Life's too short for rebates

mickster

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 14, 2002
Messages
451
Is it just me?
I used to go to extreme lengths for hot deals and if it meant filling out a rebate form or two, I'd willingly do so. That's stopped.
I get PO'ed when I see deal threads with AR's included or even worse when they are too f'in' lazy to include that in their so called hot deal even though it's a major part of that price showing.

Certain etailers as well as brands have based their business models on the damned things and as a result, it's extremely rare for me to buy the brands or from the sellers...unless the deals are good without using rebates. As a result, I am definitely buying less frequently and using sellers whose business models are not hinging on getting our money based on some reBAIT...come on...bite the bait. Give us your money and maybe we'll give a bit of it back to ya if you dot ALL the i's and cross ALL the t's, maybe not... just because!

Who has lost sales because of rebates....(this is where I doom the thread because it's going to feature a brand and an etailer who [H] have come to rely on for funding).
* ReBAIT Etailer # 1 is TD/CC...their entire business model has always fostered consumer complaints but their excessive use of rebates to show artificially low pricing is really insulting. Their CS while improved still ends up with us having to jump through unbelievable hoops and hassles to resolve the issues...and it happens so damned frequently that doing business with them is just too wasteful of my time and peace of mind. Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice....So I'm done with 'em! Tell me I'm all alone

* Brand using reBAIT's too much...OCZ!
I love OCZ's SSD's but every damned one of them show a rebate or two....their psu's and mem are just as bad and I've stopped buying either after too many hardware failures. I'd like to like OCZ because many times, they do get things right. Their CS is decent but please get rid of the damned rebates guys. The last OCZ SSD I bought...did not bother with the damned rebate because life is too short. If they'd stop using rebates, I'd buy more but I hate to reward those marketing asses who insult us. If their rebates were fulfilled without all the issues they seem to generate far more frequently than other brands, my perception might change. That's next to impossible since nearly 100% of their brand products include a rebate...too many opportunities to screw things up and piss people off.

The good guys....Office Max, BB(used to be the pits but improved), Amazon, MicroCenter, Crucial, and let's consider NewEgg. While I'm not happy with their increased usage of reBAITs, they normally will set things right if there is a problem. No doubt, others will report unresolved rebait issues because the volume of business they do.


Hopefully, we can actually hear opinions on rebaits and their usage by brands and sellers without the powers that be censoring the discussion.

Please...where do you stand?
Are there sellers or brands you trust or have stopped trusting and using?
There are two sides to the coin.
Let's hear your opinion.


*
 
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I agree

MIRs are a waste of time. They're unreliable and not worth the hastle unless you're getting a large chunk of cash back (more than $80.00)... and even then, 9 times out of 10, you're lucky to even get it. Out of all the MIR's I've sent out in the past, I've only ever recieved a small handful of checks to cash.
 
I hate rebates but I actually got all 3 of my last set of rebates that I sent in, now to spend them :D
 
I've been wanting to get a few OCZ SSD's for raid 0 for about a year now (because they have garbage collection) but every damn time there is a sale on them it's a rebate (that's only valid for *1* product. Because of this OCZ has seen 0 of my SSD money, and it's been so long I'm thinking about just getting another brand. To be honest I really don't see the point in a rebate, if you are going to sell it cheap then, sell it cheap!
 
i do wonder what back room deals do rebates serve.. i mean does the company get any marketing info from them? Rebates not only cost the company money because they sell you stuff cheaper, but they also have to have someone who will handle them...
 
Sounds like we should have titled the thread...
You're losing sales dudes
 
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I never base my purchase on the "after MIR" price. But I do always send my MIR in. Eh, I figure 5 minutes and $0.44 for the possibility of getting a $20.00 check later down the road when I've totally forgotten about it, why not?

I've been lucky and received nearly all my rebates back, even ones submitted just a hair late. But as the story goes, you don't always get that check. And that's why I don't base my purchase decision on the "after MIR" price.
 
I hate MIR also. I base my purchases on the price before the rebate and look at the rebate as a bonus.
 
