Grrr! I think I just got jumped through the hoops for very little in return. At Costco I picked up a package of three air-conditioning filters for $39.99; mail in a rebate form (which asks for personal information such as your e-mail address and phone number) and they’ll send you a munificent three bucks, dropping the per-filter price to $12.33.
They’re high-quality filters, the nonallergenic electrostatic variety supposedly good for three months, reinforced well enough that they don’t foop up into the air-conditioning vent and form a giant concave toy whistle every time the AC unit comes on. But still.
In June of 2008, I bought two similar filters from Ace for $31.17, or $15.58 apiece; allowing for 3 percent inflation, today they might be expected to sell for $16.04. In other words, I used my time and my 44-cent stamp to save $11.13. Had I chosen not to kill time, compromise my ethics by lying about my phone number and e-mail address on their form, and use up a postage stamp, my savings over an Ace Hardware purchase still would have been $6.75—without the rebate.
Was it really worth the hassle to send in a rebate for three bucks, which I may or may not ever see?
Do you consider a mail-in rebate offer a strong enough come-on to persuade you to buy a product, or to prefer Product A (with rebate) over Product B (same price, no rebate)? Is there a limit on how small a rebate you’ll bother with?
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, if the rebate is more than the cost to mail in the info.
I look at it like found money – and that always goes into savings. If we’re all lucky more retailers will use a system like Staples Easy Rebate, where you go to the website, enter a few numbers and viola! You’re done.
That said, one must actually mail in the rebates. And since many people don’t bother, retailers really aren’t in a rush to make it easier for us.
Mr. FS started out doing rebates for pretty big things (Office Depot often has these), but now does them for most anything. He fills out and mails the forms immediately. that’s key.
I prefer to save my dollars by working with the loss leaders at the grocery store. I used to do the Walgreens rebates to get freebie makeup for my daughter, but they discontinued the program. That was very easy.