Rebates. Do you get too lazy to even bother with them?

[musclemom]

Belgium and Holland

never heard of it

A rebate is a promotion offered by a manufacturer. Instead of a product being offered on sale, you buy the product, send in a special coupon and proof of purchase (usually the manufacturer's UPC symbol and your receipt, and most stores print out extra receipts when you buy a rebate item so you still have your original receipt in case of need for a return) and in six weeks to three months or whatever, depending on how long the rebate runs, you get a check for however much the rebate is for.

My husband just bought new power supplies for two computers, the power supplies were originally $69 with a $30 rebate. In a couple of months we'll get two checks for $30, kapish?

As I said previously, rebates are usually for a bit more than the products will go on sale for because manufacturers are counting on more than 25% of the people who make the purchase to not send IN the rebate at all, or to not follow all the instructions on sending in the rebate correctly, or they'll send it to the wrong address, or whatever. It's a good deal only if you follow through.

They don't have rebates in Europe, wonder why?

 

[wootoom]

what about gift certificates

 

[Hiatussin]

They don't have rebates in Europe, wonder why?

politicians here would probably think it was treacherous and unnecessary paperwork and halt it.

Belgium is worse than Holland. its almost scandinavian. here they have an enforced "season" in which stores can have a sale. If you lower your prices at any other time, you get sued for "unfair competition"
this of course means lots of pinheaded public employees walk around tracking prices to see they dont drop before time

This then of course means that the two weeks prior to the sales boom, malls are empty as graveyards. Except for a few snobs who like to distinguish themselves by shopping the day before sale. "it gets too busy in the mall around that time, I find it so common"-

It´s pathetic. theres no belief in the free market at all. Belgium has a near-flat tax and liberal gun laws and no or little property tax though... its just a very well to do little state (Flanders anyway). Heavy sales tax though. I try to buy stuff when in Holland.

 

[marqui77]

I guess I'm one of those people who are too lazy to send the rebate in, in fact I won't buy anything with a rebate on it anymore, for the simple fact that if I have to mail some bullshit in, then there is someone else sellign the same thing without a rebate.

 

[nycgirl]

I guess I'm one of those people who are too lazy to send the rebate in, in fact I won't buy anything with a rebate on it anymore, for the simple fact that if I have to mail some bullshit in, then there is someone else sellign the same thing without a rebate.

Nope. I'm the same way. I avoid stores and items with rebates.

Now, if I could return the rebate online, that's something different. Until someone starts doing that . . . I will avoid them.

 

[jackangel]

best buy has some online rebates. of the two that i filled out for this router several weeks ago, one of them was submitted online. took about 2 minutes. as for manufacturer's rebates, i suppose those will have to go the old-fashioned way for now. still, that one only required filling out 5-6 lines (name/address kind of shit) on a form, then including a copy of receipt, upc, and the short form itself in an envelope and mailing it. i'm the laziest ever, so i can understand, but not doing this much for $15 (worth it) is a waste and almost disrespectful of money.

 

[Dunk]

best buy has some online rebates. of the two that i filled out for this router several weeks ago, one of them was submitted online. took about 2 minutes.

See now THAT makes sense (regardless of the foul stench of curry emanating from your post)

 

[musclemom]

It´s pathetic. theres no belief in the free market at all. Belgium has a near-flat tax and liberal gun laws and no or little property tax though... its just a very well to do little state (Flanders anyway). Heavy sales tax though. I try to buy stuff when in Holland.

Sounds like my kind of place!!!

I dunno, how does it compare to someplace like NY state, where the sales tax can vary by as much as 3% going from one CITY to another!

Or property taxes where I live, I have a HUUUUUGGGE property <sarc> 125' by 50' on a very busy intersection, my property/school taxes and sewer/garbage service are $3,250 a year. Sales tax is 6% everywhere in the state. And then regular income tax, that's roughly 15% of your gross income ... mandatory car inspection/registration ...

No wonder so many Americans are expatriating when they retire, it costs too much to live on a fixed income in this country. The problem is where to go ...

 

[curling]

if the rebate is $10 or more i always send it in

ME too. It only takes 5 minutes to do it at the longest and that is $120 bucks an hour. I doubt most people make that here on this board as an hourly wage.