I was doing my MIR for my Mobo I just got and what do you know Asus is Charging me $2.00 from a $10.00 rebate to get it in a week. So im getting a 8 dollar rebate unless I want to wait 8-10 weeks
 
MIR's are stupid.. Isn't the USA the only country with this kind of s***?>
 
I sell cell phones for a living, and I walked in the store the other day to over half of our phones no longer having rebates. You do not understand the joy that news instilled in me.
 
I have been getting all my rebates back in the last few years with little fan fair. Let me tell you though PNY, Creative and Lite-On have been the leaders. I got my rebates in less then a month and they were CHECKS. I hate those crappy ass debit cards that I have to pay bills with because it's the only way I make sure I use every last cent on them. :mad:
 
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i do wonder what back room deals do rebates serve.. i mean does the company get any marketing info from them? Rebates not only cost the company money because they sell you stuff cheaper, but they also have to have someone who will handle them...

There are rebate companies that will bid on the price to provide x amount of rebates.

This bid is usually less than the total amount, and the rebate company is gambling that there will be enough people not filling out the paperwork that in the end they make a profit.
 
There are rebate companies that will bid on the price to provide x amount of rebates.

This bid is usually less than the total amount, and the rebate company is gambling that there will be enough people not filling out the paperwork that in the end they make a profit.

Good way to quickly sum up what the rebate companies do.

Bidding is usually done on the assumption that no more than 40% of the customer will submit the rebate paperwork correctly. Also when they are approaching a situation where they are going to lose money, rebate processors will find a way to magically start losing mail and rejecting rebates that are perfectly valid simply because most people won't pursue the matter. At that point, if they keep losing money their entire business may have to close down anyway. Also they delay payments to float themselves a long when needed OR they start underbidding on new rebate contacts to get an influx of cash to keep moving along. Eventually this will catch up with them. A company I was working for ~2 years ago was dealing with the Canadian rebate company that went out of business and we got a bunch of horrifying information about how rebate processing works.

I am still waiting on a rebate for a video card I bought 3 months and 28 days ago. Previous to this I never bought anything with a rebate after the Canadian rebate processing debacle. I am done with rebates now. By the time that rebate shows up, the $25 no longer matters to me so I never should have let it influence my purchasing decision. Its not worth it for me to keep trying for rebates to see what companies are "good" at processing them considering they might switch who is processing the rebates at any time.

I had a rebate rejected once because I failed at the directions to circle the invoice total. I had copies of everything so I was like "Aha! I got this handled" and faxed in everything again. Apparently the circle I made was too large and also included part of the $0.00 I paid in shipping charges. I escalated the issue and was told by two "managers" that because I circled part of the $0.00, my submission was confusing and and no longer qualified for the rebate. I gave up at that point.
 
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I agree

MIRs are a waste of time. They're unreliable and not worth the hastle unless you're getting a large chunk of cash back (more than $80.00)... and even then, 9 times out of 10, you're lucky to even get it. Out of all the MIR's I've sent out in the past, I've only ever recieved a small handful of checks to cash.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...27502&cm_re=msi_gtx480-_-14-127-502-_-Product

$400, $300 AMIR of $100

$300 ain't bad IMO, but yeah, since it can take months to process and you're not entirely confident you'll receive it anyway, it's difficult to not just see it as $400...

IMO double-digit rebates like this should either be handled different so they're more definite, or frankly, why not just lower the price to $300?

Since Newegg's so big, how about Newegg's involved in the rebate process directly? Instead of mailing a UPC, how about the rebates ties to the SN of the item? Newegg has the SN, Newegg has my receipt, why not just send it straight to MSI right then and there?

Eh, it sucks to lose out on a $10 MIR, but yeah losing out on a $100 one probably would lead me to never bother again.
 
eh, I have never had a problem with rebates except once when I sent it in late. my fault.
it is quite simply a marketing tool that allows companies to offer their products at fake lower prices.
you should not look at the rebate price as part of the equation but instead determine if
the product is a value at its current price. if so the rebate is a bonus. If not, stay away.
 
eh, I have never had a problem with rebates except once when I sent it in late. my fault.
it is quite simply a marketing tool that allows companies to offer their products at fake lower prices.
you should not look at the rebate price as part of the equation but instead determine if
the product is a value at its current price. if so the rebate is a bonus. If not, stay away.

For the most part I agree, but some rebates are for the entire purchase price of the item...

