hate how whenever i buy something, the next day its like 30% off, or when i bought the i5 3570k the i5 4670k came out a week later, bad karma

 

[AirTony3997]

i hate how whenever i buy something, the next day its like 30% off, or when i bought the i5 3570k the i5 4670k came out a week later, bad karma

just do your research...