Best Buy Phases Out More Mail-In Rebates

Retailer announces they've done away with some 65 percent of mail-in rebates related to select computer products, instead passing instant savings on to shoppers.

Those pesky mail-in rebates took one step closer to extinction at Best Buy today as the leading consumer electronics retailer announced it had eliminated more than 65 percent of them on computers and computer-related merchandise. This is in step with a two-year plan the company started in April 2005 to phase out mail-in rebates altogether.

The mail-in rebates which have been phased out, said Best Buy, include those focused on purchases of desktop computers, monitors, most printers and most computer accessories. These join notebook computers, which had mail-in rebates phased out in January. Consumers purchasing any of these types of products now typically see instant rebate savings in their purchases rather than having to cut out a proof of purchase, photocopy the sales receipt, fill out the tiny form, mail all of it, hope it doesn’t get lost or that they missed the expiration date and wait two months for a check.

“Our customers tell us that they appreciate rebate savings, but hate the paperwork and the wait,” said Ron Boire, executive vice president and global merchandise manager, Best Buy, in a statement. “We’ve listened. Now, we’ve eliminated more than 65 percent of the mail-in rebates we had a year ago – a big step for Best Buy and the retail industry. Most important, our customers have noticed the changes. They have told us they’re happier with their shopping experiences and much more likely to return to our stores to shop.”