Rebates
Rebates are a joke.
And so many tech companies are using them as a ploy and nothing more, no real intention on ever paying you a rebate unless you nag.
I never buy anything because of a rebate. I am the type of person who buys what he needs when he needs it. I don't much look for bargains either, I usually settle for what I think is a reasonable price for what I need.
Although I personally have never been stiffed on a rebate, I know plenty of people who have. And I have also read plenty of stories, on the Internet, and magazines, etc., about people who have been stiffed on them. I have, however, had to call several times and been made to wait up to two-months after I was suppose to have received the rebate, and always the story I got was an unlikely one—a fib if you will. "We didn't have your correct address," etc.
Currently, I am in to two more weeks of a rebate I wasn't paid on time. I will call them, again and again, until I get paid. These are the games these companies play, in the hopes that you will give up and go away, and I am sure plenty of people do just that. I bet these companies keep hundreds of thousands of dollars of rebate money playing these games, so the time spent playing them is lucrative for the companies, especially since they don't have to expend any resources on keeping your money.
Rebates take forever. I guess they count on most ppl not filling them. I fill them and wait for the check but never call back unless its substantial.I do think its despicable when companies advertise rebate price. Thankfully that practice has somewhat subsided.