Are Mail-In Rebates a Scam?

You know the routine, you go to any major electronics retailer because you saw a great advertised price. You find your item, but when you get to the cash register they tell you that you have to mail in a form to get your rebate! You might feel cheated, ripped off, and angry. Why do retailers put customers through this?!

I went straight to the source and contacted Lori DeCou, Director, Corporate Communications, Best Buy Canada. Best Buy Canada (along with Future Shop, which is owned by Best Buy Canada) is one of the major retailers that uses the mail-in rebate system. Ms. DeCou echoed the general sentiment that customers are not fond of mail-in rebates. She gave me a news scoop that Best Buy Canada and Future Shop will be phasing out vendor mail-in rebates over the next two years. Even though mail-in rebates are very simple to do, it's still about convenience for the customer. No one wants to do more paperwork and pay for a stamp after getting home. It's about time that retailers nudge manufacturers to make things easy and convenient for the customer.

Until then, there are things you can do to make the process easier. After your receipt prints at the store, a rebate form is printed along with a copy of the receipt. The sales associate should briefly explain how to collect your rebate. Although these major retailers make it as easy as possible to get the rebate back from the manufacturer, there are also a few tips you can use:

1. At the store, check the rebate form to make sure it hasn't expired
2. If you didn't receive one, ask for a copy of your receipt
3. Most rebates require you to cut out and send the UPC symbol, ask the associate which UPC symbol it is, since many products have multiple barcodes on the box
4. When you get home, take the time to read the requirements thoroughly, and fill out everything clearly
5. If you are missing your rebate form, check your store's web site as many have a rebate center where you can get a copy of all current rebate forms
6. When you have filled everything out, make a photocopy of the paperwork for your own reference!
7. Rebates usually take 6 to 10 weeks to be returned, if you haven't received yours you can check the manufacturer's "Rebates" link on their web site to see the status of your rebate
8. If you can't find rebate information on the manufacturer's web site, call their toll free customer service number for help

Ms. DeCou firmly stated that manufacturers have every intention of paying the rebates back to the customer, and I agree. Mail-in rebates are inconvenient, but they are not a scam. You can often find significant savings using mail-in rebates. We will just have to wait another couple of years before we see the savings at the cash register, however!

Had any interesting experiences with mail-in rebates? Tell us about it!