So, not only is it meant to be seen as free, but it's even advertised as free...

We all know it's BS that when you buy something advertised as free by one company selling the product of another company but even a third company process the rebates, that when it doesn't happen, it's no one's fault... Although CompUSSR eventually came to customer's assistance when some manufs tried to give purchasers the finger...
 
I don't mind rebates, I think I've gotten back a good 90% of the rebates I've sent for, if not more... Off the top of my mind I can only remember forgetting to send one over the last four years, and getting denied approval for one in the same time frame.

That being said, I do go out of my way to buy from companies with a proven track record... For instance, if I can buy a GPU or memory from a Corsair or an ASUS instead of a HIS or a Sapphire then I'll go with the former even if it's $5-10 more (tho not if it's too much more). Those companies usually have better support, better warranties, and they've cut me slack in the past when something went wrong w/rebates (Corsair in particular).

I bought my HTC EVO for $300 up front but it ended up costing me just $125 in the end, that was WELL WORTH IT. I could've gone to Best Buy and gotten it for $200 up front, but I had no issues getting my $100 rebate from Sprint, my $50 discount split over the first two monthly bills from Sprint (w/a code from StudentRate), and my $25 check direct from StudentRate (where the whole offer originates). Heck I even got a free screen protector out of the deal ($20 value), tho I didn't use it, could probably sell it for another $5-10.

Over the last three or so years I've sent in rebates from XFX, ASUS, Corsair (more than once), G.Skill, Sprint/StudentRate, and Ultra I think... Didn't have trouble with any of those. I can't remember who denied one right now but I'm pretty sure there was one last year, maybe it was just the one I forgo that I'm thinking of. I'm about to fill one out w/MSI, fingers crossed. :D If it pans out I got a pretty good deal on my Sandy Bridge build ($35 combo discount from Newegg on mobo/CPU, $20 mobo MIR from MSI, free game from MSI, and a 15% discount on memory from Newegg).
 
* ReBAIT Etailer # 1 is TD/CC...their entire business model has always fostered consumer complaints but their excessive use of rebates to show artificially low pricing is really insulting. Their CS while improved still ends up with us having to jump through unbelievable hoops and hassles to resolve the issues...and it happens so damned frequently that doing business with them is just too wasteful of my time and peace of mind. Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice....So I'm done with 'em! Tell me I'm all alone

Maybe you are not alone, but I have not had any issue with TD. I've used their rebates just as I have Newegg's. They've processed just fine. I do agree that MIR's are a pain in the ass, and I have to keep enough cash to cover the length of the rebate because I do force them to pay the full amount. I don't do the 2 buck fast cash. They pay it all. But, as pointed out, it's a major pain in the ass. I often do skip deals that are only based on a MIR.
 
Money has value over time. Plus not everyone will bother sending them in. Win-win for any company.

But I agree. I no longer partake in deals involving MIRs.
 
I will never buy an OCZ product again because they tried to screw me out of a rebate on ram that I bought.
 
Mail in Rebates is just Marketing 101 fellas and it works, at the very least, 95% of the times, otherwise... they would do away with them.

Look at it this way as this is how the human brain thinks... for the most part of course! :p

You see an item you have been wanting for a long time for say $99.99. This is of course a little out of your reach or comfort zone to spend. OK, all of a sudden you see it on here or somewhere else listed for $69.99 with MiR. Immediately you jump on it and in your mind you changed to the lower price already, the 99.99 no longer takes priority on it and you feel very comfortable with the price you just paid.

You may o may not print the MiR right away (they are banking on the fact you won't).

3 - 7 days later you get your precious cargo and your immediately rip the box apart forgetting about the UPC Bar (1) or not bothering anymore to look or fill out the MiR form, they are also counting on this fact. In fact, they have spend a lot of money studying this behavior. :D
 
i do wonder what back room deals do rebates serve.. i mean does the company get any marketing info from them? Rebates not only cost the company money because they sell you stuff cheaper, but they also have to have someone who will handle them...

MIRs make alot of money for companies for a combination of reasons. I know people have touched on many of these items.

MIRs are sales people buy more stuff when it on sale, then you get into the specifics of why this sales has taken over the market.

