There's nothing that turns me off faster than the words "after rebate."
Got another Micro Center flyer in the mail today, and noticed a few things that looked like deals -- until you get to the "price is after rebate" and the list of two or three different rebates you have to cash in on before it's actually at that price.
Of course, the rebates will take about 90 days, and Micro Center has my money now if I buy them. The price is unchanged, I just might get some money back. Or might not, given the requirements for getting a rebate. I've been hosed once or twice on rebates, so I tend to dislike the whole rebate scheme to begin with -- I never buy anything because of the price "after rebate." If the price to walk out of the store with the item isn't low enough, without factoring in rebates, I just leave it on the shelf.
I will give props to Costco for its rebate policies -- basically all you really need to do is go to the Costco Website to redeem a rebate, and they're pretty quick about sending the check.
One Comment
Hear, hear! That's become my policy, too. Some of those rebate checks are designed to look like junk mail, so you throw them out and you never get paid.