mail in rebate?

[Ha_gaaabe]

can someone explain to me what is this? is a scam? why does pcpartpicker discount it off the total but when i go to website it does not show same price.

 

[Suztera]

You may have missed the rebates as it has an expiry date. Pcpartpicker does not update in real time with rebates.

 

[MarkW]

You are supposed to get a rebate form from either the manufacturers website or from the place you buy the product. Fill it out, carefully follow their instructions to the letter (or they will disqualify you), and mail it in. Then you get to wait for a check to come back. Sometimes it only takes a month. Sometimes it takes 3 months. Sometimes, they never come.

Personally, I act like there is no rebate. I do not factor it into the price decision, because I assume I will not get it. Then I fill out the paperwork, and occasionally, I get surprised.

 

[Mr Soup]

mail in rebates are pretty common. If you are buying from one of the vendors listed on pcpartpicker you should be fine. Sometimes it is the vendor offering it or sometimes it is the manufacturer. Either way, you establish proof of purchase (i.e. a receipt), fill out a form, and either write or cut out and attach the bar code from the box.

Most mail in rebates take a long time, however, so I wouldn't count on it as part of your budgeting as it is very common to take 6 to 8 weeks or more to receive depending on who is offering it. Sometimes it is also offered as a Visa Gift Card or similar so you can't count on getting "cash".

As for the difference between pcpartpicker and the vendor website, that can be several things. Pcpartpicker is an aggregate site that gets pricing at some interval based on the script of the webpage. I don't know the frequency of it. Price is a fluid thing. Often times prices change quickly and a mail in rebate, free game, etc. can come and go quickly as well.

If you ever read reviews here at Tom's you will see prices listed. If you click the linked price, however, you might find something different at the vendor website. The script isn't real time and is only as good as the programmer. But it gives you a good general idea of what to expect price wise and gives you a starting point.

This:

Personally, I act like there is no rebate. I do not factor it into the price decision, because I assume I will not get it. Then I fill out the paperwork, and occasionally, I get surprised.

 

[synphul]

I suppose some people have issues. I've had good luck with mail in rebates dealing with gigabyte through newegg or tigerdirect. It does take a month or two to get the rebates, but in my case I got 2 $40 rebate gift cards so it was well worth it. Only once did I not get a rebate, called and contacted the rebate center and resubmitted and they made good on it (xfx). I think I've done around a dozen or so mir's and saved quite a bit of money. You do have to follow the instructions though which are typically simple like the upc off the product, a copy of the invoice proving purchase and date (that it fell within the rebate period), mailed on time, mailed to the proper address etc. Basic following of instructions and understanding rebate restrictions (such as limited to 1 per household etc).

Pcpartpicker is good for a rough idea but they're not always the most current or accurate. Sometimes parts get listed as compatible when they aren't, sometimes products aren't listed as if all vendors have stopped carrying them yet you'll find it available on newegg's site which being a pcpartpicker vendor should show in their listings. Best to get current prices from the vendor pages themselves (ie, newegg, amazon, ncixus etc) which will show accurate pricing and discount, sale or mir status.