Savvy Shoppers Take Advantage Of Rebates

These days with the cost of everything continuously climbing we are all looking for a good deal and to save a few dollars whenever possible. That’s why savvy shoppers take advantage of rebates.

Rebates are available for almost every product. From items you find in the grocery store to rebates on computer equipment and electronics. If you do a little bit of research you might be surprised at how many rebates are actually available.

Too often we walk into the store find the item that we want, pay, and take it home. Only to find out later we could have saved a substantial amount of money if we had known there was a rebate in place.

Mail in rebates are one of the manufacturers’ favorite types of rebates. That’s because they make good sense! The manufacturer is able to entice you by showing you the price you’ll pay and then offering to refund you x amount of dollars if you mail in the rebate. So the price looks really good, you buy the item, and then you forget to send in the rebate coupon.

That’s what manufacturers are banking on. The also count on you filling out the information incorrectly or forgetting to attach your receipt which means they don’t have to pay you.

Be a wise shopper and when you purchase a product with a rebate immediately fill out the paper work when you return home. At the store request a duplicate receipt to send in with the rebate and make sure you mail it before the deadline.

Take time to read all the fine print so you know exactly what the manufacturer is requesting from you. Filling out a rebate in haste will usually land up with the offer being voided because you missed some small step and you usually don’t get a second chance.

These mail in rebates can range from a couple of dollars to a couple of hundred dollars depending on what you are buying. Occasionally you’ll even find a product that offers 100% rebate. Of course there are usually some terms attached to this but if you can play by the rules you can land up with your purchase free. Now that’s a deal!

Statistically manufacturers know that it is less than 25% that actually send in the rebate coupon and its only 15% of those people that fill it out correctly and include the required receipt, UPC code, or whatever else the manufacturer requests.

The smaller the rebate the less likely you are to send it in. Which is why it is such a popular method of discounting for grocery products, blank CDs, and other low ticket items.

Rebates take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks to arrive. The odd one is processed faster but not very often. By law the company must send you your rebate in the time they have specified on the rebate coupon. So if the coupon says 8 weeks by law you must have your refund in t 8 weeks. Some manufacturers do not give a time period so they are not legally responsible for providing the rebate in any specified time period.

Most companies offering rebates are legitimate companies and if you follow the steps correctly you will receive your rebate with no problem. So why not be a savvy consumer and take advantage of rebates to save money?

Aura Mirchandani is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory.