Family Circle Magazine February 1981
1. Your Pet Peeve: How to remove stubborn labels. Bottle and jar labels require different techniques, depending on the bottle and the label. Here are some that really work: Soda Bottle: Peel of the thinner layer of printing. The whole label needn't come off, just the top, somewhat transparent layer. Liquid Disbursing Labels: Soak overnight in a pail of hot water (fill the bottle first so it won't float on the top). Spray Cleanery: Soak overnight in a pail of hot water. You can also try placing the bottle through a dishwasher cycle or placing a water-saturated washcloth over the label and let it stand overnight. The label should peel right off. Helpful Hint: Once a wet label comes off, place it paste side up or it will stick to your table or counter surface. Or, place it paste side down on plain paper. One refunder recently wrote saying that she places all her labels paste side down on the stove, and when she tried to lift them, they stuck. She had to soak her labels a second time. 2. Practical Paper Work: How to keep your refunding records. The more efficient your record-keeping system, the faster you can mail away your refund qualifiers and the faster checks, cents-off coupons and gifts will come back to you. Keep your records simple; a loose-leaf notebook or pack of index cards will do. I put the following heading at the top of each page or index card and fill in the appropriate information. This kind of record-keeping information gives you a quick way to keep track of all the refund offers for which you have sent, along with a good idea of which companies are quick to reply and what qualifiers or proofs of purchase (POPs) they request. 3. LATECOMERS: The right way to ask about a refund offer you sent for but never received. I usually allow four months' waiting time for a refund offer. If by that time I have not received it, I write a letter mentioning the name of the refund and the date I sent it in and my return address. Companies usually respond quickly. When writing about a delay in receiving a refund, never mail your letter to the refund address. Instead, write directly to the company - the address can be found on product packaging-and mark your envelope: "ATT: Customer Service." 4. PROOFS OF PURCHASE: The ones you should definitely save. Recently Procter & Gamble came out with a refund offer requiring proofs of purchase (POPs) from 22 different products. Each product was assigned a point value and you needed to acquire 1,600 points. In return, you could get a seven-piece Revere Ware Copper Clad Cookware Set valued at just under $100. Because of my vast supply of POPs, I had almost enough Procter & Gamble POPs to send for my cookware immediately the reward of keeping all my package parts and identifying them. Following are the qualifiers or POPs that companies commonly request. Ingredient panels. Box tops and bottoms from packaged and boxed goods. Labels from cans and bottles (including neckband labels). Net Weight or Fluid Ounce statements (can be found in the right or left lower corner of the product). Proof of Purchase seals (usually printed on cookies, crackers, tissues, etc.). However, you should save these in conjunction with other package parts since companies may vary qualifiers requested. Plastic lids from cans, particularly from coffee and peanut products. When saving plastic lids, cut off the bulky edging and save only the inside portion. Identify it before storing. Tear Strips (the device used to open boxes). They're small and easy to lose, so store them carefully. They are often requested as proofs of purchase for frozen foods. lnnerseals (the seals used to seal jars of coffee, tea, powdered milks and popcorn). These are easy to store, but make certain you identify the product on the back of the seal, since, once removed, you'll probably forget the size and product. Universal Product Code (UPC) bars are fast becoming the most frequently required proof of purchase. The UPC bars are placed on packages to aid in computer checkouts. Manufacturers offering refunds have been fast to adopt this new package part as a qualifier. The UPC is never on the front of the product; it's usually located on the back or bottom of the item. Be sure when removing the UPC to identify it on the back because all UPC labels look alike-only the numbers directly under the lines differ. Special offer to FAMILY CIRCLE readers: You can order a one-year subscription to Susan Samtur's refund newsletter, Refundle Bundle, for just $11.87 (a 20% discount) and get a free bonus copy of her paperback book, Cashing in at the Checkout, (a $2.95 value). Simply mail $11.87 to Refundle Bundle, Box 141, Centuck Station, Yonkers, NY 10710.
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