Getting What’s Coming to You

Some tips to keep in mind when you buy consumer electronics products that come with mail-in rebate offers:

* Don’t buy a product just because of the rebate. There’s a chance you’ll never get it.

* If possible, be patient. Some rebates come promptly, but many others take several weeks or even months more than promised to arrive. But don’t forget about the money you are owed.

* Keep good records. That includes copies of your rebate redemption form, your receipt, the bar code from the package and the product’s serial number.

Get a separate receipt for each item you buy. That might be a nuisance if you are buying several items at the same time, but many manufacturers require the original receipt before they’ll issue a rebate.

Before you leave the store, be sure you have a valid rebate redemption form or coupon. It can be difficult to get one later on from the retailer or the manufacturer.

* Complain to your retailer. Some retailers will make the rebate themselves if you have a legitimate complaint.

* File complaints with consumer agencies. If the retailer can’t help you, find out where the manufacturer that promised the rebate is based and contact the city, county or state consumer protection agency there. If you can’t find such an agency, try the county district attorney or the state attorney general. The threat of action by a government agency may be what’s needed to extract your rebate check.