$$$ Rebates ??

[Jonny]

Being a resident of the UK all my life i find it strange to see many products advertised on American websites with some kind of rebate. What is that all about?

Is it just the manufactuer giving you money back, are there conditions attached? Why do they do this?

here in the UK we never get anything back, except for £100 cashback on the digital rebel at the moment. But that is really the first time i have really seen it on products like that. Sometimes we may get a few pounds back on a new car or a mortgage but nothing on the scale of you yanks.


Whats it all about?

[markubig]

Many companies offer rebates to the consumer. It is $$$ that they send back to the consumer as sort of a reward for purchasing their product. Kind of like a coupon. However, it requires the consumer to do several "annoying" steps such as filling out a form, photocopying a receipt (or including the original), cutting out a section of the box as proof of purchase (product name or UPC code), etc...

If any required steps are not done correctly, they are not obligated to send the rebate. Additionally, if the customer does not (or forgets to) submit the information (because there is usually a deadline), they do not have to pay.

It is a way for them to save money because not all the consumers will submit the information for the rebate. I work in sales, and our marketing studies have shown that on average, less than 2% of consumers in my industry actually file for their rebates. Consequently, that's $$$ that my company saves.

So here in the US, we have to earn our savings . . . nobody just gives money away without a fight!