Print Rebate Forms Immediately for Fewer Hassles

Trying to get your money back from post-purchase rebates, especially the mail-in kind, is nobody's idea of time well spent. Consumer Report's Money blog suggests a smart, safe move—printing out any forms available online right away.

Why go to that trouble if the store provides you a form already? Because the rebate providers, hoping you'll fall into the alarming percentage of buyers who never get their money, sometimes pull them down, leaving you stuck if your rebate is returned or delayed for "missing information":


The other good, if obvious, advice from the consumer non-profit is to take every single bit of paper or cardboard related to your rebate, make copies, and keep it all in a folder, with the latest date you expect the rebate marked on it.