Missing Rebates and Unclaimed Rebate Refund Checks

Many manufacturers and retailers depend on the fact that while rebates are an excellent way to attract sales, the majority of consumers will never file for a rebate after purchase, and fewer still will follow-up if the rebate is not received.

The National Consumers League estimates only 2-3% of all those who buy a product with a rebate ever end up receiving the funds. Rebate forms are intentionally made to be easily forgotten or misplaced, time consuming and complex to complete.

Rebate forms must generally be mailed in under short deadlines and with accompanying sales documentation, including hard to find product bar codes. Once submitted, rebates may be rejected for any number of reasons, often without notification to the customer. A seemingly inordinate number of rebate submissions are “lost in the mail.”

Rebate checks not cashed may now come under the purview of new state statutes, giving consumers the right to demand reissue or reclaim amounts remitted by the company offering the rebate. And for rebates issued as stored value or gift cards, a growing number of states now prohibit the imposition of service charges or a time limit on use.

To search for unclaimed rebate check payments complete the form below.