Mail in Rebates SUCK. It's just that plain and simple. Companies make us jump through these hoops and do these tricks just because they are counting on us to screw up. They assume we either won't fill them in, we won't get it done in time, we will make some mistake, we will forget to include something, we'll lose the receipt, accidentally throw away the box, something will get lost in the shuffle, or, if all else fails, they'll just flat out lie and say that something was missing.
The only reason they do it is because, statistically speaking, some percentage of people purchasing a product will, for one reason or another, fail to get their rebate. They are relying on our stupidity, forgetfulness, and inability to follow through in order to trick us into buying their products.
You may be thinking that you are one of the few who always fills in the rebates and always gets them back. You know what? I am too. I always get my rebate money back. Well, except that one that I bought the day the rebate expired not realizing it. And that one that I lost the rebate receipt for. Oh yeah, and that one that I threw the box out for before cutting out the UPC. Oh, and that one I bought as a gift and then realized afterwards how cheap I'd look giving a gift with the UPC cut out. Oh, and that one that I just plain forgot about until it was too late. Oh… wait… I guess I *am* one of those people. You probably are too.
I'd love to boycott all mail in rebates but, without a lot of people to join in the cause, It'll only hurt me financially in the end and no statement will be made to companies using rebates as "incentive" to buy their otherwise overpriced products.
The next time you buy a certain product based on the mail-in-rebate it offers, think real hard about what that company must thinks of you, their customer, and then decide if you still want to do business with them.
(Inspired by "Jillithian":http://jillithian.livejournal.com/328569.html.)
