Why? I was going to sign a new contact with my cell phone provider today. Had a phone picked out and everything. Then I saw that the phone I wanted included a $100 mail in rebate to get to the price listde by the phone. Needless to say, I dont believe in giving interest free loans to multi million dollar corporations. I walked out without my phone or a new 2 year agreement. Pinheads.
There was a push on in Wisconsin to abolish mail-in rebates and force retailers to give the discount at the checkout. I was hoping it would pass, but i never heard anything else about it.
I tend to agree with D on this one. That 100 bucks is more important to me than it is to them, I see no reason to loan it to them for eight weeks. In fact it's what turned me off the exact same phone a few weeks ago.
Doesn't seem like a smart business move to be charging 50% more at the checkout then refunding it in two months. But it must work because companies keep doing it.
It depends on what it is and how much the rebate is. If I would've bought the item at the non-rebated price, I go for it. But I don't trust those companies to actually send me the rebate, so I don't consider rebates when I'm price shopping.
And do you remember when rebates used to be checks so you could just put them in the bank? Now the ones from the wireless companies come as prepaid debit cards. At least mine did a couple of years ago.
We all know why they do "rebates". Because not all the rebates for the products sold will be filed. So people don't bother. Others don't get it done on time. It reduces the amount they have to pay out. If they offered the immediate discounts, everyone would obviously take advantage and the profit margin would be lower.
-- Edited by confuzzed on Thursday 2nd of September 2010 07:37:13 AM
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Yeah, the debit card thing has really taken over with the rebates. It doesn't bother me, so long as the rebate card/check isn't lost. I do a ton of rebates with my job, and have had no missing rebates.
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"Tell me, does it move you, Does it soothe you, Does it fill your heart and soul with the roots of rock & roll? When you can't get through it you can listen to it with a 'na na na na', Well I've been there before" -"Been There Before" by Hanson
They did the same thing to me when I had to replace my last phone. I don't know why they do that. I do know that the store employees somehow get bonuses based on the sale price of the units they move, so it is somewhat of a benefit to the store employee to have the mail in rebate process. That is why they will ususally offer to mail it for you...at least they did for me. I got my rebate, but it was long after I'd forgotten that I had a rebate coming... and it was in check form.
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