I don’t even try for rebates anymore. I’ve never been successful — either I mail it in too late, purchase the item too late, forget to include various peices of the packaging which I’m supposed to cut out, I use a PO Box instead of a street address, or any number of other mistakes the manufacturer is hoping I make. I ignore “after rebate” prices now, and just buy items on their face value (even if I have to look to the fine print to find it). Sometimes I won’t purchase a product simply because it offers a mail-in rebate in protest to what I consider to be a scam.

I don’t like rebates.

I buy purely based on cash-out-of-store. Rebates do not figure in at all during the buying process. That said, I do mail them in. In my experience, most never result in payment. But it’s worth the stamps for the few that do.

This was the big story on Slashdot a few months back: rebate or not to rebate? I’ve been a fan of bashing marketing schlock. Marketer types don’t hate consumers, they just don’t care at all about them. Example: for how long have retailers automatically priced everything ending in a $.x9 ? I HATE that. Most folks I talk to feel the same. What’s wrong with simply rounding up to the next dime? Because it’s an age old marketing concept, that’s why.

I hate rebates, too. I’ve never suffered more hassles and done more work for nothing than when I pursued rebates. When political conservatives complain about the popular demand for oppressive business laws, etc., they need to recall all the times businesses have stuck it to consumers.

You all raise good points (btw, welcome Chris! Thanks for stopping by). I’m never terribly fond of rebates, but overall I usually get good results from them. The Roxio rebate was nice since I really wasn’t so sure I wanted to spend $100+ to get the CD burner working with my iMac. I’m going to have to take some time and see if I can get the rebate to go through…