ADD and Rebates

I was reading the MightyBargainHunter blog and noticed that there was a great post about how companies offering rebates are making it more difficult for people to actually receive the promised rebate. In general rebates are usually a losing proposition for adults with ADD.

Rebates prey on the impulsive side of ADD adults. When you factor in a rebate it seems like you are getting a good deal on something, however you need to ask yourself why the company is offering a rebate.  Sometimes a company just wants to offer a rebate on a good product to increase exposure and sales, however rebates are often used to sell inferior products or discontinued models. I once made the mistake of buying a computer printer based on a rebate, since the model was discontinued it was difficult to find replacement ink cartridges. Before making any major purchase use the 24 Hour Rule , take a day to research the item that you want to buy.

Before buying a product with a rebate you need to be honest with yourself.

1. Will you remember to save all of the documents you need to get the rebate? ( If you do not have your original receipt you may not be able to get your rebate)

2. Will you be able to completely fill out the rebate form? (If the rebate form is not completely filled out you will not get your rebate)

3. Will you remember to mail out the rebate form before the deadline? (The rebates often have deadlines that expire quickly and if you miss it you will not get your rebate)

4. Will you cash your check once you receive it? ( Many adults with ADD use debits cards and on-line banking and forget to deposit their check)

Many adults with ADD will be likely to miss one of these steps and therefore should not buy a product or service based on a rebate.

ADD

Comments

[mbhunter]

Thanks for the mention! I'm glad to see that some companies are stopping the practice.

[Adele Hirschmann]

I'm sick and tired of reading the sales flyers that show a discount price, only to be notified later in the ad that a rebate is required in order to get it. Why don't the stores just offer the savings at the register instead? I'm fed up with having to fork over my hard-earned cash for something I could afford with an outright discount and have to wait (while the bills pile up and I can't eat) months, sometimes. until the check comes.

[Robert Getsla]

I find the use of rebates is often meant to be deceptive. The real price at the cash register, if printed prominantly, would not bring in many customers, because it is frequently higher than the price of the same product elsewhere.

I recall reading somewhere that only a small percentage of rebates are actually claimed, and stores using rebates know this. This is why I try to avoid retailers using rebates. I am not interested in waiting the weeks or months before the rebate check arrives.

But I think the worst of all are the rebates that require the original receipt, when the very same receipt is required by the warranty. This means sending in the sales receipt to get a rebate effectively voids the warranty. One store I know of now prints two seperate receipts at once; one to be sent in for the rebate, and the other to be kept for warranty purposes.

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