Changes in retail rebates sought in NJ

New Jersey lawmakers are worried that consumers are accidentally tossing out the rebate checks they get in the mail.

 

A bill sponsored by Assemblyman John Burzichelli would require mailed manufacturers’ rebates to be enclosed in a sealed envelope and to be clearly identified as a refund.

Now, the rebates from retailers often are sent in the form of a postcard.

“The idea is to make certain that a person who is entitled to a rebate, as that rebate is received to their home, it comes in a form that they know it’s important and they know it’s a rebate and isn’t hidden in an undersized card or in a way that a person may discard it,” said Burzichelli, D-Gloucester.

Stores in the Garden State have already addressed consumer concerns about rebates, said John Holub, president of the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association. The checks often can be redeemed instantly in stores or processed online, he said.

And toll-free numbers are available for consumers to verify when they will receive their rebates, he said.