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Tips That Make You Feel Like a Genius
Secretly, I feel like a genius when I discover a secondary use for this or that — in case I run out of this, but have plenty of that! Like using a paper coffee filter to wash a glass top or mirror when I'm in a pinch for paper towels. Or using …Read more.
Supermarket Tricks That Makes Us Spend More
I've always thought of myself as pretty sharp when it comes to spotting supermarket trickery. I'm not even fazed by an end-cap display announcing, "Special." I know their ways. They hope we'll just assume that "special" means …Read more.
The Struggle to Actually Use up Gift Cards
My love-hate relationship with gift cards has intensified. What a pain, really. I'm one who just forgets to use them, and when I remember, I try to figure out how to use each one to the last cent. I was reminded of my situation recently when I …Read more.
Commingle Personal and Business Finances? Never!
Dear Mary: I am reading your book, "Debt-Proof Living," and have begun tracking my expenses. I have a home-based business. Should I include business expenses or just personal expenses in the tracking? — Lucy, Vermont
Dear Lucy: You …Read more.
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It's Not Easy To Win the Rebate GameA recent letter from Elle S. in Texas stirred up my personal ire on the subject of rebates. I detest them! It's a game in which the deck is stacked against the consumer. Always. Elle writes: "I purchased my Sprint phone in May 2008. I should have received the rebate by Aug. 2008. I repeatedly submitted the rebate request via mail, fax and email, and each time Sprint claimed they'd never received it. In March 2009, I began filing complaints against Sprint. So far, I have filed complaints with 30 consumer fraud agencies including the Better Business Bureau, Call For Action and the Texas Consumer Complaint Center. I will not stop until I receive my rebate check!" Good for you, Elle. You have a huge throng of "Everyday Cheapskate" readers cheering you on all the way! The goal in the rebate game is to land our business by offering us enticing rebates and then to make the rebate process is such a hassle that we don't bother. Manufacturers hire fulfillment companies to handle the work, reduce fraud and see to it that the fewest possible number of rebates are paid out while staying within the boundaries of the law. Tactics include short deadlines, complicated forms and other terms and conditions that make it difficult for consumers to comply. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that at least half of all rebates go unclaimed. Here's what you can do: —Don't assume that getting a rebate ever will be easy. —Never buy something for the sole purpose of getting the rebate. If anything goes wrong, you don't want to be stuck with something you don't need and cannot afford. —Know the terms and conditions before you make the purchase.
—Do not procrastinate. When it comes to filing for a rebate, sooner is better than later. —Keep a paper trail. Once you've double-checked to make sure the form is filled out perfectly, make a photocopy of everything, including a phone number, address and Web site for the company processing the rebate. —Contact the company if the rebate doesn't arrive within the time promised. If no time is mentioned on the rebate form, the law requires the company to send you a check within 30 days. Many rebates say a check will arrive in 12 weeks or longer. —Cash the check. One rebate processor boasts on its Web site that 10 percent of all rebate checks never are cashed. Companies call this "slippage," and they are committed to getting as much of it as possible. —If you have a problem, complain. Contact the FTC immediately by calling 877-382-4357 or by going to http://www.ftc.gov. Notify your state's attorney general and the Better Business Bureau, even if the rebate is for just a buck or two. A rebate is not a gift. It is a marketing tactic, and it is wrong for manufacturers to trick us into buying and then to refuse to pay up. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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