Better Business Bureau Warns Shoppers About Rebates

WALLINGFORD — Rebates can offer substantial savings at the time of purchase, however, some have strings attached that can annoy consumers.

CreditCards.com says retailers and manufacturers are increasingly opting to provide rebates in the form of preloaded cards as opposed to paper checks. Unlike checks, which can be deposited in a bank and used to pay bills, to get the benefit, consumers must spend.

These cards can often only be used where credit cards are accepted. In most cases, the cards can be used at any merchant — much like a debit card — but some retailers are also handing out rebate cards that can only be used at their stores. The cards may also have expiration dates and added fees that could whittle down their value.

According to Connecticut Better Business Bureau President Paulette Scarpetti, like so much else, some rebates may not seem like such a good deal to some consumers.

“To get the most out of manufacturers’ rebates, shoppers should know what conditions are attached to them in order to determine whether they are such a good deal after all,” Ms Scarpetti said. “Some consumers may not like the idea of being restricted to using a rebate card at only one merchant.”

In the previous 12 months, 70 percent of consumers have taken advantage of manufacturer rebates on products, according to a recent survey by Consumer Reports.

The national telephone survey also found that, of those who applied for a rebate, 21 percent of people were unsuccessful.

Typically, consumers simply did not receive anything or were turned down because of a technicality.

Better Business Bureau offers some advice on how to get the most from rebates:

*Don’t wait. Some rebates have a time window in which they can be redeemed or must be redeemed within a certain amount of time following purchase. Waiting also increases your chances of misplacing necessary receipts or packaging.

*Read the instructions carefully. The guidelines for redeeming a rebate can be extensive and missing steps may delay the process or result in loss of the rebate. Be sure to indicate how you want to receive the rebate, whether as a gift card, store credit or refund, and include all the necessary paperwork and required proof of purchase. Also make a point to thoroughly read the fine print details that are included when you receive your rebate card or check in the mail.

*Keep the packaging. Rebates often require UPC bar codes or other parts of the packaging to be included with the paperwork for processing, so do not throw boxes away until you are sure you do not need them.

*Make copies of everything. Keep a copy of all the paperwork you mailed back to the retailer or manufacturer for the rebate. It is the only record you will have of the transaction if anything goes missing.

*Contact the business if the rebate does not arrive. Some retailers and manufacturers use third-party fulfillment companies for processing rebates so keep in mind that you might be dealing with a different business when it comes to tracking down your rebate.

If the rebate never arrives or is significantly late, file a complaint with BBB, the Federal Trade Commission or the state attorney general.