Consumer rant for a moment:
I hate rebates because they take so long to process that you forget all about them and while it’s nice to get surprise money, I’d rather not have spent that money in the first place. I’d rather have a damn coupon. Of course, if rebates were easy and not time consuming, everyone would do them and then the companies wouldn’t have quite the scam they think they do. And in this digital age, even I can see how this cumbersome process could be sooo much faster and easier (and cheaper for all involved).
My husband is a rebater, bless his heart. It could be a rebate that’s slightly more than the cost of the stamp he needs to mail it, and he’ll be all over it with his forms and highlighted receipts. Actually, he’ll make me be all over it, since he is far too busy to deal with purchasing stamps or writing tiny letters in blocks on these forms.
Yesterday we got a rebate form returned. It’s my fault and now it’s my job to fix it. But IS IT my fault? I think not. Let me give you the facts:
- It was returned because I used our PO Box. They say they do not ship to PO Boxes. NO WHERE on the form (including the teeny tiny small print) does it say they do not honor requests to PO Boxes.
- I had to list our phone number AND an e-mail address on this form. They could have quickly contacted us for another address. Instead they chose to write us a letter explaining the problem and waste time and a stamp sending it with our form and receipt. Are you kidding me? Now I have to waste time and a stamp sending it back.
In related irony:
- I am mailing the form back TO A PO BOX. Hypocrites.
- The rebate is for headlights. Thus, the name of the rebate is “Best and Brightest”. I disagree.
Before I sealed the envelope, I wrote them a little note to point out the ironies. I probably owe my husband $15.
