Consumerist Bites Back

I can see both sides of the story

I agree with both your original take, as well as the fact that some companies make rebates a bit difficult to obtain. Personally, I've never had a rebate rejected or end up missing in the past 10 or so years I've submitted them. Especially with a lot of the new online submissions methods, in many cases it seems to be easier than ever to submit and track.

Sure, there are going to be times when something goes wrong and the processing center claims they are missing a UPC or receipt, or whatever. I guess if it makes someone feel better, they can claim the company is fraudulent, evil, or whatever adjective you want to use. I'm sure there are occasions where it really isn't the consumer's fault, but there are probably just as many instances where the (sometimes obscure) directions weren't followed properly, deadline missed, etc.

I know I've done it before, and it was just recently. I had a $20 rebate on a motherboard for the new computer I was building. I printed the rebate form, and set it aside while waiting for my parts to arrive. A few weeks lapse and I realize I didn't send the rebate and the postmark deadline had already passed. Oops, my fault. Of course, I would have bought that motherboard whether there was a rebate or not, so not a big deal.

And I think that is the ultimate takeaway from this rebate debate. Don't make a purchase solely on the fact that it has a rebate. If it is an item you want and it just happens to have a rebate, great. Fill it out, and hopefully you get money. If not, at least you go into the transaction not expecting it, and if you miss a deadline or forget a key point in the instructions, it isn't a big loss. But if you are constantly trying to find deals by using rebates, surely you're going to be upset when something happens.