Author Topic: Rebates: Worth the Hassle? (Read 598 times)

Martlet · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2005, 08:44:24 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Siaf__csf
I never quite understood the logic behind the rebates. But the number of people who never bother to mail in the rebates must be large which gives more profit in return.

The large companies also benefit from the additional cash flow even if they do give rebates - it's like getting a free loan from the consumers. A loan that you always don't even have to pay back.

Heck, getting $90 in cash from 500 000 people for basically nothing.. That's real money and value.

In that sense it's a genius idea.

It is, really. The largest rebate I have here is 30 bucks from the Samsung monitor. I bought it a few weeks ago.

Now that I actually look at them all, I'll probably mail them in since I see they are worth over $100 total. But just 30 bucks would sit there for awhile.

It is a good scam.

Eagler · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2005, 10:06:42 AM »

if you are too lazy to spend 5 minutes of your time and 37 cents for 20/30/40/50 bucks then you are just too darn rich and/or lazy

Raider179 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 06, 2005, 10:18:14 AM »

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Originally posted by Heiliger
Yeah we been there before.

Or how about this one: my video card had a $40 or $50 dollar rebate on it. The rebate requested that the "proof of purchase" be mailed in. The problem was, there was NOT a freaking "proof of purchase" on the box! We called and they said, "OK just mail the whole front of the box then". Weeks later, still no money, my wife called about it while I was at work. They told her she couldn't get the rebate because there was no "proof of purchase". She lost it (just been screwed out of $100 on a monitor rebate) and she began fighting with the guy on whether or not there was such a thing on the box. After she told him, "I sent you the whole face of the box, what better 'proof of purchase' do you need??? When you get off work, drive your oscar down to Best Buy and look for yourself", they caved in and finally mailed the check.

Or when they claim they never received it. lol then your are really SOL

Heiliger · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2005, 02:16:53 AM »

Yeah that happened to us when we bought our first printer...

Masherbrum · « **Reply #19 on:** February 17, 2005, 08:30:44 AM »

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Originally posted by Martlet
Of course I am. I'm trying to walk a mile in Clinton's shoes to see what it's like to be a liberal.

Monitor just got the coffee shower.

Karaya

JB73 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 17, 2005, 08:48:27 AM »

yeah, they make it a pain in the arse and count on only a certain percentage actually taking advantage of the offer.

but the added sales make up the difference.

how many times have you bought one thing over another brand / type because there was a rebate?

Mickey1992 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 17, 2005, 09:11:54 AM »

Rebates are a way for a manufacturer to push a product without screwing the retailer.

Think of it this way. A monitor retails for $300, and the retailer paid $170 for it from the manufacturer. The manufacturer for whatever reason (too much inventory, discontinuing model) wants to push these units out the door. They can't ask the retailer to drop the price, because this would cut into the retailer's profit.

So what the manufacturer does is offers a rebate to the consumer if they buy the product. That way the retailer still makes the same profit, and the manufacturer pushes the additional units.

Of course, just like gift cards/gift certificates, there is always a 40-60% chance that the consumer will never mail in the rebate and the manufacturer justs reaps the rewards.

mosgood · « **Reply #22 on:** February 17, 2005, 09:28:13 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Mickey1992
Rebates are a way for a manufacturer to push a product without screwing the retailer.

Think of it this way. A monitor retails for $300, and the retailer paid $170 for it from the manufacturer. The manufacturer for whatever reason (too much inventory, discontinuing model) wants to push these units out the door. They can't ask the retailer to drop the price, because this would cut into the retailer's profit.

So what the manufacturer does is offers a rebate to the consumer if they buy the product. That way the retailer still makes the same profit, and the manufacturer pushes the additional units.

Of course, just like gift cards/gift certificates, there is always a 40-60% chance that the consumer will never mail in the rebate and the manufacturer justs reaps the rewards.

The manufacture also gets that customer name to market additional products to. Something they DONT usually get by selling through retail.

RightF00T · « **Reply #23 on:** February 17, 2005, 12:07:02 PM »

JB73 what is that avatar from....

JB73 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 17, 2005, 12:08:42 PM »

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Originally posted by RightF00T
JB73 what is that avatar from....

from nopoop in this thread:

http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=143234

it looks kind of like that chick from the leagally blonde movies i don';t know her name

if you've seen the movie 200 cigarettes it looks like the chick that fell in the dog poo also.

LePaul · « **Reply #25 on:** February 17, 2005, 12:28:33 PM »

What annoys me MORE than rebates is places like Best Buy ("Best Rebate") who list all those low low prices...and in fine print "After Rebate".

Halo · « **Reply #26 on:** February 17, 2005, 01:13:56 PM »

Yeah, LePaul, and Best Buy awarding zillions of points like old green stamps to rate an occasional $5 coupon.

So far this year, Norton gave fastest rebates on its SystemWorks 2005.

PNY gave me only half of the $20 I deserved, I guess because I sent in TWO $10 rebates (with all the verification stuff duplicated too) in ONE envelope. The horror!

Still awaiting rebates from HP, Samsung, TurboTax, and Best Buy.

capt. apathy · « **Reply #27 on:** February 17, 2005, 02:20:15 PM »

I hate them. I Still fill them out but I hate them. I figure about 30% actually show up in a check that is cash-able (have had quite a few that took months to get here and showed up with a check that was past the final valid date before the postmark was stamped.

I ignore rebates when comparison shopping and just consider it a nice surprise if it shows up.

another dis-advantage to them (luckily not a problem in Oregon), is that you still pay sales tax on the full purchase price. so if you buy something that is marked at $200 with a $100 rebate you pay twice the tax that would be required if they would just put how much they need to get for their product on the price tag.

it would be simpler for everyone if they would just reduce the price, including the stores, and companies. what is the benefit to them to support a rebate center, with all the postage, expense and man-hours involved in processing them?

it's been my experience that when people make anything unnecessarily confusing or difficult, it's usually to find an angle to take advantage of someone.

Halo · « **Reply #28 on:** February 17, 2005, 08:51:48 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by capt. apathy

it's been my experience that when people make anything unnecessarily confusing or difficult, it's usually to find an angle to take advantage of someone.

amen

Mini D · « **Reply #29 on:** February 18, 2005, 07:43:51 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Martlet
I have a stack of rebates waiting to be mailed in. New monitor. HD a while back. External Drive, etc. There's at least a half dozen. I suppose I should mail them in.

You'd better check the "instructions" on the rebate. Most rebates, these days, expire within 2 weeks of the purchase date.

This is the second thread this week that has been something I was actually thinking about just a few days before. I just mailed off my Turbo Tax rebate and a rebate for some Kingston memory that I bought when I noticed I wasn't sending the rebate information back to the manufacturer of the product, but back to the store I bought the product from. I'd actually vote for legislation that made it illegal for a retailer to offer rebates. Only manufacturers should be allowed.