Handling Rebates

Rebates can be great, but I often get so frustrated waiting and waiting for them to arrive. And in some cases, I never do receive the rebate check. I'm still waiting for a $50 rebate check for a CD-ROM we bought for our computer way back in December, 2002. Anyway, a visitor to our discussion forum had this good advice regarding handling rebates.

Make sure that you save a copy of the rebate form immediately, just in case they take the rebate form offline. It is also recommended that you mail in the rebate immediately after receipt of the item, otherwise you might forget to do so. And you should mark the maximum date that your check is expected to arrive, so that you follow up with the company if you do not receive the check in time. Rebates can be annoying, time consuming, and require a responsible person to follow the tedious rebate instructions. And, this involves the possible risk of the customer fulfilling the rebate requirements but the company choosing not to send the customer a rebate check for any reason. The more well-known or reputable the company is (the company itself, not the company's products), the more likely it is that you will get your rebate. If the rebate is from a company that you've never heard of, if you question the company's business practices, chances are high that you will never see a rebate check. Understand that dealing with rebates are risky, so ask yourself if the product is worth full price in case you never receive a rebate check. - Free and Frugal Services
From About.com: Couponing and Bargains