I’ve been in the US for close to 10 months now. I love shopping especially electronics/software/computer related stuff. The USA has proved to a haven for me in this regard.
I love the concept of rebates here in the USA. Rebates are of various types
*Instant rebates:** These discounts are applied immediately when you buy the product
*Mail-in rebates:** These rebates are after you purchase a product. Say a product has a cost of $45. The mail-in rebate could be $25. This means that when you purchase the product you have to pay the full price initially($45 in this case) .Typically there will be rebate form to be filled in and mailed. Typically to be mailed along with this are the UPC code( cut out from the product box) and the purchase receipt.
Once the rebate is approved( usually takes 6-8 weeks) a cheque will be sent across to you.
Almost all stuff sold in the USA usually has a mail-in rebate associated with it.
The rebates are usually only valid for people residing within the USA/Canada. The product is usually shipped free/charged anywhere between $7-$14 for shipping.
*E-rebates:** These rebates can be applies online instead of mailing them in. More accurate and reduces processing time.
*Stores:** For electronics/computer/software stuff the best places are online
*Buy.com: **This is one of the best online stores and usually has heavy rebates. Very reliable too. Shipping is usually free when one selects budget shipping
*Deals2buy.com:** This is a kind of a site which fetches you the best deals from all other sites which include buy.com, bestbuy.com, compusa.com etc. Deals with stuff ranging from cutlery to computers. Pretty decent site.
Other sites: **compusa.com, bestbuy.com, radioshack.com, staples.com*
*Caution:** Before buying any electronics/computer related stuff always look up the reviews. CNET.com carries very reliable reviews on computers, cell phones, networking hardware and a host of other technology related stuff.
*Seasonal shopping:*
From what I have seen in the USA, rebates are usually available all year round. But the biggest shopping season is during **Thanksgiving**. Most stores open at 4:00 am in the morning and have very good deals. Online deals are also very good. Some items like memory cards, software etc even end up free. The best deal I had at** Thanksgiving** last year was a 20" Samsung Syncmaster LCD monitor for $170(after rebates). This till date is my best purchase since it doubles as a additional monitor and a TV( I purchased a high resolution TV tuner for this).
*About Rebates:*
1) People usually tend to purchase a product taking into account the cost after rebates. They usually tend to forget fill in the rebate form thereby ending up paying the full price for the item. Make sure you fill the rebate form accurately and send it across
2) Send across all the required information mentioned in the rebate form. Incomplete rebate forms usually result in rejection of rebates. Typically you will be mailed back saying what information is missing and address(resubmissions dept) to which the info needs to be sent to. But instead of all these hassles, better get it right on the first shot.
2) Most rebates can be tracked online. Keep a check on the status of your rebates. If you do not receive the rebate within the stipulated period of time, call up the associated customer service number/email them. Customer support is usually very good in the USA and they will assist you.
Hope you find this helpful