Rebates - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

57 · 2005-01-04, 12:08 AM

Saw an interesting programme on Rebates today. Marketplace aired it on Sunday. Here are some facts from the programme.

1. The highest "claim rate" for small electronic rebates is 40% (even for the "high dollar" ones like $50-$100).

2. The typical "claim rate" is only 1-5%. Wow. Thanks people for not claiming so that my rebate can be larger.

3. Some companies will be making rebates easier using on-line rebates and transaction numbers - Sony, Staples.

4. Of course, many "claims" are rejected because people didn't follow the instructions (copied receipt instead of original, wrong UPC, etc) It's understandable why the rebate firm won't provide rebates if the receipt is not the original since someone would be able to claim several rebates using copies and different IDs. (The UPC codes are sometimes cut from boxes in the stores by such "scam artists"...)

For more information visit the CBC/marketplace website.

MrGrinch · 2005-01-04, 09:04 AM

Although I always claim for rebates they are a huge pain. I can list several occasions where I have mailed in for a rebate and have never heard back from the manufacturer. I just don't have the time or the energy to harass a manufacturer in China for my $15 rebate.

It's gotten to the point where if an outlet is offering a rebate and the supplier is internationtional / outside of Canada I simply don't "count" on getting the rebate and don't even let it factor into my decision for purchasing that particular model. From the vendor's perspective it kind of defeats the purpose of advertising the rebate in the first place, eh?

Futureshop and Best Buy are the worst... I wish they would just do away with all mail-in rebates and just apply the rebate at checkout instead. Or if you really must mail something in (afterall only 1-5% of the population can be bothered) then put the vendor on the hook for distributing the rebates rather than some outfit located 10,000 miles away in in Timbuctoo. At least that way if you don't hear back you have someone locally that you can appeal to.

peano · 2005-01-04, 09:14 AM

I've always received all my rebates for FS and BB from that company in Font Hill, whoever they are.

buritto · 2005-01-04, 09:18 AM

That reminds me I gotta send out a $20 rebate for the memory card I got from Best Buy...I don't like rebates either. Instant rebates however I like

filper · 2005-01-04, 10:22 AM

I'm batting 1000 on rebates...

eljay · 2005-01-04, 10:58 AM

To date, I have only bought two small-ticket items (USB flash drives) that had mail-in rebates attached to them and, in both cases, I received my money from the manufacturer within a reasonable amount of time.

Those two aside, I make a point of not buying products - especially bigger-ticket items - that have mail-in rebates attached to them.

JohnnyG · 2005-01-04, 11:43 AM

Recent rebates of mine (within the last 3 months):

A $210 rebate on my appliances: handled quickly and accurately by Electrolux (Frigidaire).

A split rebate of $30 Home Depot and $20 Enbridge on a digital thermosat: got the Enbridge credit on my last invoice...still waiting on Home Depot.

A $30 rebate on a Panasonic microwave was denied because it was postmarked one day late. My fault, I'll admit, but still! With the effort they went through to process it and mail me a letter of refusal, would the $30 good-will gesture have killed them?

A $30 rebate on a D-Link wireless router: no sign of it as yet.

I just can't get over all the hoops they make you jump through! For the Home Depot/Enbridge rebate, both forms (which were joined together!) requested the original UPC from the product! For Electrolux, they wanted the warranty cards filled out completely - what if I had sent them separately as soon as I got the appliances?

james99 · 2005-01-04, 05:10 PM

FS rebates are hit and miss. Sometimes you don't get it and when you do it takes months. I have 3 rebates i'm mailing from BB/FS over the next few days. If i get 2 i'll be lucky.

MrGrinch · 2005-01-04, 05:38 PM

Future Shop AD Aspire Digital DVD Player $25 rebate sent in to USA. Never heard back from the manufacturer.

buritto · 2005-01-04, 06:21 PM

One word...SCAM.

technut · 2005-01-04, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 57

Saw an interesting programme on Rebates today. Marketplace aired it on Sunday.
For more information visit the CBC/marketplace website.

Here: http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/f...tes/index.html

bucko521 · 2005-01-04, 11:11 PM

Funny...I have yet to mail in a rebate for about two years...why you ask??

Well, I demand that they give me the rebate up front...I do not want to pay tax on the regular cost....and if they give me a instant rebate...then they can also give me a 'cash off' rebate for the mail in one....with Future Shop....They keep the 'rebate' copy of the sales reciept...if they don't do that...

