I just bought a replacement set of tires on Saturday that added a Black Friday sale on top of the Goodyear rebate. Installation is set for Thursday as they need to get them into the store. The place was packed and the parking lot overflowing with customers.
These are the same model tires I bought last time and put over 80k miles on them, but they're nearly down to the wear-bars so I wanted to get them replaced before the winter snow gets bad. I really like this model on my car, and while I don't care for this dealer for other mechanical service, they do a good job with tires.
For most mechanical work I take my cars to a small shop 1/4-mile further up the road. Good prices, excellent work, and word-of-mouth advertising is bringing in more work than they can easily handle even after expanding, putting in a third lift, and adding another mechanic. They just can't always compete on tire prices, and if you're on the road a lot for work, having a chain-backed tire service warrantee can be a good idea.
The thing with rebates is YOU need to keep track of them. I scan everything sent in, along with the rebate requirements listings, and file them on the computer. I keep two folders, one for rebates sent, and a second that the file gets moved to when the rebate arrives. The small rebates usually haven't been a problem, but for a couple bigger ones in the past, I've had to call them and resend the information. It sometimes pays to be organized.
I'd also suggest scanning important sales receipts anyway, not only to keep them organized, but because many of the "register slips" fade very quickly and become illegible. With some longer warrantee periods for items, you don't want to have to file a claim, only to find that the sales receipt you carefully filed away or stapled to the manual has faded to become a blank piece of paper.
