FREEafterrebate.com Offers What Name Says

Coming on the heels of the latest round of “free PC” offers, a new e-commerce company in San Clemente promises to give away all of its products--if you’re willing to mail in a rebate card.

Officials with FREEafterrebate.com, which launches Aug. 1, said that everything sold on the site will have a mail-in rebate equal to the price of the item. Most items--ranging from beauty products to consumer electronics--will cost $50 or less, founder Kevin Ford said.

Company officials declined to say what products it will carry or which manufacturers it is partnering with. Ford also declined to name the financial backer or provide details about his fellow founders. He also wouldn’t say where he currently works.

In general, the business works like this: FREEafterrebate.com buys products from the manufacturer and marks them up 10% to 12% before selling the goods to the public.

Shoppers go to the site and pay for the products up front. The site will include a coupon that customers can print, fill out and send in to the manufacturer for a rebate on the cost of the product, including the markup.

Consumer advocates warn that shoppers could be out of luck if the manufacturer doesn’t make good on the rebate. But Ford said FREEafterrebate.com will cover any refunds that manufacturers don’t.

FREEafterrebate.com hopes the site will boost customer traffic for stores and serve as a way to advertise new products and company brands.

Rebates have been booming in the last few years, industry analysts say. Manufacturers like rebates because they allow them to offer price cuts directly to the public. Rebates also can be started and stopped quickly in response to competitors, or be used to gather information about customers.

And analysts note that most people never cash in their rebates because they forget or send them in after the refund expires.

But as with most things, there is a small catch: With FREEafterrebate.com, shoppers will have to pay for the shipping and tax of their goods.