Do rebates really come in if you send them out?

[miecz]

So many computers and computer products have rebates if you send them in, but do they really ever get back to you? I bought a Dell before and sent it. Not sure if it ever came back. Do these rebates really work?

 

[RichPLS]

Yes, more so likely if manufacture is reputable... and you follow directions...
Dell, Logitech, Symantec and MS seem pretty good, imo...

 

[1Tanker]

bought a Dell before and sent it. Not sure if it ever came back.

Does it really matter, if you don't even know if you got the rebate?

 

[RichPLS]

not to me...

 

[FITCamaro]

I've usually gotten them. I worked for Best Buy back in the day and we didn't get too many people complaining that it didn't come either.

The problem is if it doesn't come and you call who was supposed to give it, they can basically say something like "we didn't get it", "it wasn't filled out right", or something else and you can't do much about it. Only time my family ever had a problem was with a few rebates on cell phones. But we got them eventually.

 

[DrBlofeld]

So many computers and computer products have rebates if you send them in, but do they really ever get back to you? I bought a Dell before and sent it. Not sure if it ever came back. Do these rebates really work?

Yes and no. It depends on you and the company. Here is my view. Sorry if it is too long! First, I’ll mention the companies, then the you factor:

COMPANY: A lot of companies, especially when they are going out of business, offer many rebates to clear inventory. You will never see the rebate. Make sure that the company is reputable and financially secure. Although some companies may be secure, they can practice bad business habits for the sake of profit. Soyo is the perfect example. Although they were still in business last time I checked, they do not honor rebates without a fight. Just google “Soyo” and “rebates” to find a plethora of information about them.

YOU: The rebates have strict requirements for submission. Sometimes they can be quite unfair. You must follow instructions exactly. In some cases you have only one or two days after purchase to send it in. There is usually no sympathy involved. If you miss the date or if you do not follow instructions exactly, your rebate is void. Another sneaky thing rebate companies do is limit the date from which you can cash the check. In one instance, I bought a wireless USB adapter with a rebate. After receiving the check, I had only 5 days to cash it! Not all companies do this, but you have to be prepared. If you are planning to go away on vacation, you could miss out.

You should consider the price you pay without rebates as your final price and only consider the rebate as a possible bonus 8 to 12 weeks later or even longer. When offering rebates it is in the company’s best interest not to pay you. Enough people forget or make mistakes that the company still makes a profit with the rebate offer.

 

[1Tanker]

You should consider the price you pay without rebates as your final price and only consider the rebate as a possible bonus 8 to 12 weeks later or even longer.

Yes, that's the way i try to look at it.

PS. You have to remember that you're paying tax on the pre-rebate price also, which you don't get back. So you don't save as much as they would like you to think.

 

[rodney_ws]

From personal experience...

ZipZoomFly: Yes
Dell: Yes
BestBuy: Yes

I'm 3 for 3! Hooray!

 

[swifty_morgan]

In the past 6 mos, I had problems with newegg over a 20 rebate on a western digital harddrive. Called them and talked to a rep who said they would credit my account. Had to call back 2 weeks later to actually get them to do it. Got it though.

I had trouble with a rebate from tigerdirect. Took a heck of a long time, and the company that the rebate was coming from had to insult me by saying I should have a paypal account. Like everybody does. .........

I had, on 2 seperate occassions gotten rebates from ocz. No problems there.

I had one I mailed in to coolmax for a power supply. Ended up trying to call...... no luck. Sent a couple of e-mails only to find out I did something wrong when I mailed the paperwork in. Bullshit. You can't fuck up when you only have 2 pieces of paper to send through the mail. Guess they needed the 30 bucks more than I did. That was the only reason I baught the piece of crap..... and it is a piece of crap.

But all in all, you have to be patient, and at the end of the cycle, and you haven't gotten it yet, be a little persistant and I think you'd make out all right.

 

[MrsD]

bought a Dell before and sent it. Not sure if it ever came back.

Does it really matter, if you don't even know if you got the rebate?

My exact thoughts when I read the post. If you dont even know if you got it, then why ask if they work? I mean really.

 

[illuminatirex]

most of the time u get a check back, i send out a $20 mir once to fuji film in about 2003 or so never heard from them agin
i send out symantecs mir for 30 and 50 got a $30 chack, and the 50 didnt come i just got a leter that they never got it, good thing i send it out with that signature confirmation (which i got back ) and i send im a photocopy of it , and about 2 weeks later o got back the $50 ...my advice if u can use that sugnature receipt confirmation form, then if anything no one will say that they did not receive it, it doent cost mutch but it can save u come greens

 

[sailer]

Sure rebates always pay off. You can believe in the Easter rabbit and Santa Claus too. Rarely have I ever actually received a rebate check. So I don't count on such things when I go shopping. Many times I've seen rebates on stuff that were already out of date while still on the shelf. If the company really wanted to give a rebate, it would be an instant one, the type that's given at the cash register so that you don't have to do anything. I do see those once in a while and I like them. Otherwise, its like, if it happens, it happens, but never count on it happening.

