Why you're not going to get that mail-in refund.

[Theophylact]

A good article in Slate.

[agathodaimon]

wow, good read.

I've always hated MIR's and I always will.
If I see an item advertised as one, I will just ignore it and keep shopping somewhere else for a better price.

I have done several MIR's in the past, and only got about 2/3rd's of them back. I don't need the hassle, even if it WOULD be a killer price.

thats a great articel and excatly to the point

When a manufacturer offers a rebate, you needn't be too suspicious. The manufacturer wants to lower the price temporarily (to move an old product or combat a competitor's new low price), but doesn't have faith that the retailer will pass on the savings. But if it's a retail store that is offering the rebate, ask yourself a simple question: Why isn't it just on sale? The store doesn't have any good reason to offer a rebate, since it could just as easily have a sale—if it in fact wanted you to have the product at a lower price. It doesn't, and that's the point. When you see that a store is offering you a rebate, remember that back at HQ some executive is betting against you, rooting for you to slip up, calculating the odds that you will lose the receipt, go on vacation, write in a wrong number.

[M_Six]

Whoa. I have two rebate checks at home I've had for a while. I'll have to look at them more closely tonight.

[consumertalks]

I've only had one MIR with Best Buy for $12 & $4 rebates on a spindle of Sony CDR's, got the checks in about three weeks.

Office Max... terrible! Two months and still no checks. I won't keep posting the same thing everywhere, just search my other posts and you'll see it.

[sachida]

officemax and staples are horrble. Bestbuy I havent had problem till date.

[Christian-Comp]

Every one of Best Buy's rebates, I have gotten. As for CompUSA, fagettaboutit!

One time I waited several weeks for a $20 rebate from a sale at Best Buy and called them up. Since I hadn't received it, they sent me a $25 gift card. Two weeks later, I got my $20 rebate check. Best Buy has always been good for me.

[osprey4]

Staples -- Best
Best Buy
Circuit City
Office Depot
OfficeMax
CompUSA -- Worst

That's been my experience.

[earlthepearl]

OfficeMax will honor their rebates, if you ask OM for satisfaction.
I had a couple of rebates that were deemed invalid by Rebateshq.com (the OM rebate agent).
I sent requested photocopies of purchase documentation to no avail.
After getting a "denied" postcard, I finally almost gave up on the whole rebate scheme, and OfficeMax in particular.
One "last ditch" effort paid off.
I phoned & emailed customer service at OfficeMax.
The efficient OM rep promptly emailed that she had contacted Rebateshq, & that the status of the rebates had been changed to "valid", & that a check would be issued.

Was the hassle worth it?
Well, I like the OfficeMax store near me, & went to the extreme to avoid invoking a personal boycott.
It really depends on how often "invalid" is seen next to the rebate ID# on the tracking website.
I can say nothing bad about OfficeMax, except that they do not dictate that Rebateshq honor every single validly submitted rebate.
I do have the choice of not participating in the rebate scenario at all, but for now, I know a real person at OfficeMax who will intervene if Rebateshq tries to step on me with their "invalid boots".
Earl