WHY do rebates take 8+ weeks? I want a real answer. I demand it.

[StageLeft]

I don't want speculation and "I think"s or "probably"s (not including the inevitable I thinks and probablys that the comedians in the thread will use, even after reading this sentence).

I just got a rebate yesterday that took about 8 weeks. Now it was from the US. So mail to them takes a week TOPS. On the return it takes a week tops, so why exactly does a person have to wait 6 weeks for it to sit in their pile?

 

[Aves]

Because it says on the form that it will take 6-8 weeks.

That's not speculation, that is why it takes that long to get to you!

 

[Eli]

Perhaps nobody knows?

My guess would be as a tactic to help you forget about it.

 

[dullard]

So they can keep the interest on the money for as long as possible.

 

[DnetMHZ]

I would assume it is because they proccess them in batches, not as they come in.

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: dullard
So they can keep the interest on the money for as long as possible.

This is what I assumed but he insisted on no speculation.

 

[Phokus]

Probably so you don't return the item when you get the rebate.

 

[optoman]

Rebates take a couple weeks to process. The rebate companies will usually wait until the rebate deadline to complete processing of all the rebates. They then request the money from the company that the product is from or the store selling the product. This can take a while. Once the money is cut for the rebate checks, the rebate company has to print them. They will usually sit on this for a little while and let the money gain a little interest.

Another reason that they take so long is that credit card companies only give you a certain amount of time to dispute any purchases. It is usually a short amount of time so you can't dispute a rebate if the form says 12 weeks on it.

Another reason is that you usually can't return a product after 30 days. If the rebate came sooner than 30 days, you could return the item and make a profit.

 

[Fudssa]

The company giving the rebate has to be sure that the
item hasn't been returned for a refund.

 

[StageLeft]

Although this is good speculation how do you know it to be true? I want to hear from some low down half- human who actually works in this industry or has heard it first hand!

 

[BooGiMaN]

the way i hear it is that all rebates go to that hell hole that is Canada to get processed.

and you know how slow those damn canadians can be.......

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: dullard
So they can keep the interest on the money for as long as possible.

*ding ding ding* WINNAR!

 

[dman]

They could tell you, but, well, you know.

--More speculation, ignore if you want: --

I personally believe it's multiple reasons:

1) Batch processing as above
2) Interest, as above
3) People less likely to submit because of delays
4) People more likely to forget about them
5) Because they can and you can't do anything about it really.

I think for #1 and #2, they collect all the ones sent in by the 'expiration' date. Then they know how much needs to be payed out and send the checks out that way. Called budgeting... look it up.

That probably buys them time in the pyramid scheme they work, where the company pays them $x for providing the rebate service and they hope to only pay out $y to those who submit. If y>x then they are screwed, so, they have to get funds collected. And they can use the next scams upfront payment to payoff the last one, until they win the big contract and shutdown operations.

Sarcasm aside, that last paragraph (or two) is probably wrong. I'm sure it's down to a science now, with real data on actual payouts so I doubt y is greater than x for any of them.

 

[Smolek]

The process goes something like this

1) Rebate company receives it
2) Mail is sorted and directed to the data entry unit
3) Data is entered in the computer and your claim is evaluated
4) Company sponsoring the rebate is billed (done in batches, not individually)
5) Rebate house waits for payment
6) Payment is received
7) Checks are printed and mailed

The longest task is when the rebate house has to wait for payment. Some companies pay very quick, some wait as long as possible.

 

[yellowperil]

'Cause they're fuggin buggers

 

[cliftonite]

Originally posted by: yellowperil
'Cause they're fuggin buggers

 

[dr150]

THEY SIT ON THE MONEY COLLECTING INTEREST.

Processing and inter-company payments are VERY FAST nowadays.

Sitting on the money allows them to gain a little $$ off the 5% rebaters who actually submitted and followed the rules correctly.

Most people forget to send rebates in or are too st*pid to follow simple directions.

