New Rebate Trend Making For More Unsuccessful Rebates

Consumer Reports recently did a study which showed that, over the previous 12 month period, 70 percent of consumers took advantage of mail in rebates. However, of these consumers, 21 percent were not able to to actually succeed in getting their rebates. Consumers who were not able to get rebates received nothing or were turned down for rebates due to a technicality, the survey showed.

As stated in a press release from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) from December 21, an increasing number of retailers and manufacturers are choosing to give rebates to their customers through pre-loaded cards instead of the traditional checks. The reason behind this is that, with pre-loaded cards, consumers are forced to spend their rebate, unlike checks which can be deposited into the bank instead. Usually, these pre-loaded cards can be used where credit cards are accepted. Generally, these cards are usable at any merchants similar to debit cards. However, some retailers give out pre-loaded rebate cards that can only be used at their establishments. These rebate cards can also carry expiration dates and may have additional fees which lowers their stated value.

For consumers who are planning to use mail-in rebates, the BBB says they should act as fast as they can on their rebates so that they get the full benefits from it. The BBB also gave a number of helpful tips for consumers when they are mailing in their rebates.

Among the most important tips that the BBB gave is for consumers to be quick on mailing in their rebates. A number of rebates carry a time window in which rebates are applicable. Applying for a rebate for a little while longer could also increase the chances of consumers losing their required receipts or packages.

It is also important for consumers to follow the proper instructions in applying for rebates. Guidelines for rebate redemption can be quite long and a missed step could delay the process or cancel it entirely. Consumers should also read the details in the fine print so that there are no surprises for them to find.

Consumers should also keep their packaging as rebates will most times require the UPC bar codes or other parts of the packaging for processing the paperworks of the rebate. Regarding paperworks, consumers should also make a copy of everything that they send out. This will be their record of their transactions should there be any problems later on.

If the rebate does not arrive, consumers should contact the business. There are cases where businesses use a third party fulfillment firm to process rebates and the business itself may not be to blame for the rebate’s delay.

In extreme cases such as when the rebate never arrives or is severely late, consumers also have the option of filing a complaint at the BBB, at the Federal Trade Commission or with their state Attorney General.