The silly rebate game
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From: Baltimore
The silly rebate game
this may be news for those of you who are "pure consumers" and not affiliated with an actual manufacturer.
how often do you get your rebate back in the form of a check? how often do you actually remember that $2, $5, $10 rebate form? there are professional terms such as "redemption rate" for rebates. well, rebates are usually handled by a fulfillment company (usually the lowest bidder), and normally a small rebate in the rage of less than $10 have a "redemption rate" of less than 50%. within that 50%, only about 30% of the people actually keeps a copy of the rebate, and out of those 30%, only 5~8% would actually spend the time to call up the company (IF a number is even provided in the first place) and ask about the rebate. It's only when you actually harass the rebate service companies do you have a good chance of getting the rebate $. Bonuses are paid to these service companies for NOT paying out rebates.
I've had pretty good luck with large companies and big rebates like $100 off Nokia phones with activation, $50 rebates on routers, etc. But I'm one of those 5~8% who're anal enough to actually keep copies of everything, and write/call to harass those rebate companies to get my $2, $8, $10 rebates.
Now do you know why retailers LOVE to give you "$15 instant rebate, $10 mail in rebate" or a combination thereof? Once you get that discount from the ridiculously high margin product at the cash register, you normally would forget the other rebate. And who's going to bother spending 30 minutes to an hour trying to get $10?
The great rebate game, it goes on everyday.
how often do you get your rebate back in the form of a check? how often do you actually remember that $2, $5, $10 rebate form? there are professional terms such as "redemption rate" for rebates. well, rebates are usually handled by a fulfillment company (usually the lowest bidder), and normally a small rebate in the rage of less than $10 have a "redemption rate" of less than 50%. within that 50%, only about 30% of the people actually keeps a copy of the rebate, and out of those 30%, only 5~8% would actually spend the time to call up the company (IF a number is even provided in the first place) and ask about the rebate. It's only when you actually harass the rebate service companies do you have a good chance of getting the rebate $. Bonuses are paid to these service companies for NOT paying out rebates.
I've had pretty good luck with large companies and big rebates like $100 off Nokia phones with activation, $50 rebates on routers, etc. But I'm one of those 5~8% who're anal enough to actually keep copies of everything, and write/call to harass those rebate companies to get my $2, $8, $10 rebates.
Now do you know why retailers LOVE to give you "$15 instant rebate, $10 mail in rebate" or a combination thereof? Once you get that discount from the ridiculously high margin product at the cash register, you normally would forget the other rebate. And who's going to bother spending 30 minutes to an hour trying to get $10?
The great rebate game, it goes on everyday.
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