1: You alll know tons of people do not get the rebate for various reasons, they missed the deadline, filled it out wrong, just did not bother etc.... They prey on human nature to procrastinate or be lazy.

2: They allow the manufacturer to manipulate the market without negatively effecting the retailer. In the old business model the retailer purchased product and was stuck with it if the price went down, now days that will not work retailers simply will just not stock items that plumet in price quickly. The MIR is one more in a variety of tools to help manufacturers drop the price on something without forcing the retailer to do it. If you do not keep retailers happy your product is very likely to fail. This is why some products get so much attention in stores while other very good products are crammed into a shelf. Notice apple has huge spread out displays with their own section at most stores but Asus/Acer get jammed into some corner never to be shown. High profit margin and locked prices as well as large payments for extra space go a long way in stores.

3. Because the UPC is taken off they are forcing you to keep the product rather than return it if you do not like it. There are loopholes but generally this is sort of like a ETF or contract they are making it so most people are locked into keeping the product.

4. Lag time for keeping money. It was once said that Dell made 10% of their profit off of investments. What they did was simple they always paid their suppliers really late like 60 days on average. Then in the early days almost every customer bought the product with a credit card, that was instant cash for dell. So money flowed in instantly and out 60 days later. All that time in the middle Dell had billions of dollars just sitting their liquid for use. They would invest, have good bank account terms, put it in any product that would result in decent yeild. Every company loves to do this if they can. The MIR is a way for any company to increase their liquidity so they have freed up money to make at the very least interest off of.

5. Public companies do all sorts of rediculous crap to to manipulate stock prices. One way is to use a MIR to boost sales make it look high then pay out later of course sooner or later you have to show your real profitability but they sometimes have bonus or PR reasons they need to do this. Along those same lines I bet they do similar things to manipulate taxes.

I am pretty sure I have recieved almost all the rebates I have sent in except one from logitech, wont ever do one with them again. As many of you said it is not worth my time to persue a MIR if it fails. Sometimes I forget and miss them. I have to admit though the best sales I dealt with on black friday were almost all the combination of a rebate and a good sale.
 
... then again it's nice when Galaxy sends you 520$ in pre-paid visa cards after 3 months. It's quite surprising when you completely forget about them :)
 
I've never had a problem with ANY rebate (except for a Mad Dog PSU from CompUSA, but after a quick phone call I got the rebate), and I've sent out at least 50 in my lifetime. Just read carefully, follow directions, make copies of everything and DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT.

Anyone who buys a product with an available MiR, and doesn't send it in, is just helping the manufacturer see the value in doing them. If 100% actually did it, then they wouldn't see the value in it obviously.

And someone above said that removing the UPC forces you to keep it. I will usually keep the product as long as I can to make sure it works well, then wait until 2 or 3 days before the postmark deadline, and just drop them off at the post office counter and have them stamped and postmarked right in front of me (also makes sure that your postage is sufficient since sometimes all that paper and cardboard from the UPC can weigh it down.). That way you even have a receipt showing something was mailed to them, and you are sure it is postmarked on time. I also print my envelopes to make sure it can be read.
 
Yeah really, in the vast majority of cases I've never had an issue. Just be conscientious about what you need to do, if you're too lazy for that then yea, avoid rebates. If you're the lazy sort then deal hunting in general is probably not for you anyway... :p

I'd probably complain more about the fact that they're usually limited to one per address than anything else... It can be a PITA for those of us contemplating SLI/CF or RAID, and it just means the manufacturer we prefer may lose some business. I'd rather pay $20 more (total) and buy both of the GPU's I'm considering right now from XFX, but not being able to cash in two rebates the difference adds up to $40... At that point it's just not worth it, so I'll get one card from XFX and one card from whomever has it cheapest, XFX loses one sale.

I know those rules are meant to prevent fraud but c'mon, they could easily set the limit at two per address for items that they know enthusiasts will often double up on.
 
I admit I play the rebate game. No, they are not convenient. But I've had good luck.

OCZ, MSI, Newegg, Patriot, many XFX, Antec, Budweiser, HIS, Gigabyte, Mushkin, and more just within the last year or so off the top of my head. All came through without a hitch. In fact, I cannot recall the last time I didn't get one.

Its important to follow instructions and keep good records, but that's not too difficult IMO. So I guess go ahead and sign me up for another spin of rebate roulette.
 
