Recently, I registered for Ebates and prior to registering I had not heard that much about it even though it has been around for awhile. In theory, the whole concept sounds enticing. Recently, I purchased over 50 dollars from one of their retailers and got six percent back, which comes out to a little over three dollars. I don't do a ton of shopping online, so I don't want to fall victim to purchasing more items online than I normally would just to get the small percentage of money back. Plus, I refuse to pay for shipping if the retailer has a store in my area or unless I can get free shipping. My question is - has anybody actually saved money using Ebates for items that they normally buy? Any thoughts or experiences would be helpful!
Well yes, it's worth it. Only buy what you would otherwise buy. Don't buy more, the money will add up eventually and the money back is free money.
I think it's worth it in the sense that you are still getting free money for doing what you would already be doing anyway...just, as you said, don't fall into the trap of trying to get more than you typically would for a bit of money back. Over time it adds up and every little bit counts, right? I don't expect to make much from it but having a little extra is always nice.
It is worth it! Like someone else said, it's free money. If you're going to be spending it anyway, definitely go through Ebates if you can. My problem is that I can never remember to do it! Another good one I keep hearing about lately is called ShopatHome. Apparently they outdo Ebates and most other similar sites on their cash back percentages.
I guess the idea behind it is simply getting discounts from the items that you buy.. Just the other way around, to make it look like you are getting free money, some merchants call it rebates.
I think it is worth it as well. I used it on Black Friday & Cyber Monday and I have a cheque for just under $10 coming next quarter. It helped contribute to my savings!
