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April 19, 2006
If the downward price spiral continues in the digital camera and consumer electronics industry, you may soon be able to get a decent DSLR for under $500, or a high-performance computer workstation for under $300. But wait! You say you've already seen those items advertised at these prices or lower? Chances are you're looking at the price after the “Rebates” kick in.
In an effort to compete in this price-conscious world, many mega-store chains and several manufacturers are using the mail in rebate system to convince customers they're getting the best deal. That may explain why a computer system with a list price of $899 will be advertised for $399 in some store fliers. Only, when you look closely, you'll notice that everything is listed in reverse, with the after-rebate value in big, bold fonts—followed by a long list of rebates including, but not limited to: megastore instant rebate, manufacturer's mail in rebate, manufacturer's instant rebate, megastore mail-in rebate, printer-bundle mail-in rebate, monitor mail-in rebate, and memory-card mail-in rebate. Finally, way down at the bottom, in teeny, tiny print, is the product model number, followed by the “Actual Purchase Price” that you have to shell out up front before you can even qualify for the potential rebate savings.
I say “potential” rebate savings because I, like many others, rarely find the time to fill out the required paperwork or else I'll misplace it within a few days. Sometimes, the only way to get the rebate form and directions is to download it from a website, another step designed to slow down the process. In either case, a typical rebate form reads like this: To get your rebate, follow this simple procedure: 1) Send two copies of your receipt, 2) Verify your nationality with a birth certificate copy, 3) Give us all pertinent bank account information, 4) Throw in a copy of your driver's license just for fun, 5) Place all of this in a non-standard 4x7-inch envelope and send it to “UWantItWhen?, Inc.”, P.O. Box Infinity, Sink Hole, Nevada. 6) Make sure you send it postmarked by the day after your purchase.
Now, if you do send in the paperwork on time, dot your I's and cross your fingers, like I have on occasion, and don't receive a check in the allotted time, you can try to track it down using the original info on the rebate form, which reads like this: Please wait long enough to forget that you sent us a rebate form. Then don't bother calling us for another 4–6 months. Did we say call? Good luck, because we don't answer the phone, our computer system is down, the flood in New Orleans dissolved your paperwork, etc. So please visit our web site at www.uwantitwhen.com/rebate/mia/omg/haha/shareware.exe.)
I don't have any hard data to confirm my suspicions about the mail order rebate system, but my hunch is that it borders on a legal scam, and that a large percentage of those who buy into the lower price (after rebates) never see the money. Either they never get the paperwork in on time, or the rebate stalls in an impenetrable system designed by an insurance claims adjuster. How can you prevent yourself from being a victim of the “mail-in rebate scam?” For starters, the only rebates you should concentrate on when shopping are those that say “Instant” or “Cash”. These are applied at the time of purchase and immediately lower your out-of-pocket cost.
But let's face it—those mail-in rebates could potentially add up to hundreds of dollars in savings, if you do everything right and the stars are aligned in your favor. So I suggest that you immediately follow the instructions for the rebate, even before you open the package you have purchased, and send the rebate out the next day via certified mail. However, if the instructions tell you not to send it by certified mail (which may invalidate the rebate in some cases), send it instead by Pony Express—the same service used to return your rebate check when processed.
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