Mail In Rebates Are A Quick Way To Lose My Business

I'm so sick of getting MacMall.com catalogs in the mail. I'll never order anything from them because they seem to only advertise stuff with mail in rebates. Offers for really low prices and/or bundled accessories with fine print that reads, "*After mail-in rebate(s)" is a red flag for me.

Sure, most people that order stuff from them and fill out the rebate forms correctly probably do get their money back after a month or two but personally I'm not taking that chance. I'm sick of rebate offers and the inconsistency when it comes to the ease of submitting and claiming them. Six to eight or more weeks is too long to wait for them too.

Just recently hundreds of unopened rebate forms were found in the trash. Also, take a look at Wikipedia's article on rebates for more complaints about rebates schemes.

While these stories are not directly related to MacMall it just demonstrates some of the problems associated with mail-in rebates and the companies that use them. Though, it is worth pointing out that RebateReportCard.com currently shows MacMall with two "F" grades and only one "A" for rebates submitted. Make your own conclusions about that.

Companies should offer "instant rebates" or not offer rebates at all. In my opinion, you just can't count on rebates and it's why I'll never order anything from MacMall.

What do you think? Have you had submitted rebates and never received the rebate check or heard anything at all back? Should the government more closely regulate rebate offers? Please share your opinion in the comments.