Rebates seem like they are everywhere these days -- and so are the complaints.
The Competition Bureau has received 200 complaints on the issue so far this year.
That's led the Competition Bureau to publish new enforcement guidelines.
"If the final price that is advertised is dependent on a mail-in rebate being claimed then that is not the final price of the item and it is misleading to the consumer," the Competition Bureau's Madeleine Dussault said.
For example, an ad for the sale of a product at $59.99 could be classified as misleading if that price requires a mail-in rebate and it doesn't indicate that anywhere on the ad. If they're going to post the 'with rebate' price it must be an instant rebate. Similarly, a camera advertised at $119.99 could be misleading if you have to pay the full price and then get a gift card to achieve the advertised price.
"If you are advertising a sale but in fact the sale price is only achievable after you've claimed your mail-in rebate that could be false or misleading because the lower price is not the price the customer initially pays," Dussault said.
So how are rebate ads supposed to look?
The Competition Bureau suggests ads should clearly say mail-in rebate.
The ad must also show the full price, the actual rebate and rebate deadline, and the after-rebate price if you redeem it.
And any special rules like one per household need to be displayed before you buy.
Now, what if you go through all the hoops and don't get your rebate? Who do you go after?
"The person making the representation regarding the availability of the rebate is the person that has to fulfill the rebate," Dussault said.
That may be the manufacturer or the retailer or both. Start with the manufacturer. And if you don't get a response in 48 hours, go after the retailer.
If you have followed all the rules, someone has to give you your rebate.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