I just take their "sales flyer" to the competition, and let them match it...I don't care if they BEAT it....that way...my cost is down...and I don't have to pay taxes on the inflated cost, and no waiting for a rebate...whcih usually had taken 4-6 months to "process".

Bought my Hitachi 51F510 that way....paid $1995 locally...even though everywhere it was ~approx $2799 or more at the time... How??

Well both Best Buy and Future Shop have online stores....if I find another Canadian online store sellign the item I want....well...I assume that the local store can match it...if not....no sale for them....most say they won't honour an online quote....but when oush comes to shove...a sale is a sale.

waterug · 2005-01-04, 11:14 PM

I guess one shouldn't begrudge receipt of any amount of money, but rebates are never as much as they appear. In order to get a rebate, you have to buy the item and in doing that you are also paying tax. The rebate doesn't include the tax you've already paid. It may not seem much, but rebates are a very good tool to make people think they are getting a discount.

jeff1960 · 2005-01-05, 10:22 AM

People ARE getting the rebate. I know it takes some time to get it back but (if it's from a reputable company) you do get it back. Obviously I'd rather have an instant rebate, before tax, but money is money. Mail-in rebates are always given by the manufacturer/distributor with the hope that a good portion of the purchasers will forget to submit the claim. Many companies now have an online site for checking on the status of your claim. I have yet to submit a rebate that was not paid. I'd rather have $20.00 . . . $200.00, whatever 2 months in the future than not at all.

JohnnyG · 2005-01-05, 10:38 AM

But I've heard of soooo many cases in the past where nothing was received and when the customer finally contacted the fulfilment house, then - suddenly - it was just about to be processed! Amazing coincidence, wouldn't you say?

2005-01-04, 12:08 AM	#1
57 Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Toronto, Rogers, 8300HD, eHDD, Panasonic TCP65S1, Denon AVR4310Ci; 8300HD, eHDD & Sony KDL40W3000 Posts: 50,289	Rebates Saw an interesting programme on Rebates today. Marketplace aired it on Sunday. Here are some facts from the programme. 1. The highest "claim rate" for small electronic rebates is 40% (even for the "high dollar" ones like $50-$100). 2. The typical "claim rate" is only 1-5%. Wow. Thanks people for not claiming so that my rebate can be larger. 3. Some companies will be making rebates easier using on-line rebates and transaction numbers - Sony, Staples. 4. Of course, many "claims" are rejected because people didn't follow the instructions (copied receipt instead of original, wrong UPC, etc) It's understandable why the rebate firm won't provide rebates if the receipt is not the original since someone would be able to claim several rebates using copies and different IDs. (The UPC codes are sometimes cut from boxes in the stores by such "scam artists"...) For more information visit the CBC/marketplace website. __________________ 57's Home Theatre (Latest equipment & photos) 57's Optimization Services (Home Theatre Optimization)

2005-01-04, 10:22 AM	#5
filper Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Oakville, ON Posts: 2,887	I'm batting 1000 on rebates... __________________ simplicity is genius...

2005-01-04, 10:58 AM	#6
eljay Premium Supporter Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ottawa (Orleans), ON Posts: 8,336	To date, I have only bought two small-ticket items (USB flash drives) that had mail-in rebates attached to them and, in both cases, I received my money from the manufacturer within a reasonable amount of time. Those two aside, I make a point of not buying products - especially bigger-ticket items - that have mail-in rebates attached to them. __________________ MY HT SET-UP (PICS & GEAR LIST)

2005-01-05, 10:22 AM	#14
jeff1960 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Saskatoon, SK Posts: 489	People ARE getting the rebate. I know it takes some time to get it back but (if it's from a reputable company) you do get it back. Obviously I'd rather have an instant rebate, before tax, but money is money. Mail-in rebates are always given by the manufacturer/distributor with the hope that a good portion of the purchasers will forget to submit the claim. Many companies now have an online site for checking on the status of your claim. I have yet to submit a rebate that was not paid. I'd rather have $20.00 . . . $200.00, whatever 2 months in the future than not at all. __________________ Jeff HiDef DLP . . . and lovin' it!!

