Huffman Coding

This holiday has been a “rebate” Christmas. I’ve got five rebates (totalling over $300) for various purchases this season. Now that I know the gift won’t get returned, the last rebate form will go in tomorrow’s mail. Wouldn’t you know they all went to separate addresses.

I’m not a fan of rebates. You have to cut up cardboard boxes, photocopy receipts, and read all the tiny print to make sure you submit everything completely. In this instant electronic fund transfer world, I resent that you have to fill out a form with a pen and lick a stamp. On the other side of the country (in Young America, MN or Calais, ME) some guy is entering data from my handwriting so I can get a check mailed back in two months. Then there is that trip to the bank to deposit a check for a whopping $3. In the meantime I’ve paid tax on the rebate difference and the balance has been on my Visa in the interim. Blech.

I know they increase the hassle factor to discourage the submittal of rebates. Only 40% of rebates are ever turned in. Complicated procedures increase the changes of the form being rejected so they can pocket the money too, but that turns off customers in the long term doesn’t it? I remember getting a rejection postcard a few years ago: “The $20 rebate for product X has expired.” Their data entry was in error, I was applying for a different rebate offer for a different product.

All parties involved could save time and labor/postage costs, if the merchant electronically sent in the rebate request in for you at the time of purchase: “Hey, Casio, credit Visa account xxxx for $20 because Ken bought your TV.” Think of the customer goodwill. It is even more illogical when rebate goes back to the merchant anyway as was the case for a majority of my holiday rebates!

Staples is starting to automate the process, but there are still problems: only some of their rebates can be handled online; if you purchase something online and the rebate expires before they ship it, you’re out of luck; and you still have to run to your bank to deposit that $3 check.

I never used to keep track of the rebates but since I had so many of them this holiday, I now have an excel spreadsheet to monitor the checks coming back. I never used to know if they incorrectly entered the mailing address.

After more than one check came addressed to “Kenneth Hoffman,” I now make sure I enter my name and address is printed neatly and is unambiguous. I now realize my daughter is scarred for life: “That’s ‘Marissa,’ with one R and two S’s, middle name ‘Leigh,’ spelled L-E-I-G-H, and ‘Huffman’ with a ‘U’ and only one ‘N’.” For the rest of her life.

But all this hassle is starting to pay off! The rebate I sent in three weeks ago, came back today. Yes, KENNETH MUFFMAN is now $50 richer.