I find it annoying that you need to get in a mail in rebate for computers and eletronics and other items. Whats the purpose of it?
2006-12-12 09:04:36 · 26 answers · asked by null 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
It is a game they play. They advertise the rebate price to get you in the store and then hope you forget to send in the rebate.
2006-12-12 09:18:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's the manufacturer usually, not the store.
Personally, I think it's about like Coke and all the company's with "instant winners", where all you have to do is go to your computer, get online, go to their website and put in your code. With the mail-in rebate, only people who actually care enough to take the time to do it get the money back, unlike a general "sale" where it's marked off from the beginning, so everybody gets it.
Also, I think it's a kind of incentive to fill out the paperwork and do a warranty and/or register your computer or whatever it is. Most people I know do both at the same time.
It may seem like it's certain stores (for example, LOTS of stuff at Best Buy have mail-in rebates), but I think that's actually more because just about everything in Best Buy is electronic, and electronics are most often the ones who have the rebate.
Either that, or they just do it to annoy you.
2006-12-12 09:22:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do this for many reasons. First of all not many people take the time to send in their card and receipt so they aren't losing any money they are making profit off of it. Second of all it takes so long to even get the rebate back that most people don't even want to mess with it because in the long run it is more of a hassle to deal with all the rules to get the rebate in the first place. Buy something without the rebate.
2006-12-12 09:09:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The stores offer low prices, after rebates. That gets you in the door to buy. Then there are a certain percentage of buyers who never mail in all the rebates. So the store/manufacturer makes out by selling the item at full price.
2006-12-12 09:08:02 · answer #4 · answered by skipymcgoo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. Inventories occupy space. And taking more space = more expenses for business. Therefore, rebates is a good tool to attract customer to purchase those inventory.
2. With free and discounted prices, customers have an incentive to purchase.
3. With Main-in rebates, you will have to give the business money first and get your money back later (few weeks to few months or never), this will increase business cash flow. They can use those cash to do investment, pay expense, and others.
4. Not every customer will be able to get their rebates money in (by not mailing in the rebates, late, or missing documents), so businesses can still earn more money than they actually should.
2006-12-12 09:06:55 · answer #5 · answered by Ivan 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
because sometimes looking at the price after a rebate is enough to make some people think they are getting some great deal and they will buy it where they wouldnt have before. Also..some people won't bother to go after the rebate because it is so much trouble and then they just kept that money
2006-12-12 09:08:17 · answer #6 · answered by Farah G 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because they want more people to come to the store so they come to the store and eventually become a usual customer.
That mail in rebate thing is to confuse the people to buy because the rebate they charge u to another item so u have to buy both and u end up buying more than what u bargained for. Trust me, I hate dat too
2006-12-12 09:08:56 · answer #7 · answered by Mami Yankee 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They do it as a means of tricking people into thinking they are saving money when they really don't. Most people either forget or don't bother to send them in. It's not just electronics. They do that for everything.
I don't buy anything that requires me to get a rebate to "save" money. Not only is a scam on both the store and manufacturer's parts, it's a waste of time and energy on your part.
2006-12-12 09:08:52 · answer #8 · answered by Cinnamon 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The rebate comes from the company that makes it, not the store. That way, the store doesn't loose money by having it on sale. Instead, the company loses money by paying you back. The government likes it because you pay tax on the full price, but don't get the tax money back with the refund. It's a cheap, slimey way to put things on sale.
2006-12-12 09:08:41 · answer #9 · answered by siegrisj 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You think you're getting a good deal, so you're more likely to buy their stuff. Then some large fraction of the customers don't remember to mail in the rebate form, so the store gets to keep it. Both are good deals for the store.
2006-12-12 09:08:15 · answer #10 · answered by Faeldaz M 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