Tip of the week # 40

Mail-in Rebates -- Round Dos!

For those of you who regularly read my weekly tips, you'll probably remember my fairly recent mail-in rebate rants (Tip of the Week # 28) where I advised everyone against buying products whose final purchase price was dependant on cashing in a mail-in rebate.

Well, I have to confess that I recently broke my own cardinal rule when I found myself coping with a computing emergency.

The flat screen monitor on my desktop computer died. Although there is not any "good time" for something like this to happen, it just so happens that I was right in the middle of a huge computer video-editing project that I had been working on in conjunction with a major Hollywood Production Company.

There simply was no time to for me to shop around and/or order a replacement monitor online. I needed a replacement right away. So I grabbed my keys and quickly headed out the door and down the road to the nearest Office Depot (its located just a couple miles from my home)

I headed straight for the monitor isle and picked out a replacement. I chose the Samsung model 2253BW. What attracted me to this particular monitor was the fact that it had high resolution with both analog and digital display capabilities. And, of course the price was reasonable.

I do a lot of non-linear video editing on a Mac laptop and I reasoned that if I ever needed to, I could hook my MacBook Pro to this new monitor and have more screen room to edit video.

But when I got to the checkout counter I learned that this Samsung model also offered a $30.00 manufacturers mail-in rebate.

While most folks would consider this a bonus to their purchase, you should already know that I look at these mail-in rebates as a sucker bet -- a ploy by the manufacture -- an insult to we buyers' intelligence.

I was able to round up the store's manager and I made sure that he understood my position on rebates. I explained to him the limited success I have had collecting rebates on past purchases. My suggestion to him was an instant rebate at the register.

After I finished my rant, the manager explained to me that there is such a small margin of profit on computer monitors already that instant rebates were out.

(The manager basically insinuated that Samsung and Office Depot were both banking on the fact that most customers, for one reason or another, will fail to submit or recover their rebates.)

Immediately recognizing the displeasure written all over my face, this Office Depot manager quickly offered me the verbal assurance that his company promptly processes and pays all product rebates they receive that are properly filled out.

So, I've decided to put this Office Depots' manager's claim to the test.

I will fill out my new monitor's rebate and send it in. I will also log the time it takes me to process the paperwork along with all of the developments that transpire in the interim until I successfully receive my rebate.

This is an accounting of the time it took me to fill out and mail the rebate paperwork.

· 20 minutes to read the rebate instructions fill out the paperwork and address the envelope · 20 minutes to remove the UPC code from the original box (yes, I had the presence of mind to save the original packaging) and scan it along with all the original receipts and register strip for my purchase. · 30 minutes to drive to my friendly Bubbles Wrap & Send store to mail the letter. ($ 0.85 for postage) · Total time -- 1 hour and 10 minutes · Total cost -- 85 cents plus my time and gas @ $4.00/gal locally so, I'd conservatively estimate that I've got about $3.00 in actual out of pocket expenses so far plus my time.

The rules for this particular rebate took up a full 10 inches of bottom half of the Office Depot Register tape and about 5 minutes for me to fully read and understand.

I mailed all the materials to Samsung Promotions in El Paso, TX about an hour ago. Their rebate instructions state that it takes anywhere from 10-12 weeks from the time of submission before I should expect to receive my rebate…….

……… and now the waiting begins!

Also - apparently Samsung has contracted with a fulfillment company by the name of www.web-rebates.com/Samsung

That address is a place where people, who have purchased Samsung products, can go to review promotion FAQS, tips or the status of yours or my submission -- I plan to give them a week or two to receive and upload my information then I'll visit the site and scout around for my information.

There is a toll-free number to call also: 877-593-4193 with operators available 7 A.M. till 7 P.M. MT -- and since there is no mention -- I would presume that operators are standing by 7 days per week.

My personal Tips for collecting rebate

If you really stop to think about it, it seems the harder it is to collect a rebate the more valuable that rebate is. Making rebates hard to obtain discourages most people, therefore fewer people wind up filing for or getting the rebates.

And if fewer people get them, that can only mean that the companies can afford to be more generous in the rebates that they offer - and if you are a real glutton for punishment -- you could actually become the beneficiary of a bonanza of cash in your mailbox.

