Whats the point of rebates?

[AmdEmAll]

I dont understand why every damn thing now has rebates on it. Thats so annoying, wait 6 months for your money, and sometimes you dont even get it. It never used to be this way, why is there so many rebates now?

 

[Locutus of Board]

'Cause a lot of people buy items based on the final price.

I don't. I've been screwed over by a few rebates already.

30 from western digital

50 from i/o magic

50 from iomega.

More, but those I remember.

 

[Moonbeam]

I got a 40+5G maxtor for $119 because Office Depot was out to their 40G $119 Maxtors and didn't have the 5 free Gig Maxtors anyway, by price match and I got the ata 100 card free with the $50 rebate. Did everything perfect, read the directions down to minutia and got a postcard that said my product didn't qualify. Called ang got the run around. I had to fax a number off the box with original copies blah blah, hung up. Told um they took my rebate and sent it to their friends. Called Maxtor and got my $50 in about a week or so.

No point in um unless you make copies and like hastle. In this case I figured the ability to have four master drives or up to 8 drives would be nice but the card was a nightmare to get to work. Had to first loformat, ZAP, in the case of larger drives, and partition and format any drive I wanted to work on the ATA card. Had to go get the software off websites to do the loformat, figure out how to use it for the first time etc. Took all day. Was fun and I learned stuff, but not for somebody in a hurry or who can't afford the time.

 

[Viper GTS]

The companies are taking a gamble. They know that a certain percentage of people won't send in the rebate, & the rebate will increase sales.

Viper GTS

 

[BigSmooth]

Also, why do you think it always takes so long to get rebates? Because your money is sitting in their bank account earning interest. That's how the companies recoup some of the revenue loss from the lower final cost.

 

[Sundog]

The point of a rebate is to get you to buy, right now, their product over everone else's product.

 

[kami]

Viper's right. I bet less than half of the people actually get around to sending in their rebates. Sometimes it's just not worth the trouble, as ridiculous as that sounds.

 

[apoppin]

Rebates are a hassel but money back is worth it.

I have been cheated out of rebates in the past. Now I spend the extra $1.90 to certify my letter and make copies of everything. No problems recently . . .

I guess the idea of rebates is to get you to buy NOW - reduce the company's (and retailer's) inventory, give them working capitol and use the rebate money for a month or two (before you finally get it).

Also, there is the issue of a percentage of customers either not taking advantage of the rebate or else falling victim to making a error in filling the rebate qualifications. Win-win for the company.

Have you noticed, often when the rebate program ends, the item will go on sale because now the company can give (the same) incentive to the retailer (formerly given to the final customer). By watching "Hot Deals Forum", I have been able to use the rebate and THEN the pricematch guarantee for some pretty awesome deals.

 

[Suicidal]

Yup, Viper got it... most people forget to send in the rebate so that's money the companies don't have to dish out. Their bottom line is better for it than to offer point of sale rebates... bastard companies.