For shoppers like me, the day after Thanksgiving is the day to get up in the wee hours of the morning to wait in a ridiculous long line that gets more ridiculous as the hour gets more sane, waiting for a store to open to get the "really killer deals" for Christmas shopping.
I usually choose Best Buy, but this particular year the combination of a truly horrendous line length situation at Best Buy, even when I first started on my late-night/early morning journey and especially good 'deals' at Circuit City (with mail-in rebate) made me stray from the "no-mail-in-rebate" comfort of my usual favorite. BIG MISTAKE, and one I won't ever make again!
If you find yourself drawn to Circuit City and realize a major drawing point is the mail-in rebate, forget it—you will NEVER see that rebate, at least not without it costing you quite a bit in "safety" money (read on).
I ended up making purchases amounting to $874 in mail-in rebates. Skeptical of the rebate system, I scanned each receipt to my hard drive, scanned each completed "rebate form" (Also printed from the cash register) and scanned each UPC I was instructed to cut from each package.
Next, I used the USPS computer mailing system to print a RECORDED mailing label, WITH POSTAGE, right from my computer, and affixed it to envelopes large enough to accept tracking service. (Yes, this adds to the cost of the postage, but in the end was the only thing standing between me and about $600 in missing rebates!) Due to this, I DO believe that the rebate "Amount" that is advertised should be postage, as this does affect the consumer's bottom line price for the item! (Alternately, rebate offerers should have to reimburse consumer for postage paid; however, I claimed this with my rebates and did not receive it).
This postage method allowed me to "see" (and PROVE) exactly when Circuit City received each rebate I mailed.
So I wait. And Wait. Wait some more. Finally, I receive four checks totalling $226. (Remember, I sent in a total of TEN rebates totalling $874)! I wait and wait some more... But NEVER receive the remainder of the rebates. I look online at CC's "rebate information" center.
Nothing.
I call the "rebate assistance" number. I am told that "WE HAVE NO RECORD OF" the receipt number I am giving. (Keep in mind this is the SAME receipt I already received FOUR rebates from!) I point out this small factoid and they stammer and stutter and "uh, I don't know what to tell you, we have nothing on file with that number."
I start reading off postage info: "I sent you a rebate for the ZBV108002-R for $40 on Dec. 3rd and you received it on Dec. 7th, tracking # (blah blah)"
"I sent you the rebates for (3) of item AXR2079970-B for $18 on Dec. 3rd and you received the envelope on Dec. 8th, tracking # (BlahBlahBlah)." I offer to FAX copies of my scanned rebate receipts, UPC's and POSTAGE receipts, with delivery confirmation details.
I finally get my rebates a few weeks later, after hounding them by phone a few more times and threatening to take my detailed paperwork to the Attorney General of my state.
Bottom line: it will cost you quite a bit of money and quite a bit of your time to make sure you get those rebates... I am now forever SOLD on the "rebate-less" Best Buy method of holiday shopping, and will never again spend my hard-earned dollars (and time!) at a store still using the antiquated, spurious, and scandalous "mail-in rebates"!
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