5 Tips for Collecting from Rebates
October 19, 2009 by Karen Weideman
Filed under financial matters, how-to
As Thanksgiving is coming near, stores are looking to lure you in. One way that they do that is through rebates. Promises of good savings from rebates is enough to get us in the stores. The problem is that many times we forget to send in the rebates or the rebate has too many hoops to jump through.
There are some ways to make sure you get your rebate money.
1) Make copies of everything before you send it in. My husband and I always make a copy of all of the paperwork. This includes the papers we filled out, the receipt, UPC, and any other information that we send in. We also write the date mailed on top of the paperwork and file it away.
2) Follow the instructions. Follow the exact instructions on the rebate, no matter how silly they sound. Be sure to include the original receipt (if stated on the form), completed paperwork, any labels or UPC labels specified.
3) Mail the paperwork immediately. This is one of the major causes of unclaimed rebates. We get home, open up our new gadgets, and forget to send off the rebate before it expires. Send it off immediately!
4) Check your mail carefully. Many times rebates come in an envelope that looks a lot like junk mail. I have almost thrown out some rebate checks. Be careful.
5) Put a reminder on your calendar. It’s easy to forget about the money that’s due to you. If the rebate says to expect your money in 6-8 weeks, then be sure to mark it on your calendar around that time. That way you’ll be sure to follow up if you haven’t received your rebate back in time.
Have you ever had any problems collecting money from rebates?
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