Honey, Did You Submit That Rebate?

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2005-11/inside-tivo-rebates/' target='_blank'>http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2005-11/inside-tivo-rebates/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"It’s no secret that rebates are a great tool for a variety of retailers and manufacturers. Rebates generate buzz and sales, yet not all are redeemed adding to their bottom line. BusinessWeek (subscription required) describes the phenomenon and profiles TiVo, which appears typical in paying out only 50% to 60% of potential rebates. BW suggests rebates are a “tax on the disorganized” but a “bonanza to retailers and suppliers.”"</i><br /><br />The Businessweek article states that 50,000 of the 104,000 new subscribers that Tivo acquired didn't send in their $50 and $100 rebates, saving the company a whopping $5 million. People, people. Send in those rebates on your gadgets! And if you really don't want the money, send it to me. :lol:

[Ed Hansberry]

This is exactly why they do rebates, hoping people won't bother. Still, for $100, I am astonished that many failed to follow through. I drive my wife nuts getting together paperwork for $2 rebates. :lol:

[EscapePod]

Unfortunately, even when you do send in the rebate, and follow the instructions to a "T", many vendors mark the rebate "invalid." They may write back to the submitter, or post on a status website, that some portion of what must be submitted is missing. Symantec/Norton is the absolute worst offender. I have had at least 10 rebate submissions rejected "initially" in this manner. I learned long ago that you must make copies of everything submitted, and then staple everything together before mailing.

After contacting Symantec's rebate contractor, complaining, and providing the copies as proof of compliance, they have overturned the rejections in EVERY case. Sure.... its more the fault of the rebate contractor in mishandling the submissions, but its just as much the fault (or is it "the plan") of Symantec for continuing to use the same rebate contractors. They figure their customers are "locked in" to their products.