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2005-01-04, 09:04 AM	#2
MrGrinch Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Winnipeg, MB Posts: 873	Although I always claim for rebates they are a huge pain. I can list several occasions where I have mailed in for a rebate and have never heard back from the manufacturer. I just don't have the time or the energy to harass a manufacturer in China for my $15 rebate. It's gotten to the point where if an outlet is offering a rebate and the supplier is internationtional / outside of Canada I simply don't "count" on getting the rebate and don't even let it factor into my decision for purchasing that particular model. From the vendor's perspective it kind of defeats the purpose of advertising the rebate in the first place, eh? Futureshop and Best Buy are the worst... I wish they would just do away with all mail-in rebates and just apply the rebate at checkout instead. Or if you really must mail something in (afterall only 1-5% of the population can be bothered) then put the vendor on the hook for distributing the rebates rather than some outfit located 10,000 miles away in in Timbuctoo. At least that way if you don't hear back you have someone locally that you can appeal to.

2005-01-04, 09:14 AM	#3
peano Veteran Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,586	I've always received all my rebates for FS and BB from that company in Font Hill, whoever they are.

2005-01-04, 09:18 AM	#4
buritto Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,321	That reminds me I gotta send out a $20 rebate for the memory card I got from Best Buy...I don't like rebates either. Instant rebates however I like

2005-01-04, 11:43 AM	#7
JohnnyG Veteran Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: North York, Ontario Posts: 10,405	Recent rebates of mine (within the last 3 months): A $210 rebate on my appliances: handled quickly and accurately by Electrolux (Frigidaire). A split rebate of $30 Home Depot and $20 Enbridge on a digital thermosat: got the Enbridge credit on my last invoice...still waiting on Home Depot. A $30 rebate on a Panasonic microwave was denied because it was postmarked one day late. My fault, I'll admit, but still! With the effort they went through to process it and mail me a letter of refusal, would the $30 good-will gesture have killed them? A $30 rebate on a D-Link wireless router: no sign of it as yet. I just can't get over all the hoops they make you jump through! For the Home Depot/Enbridge rebate, both forms (which were joined together!) requested the original UPC from the product! For Electrolux, they wanted the warranty cards filled out completely - what if I had sent them separately as soon as I got the appliances?

2005-01-04, 05:10 PM	#8
james99 Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Burlington Posts: 24,791	FS rebates are hit and miss. Sometimes you don't get it and when you do it takes months. I have 3 rebates i'm mailing from BB/FS over the next few days. If i get 2 i'll be lucky.

2005-01-04, 05:38 PM	#9
MrGrinch Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Winnipeg, MB Posts: 873	Future Shop AD Aspire Digital DVD Player $25 rebate sent in to USA. Never heard back from the manufacturer.

2005-01-04, 06:21 PM	#10
buritto Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,321	One word...SCAM.

2005-01-04, 11:11 PM	#12
bucko521 Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Regina, SK Posts: 10	Funny...I have yet to mail in a rebate for about two years...why you ask?? Well, I demand that they give me the rebate up front...I do not want to pay tax on the regular cost....and if they give me a instant rebate...then they can also give me a 'cash off' rebate for the mail in one....with Future Shop....They keep the 'rebate' copy of the sales reciept...if they don't do that... I just take their "sales flyer" to the competition, and let them match it...I don't care if they BEAT it....that way...my cost is down...and I don't have to pay taxes on the inflated cost, and no waiting for a rebate...whcih usually had taken 4-6 months to "process". Bought my Hitachi 51F510 that way....paid $1995 locally...even though everywhere it was ~approx $2799 or more at the time... How?? Well both Best Buy and Future Shop have online stores....if I find another Canadian online store sellign the item I want....well...I assume that the local store can match it...if not....no sale for them....most say they won't honour an online quote....but when oush comes to shove...a sale is a sale.

2005-01-04, 11:14 PM	#13
waterug Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peterborough, ON Posts: 865	I guess one shouldn't begrudge receipt of any amount of money, but rebates are never as much as they appear. In order to get a rebate, you have to buy the item and in doing that you are also paying tax. The rebate doesn't include the tax you've already paid. It may not seem much, but rebates are a very good tool to make people think they are getting a discount.

2005-01-05, 10:38 AM	#15
JohnnyG Veteran Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: North York, Ontario Posts: 10,405	But I've heard of soooo many cases in the past where nothing was received and when the customer finally contacted the fulfilment house, then - suddenly - it was just about to be processed! Amazing coincidence, wouldn't you say?