So if you are bound and determined to enlist in the mail-in rebate wars and take on corporate America, here's some ammo you can to use in your gun:

· Only deal with reputable, established companies when filing mail-in rebates.

· Always study the rebate offer carefully, and look for loopholes that the company can climb through. Some rebates may have already expired, or may apply only to certain unavailable products. Study the rebate form carefully before buying the product. If the box says, "$30 Rebate! Details Inside," walk away. You probably won't like the details once you get inside the box anyway.

· Follow the rebate instructions to the letter. If it says "circle the price paid and the date of purchase on the receipt," then circle them. Failure to do so could cause them to decide that your rebate submission is "noncompliant" and they may not pay you.

· Always photocopy and/or scan the filled-out rebate form and all the supporting documentation, including the all-important UPC code. Keep the copies. Scanning is better, as it requires less space and you can send electronic copies of your documentation if you need to e-mail anything.

Keep a log of all your mail-in rebates. To help keep track of your rebate, Your rebate log should include:

1. The date that you sent the rebate application 2. The name of the rebating company 3. The amount of the rebate 4. and the website or phone number that the company generally provides to check on the rebate status. 5. There's also an interesting-looking rebate tracking tool available for free at: http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,8341-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/description.html · Cross out each rebate in your log when you've received and cashed the rebate check. You can forget about it after that.

· Review your log at least once a month. (Don't rely on the company to notify you if you didn't qualify for the rebate.) If there are any outstanding rebates that are over two months old, call the phone number or go to the web site and inquire.

Make sure to keep a record of all the contacts you make about that rebate, including the date the contact was made and who contact was made with.

Keep a copy of e-mails.

Beware of the "Contact Us" form on the rebating company's web site, which may not allow you to easily track or keep a copy of your message to the company. (Very tricky, these "customer service" departments.)

If necessary, be sure to copy and paste your message into your word processing software and save it, before sending the message. Type in the time and date that you sent the message.

· If you get an e-mail or postcard notification telling you that your rebate is denied because the company claims that you didn't send all the correct supporting documentation: Re-submit your copies of all the required paperwork (including the all-important UPC code) with a polite letter demanding your rebate. This second submission almost always seems to work.

· Another option if your rebate submission is ignored, delayed, or turned down, and if you bought the product at a local store: Go the the store and enlist their help in collecting the rebate. I went to one store where I bought some software, showed them the completed rebate form and paperwork, and complained that the manufacturer wasn't making good on their rebates. I expected the store's help in lighting a fire under the manufacturer. Instead, to my surprise, the store manager went to the cash drawer and handed me my $10 rebate in cash! I've been a loyal customer since.

· Stop dealing with the fulfillment center, and start dealing directly with the manufacturer. The address and phone number on your rebate form goes to the rebate fulfillment center. They're the people who often have a vested interest in not delivering on your rebate, so they can pocket the money themselves. If the fulfillment center isn't being responsive, send a letter or e-mail directly to the Customer Service Department of the manufacturer of the product (or provider of the service) that you bought. You can almost always get this contact information on the Internet. These companies don't want their reputations ruined by a cheesy fulfillment center, and will usually help you collect.

· In the rare event that your repeated attempts to get your valid rebate paid are completely and ruthlessly ignored, then: Go to Google.com.

Search the name of the company that offered the rebate. Find their corporate address and the name of their Chairman, President, and/or Chief Executive Officer.

Determine the corporation's home state and then search on Google.com for that state's Department of Consumer Affairs".

Now you're armed with all the information you need to file a complaint against the rebating company with the state's Department of Consumer Affairs. With any luck, they'll have an on-line consumer complaint form.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: Be sure to mail a copy of the complaint form to the rebating company's Chairman, President, and/or Chief Executive Officer, along with all of your supporting documentation, and a polite note that says you regret that you've had to file this complaint due to their non-responsiveness.

Include your phone number. They might want to call you (rather than write or e-mail) after they get this letter.

This is the option of last resort.

Although there is no guarantee that you (or I) will be successful in getting the money, I can almost bet that you'll think twice the next time you consider buying any consume item whose retail price is artificially reduced because of the promise of a mail-in rebate.

Wish me luck!

Till next week -- see ya!