Managing mail-in-rebates

With office and school supply shopping season in full swing, there are plenty of mail-in-rebate (MIR) deals abounding out there from Staples, OfficeMax, Office Depot and tons of other stores.

Mail-in-rebates are great marketing ploys.  When you buy the item, in your mind, you often have already subtracted whatever the MIR is going to be.  It's psychological mind-candy to hear the words "FREE!! After Mail-In-Rebate." But statistics show that once shoppers return home, many completely forget about the rebate, lose the receipt, or throw out the item packaging, along with the UPC proof-of-purchase (POP) that is usually required for a MIR.   Here's how to get organized about your MIRs so that you won't lose out.

1. Keep a designated space for MIR items.  My husband and I have a drawer in our kitchen for coupon/rebate/program related junk.  This is the drawer where we stash all of our My Coke Rewards bottle caps, unfiled coupons, mail-in-rebate forms and packaging and other money-saving detritus.  Once a week, usually on Sunday night, I sit down and for 5-15 minutes, I empty the drawer...file or toss the coupons, enter all the Coke codes, and yes, painstakingly fill out the mail-in-rebate forms.  Chances are that when you get home from a shopping trip, you will be occupied with tons of other things (making dinner, putting away groceries, checking email, etc.) so make sure you have a designated place for MIR paperwork (receipts, POPs and forms) so that when you do have the time to deal with it, all the items you need will be there. 
2.  Follow the directions of the MIR to the letter.  Companies will reject your rebate for the slightest of reasons, so make sure you are using an original form, an original store receipt (if you like keeping receipts, ask the store for a duplicate when you pay for the item), and that you cut out the POP very precisely, including the entire UPC.  Messing up on any of these requirements can void the MIR.  Make sure your purchase falls within the prescribed dates and that you're mailing in the MIR before the deadline.  There are a few companies that allow you to do a MIR via online submission.  If online submission versus postal mail is an option, submit the rebate online.  It is much easier to do, track, and you will save on the postage and receive your rebate much more quickly.
3. Keep a copy of everything.  If you have a scanner, scan all your materials in (including the addressed envelope) and save them on your computer in a MIR folder.  When you actually receive the correct rebate check, delete the scan. If you don't have a scanner, copy everything on a copier, date it and put the copy back in the MIR drawer.  If you don't keep copies of what you send in, you will have no recourse if you don't receive the rebate.  Don't assume that just because you are doing everything correctly that your MIRs will go smoothly, because they often don't.
4. Record the MIR and set an alarm for the week that you expect it. I usually record the MIR in my own personal Google spreadsheet of MIRs and I set the pop-up alarm in a Google calendar. (Yes, I'm a Google tool devotee.) When you record the MIR, take down this information:
   • How much and for what?
   • Tracking number or claim identifier
   • When you mailed it
   • Processing time (i.e. 6-8 weeks)
   • Phone number, email address and/or website for tracking
   The last one, a contact number or email or site, is crucial.  If' you haven't received the rebate, you will want to make some noise.  Some companies use sites like RebateTrack or RebateZone to keep you apprised of your rebate status after you have mailed it in.  Make sure you also record a phone number for complaints if you don't get the MIR after the prescribed length of time.
5. Make sure that doing a mail-in-rebate is worth it.  Keep in mind that you will have to pay for postage (which, because of some of the bulkiness of POPs, is often more than a regular postage stamp) and deduct that from the amount of the MIR when you decide if it's worthwhile.  Also understand that sometimes, MIRS disappear into the ether.  Occasionally, companies will claim that they never received your MIR, that you didn't follow directions, that you submitted it past the deadline, etc. and you need to decide whether you have the time and energy to seek recourse.  

So in general, are MIRs worth the effort?  Well, sometimes. There's nothing quite like getting that $100 pre-paid Visa or check for $49.99 when MIRs go smoothly. Generally, I would say that when you buy an item with a MIR, make sure you want it enough and it is inexpensive enough so that if the MIR does not come through, you won't be overly aggravated.  MIRs are a dinasour of money-saving marketing and of all the things we do to be frugal, MIRs probably have the highest effort-to-return ratio.

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