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10 Tips: Rebates can be more hassle than they're worth

Rebate offers can be enticing, but be careful: Plenty of businesses out there are counting on you to be forgetful, unmotivated or not detail-oriented enough when it comes to following up on rebate offers.

By Laura T. Coffey, Times Correspondent
Published December 30, 2007

Rebate offers can be enticing, but be careful: Plenty of businesses out there are counting on you to be forgetful, unmotivated or not detail-oriented enough when it comes to following up on rebate offers. These tips can help you navigate the rebate maze:

1 Don't make a purchase solely because of a rebate offer. The retail sector has been making it harder and harder for consumers to cash in on rebates. If a product seems like a good deal because of the rebate associated with it, realize that you may never see a penny of that rebate money.

2 Check out lesser-known retailers before you buy. Do a quick online search of companies offering fabulous rebates on purchases of cell phones, electronic equipment - or anything else, for that matter. Your search may lead you to dozens, if not hundreds, of complaints about bogus rebate offers.

3 Understand the difference. Some instant cash rebates can be redeemed at the checkout counter immediately, and some retailers, including Staples, have created streamlined "easy rebate" processes for customers. But most rebates must be mailed in after you've paid full price.

4 Know what to expect. You'll typically have to go through the cumbersome process of sending in documentation such as the original sales receipt, the UPC code and the rebate slip, along with your name, address and telephone number, usually within 30 days of purchase.

5 Become obsessive-compulsive about following instructions. You may have to turn in unusual documentation, such as a portion of the cardboard box that once contained the product. Keep copies of everything you send. Be aware that if you slip up in even one small area, you're likely to be rejected.

6 Act fast. Beware of allowing your bargain-hunting enthusiasm to wear off once you leave the store. Resolve to tackle all the paperwork right away. Otherwise, you may never do it.

7 Mark your calendar. Be sure to contact the company if the rebate doesn't arrive in the specified time.

8 Request the rebate price. Before you launch into the headache-inducing world of rebates, ask the retailer to give you the rebate price up front without the rebate. Some retailers and appliance stores may be willing to do this for you, especially if it seems clear that you're willing to walk.

9 Complain the right way. If the rebate never arrives or gets rejected even though you did everything right, call or e-mail the place where you sent the documentation. If that doesn't work, send a firm letter of complaint to that same business with carbon copies to the retailer, the Florida Attorney General's Office, the Florida Division of Consumer Services, the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission.

10 Contact the authorities. You can file formal complaints with the agencies mentioned in Tip No. 9 by calling the Attorney General's Office toll-free at 1-866-966-7226, the Division of Consumer Services toll-free at 1-800-435-7352, the BBB at 727 535-5522 and the FTC toll-free at 1-877-382-4357. You also can complain to your legislator.

Laura T. Coffey (laura@tentips.org)

Sources: Gotcha Capitalism: How Hidden Fees Rip You Off Every Day - and What You Can Do About It, by Bob Sullivan; Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov); Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org)

[Last modified December 28, 2007, 19:57:10]