Many companies offer rebates for purchasing products. Simply mail a copy of the receipt along with a proof of purchase, wait several weeks, then receive a rebate check in the mail. The check is payment for purchasing their product(s).

        Rebates can occur for the purchase of a single item, several items offered by the same manufacturer, or many items sold by a store. Some stores, such as Walgreens® and Eckerd®, offer a monthly rebate catalog for certain items purchased during the month. Many items can be purchased at a deep discount or for free (only sales tax payment is required). Don't purchase a product simply because a rebate exists. Wait until the end of the rebate period because it may be offered as a sale item at the rebate price. An added bonus is if you have a coupon for the product purchased. The result will cause the store to essentially pay you to purchase the product (even after including the sales tax and postage for mailing the rebate). Companies have paid me on a frequent basis for purchasing deodorant, shampoo, soap, and toothpaste.

        The purpose of rebates and coupons are to entice customers to purchase their product at a perceived discount. The companies know many customers will not bother returning the rebate, will not keep record of the rebate mailed, and will not cash the received rebate check before the expiration date on the check. Always keep a copy of the information required for the rebate along with the rebate form. Many companies will mail a rebate check within the period stated on the rebate form, but mistakes can occur resulting in the loss of your rebate request. Although, some companies intentionally do not mail a rebate check because they are betting customers will forget about the rebate or will not keep record of the rebate. In any case, contact the company stating you have not received the rebate check as stated in the policy indicated on the rebate form. The company will most likely apologize for the delay and then mail you a rebate check.

        BEWARE: Be sure to read the terms of the rebate because there may be restrictive conditions and requirements. An example is purchasing more than can be used before the expiration date, purchasing an item of no interest to you in order to receive the rebate, or purchasing specific brands. Also, rebates typically allow only one per family/address and any attempt to use a false address/name to obtain additional rebates may result in prosecution for mail fraud which is a federal crime.


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