4 Golden Rules to Make Rebates a Reward Instead of a Rip Off

Rebates are a very old marketing strategy but have come to use only in the recent years. You may find rebates in many consumer durables, especially on electronic goods and computers. Now-a-days getting rebates of $20, $50 or $100 have become really common.

There are even rebates that make us think that they are “too good to be true” where the advertiser claims the product “free after rebate”. Well, there is a good number of this kind available but a few that you need to be watchful about. Remember, a prudent deal can be one of the best purchases you would have done ever.

But first, you should know how you need to claim rebates. Once you have purchased the product paying its market price, you will have to fill in a form stating the barcode and then post the company with these details. In return they will mail you the refund amount which will actually reduce the price of the product you have bought. However, the process may take some time, at times it may even take more than a few weeks.

Here are the 4 golden rules that will help you make rebates a reward instead of a rip off:

Rule 1 - Rebates from well-known companies are guaranteed.

If you have bought Best Buy, Amazon or Dell you can be sure of getting the suggested rebate. But if you have purchased from the not-so-heard company cannot really depend on it. However, you will have to make a choice on the getting the product at a cheaper price or to get it at a reasonable price and then claim good rebate from a reputable company.

Rule 2 – Double check the rebates date of expiry

Like any other product rebates have their own date of expiry and have to be check while purchasing the product rather than getting disappointed noting it after the purchase.

Rule 3 – Get all the necessary forms to claim the rebate, before you leave the store

You will have to fill in all the necessary details in the rebate form and mail it along with the receipt of the purchase and the barcode.

Rule 4 – Make copies of the rebate claim

Make sure you have duplicate copies of all the forms, receipt and bar code you have mailed to claim your rebate. There are times when posts get misplaced and the company may not get your rebate claims. Preserving a copy will help you repost the required forms, especially if you have a rebate offer of $50 or more.

Tweet