# How do you feel about MIB's (mail-in-rebates) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-mibs-mail-in-rebates/551475 "2010-08-25T23:47:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-mibs-mail-in-rebates/551475/21 "2010-08-27T05:47:39Z")
The last three rebates I applied for I never got. I keep getting told things like I didn’t send it in in time. This is false. The last two I sent certified return as they were for $75.00. They company was a third party rebate in all three cases. So I think I won’t use a rebate that is a third party. Only rebates I take seriously are from the store itself. It’s too easy for everyone to deny it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-mibs-mail-in-rebates/551475/22 "2010-08-27T12:35:22Z")
I won’t buy just because of a rebate. I do usually send them in for anything more than a few dollars. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-mibs-mail-in-rebates/551475/23 "2010-08-27T13:20:47Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > This survey really needed another choice: > “Yes, I take advantage of them, but I hate them with all my soul. Retailers should just lower their price, and stop depending on people screwing up the rebate forms, or finding arbitrary reasons to disallow the rebate.” That’s exactly what the retail I chain work for did a couple of years ago. All rebates at our stores are now instant. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-mibs-mail-in-rebates/551475/24 "2010-08-27T13:38:08Z")
> [@Mr.Accident](#): > > I ignore the price when it includes the mail in rebate. I’ve been burned a few times by them, and no longer expect to get the rebate, usually due to some silly reason, one of which was because I filled out the form with blue ink instead of black. This. I simply calculate the price without the rebate and assume that’s what I’ll end up paying. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-mibs-mail-in-rebates/551475/25 "2010-08-27T13:52:02Z")
I refuse to buy items with mail-in-rebates, even when the claimed price is lower. MIRs are an attempt to squash competition without really lowering prices. Merchants like to advertise their prices with the rebate included but in reality we have to be very meticulous to get the money and even then they don’t seem to pay off very often. I would guess that I get a response maybe 50% of the time when I mail these in. Maybe if I was willing to record every rebate and then make contact with the company 6-8 weeks later to see what the hold is I would get better results but that isn’t worth the 3 or 4 dollars involved and the manufacturers know it. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-mibs-mail-in-rebates/551475/26 "2010-08-27T14:09:29Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > This survey really needed another choice: > “Yes, I take advantage of them, but I hate them with all my soul. Retailers should just lower their price, and stop depending on people screwing up the rebate forms, or finding arbitrary reasons to disallow the rebate.” Amen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-mibs-mail-in-rebates/551475.md?page=1)