 

[losmeme]

Rebates are a legal form of cooking the accounting books. If a product has a rebate attached to it, the company is trying to elevate same store sales, or monthly sales by taking the discount off their books, and hiding it far down the financial statement. I try to stay away from them, why not just give me the discount off the purchase price?

It all depends on the company at the end of the day. My experiences:

TigerDirect - Forget about ever seeing your rebate, if you shop TD to begin with, you deserve to be ripped off.

NewEgg - Never saw the $20 rebate, but I called and was credited with the amount. Seems like they don't move unless you call them.

ATI - Took them SEVEN MONTHS to rebate me $20 off an AIW card. SEVEN MONTHS!

PQI - $20 check received within one month, by far the best experience I have had.

EVGA - Rebate received within three months

emachines - Will gladly say they received your rebate, but also just as gladly inform you that you didn't fulfill requirements. (Like the poster above: It's 2 fricking pieces of paper! Must not have mailed it under a full moon!)

Office Depot - Forget about it. I'm not sure even THEY could adhere to their terms of getting a rebate check. There's nothing easy about their "easy" rebates.

I personally won't buy any item that has a rebate attached to it any more. It's just too dodgy, and there are plenty of other sellers with as good or "close enough to forgo the hassle of a rebate" pricing on an identical product.

 

[chocobocorey]

Office Depot - Forget about it. I'm not sure even THEY could adhere to their terms of getting a rebate check. There's nothing easy about their "easy" rebates.

hahaha i work for office depot. we always f$@k people over with their rebates. its actually pretty funny. i would not suggest buying a product cause it has the rebate cause its about 50/50 it'll come back.

 

[nobly]

I personally won't buy any item that has a rebate attached to it any more. It's just too dodgy, and there are plenty of other sellers with as good or "close enough to forgo the hassle of a rebate" pricing on an identical product.

Hear hear!
I try to avoid rebates unless I'm already happy w/ the price, then getting the rebate back is just icing on the cake.

Places I've gotten burned by: Frys (don't shop there!), Circuit City
Places that have given it back: Staples, Circuit City, Verbatim, Memorex, newegg w/ pc magazine, Canon, ATI, Samsung, Seagate

 

[elpresidente2075]

Office Depot - Forget about it. I'm not sure even THEY could adhere to their terms of getting a rebate check. There's nothing easy about their "easy" rebates.

hahaha i work for office depot. we always f$@k people over with their rebates. its actually pretty funny. i would not suggest buying a product cause it has the rebate cause its about 50/50 it'll come back.

Same thing at OfficeMax. It got so bad, now no one who comes into my store (except only the most foolhardy) will buy anything for its mir. I work for them and never have seen a rebate come back from any of their offers (0 for 5)! lol, I was an idiot for even buying there in the first place.

 

[johngoodwin]

So many computers and computer products have rebates if you send them in, but do they really ever get back to you? I bought a Dell before and sent it. Not sure if it ever came back. Do these rebates really work?

1) Never buy a product "because with rebate it's only $xxx"
2) Figure a rebate as free money you may or may not get
3) Figure out a way to deal with rebates right away, because I forget about 80% of the time.
4) Photocopy your rebate, upc, etc, and be willing to follow up (Which means store the photocopy someplace you can find it. Include date you mailed it and date you should have gotten the check.). Ten minutes of work could net you the difference between getting the rebate when you complain, or being told you are out of luck, and not having anything to refute them.
5) Better brands are better about coming through.
6) Double check postage incase the rebate is out of the country
7) Double check terms (1 per household, product, yada yada stuff)
8) Make sure you are allowed to use a PO Box if you try to use one. Most do not allow them.
9) Multiple rebates to the same company seem to only return one (namely Symantec seems to ignore one of the rebates)
10) Be willing to say you lost at some point, and give up. Money saving strategies which cost you way too much time are pointless.

My two cents (or should I say 10?)

John

 

[JonathanDeane]

I would say I have gotten about 90% of the rebates I have sent in for. I do have a complaint about Western Digital HD RMA's.... If you have two drives that go bad at one time send them seperatly with seperate RMA numbers... I sent two drives in and recieved one back and WD says "we sent them in the same box" hmmm well one of those plastic things they come with must do double duty as an HD....

 

[hella-d]

I Ignore Rebates

 

[chocobocorey]

I Ignore Rebates

i ignore everything you say because you dont know how to type

😛

 

[clue69less]

So many computers and computer products have rebates if you send them in, but do they really ever get back to you? I bought a Dell before and sent it. Not sure if it ever came back. Do these rebates really work?

The trick is to make a copy of everything you send in, date it and file it. Review your rebate docs and after ~3 months, give the laggards a call or email. Scan your docs and attach to emails. That works part of the time. PC Club is one place that has a poor record with me - they not paid out any of the four rebates I sent in. Sony is horrible. WD has been good to me, as has Antec, Belkin, OCZ and Mad Dog.

 

[buckiller]

SO far im good... 100%...waiting on my last one from my PC build months ago though so we'll see

A lot of people complain of not getting rebates...like OCZ ram all the reviews say that you dont get the rebate...but you do...just 3 months later....people are impatient.

 

[the_vorlon]

almost always, yes... just takes time....