I got my $4 rebate for the FRAM oil filter I purchased at the same time I bought an air filter.

$4 much? no, but it's 80% of the price of an oil filter!

That's the smallest rebate I've ever done. The biggest was $100. Most are $10-$30 and I'm okay with the process, even though it is a hassle.

Sure, I'd rather just have that be an instant discount, but for the schmucks to get denied because they can't follow instructions, I get a good price in the end. Instant discounts are always less than price after MIR.
 
I've cashed in checks for like $0.42 (from Apple after they bought Lala and had outstanding balance) and $0.60 (from a pre-paid CC I didn't use up in it's entirety)... The teller at the bank looked at me funny when I cashed in that Apple check and said it probably cost them more to send it than it was worth. :p
 
I would prefer to not have rebates, but will not pass up a good deal on an item I want or need because is has a MIR. I have never had a rebate that I did not get paid for, OCZ, Tiger Direct, Buy.com, Corsair, Newegg, Mushkin, MSI, etc. Read the fine print and follow all rules to the letter. They are hoping that you don't send in the rebate as it is more money for them. The online method that most are going to has made the process easier and less likely for a mistake to be made.
 
I won't use a lot of companies that do MIR. Even Nintendo screwed me with a $25 rebate years ago... So, I said fuck em.
 
I've never NOT gotten back a rebate that I sent in, and I've sent in dozens of rebates in my time. Sure, it takes time, but I think the "unreliability" factor is grossly overblown.
 
Yeah, sometimes you just have to stay on top of it to make sure they send it in... I just leave one unread e-mail in my inbox regarding each rebate so I remember to check it every once in a while. For instance, I just had a Corsair rebate on a PSU that was denied. I called up a little under a week after it had been denied and asked what happened, the lady told me that sometimes they deny rebates that are requested to P.O. Boxes because of fraud but because I had called they could just easily re-issue it, and so they did... 5 min phone call cleared it all up. /shrug

Sure they tried to weasel out of it, that might seemingly make some of you lose your mind, but they didn't give me any hassle about it when I called either. Doesn't bother me if I get to save $20-30 in the end...
 
I use a program called Ultimate Rebate Tracker that was written by someone on SlickDeals.net. It lets you put in all the information about the product, the purchase, and the rebate, letting you easily keep track of all your submissions (scans, dates, URLs, phone numbers, etc.) and when you should be getting money back. I never really had issues with rebates before, but this makes it even easier.

As others have said, rebates (if done honestly) work out pretty well for everyone except the ones who don't (properly) send them in. You're out the money for a bit, but you do eventually get your item for the lower price. The seller gets to advertise the item at a lower price, but earns a higher average price (due to the people who don't do the rebate). I've done 15 rebates since last December, with 12 received ($295) and 3 still in process ($55). Earlier in '09 I bought a house and had several hundred bucks worth of rebates on appliances, which I also had no problems with. I can honestly remember only three times that I had rebate issues: Asus sent me a bad check for a rebate, I was late sending one in, and years ago one claimed that I was missing the UPC on a flash drive or some other small item.

However, the people who don't do rebates result in better deals for me. If 60% of the people don't claim the $100MIR on the $200 item, that means the company is averaging a price of $160 while being able to advertise it as $100. I'm getting the item for $100 and a few minutes of my time.

I hadn't considered the idea of using the float of the rebate payment to actually invest and earn from, but I'm willing to bet that if everyone started doing their rebates all the time, rebates would disappear. Instead of $200 - $100MIR, you'd see the $200 item on sale for $160 to get the same as what they averaged with the rebates. It works out the same for the company, but now everyone gets it for $160 instead of the lazy bums paying $200 and people like me paying $100.

Assuming companies stay honest about the process, I'm happy to spend a few minutes of my time to get some great deals which otherwise wouldn't be possible. I'll pay a few bucks extra for not having to deal with a rebate, but I also realize that the rebate system is the only way they can afford to sell things at insanely low prices. I factor the rebates into my cost calculations, but since I've already paid for it, it's like free money when it arrives. If companies become horrible about accepting rebate submissions (circled too big, WTF?), I'll have no problem boycotting them, but until then it's just another way I get great deals for a little effort.
 
