Are companies keeping your money? Are they in possession of hard-earned dollars to which you are entitled? If you fail to send in your rebate form, then that is exactly the situation that will occur.

Rebate shopping serves no purpose if you don't send in your refund request.
Unfortunately, many people forgo submitting their refund form and all of those forgone rebates mean millions in saving for manufacturers.

Why save money for Big Business when you could be saving cash for yourself? If you want to put money back in your pocket, then follow the easy steps outlined below to make sure that you receive the savings to which you are entitled.

If you are making an in-store purchase, be sure that you are provided with the form that you will need to complete in order to receive your refund. Sometimes it is in the box, it may be printed at the cash register, or the clerk might provide you with the refund slip. If you ordered your item online, then the rebate form may have been included in with your shipment. Make sure that you don't accidentally throw it away with the packing materials, because obtaining another one would be a hassle. If a rebate form wasn't included in with your shipment, then you might have to go online to print it.

One way to be sure that you get your rebate is to complete the form as soon as the item arrives at your door, if you ordered online, or when you get home, if you purchased the item in the store. This will ensure that this money-saving offer doesn't slip your mind or that you don't put it aside because of a lack of time.

If you do complete the form right away just be sure that you really want the
item that you purchased as it will be difficult, if not impossible, to return once you have removed the UPC.

When completing your form be sure to carefully read all of the fine print.
Nothing is worse than waiting for the mail to arrive with your rebate check
only to discover that your refund request was rejected because of something
that was overlooked. Also, be sure to print all of your information clearly, so
that it can easily be read by the person or machine processing your form.

Rebate requests require you to include your receipt as proof of purchase. Never send your original receipt unless the rebate slip specifies that you must do so. Some stores will print a duplicate receipt for you, so be sure to inquire. If they are unwilling to do so, then in most cases a copy of your receipt will be accepted. It is recommended that you make a copy of both sides of your rebate slip, the UPC, and anything else that you are required to send. That way you will have proof should trouble arise.

You will most likely have to wait 6-8 weeks to receive your rebate. Make a note on your calendar of the date on which your rebate should arrive as it is easy to forget something that will occur 6-8 weeks in the future. With a reminder on your calendar you'll know if your rebate doesn't arrive in the mail as expected.

If you don't receive your refund after the designated time period elapses, then contact the rebate-issuing company to check the status of your submission. If there was a problem with your rebate you may be able to clear things up with a simple phone call.

Follow the steps outlined above and in a few weeks you will get to experience the thrill of finding your mailbox filled with savings. After all of the hard work you put into compiling your rebate submission you've earned every penny.

Copyright 2004 Heather Wallace