 

[FoBoT]

they want to make as much interest from your money on the float as possible, ie it is designed to work that way to discourage people from bothering to redeem rebates, they don't actually WANT you to redeem a rebate, its a trick

 

[wyvrn]

That's pretty much it. I know a guy who took a second job in data entry at a rebate place. He said they also have so many rebates and so few workers, that it takes them a long time to process all the forms. Also think about the low pay means bad workers, which I bet is the main reason a lot of people do not get their rebates back because of employee error.

Originally posted by: Smolek
The process goes something like this

1) Rebate company receives it
2) Mail is sorted and directed to the data entry unit
3) Data is entered in the computer and your claim is evaluated
4) Company sponsoring the rebate is billed (done in batches, not individually)
5) Rebate house waits for payment
6) Payment is received
7) Checks are printed and mailed

The longest task is when the rebate house has to wait for payment. Some companies pay very quick, some wait as long as possible.

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: optoman
Rebates take a couple weeks to process. The rebate companies will usually wait until the rebate deadline to complete processing of all the rebates. They then request the money from the company that the product is from or the store selling the product. This can take a while. Once the money is cut for the rebate checks, the rebate company has to print them. They will usually sit on this for a little while and let the money gain a little interest.

Another reason that they take so long is that credit card companies only give you a certain amount of time to dispute any purchases. It is usually a short amount of time so you can't dispute a rebate if the form says 12 weeks on it.

Another reason is that you usually can't return a product after 30 days. If the rebate came sooner than 30 days, you could return the item and make a profit.

So, if a company did have a return policy longer than 30 days (say 90 days), you could potentially buy an item, receive the rebate, and return said item and make a profit (the amount of the rebate)?

 

[wyvrn]

Not if the UPC is missing from the box, which is a dead giveaway.

Originally posted by: AvesPKS

Originally posted by: optoman
Rebates take a couple weeks to process. The rebate companies will usually wait until the rebate deadline to complete processing of all the rebates. They then request the money from the company that the product is from or the store selling the product. This can take a while. Once the money is cut for the rebate checks, the rebate company has to print them. They will usually sit on this for a little while and let the money gain a little interest.

Another reason that they take so long is that credit card companies only give you a certain amount of time to dispute any purchases. It is usually a short amount of time so you can't dispute a rebate if the form says 12 weeks on it.

Another reason is that you usually can't return a product after 30 days. If the rebate came sooner than 30 days, you could return the item and make a profit.

So, if a company did have a return policy longer than 30 days (say 90 days), you could potentially buy an item, receive the rebate, and return said item and make a profit (the amount of the rebate)?

 

[sillymofo]

Becuz by the time the 7th week roll by, you've forgotten about the rebate, and half a year later, it's too late to call them for it.

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
Not if the UPC is missing from the box, which is a dead giveaway.

Originally posted by: AvesPKS

Originally posted by: optoman
Rebates take a couple weeks to process. The rebate companies will usually wait until the rebate deadline to complete processing of all the rebates. They then request the money from the company that the product is from or the store selling the product. This can take a while. Once the money is cut for the rebate checks, the rebate company has to print them. They will usually sit on this for a little while and let the money gain a little interest.

Another reason that they take so long is that credit card companies only give you a certain amount of time to dispute any purchases. It is usually a short amount of time so you can't dispute a rebate if the form says 12 weeks on it.

Another reason is that you usually can't return a product after 30 days. If the rebate came sooner than 30 days, you could return the item and make a profit.

So, if a company did have a return policy longer than 30 days (say 90 days), you could potentially buy an item, receive the rebate, and return said item and make a profit (the amount of the rebate)?

Ok, further stipulating that the rebate only required a copy of the UPC...

 

[HOWITIS]

companies do not want you to use rebates. they want to advertise a product for cheaper than it really is by using mail in rebates.




they are hard to get for a reason. to make you hate them, and to fool people into buying something then not using a rebate.

 

[Tom]

plus it takes them awhile to sell some more stuff so they got the money to send you.