I agree. I use to buy a lot of electronic items with rebates and not worry about them because I would always get them. Until one day (few years back) there was a sweet deal on a MP3 player and the rebate made it free or almost. After submitting the form for the rebate, 2 or 3 months passed and didn't receive anything. I tried calling them up and got no where with that. To this day I still have NOT received that rebate (I never will at this point lol). I took the gamble that time and ended up paying more for MP3 player because of that. I had 2-3 more items the same, but the rebate wasn't that much so never really mattered to me I guess. After this, I just stopped doing the MIR bs. There is ONE exception though. I have bought 3-4 items in the last year with MIR from Staples and have NEVER had a problem with there rebates at all. I like there system of not having to mail in any form, it's all online and sends you emails when it gets processed, validated and then mailed out to you. I give Staples 5 stars on there part.

-Xzi
 
I've sent for 3 rebates and only got back one, from Antec.

I'd say 1/3 is pretty unreliable

EDIT:
Finally got a rebate back from CoolerMaster
2/3 :D
 
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You guys want something interesting? I chose Galaxy.4myrebates' fast option which was supposed to leave the facility within 5-7 business days. I mailed it in on Jan. 2-4, haven't received it yet. I sent an email, here's my back-and-forth so far... and I am going to receive this rebate.

email said:
Re: Re: My Rebate (#8796-214277519-xxx6)
...
From:
[Chat now]
...
View Contact
To: 4myrebateGalaxy <[email protected]>
Was the issue I explained in my first message understood? Had this rebate service fulfilled the policy I paid $8 for, I estimate that I would have received my rebate at the latest around two weeks ago.

Your service did NOT fulfill its policy. Your service is NOT deserving of paying $8 less. I expect to receive a rebate card(s) for a total of $70. I also expect your next response to include a confirmation or a denial of my requirement, and not an attempt to 'sweep it under the rug'.

Thank you.

From: 4myrebateGalaxy <[email protected]>
To:
Sent: Wed, February 9, 2011 2:53:04 PM
Subject: RE: Re: My Rebate (#8796-xxxx77519-4596)

Thanks for your email.

Your rebate is being sent out this week.


Andrew
Customer Service number 1-800-286-9146
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Feb 8, 2011 9:19:08 PM
Subject: Re: My Rebate (#8796-2xxxx7519-4596)

My number is: 20131977451xxx96

I sent in my rebate in early January.

Thank you.




________________________________
From: 4myrebateGalaxy <[email protected]>
To:
Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 8:14:07 AM
Subject: RE: My Rebate (#8796-xxxxx7519-4596)

Thanks for your email.

What is your tracking number?


Andrew
Customer Service number 1-800-286-9146
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Feb 6, 2011 11:15:39 AM
Subject: My Rebate

Hi. I sent in two rebates for rebate SIC-6031, from email
[email protected] at ZIP code 91214. I chose the expedited service option,

and allowed $8 to be subtracted from my rebate, based on the claim that my
rebate would leave the facility within (if I recall correctly) 5-7 days. I have
not yet received my rebate, having mailed it on Jan. 2-4.

Here are the terms of the expedited service option, as found here.
http://galaxytech.4myrebate.com/Home/FAQ#10

Q: Is there anyway to receive my rebate faster?
A:Yes! For a small fee, which will be deducted from your rebate amount, Galaxy

Microsystems offers the No-Wait Rebate service level. We guarantee that a
check will be mailed within 5-7 business days of the receipt and approval of
your rebate documentation.

This is unacceptable. Your rebate service has not fulfilled the policy that I
reduced my rebate amount for. I require that I receive the full rebate amount
that I was originally entitled to, $70, in order to be compensated for a service

that I did NOT receive.


Thank you.
 
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I've never NOT gotten back a rebate that I sent in, and I've sent in dozens of rebates in my time. Sure, it takes time, but I think the "unreliability" factor is grossly overblown.

How long did it take you to get them all, or how many did you sign up for and forget about?

I've had a fair amount that have come in, but most have taken 4-6 months, not weeks to return. The longest was for a Plextor drive that came in almost a year to the day I purchased it. If you are counting on them to pay off the device then you are being just plain foolish so it's better to treat is as a bonus IF they ever come.
 
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